Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/193

184 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. (Cotton MSS. Hwæt mæg ðonne elles tacnian Saules ungewitfulnes buton ða upahafenesse ðara welegena? Oððe hwæt is elles getacnod ðurh Dauid buton eaðmodlic lif haligra monna? Forðæm ðonne se unclæna gast becom on Saul, Dauid ðonne mid his sange gemetgode ða wodðrage Saules. Swæ ðonne, ðonne ðæt mod ðara ricena for upahafenesse bið to ierre gehwierfed, ðonne is cynn ðætte we for hiera modes hælo olecende hie on smyltnesse gebrengen mid ure spræce, swæ swæ Dauid dyde Saul mid ðære hearpan. Hwilum eac ðonne mon ðæm ricum cidan sceal, ærest mon sceal sprecan asciende, swelce he be oðrum men sprece & ascige, & gehiere hu he be ðæm deman wille. Đonne mon ðonne ongiete ðæt he ryhte gedemed hæbbe, & he wene ðæt he ryht be oðrum gedemed hæbbe, ðonne sæcge him mon swiðe gedæftelice for his agnum scyldum, ðylæs ðæt aðundene mod for ðisum hwilendlicum anwalde hit gebelge wig ðone þe him cit, ac ðæt he mid his agnum wisdome & mid his agnum wordum ðone swyran gebigge his agenra ofermetta, ðætte he nane lade ne mæge findan, ac sie swæ mid his agnum wordum gebunden. Forðæm com Naðan to cidanne ðæm kyninge Dauide, & licette, swelce he ymb sumes ðearfan & sumes earmes monnes ryht spræce, & sohte ðæs kyninges dom, & wolde ðæt he ærest hiene be oðrum men gedemde, & sittan gehierde his agne scylde, forðæm ðæt he eft ne meahte ðæm ilcan dome wiðcweðan. & eac se haliga mon ongeat ægðer ge ðæs kyninges scylde ge eac his hatheortnesse & gedyrstignesse, wolde hiene ða ærest gebindan mid his agenre ondetnesse, & forhæl him ðæt he hiene eft ðreatian wolde. Swæ se læce hyt his isern wið ðone mon þe he sniðan wile; wenð, gif he hit him iewe, ðæt he him nylle geðafian ðæt he hiene sniðe. Ac

oxysms with the music. What else can Saul's madness signify but the pride of the rich ? Or what else is signified by David but the humble life of holy men? Therefore, when the unclean spirit came on Saul, David with his song alleviated Saul's fit of madness. So, when the mind of the rich through pride is turned to anger, it is proper for us to heal their mind by soothing them and restoring them to tran- quillity by our talk, as David did Saul with the harp. Sometimes also, when we have to rebuke a rich man, we must first speak en- quiringly, as if we spoke and asked about another man, and hear how he will judge in his case. And when we see that he has judged rightly, and he himself thinks he has judged rightly in the other's case, we can tell him very adroitly, because of his own sins, lest the mind,