Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/33

24 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. hit se ege his agenra unðeawa, & befæste he mid his lifes bisenum ða lare ðæm þe his wordum ne geliefen ; & ðonne he god weorc wyrce, gemyne he ðæs yfles be he worhte, þætte sio unrotnes, þe he for ðæm yflan [yflum] weorcum hæbbe, gemetgige ðone gefean þe he for ðæm godan weorcum hæfde; ðylæs he beforan ðæs diglan deman eagum sie ahæfen on his mode & on ofermettum aðunden, & ðonne ðurh þæt selflice his godan weorc forleose. Ac monige sindon me swiðe onlice on ungelærednesse, ðeah þe hi næfre leorningcnihtas næren, wilniað ðeah lareowas to beonne, & ðynceð him swiðe leoht sio byrðen þæs lareowdomes, forðonþe hie ne cunnon þæt mægen his micelnesse. From ðære dura selfre ðisse bec, þæt is from onginne ðisse spræce, sint adrifene & getælde ða unwaran, þe him agniað ðone cræft ðæs lareowdomes þe hi na ne geleornodon.

I. Đætte unlærede ne dyrren underfon lareowdom.

Forðonþe nan cræft nis to læronne ðæm þe hine ær geornlice ne leornode, forhwon beoð æfre swæ ðriste ða ungelæredan þæt hi underfón þa heorde ðæs lareowdomes, ðonne se cræft þæs lareowdomes bið cræft ealra cræfta? Hwa nat þæt ða wunda ðæs modes bioð digelran ðonne þa wunda ðæs lichoman? & ðeah þa worldlecan læceas scoma; þæt hi onginnen þa wunda lacnian þe hi gesion ne magon, & huru gif hi nouðer gecnawan ne cunnon ne þa medtrymnesse ne eac þa wyrta þe ðær wið sculon. & hwilon ne scomað ða þe ðæs modes læceas bion scoldon, ðeah þe hi nane wuht [nanwuht] ongitan

attained the post of instruction ; but let the fear of his own faults moderate it, and let him confirm with the example of his life his teaching for those who do not believe his words; and when he has performed a good work, let him remember the evil he has done, that his contrition for his evil deeds may moderate his joy for his good works; lest he be puffed up in spirit before the eyes of the unseen Judge, and inflated with pride, and so through his egotism lose his good works. But there are many who seem to me to be very similar in want of learning, who, although they were never disciples, yet wish to be teachers, and think the burden of teaching very light, because they do not know the power of its greatness. From the very door of this book, that is, from the beginning of this discourse, the unwary are driven away and blamed, who arrogate to themselves the art of teaching which they never learned.