Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/45

36 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. monegum yflum wið hine selfne forworhtum ær geárode, he wearð eft swæ ungemetlice grædig ðæs godan deaðes, butan ælcre scylde & ælcre wiðerweardnesse wið hine. Se ilca Dauid þe forbær þæt he ðone kyning ne yflode, þe hine on swæ heardum wræce gebrohte, & of his earda adræfde, þa he his wel geweald ahte on ðæm scræfe, he genam his loðan ænne læppan to tacne þæt he his gewald ahte, & hine ðeah for ðam ealdan treowum forlet. Se ilca Dauid miclum his agnes herges pleh, & monigne forsende, þær he ymb his getreowne ðegn unsynnigne sirede. Sio scyld hine swiðe feor of ealra haligra rime atuge, ðær him eft ða geswinc & ða earfeðu ne gehulpen.

IV. Ond hu oft sio bisgung ðæs rices & ðæs recendomes toslit ðæt mod ðæs recceres.

Swiðe oft gedrefð þa heortan sio monigfalde giemen ðæs underfangnan lareowdomes, & ðonne ðæt mod bio on monig todæled, hit bið on anes hwæm þe unfæstre, & eac ðy unnyttre. Be ðæm cwæð Salomon se snottra: Sunu min, ne todælð ðu on to fela ðin mod, & ðin weorc endemes. Forðon oft ðonne mon forlet ðone ege & ða fæstrædnesse þe he mid ryhte on him innan habban sceolde, hine spænð his mod to swiðe monegum unnyttum weorce. He sorgað ymb ða, & bið ðara swiðe gemyndig, & forgit his selfes, ðonne he swiður his mod gebint to ðæm unnyttan [unnyttran] weorcum ðonne he ðyrfe. Him bið swæ swæ ðæm menn þe bid abisgod on færelte mid oðrum cirrum, oðþæt he nat hwæder he ær wolde, ne geðencean

of Uriah, his own faithful servant, for the shameless desire of his wife. The same one who formerly spared him who had sinned against him with so many evils, became so immoderately eager for the death of the virtuous Uriah, without any crime or offence against himself. The same David who forbore injuring the king who brought him into such painful exile, and drove him from his country, when he had him completely in his power in the cave, took a lappet of his coat as a sign of having had him in his power, and yet let him escape for his former allegiance. The same David exposed his own army to great danger, and caused many to perish, when he laid snares for his faithful and innocent servant. The sin would have removed him very far from the number of all the saints, had not his toils and troubles come to his help again.