Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/246

Hatton MS.] GREGORY'S PASTORAL. 237 æfstes scylde forweorðað ða godan weorc, ðeah ðe hie beforan monna eagum ðyncen trumlice gedón. Đæt is ðæt ða bán fo[r]rotigen for ðæm æfste ðæt he forleose sum suide god weorc for ðæm afste.

XXXV. Đætte on oðre wisan sint to manienne da bilwitan, ón oðre ða ðweoran & ða lytegan.

On oðre wisan sint to manianne ða biliwitan, on oðre ða lytegan. Đa bilewitan sint to herigenne, forðæmðe hie simle suincað on ðæm ðæt hi tieligeað ðæt hie ne sculen leasunga secgan. Hie mon sceal eac læran ðæt hi hwilum suigien ðæs soðes, forðæm, sua sua sio leasung simle dereð ðæm secggendum, sua dereð eac hwilum sumum monnum ðæt soð to gehierenne. Forðæm ure Dryhten gemetgode mid suigean his spræce beforan his ðegnum, ða he cuæð: Fela ic hæbbe eow to secganne, ac ge hit ne magon nu giet aberan. Đy sint to manianne ða bilwitan anfealdan ðætte, sua sua hie ða leasunga nyttwyrðlice fleoð, ðæt hie eac ðæt soð nytwyrðlice secgen, & geicen ða god hira anfealdnesse mid wærscipe, & sua tilige ðære orsorgnesse mid ðære anfealdnesse ðætte he ðone ymbeðonc ðæs wærscipes ne forlæte. Be ðam cwæð se æðela lareow sanctus Paulus : Ic wille ðæt ge sien wise to gode & bilwite to yfele. Ond eft be ðæm [cwæd] Dryhten ðurh hine selfne to his gecorenum : Beo ge swa ware sua sua nædran & sua bilwite sua culfran. Forðæm on ðara acorenra monna heortan sceal ðære nædran lytignes & hire nið ðære culfran biliwitnesse gescirpan, & eft ðære culfran biliwitnesse sceal gemetgian ðære nædran wærscipe & hire nið, ðylæs hine se wærscipe & se anda

ciples, when he said: “I have many things to tell you, but ye cannot yet bear it.” Therefore the simple and straightforward are to be warned, as they usefully avoid falsehood, so also to speak the truth usefully, and increase the goodness of their simplicity with caution, and so strive for security with simplicity as not to dismiss cautious consideration. Therefore the noble teacher St. Paul said: “I wish ye to be wise for good and simple for evil.” And again, the Lord spoke about the same through himself to his elect: “Be cunning as adders and simple as pigeons.” Therefore in the mind of the elect the cunning and fierceness of the adder is to enliven the simplicity of the pigeon; and, again, the simplicity of the pigeon is to moderate the cunning and fierceness of the adder, lest cunning and zeal lead