166 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS.
to ceorfanne, & sio æcs ðonne awint of ðæm hielfe, & swæ ungewealdes ofslihð his geferan, he ðonne sccal fleon to anra ðara ðreora burga þe to friðstowe gesette sint & libbe, ðylæs hwelc ðara nihstena ðæs ofslægenan for ðæm sare his ehte, & hiene ðonne gefó & ofslea. To wuda we gað mid urum freondum swæ oft swæ we sceawiað ur(r)a hieremonna unðeawas ; & bilwitlice we heawað ðone wudu, ðonne we ðara gyltendra scylda mid arfæstes ingeðonces lare anweg aceorfað. Ac sio æcs wint of ðæm hielfe, & eac us of ðære honda, ðonne ðonne sio lar wint on reðnesse swiður ðonne mon niede sciele. Sio æcs wint of ðæm hielfe, ðonne of ðære ðreatunga gað to stiðlice word, & mid ðæm his freond gewundað, oððe ofslihð, ðonne he hiene on unrotnesse oððe on ormodnesse gebringð mid his edwite, ðeah he hit for lufum dó, ðæt he geopenige his unðeawas. Swæðeah ðæt geðreatude mod bið swiðe hræde gehwierfed to feounga, gif him mon to ungemetlice mid ðære ðreawunga oferfylgð swiður ðonne mon ðyrfe. Ac se se þe unwærlice ðone wudu hiewð, & swæ his freond ofslihð, him bið niedðearf ðæt he fleo to ðara ðreora burga anre, ðæt he on sumre ðara weorðe genered, ðæt he mote libban ; ðæt is ðæt he gehweorfe to hreowsunga, & swæ fleo to ðara ðreora burga sumre, ðæt is tohopa & lufu & geleafa. Se to anra ðara burga geflihð, ðonne mæg he beon orsorg ðæs monslihtes; ðeah hiene ðær meten ða nihstan ðæs ofslægenan, ne sleað hie hiene no; forðæm ðonne se ðearla & se ryhtwisa Dema cymð, se þe hiene on urne geferscipe ðurh flæ(s)ces gecynd gemengde, ne wricð he mid nanum ðingum ða scylde on him, forðæm under his forgifnesse hiene gefriðode sio lufu & se geleafa & se tohopa.
axe slip from the handle, and he thus involuntarily kill his companion, he shall flee to one of the three cities which are appointed sanctuaries, and live, lest one of the neighbours of the slain man in his anger pursue him, and catch and kill him.” We go to the forest with our friends, whenever we observe the faults of our subjects; and we inno- cently hew wood, when we cut away the sins of the guilty with the instruction of pious thoughts. But the axe slips from the handle, and also out of our hands, when the instruction becomes severer than is necessary. The axe slips from the handle, when too severe words proceed from the reproof, with which one's friend is wounded or slain, when he is brought to sadness or despair by reproaches, although it is done out of love, to show his faults. The rebuked mind is very
