Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/75

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66
GREGORY'S PASTORAL.
[Cotton MSS.

& ongietað of hwæm ælc costung cymeð, & ðæt towearde gefeoht ðara uncysta, hwonon hie ðæs wenan sculon. Ac monige men bioð þe noldon ðone hlisan habban ðæt hie unwise sien; anginnað ðonne oftrædlice mare secggean & smeagean swiðor ðonne him ðearf sie to begonganne, & rædað sume leasunge on ðære smeaunge. Đæt is sio micle nosu & sio woo se þe wile ungemetlice gesceadwis beon, & secð þæt smealicor ðonne he ðyrfe, se hæfð to micle nosu & to woo, forðon sio gesceadwisnes hie selfe gescent mid ðære ungemetgodan smeaunge. Đæt is ðonne se foruda fot & sio forude hond ðæt mon wite Godes beboda weg, & ðær nylle on gán, ac sie bedæled & aidlod ælces godes weorces, nealles na swæ swæ healt mon oððe untrum, hwilum hie gáð, hwilum hie restað, ac se forudfota bið ælces feðes bedæled. Se ðonne bið hoferede se þe sio byrðen ofðryced ðisse eorðlican gewilnunge, & næfre ne besyhð to ðære uplican are; ac ealneg [ealne weg] fundað to ðisum eorðlicum, & ðonne hie gehierað auht be ðæm gode ðæs hefоnlican rices, ðonne ahefegiað hiera heortan ða byrðenna ðæs forhwirfedan gewunan ðætte hie ne magon hiera geðohtes staðol uparæran. Be ðæm se salmscop cwæð: Ic eom gebigged, & æghwonon ic eom gehiened. Ond eft be ðæm ilcan scyldum sio Soðfæstnes ðurh hie selfe cwæð: Hiora sæd gefeollun on þa ðornas. Đæt sindon ða þe gehierað Godes word, & mid ðære geornfulnesse & mid ðære wilnunge ðisse worlde & hiere welena bið asmorad ðæt sæd Godes worda, ðeah hie upasprytten, ðæt hie ne moton fullgrowan ne wæstmbære weorðan. Se ðonne bið siwenigge se þe his ondgit bið to fon beorhte scinende ðæt hie mæge ongietan soðfæstnesse,


tation comes, and whence they are to expect the impending attack of vices. And there are many men who, not wishing to be thought fools, often try to speak and meditate more than is profitable for them to do, and are led astray in their meditation. The big and crooked nose is the desire of over-sagacity, when a man desires it more eagerly than he ought, he has too big and crooked a nose, for his sagacity shames itself by its excessive contemplation. The broken hand and foot is when a man knows the path of God's commands and will not follow it, but is deprived of every good work and frustrated, not at all like a lame or diseased man, who is sometimes in motion, sometimes at rest, while the broken foot is always entirely deprived of motion. He is humpbacked who is oppressed by the burden of earthly desire,