Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/67

58 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. gif he hiene ær næfde on læssan folgoðe & on maran æmettan. Swiðe eaðe mæg on smyltre sæ ungelæred scipstiora genoh ryhte stieran, ac se gelæreda him ne truwað on ðære hreon sæ & on ðæm miclan stormum. Hwæt is ðonne ðæt rice & se ealdordom buton ðæs modes storm, se symle bið cnyssende ðæt scip ðære heortan mid ðara geðohta ystum, & bið drifen [dræht] hider & ðider on swiðe nearwe bygeas worda & weorca, swelce hit sie ongemong miclum & monegum stancludum tobrocen ? Hwæt is nu ma ymbe ðis to sprecanne, buton se se þe swelc ongieten sie þæt he ða cræftas hæbbe þe we ær bufan cwædon, þæt he ðonne to fo, gif he niede sciele, & se se þe swelc ne sie, ðær no æt ne cume, ðeah hiene mon niede? Se ðonne se þe ðeonde bið on swelcum cræftum & ou geearnungum, swelce we ær spræcon, & ðonne to swiðe wiðscorað ðæm ealdordome, healde hiene ðæt he ne cnytte ðæt underfangne feoh on ðæm swatline þe Crist ymbe spræc on his godspelle; ðæt is ðæt he ða Godes gifa þe he onfeng ge on cræftum ge on æhtum ðæt he ða ne becnytte on ðæm sceate his slæwðe, & he for his swongornesse hie ne gehyde, ðylæs hit him sie eft witnod. Đa ðonne þe idle beoð swelcra giefa, & ðeah wilniað ðæs alderdomes, healden hie þæt hie mid hiera unryhtum bisnum ða ne screncen ða þe gað on ryhtne weg toweard ðæs hefоnrices, swæ dydon Fariseos : naðer ne hie selfe on ryhtne weg gán noldon, ne oðrum geðafian. Ymb ðyllic is to geðencenne [ðencenne] & to smeageanne, forðæm se þe biscephad underfehð, he underfehð ðæs folces medtrymnesse, & he sceal faran gind lond swæ swæ læce æfter untrumra monna husum. Gif he ðonne git geswicen

station and in greater leisure. An untaught steersman can very easily steer straight enough on a smooth sea, but the skilled steersman does not trust him on a rough sea and in great storms. And what is sove- reignty and rule but the mind's storm, which ever tosses the ship of the heart with the waves of the thoughts, and is driven hither and thither in very narrow straits of words and works, as if it were wrecked amongst great and many rocks? What need is there to say more about this, except that he who is known to possess the above-mentioned qualities is to undertake it if he is obliged, and he who is not fit is not to approach it, even if compelled? And let him who is gifted with such qualities and merits as we have mentioned above, and too obstinately refuses the supremacy, be careful