Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/101

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92
GREGORY'S PASTORAL.
[Cotton MSS.

se halga gast on tungena onlicnesse gesette ofer þa apostolas, forðon butan tweon ðone þe he gefylð he gedeð ðæt he bið swiðe hræðe ymbe hiene sprecende. Forðæm wæs beboden Moyse ðæt se sacerd sceolde bion mid bellum behangen. Þæt is ðæt he hæbbe þa stefne ðære lare, þylæs he abelge mid ðære swiggean ðone dom ðæs Sceaweres. Hit is awriten ðæt he sceolde ingongende & utgongende beforan Gode to ðæm halignessum beon gehiered his sweg, þylæs he swulte. Hit is gecweden ðæt se sacerd sceolde sweltan, gif se sweg nære of him gehiered ægðer ge ingongendum ge utgongendum, forðon he geniet ðone diglan deman to irre, gif he ingæð butan ðæm sweg ðære lare. Hit wæs awriten ðæt ðæs sacerdes hrægl wære mid bellum behongen. Hwæt elles getacnað ðæs sacerdes hrægl buton ryht weorc? Dauid se witga ðæt cyðde, þa he cwæð: Sin ðine sacerdas gegirede mid ryhtwisnesse. On ðæs sacerdes hrægle wæron bellan hangiende. Đæt is ðæt þa weorc ðæs sacerdes & eac se sweg his tungan clipien ymb lifes weg. Ac ðonne se lareow hiene gegearwað to ðære spræce, behealde he hiene geornlice ðæt he wærlice sprece; forðon gif he unendebyrdlice onet mid ðære spræce, wilnað ðæt he ðy wisra ðynce, ðonne is wen ðæt he gewundige ða heortan ðara gehierendra mid ðære wunde, ðæt is ðæt he hi gedweleð & unwislice geicð þa idelnesse þe he ofaceorfan sceolde. Be ðæm sio Soðfæstnes cwæð: Habbað ge sealt on eow, & sibbe habbað betweoh eow. Đurh ðæt sealt is getacnod ða word wisdomes. Se ðonne se þe fundige wislice to spreconne, ondræde he him swiðlice ðylæs his spræc gescende þa anmodnesse ðara þe ðærto hlystað. Be ðæm cwæð Paulus: Ne wilnigen ge mare to wietenne ðonne eow ðearf sie,


soever he fills he readily causes to speak about him. Therefore it was enjoined on Moses that the priest was to be hung around with bells; in other words, he was to have the voice of instruction, lest with silence he offend against the will of the Spectator. It is written, that whether he went in or out before God to the sanctuary, his was to be heard, lest he died. It is said that the priest was to die unless the sound was heard from him both entering and coming out, because he compels the unseen Judge to anger if he enters without the sound of instruction. It is written that the robe of the priest was to be hung with bells. What signifies the priestly robe but good deeds? The prophet David showed it when he said: "Let thy priests