Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/310

 Hatton MS.) GREGORY'S PASTORAL. 301 feorran ta healmodnesse. Gehieren to ea modan hwät Crist cuæ : Ne com ic to ton on eorðan fæt me mon tenode, ac to ton tæt ic wolde tegnian. Gehieren ta úpahæfenan hwät Salomon cuæd, he cuæt tæt ælcſes yfles] fruma wære ofermetta. Geh[i]eren ta eat- 6 modan čætte Crist ure Aliesend hiene selfne geeаdmedde emne of 8o[ne] dead. Gehieren ta úpahæfenan hwät awriten is be hira heafde & be hiera lareowe, tæt is dioful : hit is awriten tæt he sie kyning ofer eal ta oferhydigan bearn, fortæm his ofermedu is fruma ures forlores, & se ordonc te we mid aliesde siendon is Godes eadmodnes. 10 Be are f[i]ond tonne he wæs gesceapan ongemang callum oðrum gesceaftum, ac he wilnode tæt he wære ongieten upahæfen ofer ealle odre gesceafte. Ac se ure Aliesend, te mara is & mærra eallum gesceaftum, he hine gemedomode to bionne betwiux tæm lestum & tam gingestum monnum. Đæm eadmodum is to cytanne tætte, 15 Yonne tonne lie hie [selfe) suiðust eatmedad, tætte hie Sonne astigað to Godes anlicnesse. Secgað eac fæm úpahæfenum fætte, fonne tonne hie hie selfe upahebbað, tæt hie [Sonne] afeallað on ta biesene totes aworpnan engles.

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Ac hwæt is ðonne forcuðre Sonne sio upa- hæfenes? Forðæm, ðonne (heo) bið atyht ofer hire andefnu, ðonne bið heo afeorrod suiðe feor from ðære soðan heanesse. Hwæt mæg ðonne hierre bion ðonne sio soðe eaðmodnes? Sio, ðonne hio nieðemest gebygeð, ðonne bið hio gelicost hiere Dryhtne, se wunað ofer eallum ðæm hiehstum gesceaftum. Đonne is ðeah betwux ðissum twam sum ðing ðe mon wærlice sceal geðencean, ðæt is ðæt sume menn onderfóð eaðmodnesse híw, sume ofermodnesse, sua sua hie nyton. Sume, ða ða wenað ðæt hie eaðmode sien, hii dóð for ege

scended to be among the most insignificant and humblest of men. The humble are to be told that, when they humble themselves most, they rise to the similitude of God. Tell also the proud that, when they exalt themselves, they fall down to the example of the expelled angel. What, then, is worse than pride? Because, when unduly raised, it is estranged very far from true loftiness. What can be loftier than true humility? Which, when it bows lowest, is most like its Lord, who dwells over all the highest creatures. There is, however, something between these two to be considered carefully, which is that some men receive the appearance of humility, some of pride, without knowing it.