Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/65

56 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton Mss. ðæt he ne lufað: ðyses middangeardes gilp he lufað, & he licet swelce he ðone onscunige, & hine him ondræde. Ðonne he wilnað on his mode ðæt hie sciele ricsian he bið swiðe forht & swiðe behealden ; ðonne he hæfð ðætte he habban wolde, he bið swiðe ðriste. Donne he to fundað, he ondræt þæt he ne mote to cuman, & sona swæ hi to ðære are cymð, swæ ðyncð him ðæt [se] hie him niedscylde [mid scyld] sceolde se se hie him salde, & brycð ðære godcundan are worldcundlice, & forgit swiðe hræðe ðæt he ær æfestlices geðohte. Hu mæg hit butan ðæm bion ðætte ðæt mod þe ær wæs aled of his gewunan for ðære gewilnunge [wilnunge] ðære worldare, ðæt hit ne sie eft to gecirred ðonne hit hæfð ðætte hit ær wilnode? Ac sona bioð ðæs modes eagan eft gewende to ðæm weorcum þe hit ær worhte. Ac ðence ælo mon ær hu nytwierðe he sie & hu gehiersum ðæm þe he ðonne mid ryhte hieran sciele on ðæm þe he ðonne deð. Đonne mæg he wietan be ðy, gif he hieran folgoð habban sceal, hwæder he ðonne don mæg ðæt ðæt he ær ðencð ðæt he don wolde, forðon seldun mon geliornað [leornað] on miclum rice eaðmodnesse, gif he ær on læssan folgoðe ofermod wæs & recceleas. Hu mæg he ðonne ðæt lof & ðone gilp fleon ðonne he onahæfen bið, se his ær wilnode þa he butan wæs? Hu mæg he bion ðonne butan gidsunge, ðonne he sceal ymb monegra monna are ðencean, gif he nolde þa þa he moste ymb his anes? Healde hiene ðæt hiene his agen geðanc ne beswice, þæt he ne truwige þæt he on ðæm maran folgoðe wille wel don, gif he nolde on ðæm læssan ; forðæmþe oftor on ðæm hieran folgoðe mon forlæt godne gewunan, ðonne he hiene ðær on geleornige,

loves not: he loves the glory of this world, and pretends to shun and dread it. When he desires in his heart to rule, he is very timid and cautious; when he has what he wished to have, he is very bold. While he is aspiring to it he dreads not attaining it, and when he at- tains the honour he thinks he who granted him the honour was bound to grant it of necessity, and enjoys the divine honour in a worldly spirit, and very soon forgets his former pious resolutions. How can it other- wise happen but that the mind which was formerly diverted from its usual routine through the desire of worldly honour returns thereto when it has attained its desire ? And the eyes of the mind soon return to its former works. But let every man consider before how useful and obedient he is to those he is bound to obey in his actions,