Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/74

Hatton MS.] Arone ðæt nan monn hiera cynnes ne hiera hieredes ne offrode his Gode nan[n]e hláf, ne to his ðegnunga ne come, gif he ænig wom [h]æfde: gif he blind wære oððe healt, oððe to micle nosu [h]æfde, oððe to lytle, oððe eft wó nosu oððe tobrocene honda oððe fét, oððe heferede wære, oððe torenige, oððe fleah hæfde on eagan oððe singale sceabbas oððe teter oððe healan. Se bið eallenga blind se ðe noht ne ongiet be ðam leohte ðære úplecan sceawunge, ond [se] se ðe bið o[f]seten mid ðæm ðistrum ðisses an(d)weardan lifes, ðonne he næfre ne gesiehð mid his modes eagum ðæt towearde leoht, ðy ðe he hit lufige, & he nát hwider he rece mid ðæm stæpum his weorca. Be ðæm witgode Anna, ða hio cuæð: Dryhten gehilt his haligra fét, ond ða unryhtwisan sicettað on ðæm ðiestrum. Se bið eallenga healt se ðe wat hwider he gaan sceal, & ne mæg for his modes untrymnesse, ðeah he geseo lifes weg, he ne mæg medomlice ongán, ðonne he hæfð to godum weorce gewunad, & læt ðonne ðæt áslacian, & hit nyle úparæran to ðæm staðole fulfremedes weorces; ðonne ne magon ðider fullice becuman ða stæpas ðæs weorces ðieder ðe he wilnað. Be ðæm cuæð Paulus: Astreccað eowre agalodan honda & eowru cneowu, & stæppað ryhte, ne healtigeað leng, ac beoð hale. Ðonne is sio lytle nosu ðæt mon ne sie gescædwis; forðæm mid ðære nose we tosceadað ða stencas, forðæm is sio nosu gereaht to [ge]sceadwisnes[se]. Ðurh ða gesc[e]adwisnesse we tocnawað good & yfel, & geceosað ðæt gód, & aweorpað ðæt yfel. Be ðæm is gecueden on ðære bryde lofe: Ðin nosu is suelc [suel] se torr on Liuano ðæm munte. Forðæm sio halige gesomnung ður(h) gesceadwisnesse gesiehð & ongietað of huan

knows whither he ought to go, and for the infirmity of his mind, although he see the way of life, cannot properly follow it, when he has accustomed himself to good works and then relaxes his vigour, and will not raise it to the state of perfect works; then the steps of the works cannot entirely arrive at the desired point. Of which Paul spoke: "Stretch out your relaxed hands and knees, and proceed rightly, and limp no longer, but be saved." The little nose is want of sagacity; for with the nose we distinguish odours, therefore the nose is put for sagacity. By sagacity we distinguish between good and bad, and choose the good and reject the bad. Of which it is said in the praise of the bride: "Thy nose resembles the tower on Mount Lebanon." For the holy assembly through sagacity sees and understands whence every temp-