Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/251

212 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. befealden oninnan ðæs synnfullan monnes ingeðonce, & mid his lote bewunden, ðætte se lareow ðæs yfles þe he stieran sceolde, ðeah þe he hit ær wiste, ðæt he hit ðonne nat, & eall ðæt he ær tælwyrðlices geseah mid ðæm forhwierfdan gewunan ðære unryhtan ladunge he bið amierred ðæt he hit eall endemes forlæt, & his nanwuht nat. Witodlice se iil hæfð his holh on ðæs unnyttan monnes heortan, forðæm ðæt yfelwillende mod gefielt hit self twyfeald oninnan him selfum, & sio twyfealdnes ðæs yflan willan hiene selfne twyfealdne gefielt oninnan him selfum, & gehyt hiene on ðæm ðiestran mid ðære ladunge, swæ se iil hiene selfne gehyt on him selfum. Gehieren ða unclænan & ða lytegan hu hit awriten is on Salomones bocum ðætte se libbe getreowlice se þe bilwitlice libbe. Đæt is se trua micelre orsorgnesse, bilwitnes & anfealdnes his weorca. Gehierað hwæt of ðæs wisan Salomonnes muðe wæs gecweden; he cwæð ðæt ðæs Halgan Gastes lar wille fleon leasunge. Gehierað eac ðætte ðæræfter awriten is ðætte he hæbbe his geðeaht & his sundorspræce mid ðæm bilwitum & mid ðæm anfealdum. Đonne sprica God to ðæm menn, ðonne he onliht ðæt mennisce mod mid his agenre andweardnesse, & him his dieglan ðing geopenað. Đonne is eac gecweden ðætte God sprece to ðæm bilwitum, ðonne he mid ðæm uplicum & mid ðæm dieglum ðingum hiera mod onliht mid ðæm sciman his giefe & his fandunga & eac his tihtinge. Đæt beoð ðonne ealles swiðost ða mod ða þe nan scadu ne gediestrað ðære twyfealdnesse. Ac ðæt is ðeah syndrig yfel twyfealdra monna ðætte, ðonne ðonne hie oðre men mid hiera lote bismriað, ðonne gilpað hie & fagniað ðæs, swelce hie sien micle wærran

and knew not where the end was, so far and firmly it is wound within the sinful man's mind, and encompassed with his deceit, that the teacher knows nothing of the evil he was to correct, although he knew it before, and he is so confused with the perverse trick of unrighteous excuses, that at last he lets go all the faults that he saw, and knows nothing of them. Truly the hedgehog has his hole in the heart of the idle man, because the vicious mind winds itself double inside itself, and hides itself in darkness with excuses, as the hedgehog hides itself in itself. Let the impure and cunning hear how it is written in the books of Solomon, that he lives surely who lives simply. The confidence of great security is simplicity and straightforwardness of