Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/227

218 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. holh on ðæm weobude buton godra monna geðyld? Forðæm, ðonne mon his mod geeaðmodegað ðæt he wiðerweardnesse & scande forbere, ðonne geeacnað he sum holh on his mode swæ swæ ðæt weobud hæfð on him uppan. Holh wæs beboden ðæt sceolde beon on ðæm weobude uppan, forðæm ðæt wind ne meahte ða lac tostencean, þe mon on ðæt weobud legde. Ðæt tacnað ðæt ðæt geðyld sceal gehealdan ðara gecorenra monna mod, ðætte hit ne [a]styrige se wind ðære ungeðylde, ðylæs hit forleose ða godan weorc þe he ær geworht hæfde. Wel hit wæs gecweden ðæt ðæt holh sceolde beon on ðæm weobude anre elne brad & anre elne long, forðæm butan tweon se þe ða geðylde ne forlæt, he gehielt micle anmodnesse. Be ðæm cwæð sanctus Paulus : Bere eower ælc oðres byrðenne betweohxn eow, ðonne gefylle ge Godes æ. Đæt is ðonne Godes æ ðæt mon hæbbe lufe & geðyld, ðæt ðonne fullfremmað ða ane þe hie ne forlætað, ðonne hie mon gremed. Gehieren ða ungeðyldegan ðysne cwyde þe awriten is : Betra bið se geðyldega wer ðonne se stronga & se kena, & strongra bið se & ðristra þe he his agen mod ofercymð & gewilt ðonne se þe fæste burg abrycð. Læssan sige hæfð se se ða burhware ofercymð, forðon him bioð fremde ða þe he ðær hinð & ðreatað. Forðæm bið se sige micle mara ðe man mid geðylde gewinð, forðæm sio gesceadwisnes ðonne hæfð ofercumen ðæt mod & gewielð, swelce he self hæbbe hiene selfne gewildne, & sio geðyld hæbbe ðæt mod geðreated & gecafstrod. Gehieren ða ungeðyldegan hwæt sio Soðfæstnes cwæð to his gecorenum, he cwæð: On eo(w)rum geðylde ge gehealdað eowra saula. Swæ we sint wunderlice gesceapene ðæt ure mod & ure gewitt hæfð ðone anwald ures

patience of good men ? For when a man humbles his mind so as to Dear enmity and contumely, he produces a hollow in his mind such as the altar has on it. A hollow was commanded to be on the top of the altar, that wind might not scatter the offerings which were laid on the altar. That means that patience is to restrain the minds of the elect, that the wind of impatience may not agitate them, lest they lose the good works which were formerly accomplished. It was well said that the hollow on the altar was to be one ell broad and one ell long, because, doubtlessly, he who forsakes not patience preserves great unanimity. Therefore St. Paul said: “Let each among you bear the other's burden, then ye will fulfil God's law.” God's law consists in having love and patience, which those alone fulfil who do not forsake them when