Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/293

284 -ceanne, ðonne ðynceað him sumu woorc swite hefga, samu swiðe unwærlica, & ðnne he went ðæt he funden hæbbe hwæt he ryhtlice ondræde, ðonne wile he gereccean ðæt he noht unryhtlice hit ne forslowde, ðonne him ðyncð ðæt he ryhte lade funden hæbbe. Be ðæm wæs swiðe ryhte gecweden ðurh Salomon ðone snottran: For cile nyle se slawa erigan on wintra, ac he wile biddan on sumera, & him mon nyle ðonne sellan. Đæt is ðonne ðæt se slawa nylle erian for ciele, ðæt hwa sie gebunden mid hefignesse ðære slæwðe, ðæt hiene ne lyste sum nytwierde weorc wyrcean. Forðæm is gecweden ðæt se slawa for ðæm ege ðæs ciles nylle erian, forðæm we oft for ðæm ege lytles yfeles forlætað micel god. Hit is swiðe wel be ðæm gecweden ðæt he eft bedecige on sumera, & him mon ðonne noht ne selle. Swæ bið ðæm þe nu on godum weorcum ne swæt, & swiðe swincð: eft ðonne sio sunne, ðæt is Crist, on domes dæge on mæstum wilme ætiewð, ðonne bið he idel, gif he on ðæm sumera bideð ingonges in befodrice. Be ðæm men wæs eft swiðe wel gecweden ðurh Salomon ðone snottran, he cwæð: Se þe him ealneg wind ondræt, he sæwð to seldon; & se þe him ælc wolcn ondræt, ne ripð se næfre. Hwæt getacnað ðonne se wind buton ða costunga ðæs awiergdan gastes, & hwæt þæt wolcn þe bið astyred from ðæm winde buton ða wiðweardnesse unryhtwisra monna? Se wind drifeð ðæt wolcn. Swæ deð se unclæna gast mid his winde; he onstyreð unryhtwise men. We cwædon ær ðæt se sceolde lytel sawan, se þe him ðone wind ondrede; & eft lytel ripan, se þe him ða wolcn ondrede. Đæt is ðonne ðætte swæ hwelc swæ him ondræt oððe diofules costunga oððe

arduous, some very imprudent, and when he thinks he has found what he can rightly dread, he tries to prove that he did not wrongly pro- crastinate it, when he thinks he has found a good excuse. Of whom was very rightly spoken through the wise Solomon : "The sluggard will not plough in winter for cold, but he will beg in summer, and no man will give him anything:" The sluggard will not ploagh in winter, when any one is hindered by the weight of sloth from desiring to do a useful work. It is said that the sluggard will not plough from fear of cold, because we often let go a great good from the fear of a tribing evil. Of which it is very well said that he will afterwards beg in summer, and no man will then give him anything. So it will be with him who does not sweat row with good works, and toil laboriously :