Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/231

222 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. ðonne he hit ðeah forgifan sceal, forðæm, gif sio lufu ne gæð æfter ðære forgifnesse, ðonne wierð ðær feoung, & se goda cræft ðe he ðær licette ðære forgifnesse wierð behwirfed on wiersan scylde. Be ðæm cwæð sanctus Paulus : Lufu bið geðyldig. And sona æfter ðæm he cwæð: Hio bið mildu. Swiðe sweotule he ætiewde mid ðæm wordum ðætte ðæm monnum ðe we for geðylde hwæt forberan sculon, ðæt we hie sculon eac milde mode lufian. Be ðæm se æðela lareow cwæð, ða he spon his hieremen to ðære geðylde, he cwæð: Ælc ðweora & ælc ierre & unweorðscipe & geclibs & tæl sie anumen fram eow. Đa he spræc, swelce he þa uterran yflu hæfde eall gesett, & wende hiene þa to ðæm inneran, & ðus cwæð: And ælc yfel forlæte ge on eowrum ingeðonce. Forðæm hit bið unnyt ðæt mon unweorðunga & tæl & geclibs utane forlæte, gif se yfela willa ðone onwald hæfð ðæs ingeðonces, se is modur ælces yfeles, forðæm hit bið unnyt ðæt mon hwelces yfles bogas snæde, buton mon wille ða wyrtruman forceorfan ðæs staðoles. Be ðæm sio Soðfæstnes ðurh hie selfe cwæð: Lufiað eowre fiend, & doð ðæm wel þe eow ær hatedon, & gebiddað for þa þe eower ehtad & eow lað doð. Đæt is swiðe micel cræft beforan mannum ðæt mon ðæm men auht forberan mæge þe him wiðerweard sie, & ðæt is micle mare beforan Gode ðæt hiene mon siððan mæge lufian ; forðæm ða lac beoð Gode ealra andfengeost þe beforan his eagum se lieg ðære lufe forbærnð on ðæm altere godra weorca, swæ swæ iu mid ðæm heofoncundan fire on ðære ealdan æ wæron ða lac forbærndu uppe on ðæm altere. Be ðæm eft Dryhte(n) cwæð to sumum monnum þe hæfdon ða geðyld, & næfdon ða lufe, he cwæð :

it is necessary to forgive it, because, if love does not follow forgiveness, hatred arises, and the simulated virtue of forgiveness is turned into a worse sin. Therefore St. Paul said: “Love is patient.” And soon after he said: “It is mild.” Very clearly he showed with these words that, if we bear with men out of patience, we must also love them with mild heart. Therefore the noble teacher spoke, encouraging his subjects to patience; he said: “Let all perversity, and wrath, and indignation, and clamour, and blame be taken away from you.” Then he spoke as if he had settled all external evils, and turned then to the internal evils, and spoke thus: “And dismiss all evil from your hearts." For it is useless for a man to dismiss indignation, and blame, and clamour externally, if evil will, which is the mother of all