Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/259

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250 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS.

ðæt fremde ne sceoldon bion gefylde ures mægenes, & ure geswinc ne sceolde bion on oðres monnes onwalde. Swae hwa ðonne swæ hæfð on ðisse worlde fulle hælo his lichoman, & nyle wisdomes & cræftes on his mode tilian, ac swinceð on ðæm ðæt he liornige unðeawas & fremme, ne fylð se no his agen hus godra cræfta, ac fremdra hus he fylð, ðæt sint unclæne gastas. Wiotodlice ða þe hiora lif on firenluste & on ofermodnesse geendiað, ne gefyllað hie godra rim, ac awiergedra gasta. Đonne is æfter ðæm gecweden ðæt he sargige æt nihstan, ðonne his lichoma & his flæsc sie gebrosnod, forðæm oft sio hælo ðæs lichoman on unðeawas wierð gecirred, ac ðonne he ðære hælo benumen wierð mid manigfealdum sare ðæs modes & ðæs flæsces, se lichoma ðonne wierð gedrefed, forðæm sio sawl, ðonne hio hiere unðonces gebædd wierð ðæt yfel to forlætonne ðæt hio ær longe on woh hiere agnes ðonces gedyde, secð ðonne ða forlorenan hælo, & wilnað ðære, swelce he ðonne wel & nytwyrðlice libban wolde, gif he forð moste. Murcað fonne forðy ðæt he Gode nolde ðeowian ða hwile þe he meahte, forðon he ðonne ðone demm his giemelieste mid nanum geswince gebetan ne mæg, butan him ðurh his hreowsunga & ðurh Godes miltse geholpen weorðe. Forðæm cwæð se salmscop: Đonne God hie slog, ðonne sohton hie hiene. Ongean ðæt sint to manianne ða mettruman ðæt hie ongieten & gefreden ðæt hie swæ micle ma bioð Godes bearn, & he hie swæ micle ma lufað swæ he hie swiður mana & swingð, forðæm, gif he ðæm gehiersuman mannum næfde getiohhad his eðel to sellanne, hwy wolde he hie mid ængum ungetæsum læran ? Fordem cwæð Dryhten to Iohanne ðæm godspellere ðurh his engel,

resources, and our toil should not be in the power of another. Who- ever, then, in this world has perfect bodily health, and will not cultivate wisdom and virtue in his mind, but toils in learning vices and carrying them out, does not fill his own house with virtues, but fills the houses of strangers, that is, unclean spirits. Truly those who end their lives in wantonness and pride, do not fill up the number of the good, but of accursed spirits. It is further said, that he will then sorrow, when his body and flesh are consumed, because often the health of the body is directed to vices, but when he is deprived of his health with manifold pains of mind and body, the body is afflicted, because the soul, when unwillingly compelled to forsake her wickedness, which she formerly