Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/357

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348
GREGORY'S PASTORAL
[Cotton MSS.

eac deofullic. Ac se be of Gode cymð, he bið godes willan & gesibbum. Đæt is ðonne ðæs he sie clænes willan & godes, ðæt he clænlice & ryhtwislice ongiete ðæt ðæt he ongiete. Đæt is ðonne ðæt he gesibsum sie, wat he hiene nanwuht ne ahebbe ofer his gelican, ne from hiora geferrædenne ne ðiede. Đæm ungesibsumum is to cyðanne ðæt hie witen ðætte swe lange swæ hie bioð from ðære lufe aðied hiora nihstena, & him ungemode bioð, ðætte hie nanwuht godes ne magon ða hwile Gode brengan to ðances. Be ðæm is awriten on Cristes bocum: Gif ðu wille ðin lac brengan to ðæm wiofude, & ðu ðonne ðær ryhte ofðence hwathugu ðæs þe ðin niehsta ðe wiðerweardes gedon hæbbe, forlæt ðonne an ðin lac beforan ðæm wiofude, & fer ærest æfter him; læt inc geseman ær ðu ðin lac brenge; breng siððan ðin lac. Đæt is ðæt hwa fare mid his mode after his nihstan, & him unne ðæt he to ryhte gecierre. Of ðisum bebode we magon geðencean hu unaberendlic gylt sio towesnes bið, ðonne ða lac forðæm bioð forsæcene. Nu man ælc yfel mæg mid gode adilgian, is ðæt ðonne for micel scyld þe gedeð ðætte nan god ne bið andfenge, buton man ær ðæt yfel forlæte. Ac ða ungesibsuman sint to manianne, gif hie nyllen hiora lichoman earan ontynan to gehieronne ða godcundan lare, ðæt hie ontynen hiora modes eagan, & giemen ðissa eorðlicena gesceafta, hu ða fuglas, þe him gelice bioð, & anes cynnes bioð, hu gesibsumlice hie farað, & hu seldon hie willað forlætan hiora geferscipe, & eac ða dumban nietenu, hu hie hie gadriað heapmælum, & hie ætsomne fedað. Nu we magon gecnawan on ðara ungesceadwisra nietena gesibsumnesse hu micel yfel sio gesceadwislice gecynd ðurh ða

and animal, and also devilish. But that which comes from God is of good will and peaceful." Being of pure and good will, is purely and righteously understanding what he understands. Being peaceful con- sists in not exalting himself at all above his equals, nor separating himself from their society. The quarrelsome are to be told to know, that as long as they keep aloof from the love of their neighbours, and are at variance with them, they cannot bring anything good to please God. Of which is written in the books of Christ : "If thou wilt bring thine offering to the altar, and there remember well something that thy neighbour has done against thee, leave thine offering before the altar, and go first after him ; reconcile thyself with him before thou bring thine offering ; then bring thine offering." That is, that he is