Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/247

238 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. gelæde on ealles to micle hatheortnesse, oððe eft sio bilwitnes & sio anfealdnes hiene to ungeornfulne gedo to ongietonne, ðylæs he weorðe besolcen. Ongean ðæt mon sceal monian ða lytegan, & him sæcgean ðæt hie ongieten hu hefig ðæt twyfealde geswinc bið ðæt hie him selfe ðurh hiera agene scylde hiera agnes gewealdes him on getioð. Đæt is ðonne ðæt hie ealneg ræswað & ondrædað ðæt hie mon tælan wille, & bioð ealneg mid ðæm ymbeðonce abisgode & ofdrædde. Oðer is ðara geswinca ðæt hie symle seceað endelease ladunga, hu hie hie ðonne bereccean mægen. Ac nis nan scild trumra wið ðæt twyfealde geswinc ðonne mon sie untwyfeald, forðæmþe nan wuht nis ieðre to gesecgeanne, ne eac to gelyfeanne ðonne soð. Ac ðonne hwa on a leasunga befehð, ðonne ne mæg he of, ac sceal ðonne niele ðencean hu he hie gelicettan mæge, & gewergað ðonne his heortan swiðe hearde mid ðy geswince. Be ðæm geswince spræc se psalmscop, þa he cwæð: Đæt geswinc hiera agenra welora hie geðryscð. Forðæm se ilca feond se þe nu ðæt mod ðurh ða biswicolan olicunga forlære, he hit eft mid swiðe grimmum edleane geðrysð. Be ðæm wæs gecweden ðurh Ieremias ðone witgan : Hie lærdon hiera tungan, & wenedon to leasunge, & swuncon on unnyttum weorce. Swelce he openlice cwæde : Đa þe meahton Godes friend bion butan geswince, hie swuncon ymb ðæt hu hie meahten gesyngian. Witodlice, ðonne hwa nyle bilwitlice libban butan geswince, he wile geearnian mid his geswince his agenne deað. Ac monige men, ðonne him bioð unðeawas on onfundne, ðonne onscuniað hie ðæt mon wite hwelce hie sien, & wilniað ðæt hie hie gehyden & beheligen under ðæm ryfte ðære

them into excessive fervour; or, again, lest simplicity and straightfor- wardness make them too indifferent to understanding, lest they become stupefied. The cunning, on the other hand, are to be admonished, and told to understand how heavy the twofold toil is that they voluntarily impose on themselves through their sins. That is, that they are always considering, and fearing to be blamed, and are always troubled and alarmed at the thought. The other toil is that they are always seeking endless excuses how to clear themselves. But there is no stronger shield against the twofold toil than being sincere, for nothing is easier to speak and believe than truth. But when any one takes to excuses, he cannot extricate himself, but is obliged to think how he can make them plausible, and wearies his mind very severely with the