Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/325

316 nu hundsiofontig wintra, ne fæste ge ðæs nauht me, and ðonne ge æton, ðonne æton ge eow selfum, & ðonne ge druncon, ðonne druncon ge eow selfum. Ne fæst se no Gode ac him selfum, se þe ðæt nyle ðearfum sellan ðæt he ðonne on mæle læfð, ac wile hit healdan eft to oðrum mæle, ðæt he eft mæge his wambe mid gefyllan. Ac swa he sceal etan ðætte hiene sio gewilnung ðære gifernesse of his modes fæstrædnes(se) ne gebrenge, ne eft sio ðræsting ðæs lichoman ðæt mod ne ascrence mid upahæfennesse. Gehieren ða oferetolan ða word ðe Crist of his agnum muðe cwæð, he cwæð: Behaldað eow ðæt iowre heortan ne sien gehefgode mid oferæte & druncennesse & on to manigfaldum ymbehogan ðisse worlde, ðylæs iow on ðæm weorcum gemete se reða & se egeslica dæg, se cymð ofer ealle eorðwaran unðinged, swæ swæ grin. Gehieren eac ða fæstendan hwæt he eft cwæð he cwæð: Ne geunclænsað ðæt no ðone mon ðæt on his muð gæð, ac ðæt ðæt of his muðe gæð, ðæt hiene geclænsað. Gehieren ðe oferetolan hwæt sanctus Paulus cwæð: Fulga nu se mete ðære wambe willan, & sio wamb ðæs metes, ðonne towierp God ægðer. And eft he cwæð: Ne gewunige ge no to oferetolnesse & to oferdruncennesse. And eft he cwæð: Se ofermete ne befæst us næfre Gode. Gehieren eft ða fæstendan hwæt he to him cwæð, he cwæð þæt ðæm clænum wære eal clæne, & ðæm unclænum nære nauht clæne. Gehieren eft ða oferetolan hwæt he to him cwæð, he cwæð ðætte hiera womb wære hiora God, & hie dyden him hiora bismer to weorðscipe. Gehieren eac ða fæstendan hwæt he to him cwæð, he cwæð ðæt ðæm forhæbbendum hwilum gebyrede ðæt hie gewiten of hiera geleafan, & for-

fifth and seventh months for now seventy years, was not for me ; and when ye ate, ye ate for yourselves, and when ye drank, ye drank for yourselves." He fasts not for God, but for himself, who will not give the poor what he leaves of his meal, but wishes to keep it for another meal, to fill his belly with it afterwards. But he ought to eat so that the impulse of greediness may not move him from the consistency of his mind, nor, again, the mortification of his body deceive the mind with pride. Let the greedy hear the words which Christ spoke with his own mouth, saying: "Take care that your hearts be not oppressed with gluttony, and drunkenness, and too manifold cares of this world, lest in these works ye be overtaken by the fierce and terrible day, which shall come unawares on all the dwellers of earth, like a snare." Let the -