Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/333

324 ne scyle cweðan to his frind: Ga, & cum to morgen, ðonne selle ic ðe hwæthwugu, gif he hit him ðonne sellan mæge. And eft, ðylæs mon unnytlice mierre ðæt ðæt he hebbe, gehieren men ðisne cwide: Hald ðine ælmessan, ðylæs ðu hie forweorpe. And eft ða þe to lytel sellað ðæm þe micles ðorfton, sculon gehieran sancte Paules cwide, he cwæð: Se þe lytel sæwð he lytel ripeð. And ðeah ne selle mon to fela ðæm þe lytles ðyrfe, ðylæs hwa him self weorðe to wædlan, & him ðonne gehreowe sio ælmesse. Be ðæm cwæð sanctus Paulus: Ne bio ge oðrum monnum swæ giofole ðæt hit weorðe eow selfum to geswince, ac ofer ðæt þe ge selfe genog hebben, sellað ðæt ðearfum, & mid ðy gebetað hiora wædle, ðætte swæ ilce swe hie bioð her gefylde mid ure genyhtsunnesse, we beon eac mid hiora genyhtsumnesse. Đæt is ðonne hiora genyhtsumnes Godes milts, ða geearnað se se on his gaste bið wedla. Ac ðonne ðæs sellandan mod ne cann ða wædelnesse geðolian, ðonne him micles oftogen bið ðæs þe he habban wolde; ðonne oncann he hiene selfne for ðære hrædhydignesse þe he ær to fela sealde. Forðy man sceal ær geðencoan, ær he hwæt selle, ðæt he hit eft forberan mæge butan hreowe, ðylæs he forleose ða lean ðæs þe he ær sealde, & ðæt mod eac weorðe wiers forloren ðurh ða gnornunga. Gehieren eac ða þe nanwuht ne sellað ðæm þe hie lytles hwæthwugu sceoldon, hwæt to him gecweden is on ðæm godspelle, hit is gecweden: Sele ælcum ðara þe ðe bidde. Eft gehieren ða ða þe hwæthwuga sellað ðæm þe hie nane wuht ne scoldon hwæt to him gecweden is on Salomonnes bocum, hit is gecweden: Sele ðin god, & na ðeah ðæm synfullum. Do wel ðæm eaðmodum & ðæm arleasum noht. And eft

delay : hear what is written in the books of Solomon; it is written, that we are not to say to our friend: “Go, and come to-morrow, then I will give thee something," if we can give it him then. And again, lest men uselessly waste their possessions, let them hear these words : " Keep thine alms, lest thou throw them away.” And again, let those who give too little to those who need much, hear St. Paul's words; he said: "He who sows little, will reap little." And yet we must not give too much to those who need little, lest we ourselves become poor, and repent of our alms. Of which St. Paul spoke : "Be not so liberal with others as to make it a hardship for yourselves, but of your superfluity give to the poor, and thus ameliorate their poverty, so that as they are here filled with our plenty, we may also be so with theirs." Their plenty is