Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/71

62 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. Nu ðu me clipodest; nu ic eom her. Hwæt wenest ðu [wenstu nu], gif hwele forworht mon cymð, & bideð urne hwelcne ðæt we hiene læden to sumum ricum men, & him geðingien ðonne he wið hiene iersað? Gif he me ðonne cuð ne bid, ne nan mon his bieredes, ic wille him swiðe hræðe andwyrdan & cweðan : Ne mæg ic ðæt ærendian: ic ne eom him swæ hiewcuð. Gif we donne scomiað þæt we to uncuðum monnum swelc sprecen, hu durre we ðonne to Gode swelc sprecan? Oððe hu dear se gripan on ða scire ðæt he ærendige oðrum monnum to Gode, se se þe hiene selfne hiwcuðne ne ongit Gode ðurh his [lifes] geearnunga? Oððe hu dear he ðingian oðrum monnum, & nat hwæder him selfum geðingod bið? He mæg ondrædan þæt he for his agnum scyldum mare ierre gewyrce. Ealle we wioton be monnum, se se þe bideð ðone mon þæt him ðingige wið oðerne ðe he bið eac irre, ðæt irsiende mod he gegremeð, & wyrse irre he astyreð. Geðencen ðæt ða þe ðonne git ðisse worulde wilniað, & healden hie ðæt hie mid hiera ðingengum hefigre ierre ne astyrien ðæs ðearlwisan deman. Healden hie hie ðonne hie gitsiað swæ micles ealdordomes ðæt hie ne weorðen ealdormen to forlore hiera [hiere] hieremonnum. Ac pinsige ælc mon hiene selfne georne [geornlice], ðylæs he durre underfón ðone lareowdom ðæs folces þа hwile þe him ænig unðeaw on ricsige. Ne wilnige se na bion ðingere for oðerra monna scylde se þe bið mid his agenum geswenced [gesciended].

XI. Hwelc se beon sceal se ðærto cuman ne sceal.

Bi ðon cwæð sio uplice stefn to Moyse ðæt he sceolde beodan

him.” am.” What thinkest thou, now, if a criminal comes to one of us, and prays him to lead him to a man in power who is angry with him, and intercede for him ? If he is not known to me, or any man of his household, I shall very soon answer him and say: "I cannot undertake such an errand : I am not familiar enough with If we are ashamed to speak so to strangers, how dare we speak so to God? Or how can he presume to undertake the office of mediator between God and other men, who is not sure of being himself intimate with God through the merits of his life, or to inter- cede for other men while he knows not whether he himself has been interceded for ? He has reason to fear arousing greater anger because of his own sins. We all know that among men he who prays a man