Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/66

Hatton MS.] ðæt he ne lufað: ðisses middangeardes gilp he lufað, & he licett swelce he ðone onscunige, & hine him ondræde. Donne he wilnað on his mode ðæt he sciele ricsian he bið swiðe forht & swiðe behealden; ðonne he hæfð ðæt he habban wolde, he bið swiðe ðriste. Ðonne he to fundað, he ondræet ðæt he ne mote to cuman, ond sona swa he to ðære are cymð, swa ðyncð him ðæt se hie him niedscylde sceolde se se hie him sealde, & brycð ðære godcundan áre worldcundlice, & forgitt swiðe hræðe ðæt he ær æfæstlices geðohte. Hu mæg hit butan ðam beom ðætte ðæt mod ðe ær wæs keled of his gewunan for ðære wilnunge ðære worldáre, ðæt hit ne sie eft to gecirred ðonne hit hæfð ðætte hit ær wilnode? Ac sona beoð ðas modes eagan eft gewende to ðæm weorcum ðe hit ær worhte. Ac ðence ælc mon [ær] hu nytwyrðe he sie & hu gehiersum ðæm ðe he ðonne mid ryhte hieran scyle on ðæm ðe he [ðonne] deð. Ðonne mæg he witan be ðy, gif he hie[r]ran folgað habban sceal, hwæðer he ðonne don mæg ðæt ðæt he ðær ðencð ðæt he don wolde, forðon seldun mon geleornað on miclum rice eaðmodnesse, gif he ær on læssan folgoðe ofermod wæs & recceleas. Hu mæg he ðonne ðæt lóf & ðone gilp fleon ðonne [he] on[a]hæfen bið, se his ær wilnode ða he butan wæs? Hu mæg he ðonne beon butan gitsunge, ðonne he sceal ymb monigra monna are ðencan, gif he nolde ða ða he moste ymb his anes? Healde hine ðæt hine his agen geðanc ne biswice, ðæt he ne truwige ðæt he on ðæm folgoðe wille wel dón, gif he nolde on ðæm læssan; forðæmðe oftor on ðæm hieran folgoðe mon forlæt goodne gewunan, ðonne he hine ðæron geleornige, gif he hine ær næfde on læssan folgoðe & on

and by his performance under these circumstances he can judge whether, if he is to have higher authority, he is able to carry out his former intentions, for men seldom learn humility in a high station if they were proud and reckless in a humbler one. How can he avoid praise and vainglory when he is exalted, who formerly desired them when he was without power? How can he be without covetousness when he has to consult the interests of many, if formerly he would not avoid it when he had to consult his own interests alone? Let him beware of allowing himself to be deceived with his own imagination, lest he believe that he will do well in that station when he would not in the lesser; for in a higher station men oftener lose good habits than learn them there, if they had them not in a humbler