Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/243

231 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. healdað, oððæt hie afeallað on opene scylde, swæ swæ Cain dyde. Ne gefeolle he næfre on swæ opene scylde ðæt he his broðor ofsloge, gif he ær ne æfstgade ðætte his broðor lac wæron ðoncweorðlecor onfongne ðonne his. Be ðæm is awriten ðæt Dryhten besawe to Abele & to his lacum, & nolde to Caine ne to his lacum. Đa wearð Cain swiðe [swið(e) hrædlice] ierre, & hnipode ofdune, & se anda ða þe he hæfde to his breder, forðæmþe his lac wæron onfongnu & his næron, se anda wearð to sæde ðæs broðorsleges, forðæm him eglde ðæt he wæs betra ðonne he, & ðohte, swæ he eft dyde [gedyde], ðæt he hiene ofsloge, wurde siððan to ðæm þe hit meahte. Forðæm is to sæcgeanne ðæm æfstegum ðætte, ðonne ðonne hie bioð innan fretene mid ðære adle, ðæt hie forleosað swæ hwæt oðres godes swæ on him ongieten bið. Be ðæm is awriten ðætte ðis flæsclice lif sie æfst, & he sie ðære flæslican heortan hælo, & ðeah ða ban for him forrotigen. Hwæt getacnað ðonne ðæt flæsc buton unfæst weorc & hnesce, & hwæt ða ban buton stronglice geworht weorc? Oft ðeah gebyreð ðætte sume, ða þe welwillende bioð on monegum weorcum, unfæste bioð ongietene, & sume bioð beforan monna eagum gesewen swelce hie fæstlicu & stronglicu weorc wyrcð, & ðeah, ðeah hie swæ do beforan monnum, for ðæm andan oðerra monna godra weorca, hie bið aswunden oninnan him selfum. Forðy is wel gecweden ðætte ðæt flæsclice lif sie ðære heortan hælo, forðæm se þe gehielt his unsceaðfulnesse & his godan willan, ðeah he hwæt tiederlices oððe yfelra weorca utan do, he mæg ðæt æt sumum cierre betan. Ac ðæt is swiðe ryhte gecweden be ðæm banum ðæt hie forrotigen for ðæm æfste, forðæm for ðæs æfstes

sin, as Cain did. He would not have fallen into so manifest a sin as to slay his brother, had he not been envious before, because his brother's offerings were more thankfully received than his own. There- fore it is written that the Lord regarded Abel and his gifts, but not Cain and his gifts. Then Cain very quickly became angry, and drooped, and his anger against his brother, because his offerings were accepted and his own were not, became the cause of the fratricide, because he was annoyed at his being better than himself, and he determined, as he afterwards did, to slay him, come of it what might. Therefore the envious are to be told that, when they are internally consumed by the disease, they lose whatever other virtues they are acknowledged to possess. Therefore it is written that this carnal life is envy,