Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/287

278 mid oferspræce to fultome ðæm wiðfeohtende, forðæm hio bið oft oferfohten butan ælcum geswince. Oft ðonne ðæt hefige mod glit nioðor & nioðor stæpmælum on unnyttum wordum, oð hit mid ealle afielð, & to nauhte wierð; forðæm hit ær hit nolde behealdan wið unnyt word, hit sceal ðonne niedinga afeallan for ðæm slide. Æt ærestum lyst ðone mon unnyt sprecan be oðrum monnum, & ðonne æfter firste hiene lyst tælan & slitan ðara lif butan scylde þe he ðonne ymbspricð, oððæt hit on last of his tungan utabirst to openum bismere ðæm oðrum. Swæ he sæwð ðone sticel ðas andan, oððæt ðærof awiexð towesnes, & of ðære towesnesse bið ðæt fyr onæled ðære fiounga, & sio fioung adwæscð ða sibbe. Be ðæm was swiðe wel gecweden ðurh ðone wisan Salomon, ðætte se se þe ðæt wæter utforlete wære fruma ðære towesnesse. Se forlætt ut ðæt wæter, se þe his tungan stefne on unnyttum wordum læt toflowan. Ac se wisa Salomon sæde ðætte swide deop pól wære gewered on ðæs wisan monnes mode, & swiðe lytel unnyttes utafleowe [utfleowe]. Ac se se þe ðone wer bricð, & ðæt wæter utforlæt, se bið fruma ðæs geflites. Đæt is fonne se þe his tungan ne gemidlað, se towierpd anmodnesse. Eft cwæð Salomon: Se gemetgað ierre, se þe ðone dysegan hæt geswugian. Forðæm se næfre ne mæg ryhtwisnesse & gesceadwisnesse healdan, se þe ofersprecol bið. Đæt tacnode se psalmscop, ða he cwæð: Se oferspræca wer ne wierð he næfre geryht ne gelæred on ðisse worlde. Eft cwæð Salomon be ðæm ilcan : Ne bið næfre sio oferspræc buton synne.Be ðæm cwæð eac Isaias se witga, he cwæð ðætte sio swigge wære [ðære added] ryhtwisnesse fultom & midwyrhta. Đæt ðonne tacnað ðætte

therefore it is often overcome without any trouble. Often, then, the heavy mind slips down lower and lower by degrees in useless words, until it falls altogether, and becomes nought; because it would not formerly guard against useless words, it must therefore fall when it slips. At first a man takes pleasure in talking frivolity about others, and then after a time he likes to blame and backbite their lives without any fault of those he talks about, until at last it bursts forth from his tongue into open reviling of the others. Thus he sows the thorn of envy, until therefrom grows discord, and by discord the fire of hatred is kindled, and hatred extinguishes peuce. Of which was very well said through the wise Solomon, that he who lets out the water is the cause of discord. He lets out the water, who allows the