Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/375

366 ryhtlice & gesceadwislice ongieten habbað, & hiora agen unryht willað mid ðy getrymman. Be ðæm wæs swiðe wel gecweden ðurh Amos ðone witgan, he cwæð: Hie snidon ða Galatiscan wif þe bearneacne wæron, & woldon mid ðy geryman hiora landgemæru. Ðæt folc wæs gehaten Galað on Ebreisc, ðæt is on Englisc gewitnesse heap, forðæm eall sio gesamnung ðære halgan ciricean ðurh ondetnesse hielt ða gewitnesse ðære soðfæstnesse. Ðy is swiðe ryhte getacnod ðurh Galaðes noman sio halge gesomnung, forðæmþe ealle ða geleaffullan bodigeað be Gode ðætte soð is. Ðonne getacniað ða eacniendan wif ða saula þe ða gebodu ongietað, & hie mid godcundlicre lufan underfoð: gif ðæt underfangne ondgiet to ryhtre tide bið forðbroht, ðonne bið hit mid ðy ðurhtogenan weorce gedon, swelce hit sie geboren. Ðæt is ðonne ðæt mon his mearce bræde, ðæt mon his hligsan & his noman mærsige. Ac ðonne mon snið ða bearneacan wif on Galað hiora mearce mid to ryman [hrymanne], ðonne ða gedwolmen mid wore lare ofsleað ðæt mod geleaffulra monna, ðonne ðonne hit furðum ryht andgit underfangen hæfð, & him hwæthwugu sio soðfæstnes on geeacnod bið, ærðæmþe hit fullboren sie, & willað mid ðy gedon ðæt hie mon hlige wisdomes, mid ðy þe hie ofsniðen mid ðy seaxe hefiglices gedwolan ða unborenan bearn, þe ðonne furðum bioð mid wordum geeacnode on geleaffulra mode; ac hie wilniað mid ðy ðæt hie mon herige, & cweðe ðæt hie sien wise lareowas. Ac gif we wilnien ðæt hie ðæs wós geswicen, ðonne sculon we hie ealra ðinga ærest & geornost læran ðæt hie ne wilnigen leasgilpes, forðæm, gif se wyrtruma ðære unahæfenesse wierð forcorfen, ðonne bið hit sona confirm their own unrighteousness thereby. Of which was very well spoken through the prophet Amos; he said: "They cut open the pregnant women of Gilead, to strengthen their boundaries." The people was called in Hebrew Gilead, which is in English "the heap of testimony," because the whole assembly of the holy church preserves the testimony of truth through confession. Therefore the holy assembly is very rightly signified by the name of Gilead, because all believers proclaim about God what is true. The pregnant women signify the souls which understand the commands, and receive them with divine love if the received understanding is brought forth at the proper time, its birth is as if it were caused by the accomplished