Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/46

Hatton MS.] GREGORY'S PASTORAL. 37 wið hine selfne forworhtum ær gearode, he wearð eft sua ungemetlice grædig ðæs godan deaðes butan ælcre scylde & ælcre wiðerweardnesse wið hine. Se ilca Dauid ðe forbær ðæt he ðone kyning ne yfelode, ðe hine on sua heardum wræce gebrohte, & of his earde ádræfde, ða he his wel geweald ahte on ðæm scræfe, he genom his loðan ænne læppan to tacne ðæt he his geweald ahte, & hine ðeah for ðam ealdan treowum forlét. Se ilca Dauid miclum hi[s] agenes herges pleah, & monig[ne] forsende, ðær he ymb his getreowne ðegn únsynnigne sierede. Sio scyld hine suiðe feorr óf ealra haligra rime atuge, ðær him eft ða gesuinc & ða earfeðu ne gehulpen.

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

Suiðe oft gedreferð ða heortan sio manigfealde giemen ðæs underfangenan lareowdomes, & ðonne ðæt mód bið o[n] monig todæled, hit bið on anes hwæm ðe unfæstre, & eac ðe un(n)yttre. Bi ðam cuæð Salomonn se snottra : Sunu min, ne todæl ðu on to fela ðin mod, & ðin weorc endemes. Forðan oft ðonne mon forlæt ðone ege & ða fæsðrædnesse ðe he mid ryhte on him innan habban scolde, hine spænð [his mód] to suiðe manegum unnyttum weorce. He sorgað ymb ða, & bið ðara suiðe gemyndig, & forgiett his selfes, ðonne he suiðor his mod gebint to ðam unnyttran weorcum ðonne he ðyrfe. Him bið (sua) sua ðam menn ðe bið abisgod on færelde mid oðrum cierrum, oððæt he nát hwider he ær wolde, ne geðencan ne con hwæt him

IV. And how often the trouble of rule and government distracts the mind of the ruler. Very often the manifold care of teaching when it is undertaken disturbs the heart, and when the mind is divided among many objects it is the less firm in each, and also less useful. Of which spoke the wise Solomon : “My son, do not divide thy mind among too many things, and thy works likewise.” For often when a man loses the fear and firmness which he ought properly to have within him, his mind allures him to many useless works. He is concerned for them, and very mindful of them, and forgets himself, when he occupies his mind with the useless works more than he ought. He is like the man who is occupied on a journey with other affairs,