Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/386

Hatton MS.] on ðæm maran. Hwæt, hie witon, gif hiera niehstan friend weorðað wædlan, & hie feoh habbað, & his ðonne him oftioð, ðæt hie beoð ðonne fultumend to hiera 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 læcedóm, & his forwirnen ðæm cwelendum monnum? Be ðæm cwæð Salomon: Hu nytt bið se forholena cræft oððe ðæt forhyd[d]e gold? Oððe gif hwelc folc bið mid hungre geswenced, & hwa his hwæte gehyt & oðhielt, hu ne wilt he ðonne hiera deaðes? Be ðissum magon ongietan ða lareowas hwelces wites hi wyrðe bioð, ðonne hie lætað ða sawla acwellan for hungre hira worda, & hie nyllað hie fedan mid ðæm hlafe ðære giefe ðe hie onfengon. Bi ðæm wæs swiðe wel gecweden ðurh Salomon: Se ðe his hwæte hytt, hine wier[gð] ðæt folc. Ðæt is ðonne ðæt mon his hwæte ahyde, ðæt se lareow gehyde ða word ðære halegan lare. Forðæm he for ðære anre scylde ðære swigan bið awierged & fordemed from ðæm folce, forðæm he manig[ne ge]læran meahte, gif he wolde. Hwæt we magon geðencean, gif hwelc gód læce bið ðe wel cann wunda sniðan, & ðonne gesihð ðæt his hwam ðearf bið, & ðonne for his slæwðe agiemeleasað & forwirnð ðæt he his helpe, ðonne wille we cweðan ðæt he sie genog ryhtlice his broðor deaðes scyldig for his agenre slæwðe. Nu ðonne, nu ða lichomlican læcas ðus scyldige gerehte sint, nu is to óngietanne æt hu micelre scylde ða beoð befangne ða ðe ongietað ða wunda on ðæm modum, & agiemeleasiað ðæt hi hi lacnigen, & mid hiera wordum sniðen. Be ðæm wæs swiðe wel gecweden ðurh Ieremias ðone witgan, he cwæð: Awierged who hides his wheat is cursed by the people." Hiding the wheat is when the teacher hides the words of holy doctrine. He is accursed and condemned by the people for the one sin of silence, because he could have taught many, if he would. We can consider, that if a good physician, who well knows how to cut wounds, sees that some one has need of him, and from sloth is neglectful and withholds his help, we will say that he is very rightly guilty of his brother's death, because of his own sloth. If, then, the physicians of the body are thus held guilty, we must consider how greatly they sin who understand the wounds of the mind, and neglect to treat and cut them with their words. Of which was very well spoken through the prophet Jeremiah; he said: "Accursed is the man who keeps his sword from