Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/68

Hatton MS.] maran æmettan. Swiðe eaðe mæg on smyltre sæ ungelæred scipstiera genoh ryhte stieran, ac se gelæreda him [ne] getruwað on ðære hreon sæ & on ðæm miclan stormum. Hwæt is ðonne ðæt rice & se ealdordoom butan ðæs modes storm, se simle bið cnyssende ðæt scip ðære heortan mid ðara geðohta ystum, & bið drifen hider & ðider on swiðe nearwe bygeas worda & weorca, swelce hit sie ongemong miclum & monigum stancludum tobrocen? Hwæt is nu ma ymbe ðis to sprecenne, buton se se ðe swelc ongieten sie ðæt he ða cræftas hæbbe ðe we ær bufan cwædon, ðæt he ðonne to fóo, gif he niede sciele, & se se ðe swelc ne sie, ðær no æt ne cume, ðeah hiene mon niede? Se ðonne se ðe ðeonde bið on swelcum cræftum & geearnungum, swelce we ær spræcon, & ðonne to swiðe wiðsceorað ðæm ealdordome, healde hine ðæt he ne cnytte ðæt underfongne feoh on ðæm swátline ðe Xrist ymbe spræc on his godspelle; ðæt is ðæt he ða Godes gifa ðe 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. Ða ðonne [ðe] idle beoð swelcra giefa, & ðeah wilniað ðæs ealdordomes, healden hie ðæt hie mid hiera unryhtum bisenum ða ne screncen ða ðe gað on ryhtne weg toweard ðæs hefonrices, swa dydon Fariseos: naðer ne hie selfe on ryhtne wég gan noldon, ne oðrum geðafigean. Ymb ðyllic is to geðencenne & to smeaganne, forðæm se ðe biscephád underfehð, he underfehð ðæs folces mettrymnesse, & he sceal faran gind lond swa swa læce æfter untrumra monna husum. Gif he ðonne giet geswicen næfð his agenra

not to tie up the money he has received in the napkin mentioned by Christ in his Gospel; that is, let him not tie up the divine gifts he has received, both in virtues and in riches, in the cloth of his sloth, and through his laziness hide it, lest he be reproached for it afterwards. Let those who are devoid of such gifts, and yet wish for supremacy, beware lest they seduce with their bad example those who are going the right way to the kingdom of heaven, as the Pharisees did they neither cared to go the right way themselves, nor to suffer others. Such things are to be considered and meditated on, because he who undertakes the office of bishop undertakes the charge of the people's health, and he must traverse the country like a physician, and visit the houses of sick men. If he has not yet