Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/39

GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. frecne wegas, sio hiord þe unwærre bið, gehrist. Be swelcum hirdum cwæð se witga : Ge fortrædon Godes sceapa gærs & ge gedrefdon hira wæter mid eowrum fotum, ðeah ge hit ær undrefed druncon. Swæ ða lareowas hi drincað swiðe hlutor wæter, ðonne hi ðone godcundan wisdom liorniað, & eac ðonne hi hine lærað ; ac hi hit gedrefað mid hira agnum unðeawum, ðonne ðæt folc bisenað on hira unðeawum, nalles on hira lare. Đeah ðæt folc ðyrste ðære lare, hi hie ne magon drincan, ac hio bið gedrefed midðæmþe ða lareowas oðer doð oðer hi lærað. Be ðæm Dryhten cwæð eft ðurh ðone witgan: Yfle preostas bioð folces hryre. Ne dere nan mon swiður ðære halgan gesomnunge ðonne ða þe ðone noman underfoð & ða endebyrdnesse ðæs halgan hades, & ðonne on woh doð; forðon hi nan mon ne dear ðreagean ðeah hi agylten, ac mid þæm bioð synna swiðe gebrædda, þe hi bioð swa geweorðode. Ac hi woldon selfe fleon ða byrðenne swæ micelre scylde, ða þe his unwierðe wæron, gif hi mid hira heortan earum woldon gehiran & geornlice geðencean ðone Cristes cwide, þe he cwæð: Se þe ænigne ðissa ierminga beswicð, him wære betre ðæt him wære sumu esulcweorn to ðæm swiran getigged, & swæ aworpen to ðæs grunde. Đurh ða cweorne is getacnod se ymbhwyrft ðisse worlde & eac monna lifes & hira geswinces, & ðurh ðone sægrund [sæs gr.] hira ende & se siðemesta dom. Đonne bið sio cwiorn becirred ðonne se mon bið geendod; ðonne bið sio micle cwiorn becirred ðonne ðeos world bið geendod. Se ðonne þe to [Se þonne to] halgum hade becymð; & ðonne mid yflum bisnum oððe worda oððe weorca oðre on wón gebringð, betre him wære þæt he on læssan hade & on eorðlecum weorcum his lif

gerous ways, the flock, which is too unwary, falls. Of such shepherds the prophet spoke : “Ye trod down the grass of God's sheep, and ye defiled their water with your feet, though ye drank it before undefiled.” Thus the teachers drink very pure water when they learn the divine wisdom, and also when they teach it; but they defile it with their own vices, and set an example to the people by their vices, not by their instruction. Though the people thirst for instruction, they cannot drink it, but it is defiled by the teachers doing one thing and teaching another. Of whom again God spoke through the prophet: “Bad priests are the people's fall.” No man injures more the holy assembly than those who assume the name and order of the holy office, and then pervert it; for no man dare admonish them