Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/339

330 wolde ge nu ryman eower land? Wolde ge nu ðæt ge næfden nanne gemecan on ðys gemænan middangearde? Đu cwist no ðæt ðu wille geswican ðonne, ær þe ðu genoh hæbbe. Hwanne bið ðæt, ðæt ðe swæ ðynce, oððe hwonne bið ðæt, ðæt ðu nyte hwiðer ðu maran wilnige? Á ðu fintst wið hwone ðu meaht flitan. Ac gehiere ge feohgidseras hwæt be eow gecweden is on Salomonnes bocum, hit is gecweden: No wierð se gidsere næfre full fios, & se þe worldwelan lufað ungesceadwislice, ne cymð him of ðæm nan wæstm. Ac him meahte cuman, gif he hie to swiðe ne lufode, & he hie wel wolde dælan. Ac forðæmþe he hie her lufað & hilt, he hie eac her forlæt butan alcum wæstme & ælcum edleane. Ac ða ðe wilniað ðæt hie her bion gefylde mid eallum welum & mid ðæm willan bioð onælde, hie sculon gebieran ðone cwide þe be him gecweden is on Salomonnes bocum, hit is gecweden: Se þe æfter ðæm higað ðæt he eadig sie in ðisse worlde, ne bið he unsceaðfull, ac ða hwile þe he girnð ðæt he his welan iece, he agiemeleasað & forgit ðæt he forbuge his synna. Swæ swæ fleogende fugol, ðonne he gifre bið, he gesihð ðæt æs on eorðan, & ðonne for ðæm luste ðæs metes he forgitt ðæt grin ðæt he mid awierged wierð; swæ bið ðæm gidsere. He gesihð ðone welan þe he wilnað, & he ne geliefð ðæs grines þe he mid gebroden wyrð, ærðon he hit gefrede. Ac ða þe wilniað ðisses middangeardes gestreona, & nyllað witan ðone demm þe him æfter cuman sceal, hie sculon gehieran ðone cwide þe be him gecweden is on Salomonnes bocum, hit is gecweden: Đæt ierfe ðæt ge ærest æfter higiað, æt siðestan hit bið bedæled ælcre bledsunge. On ðys andweardan life we onginnað ærest

wished to dwell alone in all this earth.” As if he had openly said : “How far will ye now extend your lands? Would ye now have no companion on this common earth? Thou sayest now, that thou wilt cease, before thou hast enough. When will it seem to thee so ? or when will it be that thou wilt not know whether thou desirest more! But thou wilt always find some one to strive against.” Hear, ye avaricious, what is said of you in Solomon's books; it is said: “The avaricious man is never full of money, and he who foolishly loves worldly riches never reaps any advantage from them." But he might, if he did not love them overmuch, and would distribute them well. But since he loves and keeps them here, he shall also leave them here without any advantage or reward. But those who desire to be filled