Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/76

Hatton MS.] æle costu(n)g cymeð, ond ðæt towearde gefeoht ðara uncysta, hwonon hie ðæs wenan sculon. Ac monige menn beoð ðe noldon ðone hlisan habban ðæt hie unwiese sien; angiennað ðonne oftrædlice mare secgean & smeagean suiðor ðonne him ðearf sie to begonganne, & rædað sume leasunge on ðære smeaunge. Ðæt is sio micle nosu & sio woo se ðe wile ungemetlice gesceadwis beon, & sec[ð] ðæt smealicor ðonne he ðyrfe, se (h)æfð to micle nosu & to woo, forðon sio gesceadwisnes hie selfe gescind mid ðære ungemetgodan smea[u]nge. Ðæt is ðonne se foreda foot & sio forude hond ðæt mon wite Godes biboda wég, & ðær nylle on gán, ac sie bedæled & aidlad alces godes weorces, nals na sua sua healt monn oððe untrum, hwilum hie gað, hwilum hie restað, ac se foreda fot a bið ælces feðes bedæled. Se ðonne bið hoferede se ðe sio byrðen ofðrycð ðisse eorðlican gewilnunge, & næfre ne besyhð to ðære uplican áre; ac ealne weg fundað to ðeosum eorðlecum, ond ðonne hie gehierað awuht be ðæm góde ðæs hefonlican rices, ðonne ahefegiað hira heort[a]n ða byrðenna ðæs forhwirfdan gewanan ðætte hie ne magon hiera geðohtes stacol upáræran. Be ðæm se salmsceop cwæð: Ic eom gebiged, & æghwonon ic eom geh[i]ened. Ond eft be ðæm ilcan scyldum sio Soðfæstnes ðurh hie selfe cwæð: Hiera sæd gefeollon on ða ðornas. Ðæt sindon ða ðe gehierað Godes word, & mid ðære geornfulnesse & mid ðære wilnunge ðisse worlde & hiere welena bið asmorod ðæt sæd Godes worda, ðeah hie úpáspryttæn, ðæt hie ne moten fulgrowan ne westmbære weorðan. Se ðonne bið siwenige se ðe his &git bið to ðon beorhte scinende ðæt he mæge ongietan soðfæstnesse, gif hit ðonne aðistriað ða

and never contemplates exalted virtue, but ever pursues earthly things, and when they hear aught of the excellence of the kingdom of heaven, their hearts are oppressed by the burdens of their perverse habits, so that they cannot exalt the state of their mind. Of which the Psalmist spoke: "I am bowed and humiliated on all sides." And, again, Truth itself spoke about the same sins: "Their seed fell among thorns." That is those who hear the word of God, and by the cares and desires of this world and its wealth the seed of God's words is smothered, although they spring up, so that they cannot flourish or bear fruit. He is blear-eyed whose mind is clear enough to perceive the truth, but is obscured by fleshly works. The pupils of the bleared eyes are sound, but the eyelashes become bushy, being often dried because of the