Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/385

376 ðæm maran. Hwæt, hie witon, gif hiora niehstan friend weorðað wædlan, & hie fioh habbað, & his ðonne him oftioð, ðæt hie bioð ðonne fultemend to hiora wædle. Hwy ne magon hie ðonne geðencean, gif hie on ðæm gesyngiað, hu micle swiður hie gesyngiað, ðonne hie oftioð ðære lare ðæm synfullum broðrum, swelce hie gehyden lifes læcedom, & his forwiernen ðæm cwelendum modum? Be ðæm cwæð Salomon: Se þe his hwæte hyt, hiene wiergð ðæt folc. Ðæt is ðonne ðæt mon his hwæte ahyde, ðæt se lareow ahyde ða word ðære halgan lare. Forðæm he for ðære anre scylde ðære swigan bið awierged & fordemed from ðæm folce, forðæm he manigne gelæran meahte, gif he wolde. Hwæt we magon geðencean, gif hwelc god læce bið þe wel can wunda sniðan, & ðonne gesihð ðæt his hwæm ðearf bið, & ðonne for his slæwðe agiemeleasað & forwirnð ðæt he his helpe, ðonne wille we cweðan ðæt he sie genoh ryhtlice his broður deaðes scyldig for his agenre slæwðe. Nu ðonne, nu ða licumlican læceas ðus scyldige gereahte sint, nu is to ongietonne æt hu micelre scylde ða bioð befangne ða þe ongietað ða wunda on ðæm modum, & agiemeleasiað ðæt hie hie lacnigen, & mid hiora wordum sniðen. Be ðæm wæs swiðe wel gecweden ðurh Ieremias ðone witgan, he cwæð: Awyrged sin in the greater. Surely they know that if their nearest friends are reduced to poverty, and they have money, and withhold it from them, they promote their poverty. Why do they not consider, if they sin in that, how much more they sin when they withhold instruction from their sinful brothers, as if they hid the medicine of life, and withheld it from the dying? Of which Solomon spoke: "Of what use is the concealed art or the hidden gold?" Or, if a nation is afflicted with famine, and any one hides and withholds his wheat, does he not desire their death? From this the teachers can understand what punishment they are worthy of, when they let souls starve for want of their words, and will not feed them with the bread of the gift they have received. Of which was very well spoken through Solomon: "He