Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/95

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86
GREGORY'S PASTORAL.
[Cotton MSS.

ðonne oðrum monnum ðyncð ðæt hie mæstne dem & mæste scande ðrowigen, & hie forsewenuste bioð for worlde. On ðæs sacerdes hrægle wæs toeacan golde & iacincte & purpuran, dyrodine twegra bleo. Đæt tacnað ðætte eal ða god & ða mægenu þe he dó, bion gewlitegode mid ðære lufan Godes & monna beforan ðæm eagum ðæs ecean Deman, ðætte se spearca ðara godra weorca, þe her twinclað beforan monnum, birne healice ligge on ðære incundan lufan beforan ðæm diglan Deman. Sio lufu ðonne hio lufað ætsomne ægðer ge God ge his nihstan, hio scinð swiðe smicere on twæm bleom swæ swæ twegea bleo godweb. Se ðonne se þe swæ hiegað ealneweg to andweardnesse his scippendes, & agiemeleasað þa giemenne his nihstena, oððe eft swæ singallice folgað ðære giemenne his nihstena ðæt he agiemeleasað ða godcundan lufe, ðonne hæfð he anforlæten ðæt tweagea bleo godweb ðæt he habban sceolde on ðæm halgan hrægle, gif he auðer ðissa forlæt. Ac ðonne ðæt mod bið aðened on þa lufan ægðer ge Godes ge his nihstena, ne bið hit ðonne nohtes wan buton forhæfdnesse anre, ðæt he his lichoman swence and hlænige. Forðon is beboden toeacan ðæm twibleon godwebbe ðæt scile beon twiðrawen twin on ðæm mæssegierelan. Of ðære eorðan cymeð ðæt fleax, ðæt bið hwites hiewes. Hwæt mæg ðonne elles beon getacnod ðurh ðæt fleax buton lichoman clænnes, sio sceal scinan of clænre heortan? Forðæm bið gefæstnod ðæt geðrawene twin to [on] ðæm wlite ðæs mæssehrægles, forðæm sio clænnes bið ðonne to fulbeorhtum wlite becumen, ðonne ðæt flæsc bið geswenced ðurh forhæfdnesse, & ðonne betweox oðrum mægenum bið ðeonde sio earnung ðæs geswenctan


other men they seem to suffer the greatest misfortune and shame, and are most despised in the eyes of the world.” On the priest's dress, besides gold and jacinth and purple, there was twice-dyed scarlet, signifying that all his good deeds and virtues are to be adorned with the love of God and men before the eyes of the etern Judge, that the spark good works which twinkles before men may burn with the vigorous flame of inner love before the unseen Judge. The love which includes both God and one's neigh- bours shines very beautifully with two colours like the twice-dyed cloth. He therefore who is continually striving to attain to the presence of his Creator, and neglects the care of his neighbours, or,