Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/267

258 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. (Cotton MSS. wund wolde haligean, æfterðæmþe hio wyrsmde. Đonne aflewð ðæt sar of ðære wunde mid ðy wormse, ðonne ðæt sar ðære swingellan ðissa worldbroca aðwiehð ægðer ge ða geðohtan synna ge ða gedonan of ðære saule. Eac cwæð Salomon ðætte ðæt ilce bio bi ðæm wundum þe bioð oninnan ðære wombe. Đære wambe nama getacnað ðæt mod, forðæm swæ swæ sio wamb gemielt ðone mete, swæ gemielt tæt mod. mid ðære gesceadwisnesse his geðeahtes his sorga. Of Salomonnes cwidum we namon ðætte ðære wambe nama sceolde tacnian ðæt mod, ða ða he cwæð: Đæs monnes lif bið Godes leohtfæt; ðæt Godes leohtfæt geondsecð & geondliht ealle ða diegelnesse ðære wambe. Swelce he cwæde: Ærest he hiene onliht mid his leohtfæte, ðonne he hiene geliffæst, & eft he hiene onliht, ðonne he hiene onælð mid ðæm tapore ðæs godcundan liegges. Đæt bið ðonne, ðonne he deð ðæt he ongiet his agene unnytte ðeawas & geðohtas þe wen is ðæt he ær hæfde, ðeah he hit geðencean ne meahte. Đæt worsm ðonne ðara wunda [ðæt added] is ðæt broc ðæs lichoman, & ðæt sar innan ðære wombe, ðæt tacnað ða sorge ðæs modes. Sio sorg ðonne aswæpð aweg ðæt yfel of ðæm mode. Đonne we beoð butan ðæm mode on ðæm lichoman geswencte, ðonne beo we swiggende gemanode mid ðære mettrymnesse ure synna to gemunanne, forðeæmþe ðonne bið broht beforan ures modes eagum eal ðæt we ær yfles gedydon, forðæm swæ se lichoma swiður utan ðrowað, swæ ðæt mod swiður innan hreowsað ðæs unnyttes þe he ær dyde. Forðæm gelimpð ðætte ðurh ða openlican wunda & ðurh ðæt gesewene sar ðæs lichoman bið swiðe wel aðwægen sio diegle wund ðæs modes, forðæm sio diegle wund

the slough, when the pain of the flagellation of worldly afflictions washes away both the committed and the meditated sins from the soul. Solomon also said that the same is the case with the wounds inside the belly. The word "belly” signifies the mind, because, as the belly digests food, so does the mind digest its sorrows with wise re- flection. It was from the Proverbs of Solomon we gathered that the word “belly” signifies the mind, when he said: “Man's life is God's lantern; God's lamp investigates and illuminates all the secrets of the belly.” As if he had said : “ First, he illuminates him with bis lamp, when he brings him to life, and again he illuminates him, when he inflames him with the taper of divine flame.” That is,