Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/40

Hatton MS.] GREGORY'S PASTORAL ðe unwærre bið, gehrist. Be suelcum hirdum cwæð se witga: Ge fortrædon Godes sceapa gærs & ge gedrefdon hiora wæter mid iowrum fotum, ðeah ge hit ær undrefed druncen. Sua ða lareowas hi drincað suiðe hluter wæter, ðonne hi ðone godcundan wisdóm leorniað, & eac ðonne hie hiene lærað; ac hie hit gedrefað mid hira agnum unðeawum, ðonne ðæt folc bisenað on hira unðeawum, nals on hira lare. Đeah ðæt folc ðyrste ðære lare, hie hie ne magon drincan, ac hio bið gedrefed midðamðe ða lareowas oðer dóð oðer hie lærað. Be ðæm Dryhten cwæð eft ðurh ðone witgan: Yfle preostas bioð folces hryre. Ne dereð nan mon suiðor ðære halgan gesomnunge ðonne ða ðe ðone noman underfóð & ða endebyrdnesse ðæs halgan hades, & ðonne on wóh ðóð; forðon hie nan monn ne dearr ðreag[e]an ðeah hie agylten, ac mid ðam beoð synna suiðe [ge]brædda ðe hie beoð sua geweorðade. Ac hie woldon selfe fleon ða byrðenne sua micelre scylde, ða ðe his unwierðe wæron, gif hie mid hiora heortan earum woldon gehieran & geornlice geðencan ðone Cristes cuide, ða he cuæð: Se ðe ænigne ðissa ierminga besuicð, him wære betere ðæt him wære sumu esulcweorn to ðæm suiran getiged, & sua áworpen to sǣs grunde. Đurh ða cweorne is getacnod se ymbhwyrft ðisse worolde & eac monna lifes & hira gesu[i]nces, & ðurh done sægrund hira ende & se siðemesða demm. Đonne bið sio cweorn becierred ðonne se monn bið geendod ; ðonne bið sio micle cweorn becierre[d] ðonne ðeos weorld bið geendod. Se ðonne to halgum hade becymð, & ðonne mid yflum bisnum oððe worda oððe weorca oðre on wón gebringð, betre him wære ðæt he on læssan hade & ón eorðlicum weorcum his lif geendode; forðæm gif he

if they do wrong, and sins become very widely extended, since they are so much honoured. But they would of their own accord flee the burden of so great a sin, being unworthy of it, if they would hear with the ears of their heart, and carefully consider the words of Christ, when he said, “He who deceives one of these little ones, it were better for him to have a millstone tied to his neck, and so to be thrown to the bottom of the sea.” By the mill is signi- fied the circuit of this world, and also of man's life, and their toil, and by the bottom of the sea their end and the last judgment. The mill is turned when the man is ended; the great mill is turned when this world is ended. He who attains holy orders, and with bad examples, either of words or of works, leads others astray, it