Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/165

156 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. dan wuhta, ac bið hwæthwugu upahafen swæ ðæt neat from eordan ; ac for ðære gewilnunge [gewilnunga] worldgilpes & gidsunge he onlyt ungerisenlice to ðissum eorðlicum, swæ ðæt neat for gifernisse onlyt to ðære eorðan. Eac wæs gesewen on ðæm wage atifred ealle ða heargas Israhela folces, & eac sio gidsung þe sanctus Paulus cwæg ðæt wære hearga & idelnesse gefera. Swiðe ryhtlice hit wæs awriten æfter ðæm nietenum ðæt ða heargas wæron atifrede, forðæm ðeah ðe ful monige mid gerisenlicum weorcum arisen from eorðan, mid ungerisenlicum gewilnungum ðissa worldðinga hie hie selfe alecgeað on eorðan. Forðy wæs swiðe wel gecweden ðæt hit wære atiefred, forðon ðonne mon smeað on his mode ymb hwelc eorðlic ðing, ðonne deð he swelce he hit amete & atifre on his heortan, & swæ tweolice & unfæstlice he atifreð ðæs ðinges onlicnesse on his mode þe he ðonne ymb smeað. Eac is to wietonne ðæt ærest bið se wah ðurhðyrelod, & siððon mon wyrcð duru to. Gif sio ðonne ontyned bið, ðonne mæg mon gesion gif ðær hwelc diglu scond inne bið, swæ se witga dyde. Feorrone ðu meaht gesion, gif se wag bið ðyrel, ac ðu ne meaht gesion hwæt ðærinne bið gehyddes, buton ðu ða duru antyne. Swæ ðu meaht ælcne unðeaw on ðæm men ærest be sumum tacnum ongietan, hwæs ðu wenan scealt, ær he hit mid wordum oððe mid weorcum cyðe. Siððan he hit ðonne mid ðara aðrum cyð, ðonne bið sio duru ðære unryhtwisnesse ontyned ðæt tu meaht gesion eall ðæt yfel openlice ðæt ðærinne lutað. Monige hiera ðonne sindon swiðe liðelice to ðreagenne, ðonne hie of yflum willan ne gesyngað, ac of unwisdome & ungewisses oððe ungewaldes oððe of

the earth like the reptiles, but is somewhat raised from the earth like the beasts ; but, from the desire of worldly fame and cupidity, he is im- properly inclined to earthly things, as the beast from greediness bends to the earth. There were also seen painted on the wall all the idols of the people of Israel, and also the cupidity which St. Paul said was the companion of idols and vanity. It is very rightly written that after the beasts the idols were painted, because, alth very many are elevated from the earth with proper works, they lay themselves on the earth with improper desires of earthly things. Therefore it was very well said that it was painted, because, when a man meditates in his heart about any earthly thing, he, as it were, draws and paints it in his heart, and thus he dubiously and unfirmly paints the likeness