Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/309

300 swiðe feorran ða heahmodnesse. Gehieren ða eaðmodan hwæt Crist cwæð: Ne com ic to ðon on eorðan ðæt me mon ðenode, ac to ðon ðæt ic wolde ðegnian. Gehieren ða upahafenan hwæt Salomon cwæð, he cwæð ðæt ælces yfles fruma wære ofermetta. Gehieren to eaðmodan ðætte Crist ure Aliesend hiene selfne geeaðmedde emne oð ðone deað. Gehieren ða upahafenan hwæt awriten is be hiera heafde & be hiora lareowe, ðæt is dioful: hit is awriten ðæt he sie kyning ofer ealle ða oferhygdan bearn, forðæm his ofermedu is fruma ures forlores, & se orðonc þe we mid aliesede sindon is Godes eaðmodnes. Se ure feond ðonne he wæs gesceapen ongemong eallam oðrum gesceaftum, ac he wilnode ðæt he wære ongieten & upahæfen ofer ealle oðre gesceafta. Ac se ure Aliesend, þe mara is & mærra eallum gesceaftum, he hiene gemedemade to bionne betweox ðæm læstum & ðæm gingestum monnum. Đæm eaðmodum is to ðy ðonne ðætte, ðonne ðonne hie hie selfe swiðust eaðmedað, ðætte hie ðonne astigað to Godes anlicnesse. Secgeað eac ðæm upahæfenum ðætte, ðonne ðonne hie hie selfe upahebbað, ðæt hie ðonne afeallað on ða bisene ðæs aworpnan engles. Ac hwæt is ðonne forcuðre ðonne sio upehæfennes? Forðæm ðonne hio bið atyht ofer hiere andefenu, ðonne bið hio afeorrod... [The MS. is defective here.]

afar." Let the humble bear what Christ said: “I came not on earth to be served, but to serve." Let the proud bear what Solomon said ; he said that pride was the origin of all evil. Let the humble hear how Christ our Redeemer humbled himself even to death. Let the proud hear what is written about their head and teacher, that is the devil; it is written that he is king over all proud children, because his pride is the cause of our perdition, and the scheme of our redemption is God's humility. Our foc was created among all other creatures, but he desired bis exaltation over all other creatures to be recognized, But our Redeemer, who is greater and nobler than all creatures, conde-