Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/305

296 wandiað ðæt hie mid ðæm kyclum hiera worda ongean hiera irre worpien, swæ swæ Abner wandode ðæt he nolde ðone slean þe hiene draf. Swæ, ðonne ðonne ða hatheortan hie mid nane foreðance nyllað gestillan, ac swæ wedende folgiað hwam swæ swæ Assael dyde Abnere, & nære nyllað geswican, ðonne is micel ðearf ðætte se, se ða hatheortnesse ofercuman wille, ðæt he hiene ongean ne hathirte, ac eowige him eallo stilnesse ongean ðæt, & ðeah swiðe wærlice hine pynge mid sumum wordum, ðæt he on ðæm ongietan mæge be sumum dæle his unðeaw. Forðæm Abner, ða ða he ongean ðone cirde þe hiene draf, ne ofstang he hiene no mid ðeos speres orde, ac mid hindeweardum ðæm sceafte. Đæt is ðonne swelce mon mid forewearde orde stinge, ðæt mon openlice & unforwandodlice on oðerne ræse mid tælinge & mid ðrafunga. Þæt is ðonne ðæt mon mid hindewearde sceafte ðone ðydde þe him oferfylge, ðæt mon ðone weamodan litelice mid sumum ðingum gehrine, swelce he hiene wandiende oferswiðe. Swæ swæ Assael swiðe hrædlice afeoll, swæ ðæt ahrerede mod, ðonne hit ongiet ðæt him mon birgð mid ðære gesceadlican andsware, hit bið atæsed on ðæt ingedonc, & mid ðære liðelican manunge to ðæm aredod ðæt hit sceal swiðe hrædlice afeallan of ðære weamodnesse þe hit ær on ahafen wæs. Se þe ðonne swæ forbygð ðone wielm & ðone onræs his hatheortnesse, forðonþe hiene mon slea mid liðelicre andsware, ðonne bið his unðeaw ofslegen butan ælcre niedðrafunga, swæ swæ Assael was dead butan orde.

scruple to hurl the darts of their words against their anger, as Abner hesitated to slay him who pursued him. So, when the furious will not calm themselves with reflection, but follow any one as madly as Asahel did Abner, and will never stop, it is very necessary that he who wishes to subdue his fury, do not himself become angry, but oppose him with a display of calmness, and yet stab him very cautiously with words, that he may to a certain extent perceive his fault. There- fore Abner, when he turned against him who pursued him, did not pierce him with the point of the spear, but with the butt-end of the shaft. Piercing point-blank is assailing another with blame and re- proof openly and unhesitatingly. Piercing the pursuer with the butt-