Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/291

282 we ðonne willað, & ne magon. Forðæm, ðonne we forslawiað ðone gecopustan timan, ðætte we ðonne ne bioð onælde mid ðære lustbærnesse ures modes, ðonne bestilð sio slæwð on us, & ricsað ðonne ofer, oððæt hio us awyrtwalað from ælcre lustbærnesse godra weorca. Be ðæm wæs swiðe wel gecweden ðurh Salomon ðone snottran: Sio slæwð giett slæp on ðone monnan. Se slawa ongitt hwæt him ryht bið to donne, swelce he ealneg wacige, & swæðeah he aslawað, forðonðe he nauht ne wyrcð, ac sio slæwð him giett on ðone slæp, cwæð Salomon, forðæm, ðeah he ryhtlice ðence, lytlum & lytlum he forliest ðæt gode andgit, ðonne he forlæt ða geornfulnesse ðæs godan weorces. Be ðæm ilcan is eft swiðe ryhte gecweden: Đæt angeornfulle mod & ðæt toslopene hyngreð, forðæm hie næfre ne bioð gereorde mid godum weorcum, ne hie nyllað hie gehæftan & gepyndan hiera mod, swelce mon deopne pol gewerige, ac he læt his mod toflowan on ðæt ofdæle giemelieste & ungesceadwisnesse æfter eallum his willum, & ne gehæft hit na mid ðæm geswincum godra weorca, ac hit wierð gewundod mid ðy hungre ðæs nyðemestan & ðæs fulestan geðohtos; ðonne hit flihð ðæt hit sie gebunden mid ege & mid lare, ðonne tostrett hit on yfelre & on unnytte wilnunga, & hæfð ðæs swiðe micelne hunger. Be ðæm eft wrat Salomon, & cwæð: Ælc idel mon lifað æfter his agnum dome. Be ðæm ilcan eft sio Soðfæstnes, ðæt is Crist, he cwæð on his godspelle: Đonne an unclæne gast bið adrifen of ðæm men, ðonne bið ðæt hus clæne. Ac gif he eft cymð, & ðæt hus idel gemett, he hit gefyllð mid swiðe monegum. Oft se slawa, ðonne he agælð & forielð ðæt weorc þe him nieðearf were to wyr-

time comes a little afterwards when we wish, and cannot. Therefore, when we put off the fittest time, so that we are not inspired with a hearty desire, sloth steals on us, and rules over us, until it tears us away from every desire of good works. Of which was very well spoken through the wise Solomon : "Sloth infuses sleep into a man." The slow man perceives what he ought to do, as if he were always awake, and yet he is torpid, because he does nothing; but sloth infuses sleep into him, says Solomon, because, although his thoughts are vir. tuous, by degrees he loses his good understanding, when he gives up the desire of the good work. Of the same is again very rightly said : “ The indifferent and dissolute spirit shall hunger," because they are never refreshed with good works ; nor will they restrain and dam up