Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/225

216 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. leornunga & ælces cræftes, & æghwelces lareowes lar wihst ðurh his geðylde, & æghwelc monn bið onfunden swæ micle læs gelæred ðonne oðer swæ he bið ungeðyldegra. Ne mæg he no ryhtlice geðyld læran, buton he self geðyldelice oðerra monna teonan geðolige. Hwilum eac gebyreð for ðæm unðeawe ðære ungeðylde ðæt ðæt mod wierð gesticced mid ðære scylde gilpes, & hie ne mæg geðyldgian ðæt he for ðisse worlde sie forsewen, ac gif he hwæt digollice for Gode to gode gedyde, ðonne ne mæg he geðyldgian ðæt he ðæt forhele, ac wierð ðonon gilpen, & onginneð ðonne ðæt cyðan ðonne he ne mæg geðolian ðæt hiene men forsion, ac geopenað hit mid gilpe. Be ðæm is awriten ðæt betra bio se geðyldega wer ðonne se gilpna, forðæmþe him bið liofre scande to ðolianne ðonne ðæt god to cyðanne ðæt he digollice deð, ðylæs he for ðæm unðeawe ðæs gilpes hit forleose. Ac ðæm gilpnan bið liofre ðæt he secge on hiene selfne, gif he hwæt godes wat, ge ðeah he nyte hwæt he soðes secge, him is ðeah leofre ðæt he leoge ðonne him mon ænigra ungerisna to wene. Ac he forlæt ðonne & towierpð eall þa godan weorc þe he ær worhte, ðonne he forlæt ða geðylde. Forðæm wæs swiðe ryhtlice beboden Ezechiele ðæm witgan ðæt he sceolde ðone Godes alter habban uppan aholodne ðæt he meahte on healdan ða ofrunga & ða lac þe man brohte to ðæm weobude ; forðæm, gif se weobud ufan hol nære, & ðær wind to come, ðonne tostencte he ða lac. Hwæt elles getacnað ðæt weobud buton rihtwisra monna saula? Forðæmþe nu eal ðæt se ryhtwisa to gode deð eal hit bið broht to lacum beforan Godes eagum, swæ iu wæs eall sio ofrung uppe on ðæt wiobud broht. Hwæt tacnað ðonne ðæt

vice of impatience, the foster-mother of all learning and virtue is driven out; and the learning of every teacher grows through his patience, and every man is proved to be so much the less learned than another as he is more impatient. He cannot rightly teach patience, unless he himself patiently suffer the contumely of others. Sometimes also it happens, through the vice of impatience, that the mind is pierced by the sin of boasting, and he cannot bear worldly scorn ; and if he has done any good action in the sight of God, he cannot bear to conceal it, but becomes boastful, and begins to proclaim it, not being able to endure men's contempt, but reveals it boastfully. Therefore it is written that the patient is better than the boastful man, for he would rather suffer contumely than proclaim the good he does secretly, lest