Bright's Anglo-Saxon Reader/From the Pastoral Care
[According to the Hatton MS. and with variants from C. i.]
Gregory's Prologue[edit]
Þū lēofusta brōður, suīðe frēondlīce ond suīðe fresumlīce ðū mē tǣldesð ond mid ēadmōde ingeðonce ðū mē cīddesð, for ðon ic mīn māð ond wolde flēon ðā byrðenne ðǣre hirdelecan gīemenne. Ðāra byrðenna hefignesse, eall ðæt ic his geman, ic āwrīte on ðisse andwardan bēc, ðȳ lǣs hī hwǣm leohte ðyncen tō underfōnne; ond ic ēac lǣre ðæt hira nān ðāra ne wilnie ðe hine unwærlīce begā; ond sē ðe hī unwærlīce ond unryhtlīce gewilnige, ondrǣde hē ðæt hē hī ǣfre underfēnge. Nū ic wilnige ðætte ðēos sprǣc stigge on ðæt ingeðonc ðæs leorneres, swǣ swǣ on sume hlǣdre, stæpmǣlum nēar ond nēar, oð ðæt hīo fæstlīce gestonde on ðǣm solore ðæs mōdes ðe hī leornige. Ond for ðȳ ic hī tōdǣle on fēower: ān is ðāra dǣla, hū hē on ðone folgoð becume; ōðer, hū hē ðǣr on libbe; ðridda is, hū hē ðǣr on lǣre; fēorða is, hū hē his āgene unðēawas ongietan wille on hira geðæf bīon, ðȳ lǣs hē ðȳ underfenge his ēaðmōdnesse forlǣte; oððe eft his līf sīe ungelīc his ðēnunga, oððe hē tō ðrīste ond tō stīð sīe for ðȳ underfenge his lārēowdōmes; ac gemitgige hit sē ege his āgenra unðēowa, ond befæste hē mid his līfes bisenum ðā lāre ðǣm ðe his wordum ne gelīefen; ond ðonne hē gōd weorc wyrce, gemyne hē ðæs yfeles ðe hē worhte, þætte sīo unrōtnes ðe hē for ðǣm yflan weorcum hæbbe, gemetgige ðone gefēan ðe hē for ðǣm gōdan weorcum hæfde, ðȳ lǣs hē befoan ðǣs dieglan Dēman ēagum sīe āhafen on his mōde ond on ofermēttum āðunden, ond ðonne ðurh ðæt selflīce his gōdan weorc forlēose. Ac monige sindon mē suīðe onlīce on ungelǣrednesse, ðēah ðe hī nǣfre leorningcnihtas nǣren, wilniað ðēah lārēowas tō beōonne, ond ðynceð him suīðe leoht sīo byrðen ðæs lārēowdōmes, for ðon ðe hī ne cunnon ðæt mægen his micelnesse. From ðǣre dura selfre ðisse bēc, ðæt is from onginne ðisse sprǣce, sint ādrifene ond getǣlde ðā unwaran ðe him āgniað ðone cræft ðæs lārēowdōmes ðe hī nā ne geleornodon.
I. Ðætte unlǣrde ne dyrren underfōn lārēowdōm.
For ðon ðe nān cræft nis tō lǣranne ðǣm ðe hine ǣr geornlīce ne leornode, for hwon bēoð ǣfre suǣ þrīste ðā ungelǣredan ðæt hī underfōn ðā heorde ðæs lārīowdōmes, ðonne sē cræft ðæs lārēowdōmes bið cræft ealra cræfta? Huā nāt ðæt ðā wunda ðæs mōdes bīoð dīgelran ðonne ðā wunda ðæs līchaman? Ond ðēah ðā woroldlecan lǣcas scomað ðæt hī onginnen ðā wundan lācnian ðe hī gesīon ne magon, ond huru gif hī nōuðer gecnāwan ne cunnan nē ðā medtrymnesse nē ēac ðā wyrta ðe ðǣr wið sculon. Ond hwīlon ne scomað ðā ðe ðæs mōdes lǣceas bēon scoldon, ðēah ðe hī nāne wuht ongitan ne cunnon ðāra gǣstlecena beboda, ðæt hīe him ontēoð ðæt hīe sīen heortan lǣcas. Ac for ðon ðe nū eall sē weorðscipe ðisse worolde is gecierred -- Gode ðonc -- tō weorðscipe ðǣm ǣwfæstum, ðæt ðā sindon nū weorðoste ðe ǣwfæstoste sindon, for ðone līcet suīðe monig ðæt hē ǣwfæsð lārēow sīe, ðe hē wilnað micle woroldāre habban. Be ðām Crīsð selfa cleopode ond ðus cwæð: 'Hī sēcað ðæt hī mon ǣrest grēte ond worðige on cēapstōwum ond on gebēorscipum, ond ðæt hīe fyrmest hlynigen æt ǣfengieflum, ond ðæt ieldesðe setl on gemētengum hī sēcað.' For ðon hīe suā on ofermēttum on mid ūpāhafenesse becumað tō ðǣre āre ðǣre hirdelecan gīemenne hī ne magon medomlīce ðēnian ðā ðēnunga, ond ðǣre ēaðmōdnesse lārēowas bīon; ac sīon tunge bið gescinded on ðām lārīowdōme ðonne hīo ōðer lǣreð, ōðer hīo liornode. Suelcum monnum Dryhten cīdde ðurh ðone wītgan, ond him suelfc oðwāt, ðā hē cwæð: 'Hīe rīcsedon, næs ðēah mīnes ðonces; ealdormen hī wǣron, ond ic hīe ne cūðe.' Ðā ðe suā rīciað, hī rīcsiað of hira āgnum dōme, næs of ðæs hīehstan Dēman, ðonne hī ne bēð mid nānre sylle underscotene ðæs godcundlīcan mægenes, nē for nānum cræfte gecorene, ac mid hira āgenre gewilnunge hīe bīoð onbærnede, ðæt hīe gerēafiað suā hēane lārīowdōm suīðor ðonne hī hine geearnien. Hīe ðonne sē ēca ond sē dīegla Dēma ūpāhefeð suelce hē hī nyte, ond geðafiende hē hit forbireð for ðām ðōme his geðylde. Ac ðēah hī on ðām hāde fela wundra wyrcen, eft ðonne hī tō cumað, hē cuið: 'Gewītað from mē, gē unryhtwyrtan! nāt ic hwæt gē sint.' Eft hē hīe ðrēade ðurh ðone wītgan for hira ungelǣrednesse, ðā hē cuæð: 'Ðā hierdas næfdon ondgit: hīe hæfon mīne ǣ, ond hī mē ne gecnīowon.' Sē ðe Godes bebodu ne gecnǣwð, ni bið hē oncnāwen from Gode. Ðæt ilce cuæð sanctus Paulus: 'Sē ðe God ne ongit, ne ongit God hine.' Unwīse lārēowsas cumað for ðæs folces synnum; for ðon oft for ðæs lārēowes unwīsdōme misfarað ðā hīeremenn, ond oft for ðæs lārēowes wīsdōme unwīsum hīeremonnum bið geborgen. Gif ðonne ǣgðer bið unwīs, ðonne is tō geðencanne hwæt Crīsð self cuæð on his godseplle; hē cwæð: 'Gif sē blinda ðone blindan lǣt, hī feallað bēgen on ǣnne pytt.' Be ðǣm ilcan sē sealmscop cuæð: 'Sīen hira ēagan āðīstrode ðæt hī ne gesēon, ond hiora hrycg simle gebīeged.' Ne cwæð hē ðæt for ðȳ ðe hē ǣnegum men ðæs sȳscte oððe wilnode, ac hē wītgode suā suā hit geweorðan sceolde. Sōðlīce ðā ēagan ðæt bēoð ðā lārēowas, ond sē hrycg ðæt sint ðā hīeremenn; for ðan ðā ēagan bīoð on ðām līchoman foreweardum ond ufeweardum, ond sē hrycg færð æfter ǣlcre wuhte; suā gāð ðā lārēowas beforan ðǣm folce, ond ðæt folc æfter. Ðonne ðām lārēowum āðīstriað ðæs mōdes ēagan, ðe beforan gān scoldon mid gōdum bīsenum, donne gebīgð ðæt folc hira hrycg tō hefegum byrðenum manegum.
II. Nē eft ðā gelǣredan, ðe swā nyllað libban swā hīe on bōcum leornodon ðæt hī scoldon, ne underfōn ðā āre ðæs lārēowdōmes.
Monige ēac wīse lārēowas winnað mid hira ðēawum wið ðā gǣsðlecan bebodu ðe hī mid wordum lǣrað, ðonne hīe on ōðre wīsan libbað, on ōðre hī lǣrað. Oft ðonne sē hirde gǣð on frēcne wegas, sīo hiord, ðe unwærre bið, gehrīst. Be suelcum hirdum cwæð sē wītga: 'Gē fortrǣdon Godes scēapa gærs, ond gē gedrēfdon hiora wæter mid īowrum fōtum, ðēah gē hit ǣr undrēfed druncen.' Suā ðā lārēowas, hī drinað suīðe hlūter wæter, donne hī ðone godcundan wīsdōm leorniað, on ēac ðonne hīe hiene lǣrað; ac hI-e hit gedrēfað mid hira āgnum unðēawum, ðonne ðæt folc bīsenað on hira unðēawum nāls on hira lāre. Ðēah ðæt folc ðyrste ðǣre lāre, hīe hīe ne magon drincan, ac hīo bið gedrēfed mid ðām ðe ðā lārēowas ōðer dōð ōðer hīe lǣrað. Be ðǣm Dryhten cwæð eft ðurh ðone wītgan: 'Yfle prēostas bīoð folces hryre.' Ne dereð nān mon suīðor ðǣr hālgan gesomnunge ðonne ðā ðe ðone noman underfōð ond ðā endebyrdnesse ðæs hālgan hādes, ond ðonne on wōh dōð; for ðon hīe nān monn ne dearr ðrēagean ðēah hīe āgylten, ac mid ð_am bēoð synna suīðe gebrǣdda ðe hīe bēoð suā geweorðade. Ac hīe woldon selfe dlēon ðā byrðenne suā micelre scylde, ðā ðe his unwierðe wǣron, gif hē mid hora heortan ēarum woldon gehīeran ond geornlīce geðencan ðone Crīstes cuide, ðā hē cuæð: 'Sē ðe ǣnigne ðissa ierminga besuīcð, him wǣre betere ðæt him wǣre sumu esulcweorn tō ðǣm suīran getīged, ond suā āworpen tō sǣs grunde.' Ðurh ðā cweorne is getācnod sē ymbhwyrft ðisse worolde ond ēac monna līfes ond hira gesuinces, ond ðurh ðone sǣgrund hira ende ond sē sīðemesða demm. Ðonne bið sīo cweorn becierred, ðonne sē monn bið geendod, ðonne bið sēo micle cweorn becierred, ðonne ðēos weorld bið geendod. Sē ðonne þe tō hālgum hāde becymð, ond ðonne mid yflym bīsnum oððe worda oððe weorca ōðre on wōn gebringð, betre him wǣre ðæt hē on lǣssan hāde ond on eorðlīcum weorcum his līf geendode; for ðǣm gif hē on ðǣm wel dēð, hē hæfð ðæs gōd lēan, gif hē yfle dēð lǣsse wīte hē ðrōwað on helle gif hē āna ðider cymð, ðonne hē dō gif ōðerne mid him ðider bringð.
XXII. Hū swīðe sē reccere sceal bēon on his smēaunga ābisgod ymb ðā hālgan ǣ.
Ac eall ðis āredað sē reccere suīðe ryhte, ðonne hē for Godes lufum ond for Godes ege dēð ðæt ðæt hē dēð, ond ǣlce dæge geornfullīce smēað ðā bebodu hālegra gewrita, ðætte on him sīe ūppārǣred sē cræft ðǣre gīemenne ymbe ðā forescēawunga ðæs hefonlīcan līfes, ðone singālīce ðisse eorðlīcan drohtunge gewuna wilw tōweorpan būton hine sīo myndgung ðāra hāligra gewrita onbryrde. For ðǣm sē eorðlīca gefērscipe hine tīehð on ðā lufe his ealdan ungewunan, hē sceal simle hīgian ðæt hē weorðe onbryrd ond geednīwad tō ðǣm hefonlīcan ēðle. Ac his mōd bið swuīðe īeðegende ond suīðe ābisgad mid worðlīcra monna wodum, for ðām hit is openlīce cūð ðætte sīo ūterre ābisgung ðissa woroldðinga ðæs monnes mōd gedrēfð, ond hine scofett hidres ðidres oð ðæt hē āfielð of his āgnum willan; ac him bið ðearf ðæt hē hine genime simle be ðǣre leornunge hāligra gewrita, ond be ðām ārīse. For ðiosum ðingum manade Paulus Tīmotheum his cniht, ond cwæð: 'Ðonne ic cume, ðonne bēo ðū ābisgad ymbe rǣdinge.' Ond eft Dāuīd be ðām ilcan spræc ðā hē cuæð: 'Lōca, Dryhten, hū suīðe ic lufige ðīne ǣ; ealne dæg ðæt bið mīn smēanung.' Eft bī ðȳs ilcan Dryhten bebēad Moyse hū hē scolde beran ðā earce, ðā hē cwæð: 'Wyrc fēower hringas ælgyldene, ond āhōh hīe suīðe fæste on ðā fēower hyrnan ðǣre earce; ond hāt wyrcean twēgen stengas of ðǣm trēowe ðe is hāten sethim ðæt ne wyrð nǣfre forrotad, ond befōh ūtan mid golde; ond sting ūt ðurh ðā hringas bī ðǣre earce sīdan, ðæt hīe man mæge beran on ðām, ond lǣt hī stician ðǣr on, ne tīo hīe mon nǣfre of.' Hwæt mæg ðonne elles sēo earc tācnian būton ðā hālgan ciricean, on ðǣre sculon hangian ðā fēower hringas on ðām fēower hyrnum, ðæt sint ðā fēower hyrnan ðises middangeardes, binnan ðǣm is tōbrǣdd Godes folc, ðæt is ūtan begyrdd mid ðām fēower godspellaum? Ðā sāglas ðonne, ðe mon ðā earce big beran sceal, sticiað eallne weg inn on ðām hringum ðā earce mid tō beranne, ðā bēoð geworht of ðǣm trēowe sethim, ðæt nǣfre ne rotað. Suā sindon tō sēceanne stronge ond unāðrotene lārēowas ond ðurhwuniende on ðǣre lāre hāligra bōca, ðā simle sculon bīon bodiende ymbe ðā ānmōdnesse ðǣre hālgan gesomnunga, suā suā ðā anbestungnan sāglas ðā earce berað. Ðæt is donne ðæt mon ðā earce bere on ðǣm sāglum, ðætte ðā gōdan lārēowas ðā hālgan gesomnunge lǣrende, ðā nīwan ond ðā ungelēaffullan mōd mid hira lāre gelǣde tō ryhtum gelēafan. Ðā sāglas is beboden ðæt scoldon bēon mid golde befongne. Ðæt is, ðonne ðā lārēowas mid wordum ōðre menn lǣrað, ðæt hī ēac selfe on hira āgnum weorcum biorhte scīnen. Be ðām sāglum is suīðe gescēadlīce gecueden ðæt hīe sculon simle stician on ðām hringum, ond nǣfre ne mōton him bēon gesette tō ðǣre ðēnunga ðæs lārēowdōmes, ðæt hī nǣfre ne gewīten from ðǣre geornfulnesse ðǣre rǣdinge ond leornunge hāligra gewrita. For ðǣm is ēac gecueden ðætte simle ðā ofergyldan sāglas sceoldon stician on ðǣm gyldnum hringum, ðȳ lǣs hine ǣnig wuht gǣlde ungearowes, ðonne mon ðā earce beran scolde. Ðæt is ðonne ðonne ðāra lārēowa hīeremenn hwæthwugu gǣsðlīces tō him sēcað on hī frīnað, ðonne is suīðe micel scand gif hē ðonne færð sēcende hwæt hē sellan scyle, ðonne hē īowan scolde ðæt him mon tō āscað. Ac ðonne sticiað ðā sāglas suīde singāllīce on ðǣm hringum, ðonne ðā lārēowas simle on hira heortum smēagað ðā hālgan gewritu. Ond ðonne hī hebbað suīðe ārodlīce ðā earce ūp, ðonne hī suīðe hrædlīce bīoð gearwe tō lǣranne ðætte ðonne ðearf bið. Bī ðǣm suīðe wel sē forma hierde ðǣre hālgan ciricean, ðæt is sanctus Pētrus, manode ōðre hierdas, ðā hē cuæð: 'Bīoð simle gearwe tō lǣranne ond tō forgiefanne ǣlcum ðāra ðe īow ryhtlīce bidde ymbe ðone tōhopan ðe gē habbað on ēow.' Suelce hē openlīce cuǣde: 'Ne bregde gē nō ðā stengas og ðǣm hringum, ðȳ lǣs sīo earc sī ungearo tō beranne.'