Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/57

48 tælwierðlice, & monige bioð togeniedde eac swiðe untælwierðlice. Đæt we magon swiðe sweotule ongietan, gif we geðenceað þa twegen witgan þe God wolde sendan to læranne. Oðer hine his selfes willum gebead to ðære lare & to ðæm færelte. Ofer for ðæm ege, þe he ondred þæt he hit swæ medomlice don ne meahte, him wiðsoc. Đæt was Hieremias. Þa he hiene sendan wolde, þa bæd he eaðmodlice þæt he hiene ne sende, & cwæð: Eala eala eala Dryhten, ic eom cniht; hwæt can ic sprecan? Ac Isaias, þa Dryhten ascode hwone he sendan meahte, þa cwæð Isaias: Ic eom gearo; sende me. Loca nu hu ungelic spræc eode of ðissa twegea monna muðe. Ac hio wæs of swiðe gelicum willan, forðon hio afeoll [aweol] of anum welle ; ðeah hio [he] on tu tofleowe, ðeah wæs se [sio] æspring sio soðe lufu. Ymbe þa we habbað twa bebodu : an is þæt we lufien God, oðer þæt we lufien ure nihstan. For ðære lufan Isaias wilnode hu he nyttost meahte bion his nihstum on ðys earfeðlican [eorðlican] life, & forðon he wilnode ðære ðegnunga ðæs lareowdomes. Ieremias ðonne wilnode singallice hine geðidan to ðære lufan his scippendes, & forðæm he forcwæð, & nolde þæt hiene man sende to læronne. Đæt ilce þæt he untælwierðlice ondred to underfoonne, þæt ilce se oðer swiðe hergendlice gewilnode. Oðer ondred þæt he forlure sprecende ða gestreon þe he on ðære swiggean geðencean meahte; oðer ondred þæt he ongeate on his swiggean þæt he sumne hearm geswugade ðær ðær he freme geclipian meahte, gif he ymb þæt geornlice swunce. Ac we sculon swiðe smealice ðissa ægðer underðencean, forðonþe se þe ðær wiðcwæð, na fullice ne wiðcwæð, & se se þe wolde þæt hiene mon sende, he geseah ær hiene clænsian ðurh þa colu

many are also compelled to undertake it very blamelessly. This we can clearly understand, if we think of the two prophets whom God wished to send to teach. The one voluntarily undertook the teaching and the journey. The other, through fear of not doing it so well, refused. This was Jeremiah. When he wished to send him, he begged him humbly not to send him, and said: "Behold, Lord, I am a youth; what can I say?" But Isaiah, when God asked whom he should send, said: "I am ready; send me." See now what different speeches came from the mouth of these two men. But they arose from a very similar desire, for they flowed from the same spring; although they flowed in different directions, the source was true love. About which we have two precepts: one is to love God, the other