Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/239

230 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. monna welgedona dæda ne lufiað & ne herigeað, ac we nabbað ðeah nane mede ðære heringe, gif we be sumum dæle nyllað onginnan ðæt we onhyrigen ðæm ðeawum þe us on oðrum monnum liciað be ðæm dæle ðe we mægen. Forðæm is to secganne ðæm welwillendan monnum ðæt hie habbað swæ micle mede oðerra monna godra weorca, gif hie him nan wuht ne onhyriað, swæ we hablað ðæs hleahtres, ðonne we hilihlað gligmonna unnyttes cræftes. We heriað hiera cræftas, & ðeah nyllað hie habban, forðæm we hiera nabbað nan lof. We wundriað hu wel hie liciað for hiera cræfte, & ðeah ne wilniað na ðæt we swæ licigen. Đæm welwillendum is to sæcganne, ðonne hie gesioð hiera geferena god weorc, ðæt hie eac ðencen to him selfum, & ne fortruwigen hie for oðerra monna weorcum, ðylæs hie herigen hiera godan weorc, & onscunien ðæt hie selfe swæ don. Đæs ðy wierse wite hie sculon habban on ende þe lim licað tæt mon wel do, & nyllað ðæm onhyrigean be sumum dæle. Ac ða æfstegan sint to manianne ðæt hie ongieten hu blinde hie beoð, ðonne hie beoð unrote for oðerra monna godan weorcum, & for hiera ryhtum ge(fean) biog unbliðe, forðæm hie bioð swiðe ungesælige, ðonne hie yfliað forðæmþe oðre men godiað, & ðonne hie gesioð ðara oðerra gesælðo eaciende, ðonne ðyncð him ðæt hie willen acwelan for ðære mettrymnesse ðæs oðres gesælignesse, swæ he bið genierwed on his mode. Hwa mæg beon ungesæligra ðonne se æfstega ? Đonne ðu gesihst ðæt he bið utan gedrefed, hu micle ma wenst ðu ðæt he sie innan for ðæs oðres gode! Đæt god ðæt se oðer ðonne det, ðæt meahte bion eac his god, We sin greatly if we do not love and praise the good deeds of

others, but we shall get no reward for our praise if we will not to some extent begin to imitate the virtues which please us in others, as far as lies in our power. Therefore the benevolent must be told that they will have as much reward of other men's good works, if they do not imitate them, as we have of our laughter at the useless tricks of conjurers. We praise their tricks, and yet care not to possess them, because they are not creditable. We admire the approbation they get for their art, but yet we do not desire the same approbation. The benevolent are to be told that, when they see the good works of their companions, they must think for themselves, and not presume on the strength of the works of others; lest, while they praise their good