Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/181

172 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. hie frienað, ðonne is swiðe micel scand gif he ðonne færð secende hwæt he sellan scyle, ðonne he iewan sceolde ðæt him mon to ascað. Ac ðonne sticiað ða sahlas swiðe singallice on ðæm hringum, ðonne ða lareowas simle on hiera heortum smeageað ða halgan gewritu. Ond ðonne hie hæbbað swið arudlice ða earce up, ðonne hie swiðe hrædlice bioð gearwe to laronne ðætte ðonne ðearf bið. Be ðæm swiðe wel se forma hierde ðære halgan ciricean, tæt is sanctus Petrus, manode oðre hierdas, þa he cwæð: Beoð simle gearwe to læronne & to forgifonne ælcum ðara þe eow ryhtlice bidde ymbe ðone tohopan þe ge habbað on eow. Swelce he openlice cwæde : Ne brede ge no ða stengeas of ðæm hringum, ðylæs sio earc sie ungearo to beranne.

XXIII. Hu micel scyle bion ðæt toscead, & hu mislice mon scyle men læran mid ðæm cræfte ðæs lareowdomes.

Nu ðonne of ðis we reahton hwelc se hierde bion sceal; nu we him willað cyðan hu he læran sceal, swæ swæ hit lange ær us ðære eadgan gemynde wer Gregorius lærde, se wæs oðre noman gecweden Nanzanzenus, he cwæð: Ne gedafenað hit no ðæt we ealle men on ane wisan læren, forðæm hie ne sint ealle anes modes & anra ðeawa. Forðæm oft sio ilce lar þe oðre [oðrum] hilpeð, hio dereð ðæm odrum ; swæ swæ monegra cynna wyrta & grasu bioð gerad, sumu neat batiað fore, sumu cwelað; swæ swæ mid liðre wistlunge mon hors gestilleð, swæ eac mid ðære ilcan wistlunge mon mæg hund astyrian ; swæ bioð eac monige læcedomas þe sume adle gelytligeað, & sume gestrongiað; swæ

and question them, it is a great shame if he goes to seek what he is to give them, when he ought to expound what is asked of him. The poles remain constantly in the rings, when the teachers ever meditate in their hearts on the holy Scriptures. And they raise up the ark very vigorously, when they are quickly ready to teach what is necessary. About which the first shepherd of the holy Church, that is St. Peter, admonished other shepherds very well, saying: “Be ever ready to teach, and grant his request to every one who asks you rightly about the hope ye have in you." As if he had openly said: “Draw not the poles out of the rings, lest the ark be not ready to be carried.”