Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/53

44 gesomnung, sie ðæm beboden þe hie wel ofer mæge, & hiere wel rædan cunne. Gif hiere ðonne se wiðsace, ðonne is cyn þæt him spiwe ðæt wif on ðæt neb, þæt is þæt hiene tæle ðæs folces gesomnung, emne swelce he [hie] him on ðæt neb spæten, forðonþe he nyle gifan þæt him God geaf, and helpan ðæs folces mid ðæm þe he his healp. Swæ is cyn ðæt sio halige gesomnung tæle ælces ðara god ðe hit him anum wile to gode habban, & nyle oðerra mid helpan. Se bið eac mid ryht [ryhte] oðre fet onscod, & hiene mon scile on bismer hatan se anscoda. Be ðæm cwæð Crist on his godspelle: Sceogeað eowre fett, þæt ge sin gearwe to ganne on sibbe weg æfter minra boca bebodum. Gif we ðonne habbað swæ micle sorge & swæ micle gieman urra nihstena swæ swæ ure selfra, ðonne hæbbe we begen fett gescode swiðe untællice; gif we ðonne agiemeleasiað urra nihstena ðearfe [ðearfa], & ðenceað ymbe ure synderlice, ðonne bid us swiðe fracuðlice oðer fot unscod. Monige men sindon, swæ swæ we ær cwædon, ðe bioð geweorðod [geweorðode] mid miclum & mid monegum Godes gifum, & ðonne bioð onælede mid ðære girninge ðara smeaunga Godes wisdomes anes, & fleog ðonne þa nytwierðan hiersuminesse ðære lare, & nyllað ðæs ðencean hu hie mægen nytwierðuste bion hiera nihstum, ac lufiað digla stowa, & fleog monna ansine [onsina]. Gif him ðonne God ryhtlice & streclice deman wile, & he him for his mildheortnesse ne arað, ðonne bioð hie swæ monegum scyldum scyldige swæ hie monegra unðeawa gestieran [stieran] meahton mid hiora larum & bisnum, gif hie ongemong monnum bion woldon. Hwæt ðenceað ða þe on swelcum weorcum

that is the assembly of Christ's people, be offered to him who can superintend and rule it well. But if he refuse it, it is proper for the woman to spit in his face, that is, for the assembly of the people to blame him, exactly as if they spat in his face, because he would not give what God gave him, and help the people with what he helped him with. In the same way it is proper for the holy assembly to blame the advantages of those who wish to appropriate them to themselves alone, and will not help others with them. He is also rightly shod on one foot only, and he shall be called in ignominy the one-shoed. Of which Christ spoke in his Gospel: "See to your feet, that ye be ready to go in the path of the commands of my books." If we take as much trouble and care about our neighbours as ourselves, we have both feet shod very peace after