Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/52

Hatton MS.] selfe ðara goda ðe hie wilniað synderlice habban. Be suelcum monnum Crist on his godspelle cuæð: Ne scyle nan mon blæcern ælan under mittan. & eft he cuæð to Petre ðæm apostole: Petrus lufastu me? He cuæð: Ðu wast ðæt ic [ðe] lufige. & ða cuæð Dryhten: Fed ðonne min sceap, gif ðu me lufige. Gif ðonne seo feding ðara sceapa bið ðære lufan tac[e]n, hwi forcwið ðonne se ðe him God suelce cræftas giefð ðæt he ne fede his heorde, buton he cueðan wielle ðæt he ne lufige ðone Hlaford & ðone hean Hierde eallra gesce[a]fta? Be ðæm Paulus se apostol cuæð: Gif Crist for us eallum dead wæs, ðonne weorðað ealle menn deade. Hwæt is ðonne betere ða hwile ðe we libben, ðonne we úres flæsces lustum ne libben, ac ðæs bebodum ðe for ús dead wæs & eft árás? Be ðæm cuæð Moyses: Gif hwa gefare [& nan] bearn ne gestriene, gif he broðor lǽfe, fó se to his wife. Gif he ðonne bearn ðærbig gestriene, ðonne cenne he ðæt ðæm gefarenan breðer ðe hie ær ahte. Gif he ðonne ðæt wif wille [for]sacan, ðonne hræce hio him on ðæt nebb foran, & his magas hine anscogen oðre fét, ðæt mon mæge siððan hatan (h)is tún ðæs anscodan tún. Ðis was ryht dóm on ðære ealdan æ, & is nu ús to bispelle. Se ær gefarena broðor getacnað Crist. He hine ætiede æfter ðære æriste, & cuæð: Farað & cyðað minum brodrum ðæt hie cumen to Galileum; ðær hie me geseoð. He gefór suelce he butan bearnum gefóre, forðon he næfde gefylled ðagiet ðone rím his gecorenra. Sua sua ðæs gefarenan broðor wif on ðære ealdan ǽ wæs geboden ðæm lifiendan breðer to onfónne, sua is cynn ðæt sio giemen ðære halgan ciricean, ðæt is Cristes folces

if he leave a brother, let him take his wife. If he beget a child by her, let him beget it for the dead brother who formerly had her. But if he wish to refuse the woman, let her spit in his face, and let his relations take the shoe off one of his feet, that his house may afterwards be called the house of the one-shoed." This was a lawful sentence in the old law, and is now an example for us. The brother who died first signifies Christ. He appeared after the resurrection, and said: "Go and tell it to my brothers that they may come to Galilee, where they will see me." He died as it were without children, for he had not yet filled up the number of his elect. As in the old law the wife of the brother who had died was offered to the living brother that he might take her, so it is proper that the care of the holy Church,