Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/207

198 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. (Cotton MSS. æt hiera heortan, ða ær alætan ær hie utaberstað on fullicum weorcum. Swæ swæ Dauid forbær ðæt he Saul ne dorste ofslean for Godes ege & for ðæm ealdum treowum, swæ doð þa æltæwan mod ðara godra esna. Hie forberað æghwelce unryhte tælinge: swæ swæ Dauid forbær ðæt he ne slog Saul (om.) mid his sweorde [Saul], swæ hie forberað ðæt hie mid ðæm sweorde hiera tungna tælinge ne sleað hiera hlafordes ðeawas, ðeah hie wieten ðæt hie ealles æltæwe ne sien. Ac gif hie ðonne eallunga forberan ne mægen for hiera agnum unðeawum & for hiera ungestæððignesse ðæt hie hit ne sciren, ðonne sprecen hie ymbe his þa læstan unðeawas & ðæt ðeah swiðe diegollice. Swæ swæ Dauid cearf swiðe diegellice swiðe lytelne læppan of Saules mentelle his ealdhlafordes, swæ doð ða þe hiera hlafordas diegellice tælað, & ðeah swæ swæ hit him no ne derige, ne ne egle. Ac gif hwæm gebyrige ðæt he for his agnum unðeawum on ða tælinge his hlafordes befó, ðonne sceal he hiene selfne swiðe swiðlice forðæm tælan & ðara læstena worda hreowsian. Forðon hit is awriten ðætte Dauid, ða he ðone læppan forcorfedne hæfde, ðæt he sloge on his heortan, & swiðe swiðlice hreowsode ðæt he him æfre swæ ungerisenlice geðenian sceolde, ðeah his ðegnas hiene lærdon ðæt he hiene mid his sweorde sloge. Swæ scule gehwele mon forberan ðæt he mid ðæm sweorde his tungan his hlaford ne slea ; ðæt is, ðeah he hiene mid ryhte tælan mæge, ðæt he hit ne do. Gif him ðonne weas [wealdes] gebyrige oððe ungewealdes ðæt he on ðæs hwæt befoo ðe wið his willan sie, ðeah hit on ðæm ealra læstan ðingum sie, ðeah him is ðearf ðæt he his heortan & his mod mid hreowsunga swiðe pinige, & his agena scylda ongiete, & him selfum

works. As David forbore slaying Saul for the fear of God and his old allegiance, so do the pious minds of good servants. They abstain from all unrighteous blame: as David forbore slaying Saul with his sword, so do they forbear slaying with the sword of their tongue's blame the reputation of their lord, although they know that it is not altogether perfect. But if they cannot altogether abstain from proclaim- ing it, because of their own faults and their frivolity, let them speak of his most trifling faults, and that very secretly. As David very secretly cut off a very small corner of Saul's coat, his liege lord, so do those who secretly blame their lords, and yet so that it does not injure or annoy them. But if any one happen to engage in blaming his lord, because of his own