Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/320

Hatton MS.] stemne: On ðinre wambe & on ðinum breostam ðu scealt snican. Suelce he openlice cuæde: On giefernesse & on unnytum geðohtum ðu ricsa(s)ð ofer ða menniscan heortan. Forðæm ðæm ðe on giefernesse ongietene beoð wile folgian fierenlust. Ðæt cyðde se witga, ða he ðæt openlice sæde ðætte sua gewearð, & ðæt gebiecnede ðæt ða giet diegle wæs, he cuæð: Koka ealdormon towearp ða burg æt Hierusalem. Đara koka ealdormon bio sio womb, forðæm eall hiera gesuinc & hiera ðenung belimpeð to hiere, hu heo weorðe mid swotlecustum mettum gefylled. Ða weallas ðonne Hierusalem getacniað ða mægenu ðære saule. Ða mægenu beoð aræredu mid wilnunge to ðære úplican sibbe. Ac ðara koka ealdormon towierp ða weallas Hierusalem. Đæt is, ðonne ðonne sio wamb bið aðened mid fylle for giefernesse, ðonne towierpð hio ðurh fierenlustas ða mægenu ðære saule. Ongean ðæt ðonne is to cyðanne ðæm fæstendum, gif ðæs modes forhæfdnes ful oft mid ungeðylðe ne ascoke ða sibbe of ðæm sceate ðære smyltnesse, ðonne ne cuæde sanctus Petrus to his cnihtum [sua] sua he cuæð, he cwæð: Nu ge habbað geleafan, wyrceað nu gód weorc, & habbað ðonne wisdóm, & on ðam wisdome [habbað] forhæfdnesse, & eac lærað, & huru on ðære forhæfdnesse geðylde. Ne cuæde be no sua, gif he ne óngeate ðæt him wæs ðæs wana, ac forðyðe he ongeat ðæt sio ungeðyld oft dereð ðæm mannum ðe micle forhæfdnes(se) habbað, ða lærde he ðæt hie huru sceoldon ða habban toeacan ðære forhæfdnesse. Gif eac sio scyld ðara ofermetta ne gewun[d]ode ðy oftor ðæt mód ðæs fæstendan, ðonne ne cuæde [no] sanctus Paulus : Se ðe fæstan wille, ne tæle he no ðone ðe ete. & eft he cwæð to Kolosensum, ða he

throws with lust the virtues of the soul. On the contrary, the absti- nent are to be told that, if the abstinence of the spirit did not very often with impatience drive out peace from the bosom of tranquillity, St. Peter would not have spoken to his disciples as he did, when he said: “Now that ye bave faith, do now good works, and have wisdom, and in wisdom have abstinence, and also teach it, and in abstinence patience.” He would not have said so, had he not per- ceived that they wanted it; and seeing that impatience often injures the man of great abstinence, he enjoined it on them in addition to abstinence. If also the sin of pride did not wound all the oftener the minds of the abstinent, St. Paul would not have said : “He who wishes to fast must not blame him who eats." And again, he said to