Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/47

38 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. ne can hwæt him losað on ðære gælinge þe he þa hwile amirð, & hu swiðe he on ðæm gesyngað. Ne wende na Ezechias Israhela kyning þæt he gesyngode, þa he lædde þa elðeodgan ærendracan on his maðmhus, & him geiewde his goldhord. Ac he onfunde ðeah Godes irre on ðæm hearme þe his bearne æfter his dagum becom. & ðeah he wende þæt hit nan syn nære. Oft ðonne hwæm gebyreð þæt he hwæt mærlices & wunderlices gedeð, & his ðonne wundriað ða þe him underðidde bioð, & hine heriað, ðonne ahefð he hine on his mode, & his Deman ierre fullice to him gecigð, ðeah þe he hit on yflum weorcum ne geopenige. Swæčeah mid xy selflice se Dema bið genided to ðæm irre, & se Dema se ðæt ingeðonc eal wat, he eac ðæm ingeðonce demð. We magon monnum bemiðan ure geðonc & urne willan, ac we ne magon Gode. Hwæt se Babilonia kyning wæs swiðe upahæfen on his mode for his onwalde & for his gelimpe, þa he fægenode þæs miclan weorces & fægernesse ðære ceastre, & hine othof innan his geðohte eallum oðrum monnum, & swigende he cwæð on his mode : Hu ne is ðis nu sio micle Babilon ðe ic self atimbrede to kynestole & to ðrymme, me selfum to wlite & to wuldre, mid mine agne mægene & strengeo? Đa swigendan stefne swiðe hræde se digla Dema gehirde, & him swiðe undigellice geondwyrde mid ðæm witum þe he hit swiðe hrædlice wræc. Þa upahæfenesse he arasode & hi getælde, þa he hine asced of ðæm worldrice, & hine gehwirfde to ungesceadwisum neatum, & swæ awende mode he hine geðidde to feldgongendum deorum; & swæ ðy ðearlan do(me) he forleas his mennisce. Se ilca se þe wend(e þæt) he wære ofer ealle

until he knows not whither he formerly wished to go, and cannot think what he loses in the delay, and how greatly he sins therein. Hezekiah, king of Israel, did not think that he sinned when he led the foreign ambassadors into his treasury, and showed them his treasures. But he experienced God's anger in the misery which came on his child after his days. And yet he thought it was no sin. Often when any one happens to do anything famous and wonderful, and those who are under him, admiring it, praise him, he is puffed up in spirit, and completely calls down on himself the severe anger of his Judge, although he does not show it in bad deeds. Yet through his pride the Judge is compelled to anger, and the Judge, who knows all the thoughts of the mind, also judges those thoughts. We can hide our thoughts and desires from men, but not from God. The