Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/275

266 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. dysegan on pilan, swæ mon corn deð mid pilstafe, ne meahððu his dysig him from adrifan. Ðæt ilce sarette se witga, ða ða he cwæð: Ðu hie tobræce, & ðeah hie noldon underfon ðine lare. Eft bi ðæm ilcan cwæð Dryhten: Ic ofslog ðis folc, & to forlore gedyde, & hie hie ðeah noldon onwendan from hiera won wegum, ðæt is, from hiera yflum weorcun. Be ðæm ilcan eft cwæð se witga : Đis foll nis no gewend to ðæm þe hie swingð. Ymb ðæt ilce sargode se witga, swæ swæ god lareow deð, ðonne he his gingran swingð, gif hit him nauht ne forstent. Be ðæm cwæð se witga : We lacnedon Babylon, & hio ðeah ne wearð gehæled. Ðonne bið Babylon gelacnod, nealles ðeah fullice gehæled, ðonne ðes monnes mod for his unryhtym willan & for his won weorcum gehierð scamlice ðreaunga, & scondlice swingellan underfehð, & ðeahhwædre oferhygð ðæt he gecirre to beteran. Þæt ilce eac Dryhten oðwat Israhela folce, ða hie wæron gehergode & of hiera earde alædde, & swæðeah noldon geswican hiera yflena weorca, ne hie noldon awendan of hiera wón wegum ; þa cwæð Dryhten: Đis Israhela folc is geworden nu me to sindrum & to are & to tine & to iserne & to leade inne on minum ofne. Swelce he openlice cwæde: Ic hie wolde geciænsian mid ðæm gesode tæs broces, & wolde ðæt hie wurden to golde & to siolofre, ac hie wurdon gehwierfde inne on ðæm ofne to are & to tine & to iserne & to leade, forðæmpe hie noldon on ðæm geswincum hie selfe gecirran to nyttum ðingum, ac ðurhwunedon on hiera unðeawum. Witodlice ðæt ar, ðonne hit mon slihð, hit bið hludre ðonne ænig oðer andweorc. Swæ bið ðæm þe

the fool in a mortar, like corn with a pestle, thou wilt not be able to expel from him his folly.” The same the prophet lamented, saying: “Thou shatteredst them, and yet they would not receive thine in- struction.” Again, the Lord spoke about the same thing: “I slew and destroyed this people, and yet they would not turn from their bad ways," that is, from their evil wo Of the same thing, again, the prophet spoke: “This people has not returned to its chastiser.” The prophet was grieved about the same thing, as a good teacher is, when he chastises his disciple, if it does not profit him. Of which the prophet spoke: “We physicked Babylon, but without curing her.” Babylon is physicked, but not restored to complete health, when a man's mind, because of his wicked desires and perverse works, hears