Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/289

280 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. ðæs modes ryhtwisnes bið toflowen, þe nyle forhabban ða ungemmetgodan spræce. Be ðæm cwæð Iacobus se apostol: Gif hwa tiohhað ðæt he æfæst sie, & nyle gemidlian his tungan, ðæt mod liehð him selfum, forðæm his æfestnes bið swiðe idlu. And eft he cwæð: Sie æghwelc mon swiðe hræd & swiðe geornfull to gehieranne, & swiðe læt to sprecanne. Eft be ðæm ilcan he gecyðde hwæt ðære tungan mægen is, he cwæð ðæt hio wære swiðe unstille, yfel & deaðberendes atres full. And eft us manode sio Soðfæstnes ðurh he selfe, ðæt is Crist, he cwæð: Ælces unnyttes wordes ðara þe men sprecað hie sculon eft ryht awyrcean on domes dæge. Đæt bið ðonne openlice unnyt word, ðætte gesceadwise men ne magon ongietan ðæt hit belimpe to ryhtwislicre & to nytwyrtlicre ðearfe auðer oððe eft uferran dogore oððe ðonne. Gif we ðonne sculon ryht agyldan unnyttra worda, hwelc wite wene we ðæt se felaspræca scyle habban þe simle on oferspræce syngað?

XXXIX. Đætte on oðre wisan sint to manianne ða þe bioð to late, on oðre ða þe bioð to hrade.

On oðre wisan sint to manianne ða þe bioð to late, on oðre ða þe bioð to hrade. Đa slawan sint to manianne ðæt hie ne forielden ðone timan for hiera slæwðe þe hie tela on dón mægen. Đa hradan ðonne sint to manianne ðæt hie to unwærlice ne onetten, ðylæs hie forhradien ðone betstan timan, & hiere mede forðæm leogen. Ðæm slawan ðonne is to cyðanne ðætte oft, ðonne we nyllað hwæthwagu nytwierðes don, ðonne we magon, ðætte hwilum eft cymð sio tiid ymb lytel fæc ðæt

loquacity is dispersed. Of which the apostle James spoke : “If any one thinks to be pious, and will not bridle his tongue, the mind deceives itself, because his piety is very useless." And again, he said : "Let every man be very ready and zealous to hear, and very slow to speak. Again, about the same he showed what the power of the tongue is, saying that it is restless, evil, and full of deadly poison. And again, Truth, that is Christ, of itself warned us, saying "Every vain word that men speak they shall account for at the day of doom." Those are evidently useless words, which wise men cannot perceive to belong to virtuous and useful necessity, either now or afterwards. I£, then, we are to account for useless words, what punishment do we