Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/349

340 weorðen, ðylæs him gebyrge, swæ swæ we ær bufan cwædon, ðonne hie hiora agen ungesceadwislice & ungemetlice dælen, ðæt hie ðonne for wædle weorðen on murcunga & on ungeðylde, ðæt hie eft onginnen gitsian & reafian for hiora wædle. Hwelc mæg him mare unsælð becuman ðonne him becymð ðurh ða ælmessan, gif he hie to ungemetlice dælð, & ðurh ðæt wierð eft gidsere? Hu, ne bið he ðonne swelce he sawe god, & him weare of ðæm ælc yfel? Ac hie sint ærest to manianne ðæt hie cunnen hiora agen gesceadwislice gehealdan, & siððan ðæt hie oðerra monna ne giernen; forðæmþe no se ðorn ðære gidsunga ne wierð forseаrod on ðæm helme, gif se wyrttruma ne bið forcorfen oððe forbærned at ðæm stemne. Swæ wierð eac gestiered ðæm gidsere ðæm reaflaces, gif he ær ðæm gedale cann gemetgian hwæt hiene onhagige to sellanne, hwæt he healdan scyle, ðæt he eft ðæt god ðære mildbeortnesse ne ðyrfe gescendan mid gidsunge & mid reaflace. Siððan hie ðonne ðæt geliornod hæbben, ðonne sint hie siðdan to læronne hu hie scylen mildheortlice dælan ðæt ðæt hie ofer ðæt habbað þe bie hiora gidsunge mid gestillan sculon; forðæm, gif hie swæ ne doð, ðonne sculon hie eft niedenga gadrian oðer ierfe on ðas wrixle þe he ær for mildheortnesse & for rummodnesse sealdon, swelce hie setten ða synne wið ðære ælmessan. Oðer is ðæt hwa for hreowsunge his synna ælmessan selle, oðer is ðæt he forðy syngige & reafige ðy he teobbige ðæt he eft scyle mid ðy reallace ælmessan gewyrcean. Ac ðæt nis nan ælmesse, forðon hio nanne swetne wæstm forð ne brengeð, ac sona on ðæm wyrtruman abitriað ða bleda. Forðæm Dryhten

that good fame they do not become the more depraved, lest it happen to them, as we said above, that, when they distribute senselessly and immoderately, because of their poverty they become discontented and impatient, so that from poverty they begin again to be greedy and rapacious. What greater misfortune can befall them than that which befalls them through their alms, through which, if distributed imma derately, they become avaricious again? Is it not as if they were to sow good, and every evil were to grow up thence for them i But they are first to be admonished to know how to retain their own wisely, and secondly, not to desire that of others ; because the thorn of greed never withers in the crown, unless the root has been cut off or burnt at the stem. So also the avaricious man can be cured of