dolore patimur illum a nobis divelli, et per tanta spatia terrarum ac maris, a nostris obtutibus separari. Porro autem quia caritas non novit dispendium, nec fides detrimentum, nullaque intercludunt intervalla terrarum quos copulat veræ dilectionis vinculum, libentissime vestræ petitioni annuimus, quibus nihil negare possumus, neque eum vobis invidemus, quorum profectu sicut de nostro gratulamur, et quorum lucra nostra deputamus. Scimus enim quia in omni loco uni Deo servitur, et quia una est Catholica et Apostolica Ecclesia sive Romana sive Transmarina; nostrum igitur est vobis illum canonice concedere, vestrum autem honorifice suscipere, ea scilicet ratione atque tenore tam ad gloriam regni vestri, quam ad honorem ecclesiæ et præsulatus nostri, eum ad vos mittendum cum suis electoribus, et cum nonnullis regni vestri proceribus vel optimatibus tam episcopis scilicet, presbyteris, diaconibus, quam etiam religiosis laicis, qui nobis viva voce in præsentia totius ecclesiæ nostræ profiteantur atque promittant, eum condigno honore se habituros omni tempore vitæ suæ ; nec non decreta canonica, et sanctiones ecclesiasticas ab apostolis, et apostolicis viris ecclesiæ traditas, quæ tunc a nobis audire et videre, et postea ab eodem suo pastore et doctore secundum formam a nobis traditam discere poterint, cunctis diebus irrefragabiliter velle custodire. Quod quum fecerint divina benedictione, et beati Remigii auctoritate per nostrum ministerium, et impositionem manuum more ecclesiastico decenter ordinatum, et in omnibus plenissime instructum accipientes illum sibi cum debito honore deducent ad propriam sedem alacres, et læti ipsi omni tempore patrocinio illius fruituri, doctrinaque et exemplo ejus jugiter instruendi. Quia vero sollicita sunt pro se invicem membra et vel uno gaudente congaudeant, vel uno patiente compatiuntur cætera membra, vestræ regiæ celsitudini ac providentissimæ mansuetudini deinceps illum attentius, ac specialius commendamus, quatinus quicquid ad honestatem ecclesiæ, et eruditionem gentis vestræ congruum, et utile secundum canonicam auctoritatem, et ecclesiæ nostræ consuetudinem potuerit invenire, libera auctoritate absque ullius contradictione semper possit docere et opere adimplere: ne forte, quod absit, diabolico quispiam instinctu contra eum zelo livoris et malivolentiæ ductus, controversiam moveat aut seditionem concitet. Vestrum itaque erit hoc omnino providere ac regia censura tales, si qui forte exorti fuerint, omnimodis reprimere, barbariemque feritatem freno vestri moderaminis cohibere; illius autem pastorali solertia, sibi commissorum saluti semper consulere et post se universos potius amore trahere quam terrore cogere. Gaudeat semper ac vigeat in Christo Rege regum, et Domino dominorum vestra dignitas nobilissima, pietas sanctissima, nec non fortitudo invictissima. No. VI. ALFREDI REGIS PREFATIO AD PASTORALE SANCTI GREGORII. This is seo forespræc hu S. Gregorius thas boc gedighte the inan Pastoralem nemnath. Elfred kyning hateth gretan. Bisceop his worthum luflice and freondlice, and the kythan hate that me com suithe oft on gemynd hwelce writan gio wæron geond Angel kynn, ægther ge godcundra hada, ge woruldcundra, and hu gesælig lica tida tha wæron geond Angelcynn: and hu tha kyningas, the thone anwald hæfdon thæs folces, Gode and his ærendwrecum hirsumedon: and hu hi ægther ge hiora sibbe ge hiora sido ge hiora anwald innan borthes gehioldon, and eac ut hiora cethel rymdon: and hu him tha spreow ægther ge mid wige ge mid wisdome: and eac tha godcundan hadas hu georne hie wæron ægther ge ymb lere ge ymb leornunga, and ymb ealle tha theowutdomas the hie Gode don sceoldon, and hu mon utan bordes wisdom and lare hider on lond sohte, and hu we hi nu sceoldon ute begietan gif we hie habban sceoldon, swa clæne hio was othfeallenu on Angelkynne, that te swithe feawe wæron behionan Humbre the hiora thenunga cuthen understandan on Englisc, oththe furthum an ærendgewrit of Lædene on Englisc areccan, and hic wene that te nauht monige begeondan Humbre næren, swa feawe hiora wæron, thætte ic furthum anne anlepone ne mæg gethincean be suthan Temese: tha tha ic to rice feng, Gode ælmichetegum sithone thætte we nu ænigne on stal habbath lareowa. Fortham ic the bebeode that thu doo, swa ic gelife that thu wille, that thu the thissa world thinga to thæm ge æmettige, swa thu oftost mæge, that thu thone wisdom, the the God sealde, thær thær thu hine befææstan mæge, befeaste. Gethene hwelc witu us tha becomon for thisse worulde, tha tha we hit no hwather ne selfe ne lufedon, ne eac othrum monnum ne lifdon, thone naman anne we hæfdod that te we Cristene waron, and swithe feawe tha theawas. Tha ic tha this eall gemunde, tha gemunde ic eac hu ic geseah, ær thæm the hit eall foreheregod wære and forbærned, hu tha cirican geond eall Angell kynn stodon mathma and boca gefylda, and eac micel menigu Godes theowa and tha swithe lytle feorme thara boca wiston, forthæm the hie heora nan wuht ongietan ne meahton, fortham the hie næron on hiora ægen getheode awritene, swelce hie cwaden. ure ieldran, tha the thas stowa ær hioldon, hie lufedon wisdom, and thurh thone hi begeaton welan and us læfdon. Her non mæg giet gesion hiora swæth, ac we him ne cunnon æfter spyrigan, forthæm we habbath nu ægther forlæten ge thone welan ge thone wisdom: fortham the we noldon to thæm spore mid ure mode onlutan. Tha ic tha this eall gemunde. tha wundrode ic swithe thara godena witena the gui wæron geond Angel cynn, and tha bec be fullan ealla geleornod hæfdon, thæt hi hiora tha nanne dæl noldon on hiora ægen gethiode wendan. Ac ic tha sona eft me selfum andwyrde and cwæth, hie ne wændon that te æfre men sceoldon swa reccelease weorthan and sio lar swa othfeallan, for thære wilnunga hie hit forleton and woldon that her thy mara wisdom on londe ware thy we ma gethioda cuthon. Tha gemunde ic hu sio æ wæs ærest on Ebreisc gethiode funden, and eft tha tha hie crecas geleornodon, tha wendon hi hie on hiora ægen gethiode ealle, and eac ealle othre bec. And eft Læden ware swa same, siththan hi hie geleornodon, hi hie wendon ealle thurh wise wealh stodas on hiora agen getheode, and eac ealla othra Cristena thioda sumne dæl hiora on hiora agen gethiode wendon, forthy me dyneth betre, gif iow swa thyncth, that we eac sum bec, tha the nid bethyrfesta sien eallum monnum to witanne, thæt we tha on that gethcode wenden the we ealle gecnawan mægen, and gedon swa we swithe eathe magon mid Godes fultume, gif we tha stilnesse habbath, thætte eal sio gioguth the nu is on Angel kynne friora monna, thara the tha sweda hæbben that hie them befeolan mægen, sien to leornunga othfæste, tha hwile the hi to nanre otherre note ne mægen, oth thone first the hie wel cunnen Englisc gewrit arædan, lære mon siththan furthur on Læden getheode tha the mon furthor læran wille and to hierran hade don wille. Tha ic tha gemunde hu sio lar Læden getheodes ær thysum othfeallen was geond Angel kynn, and theah monege cuthon Englisc gewrit arædan, tha ongan ic on gemang othrum mislicum et monigfaldum bisgum disses kynerices tha boc wendan on Englisc the is genemned on Læden Pastoralis and on Englisc Hirde boc, hurlum word be worde, hurlum ondgit of andgite, swa swæ ic hie geleornode æt Plegmunde minum Arcebiscepe, and æt Asserie minum Biscepe, and æt Grimbolde minum mæssepreoste, and æt Johanne minum mæssepreoste. Siththan ic hie tha geleornod hæfde, swæ swæ ic hie forstod, and swæ ic hie andgitfullicost areccean mæhte, ic hie on Englisc awende, and to alcum Biscepstole on minumrice wille ane onsendan, and on ælere bith an Æstel se bith on fiftigum moncessa. Ond ic bibrode on Godes noman that nan mon thone Æstel from thære bec ne doe, ne tha boc from thæm mynstre, uncuth hu longe thær swæ gelærede Biscopas sien, swæ swa nu Gode thone well hwær sindon. For thy ic wolde thætte hie ealneg æt thære stove wæren, buton se Biscep hie mid him habban wille oththe hio hwær to læne sie, oththe hwa othre bi write. TRANSLATION. I Alfred the king, to Wufsig, his beloved bishop and friend, Greeting! I wish you to know that it often occurs to my mind to consider, what manner of wise men there were formerly in the English nation, both Spiritual and Temporal, and how happy the times then were among the English, and how the kings, who then had the government of the people, obeyed God and His written will, how well they behaved both in war and peace, and in their domestic government, and how they prospered in knowledge and in wisdom. considered also how earnest God's ministers then were, as well about preaching as about learning, and about all the service which they did to God, and men came from foreign countries to seek wisdom and doctrine in this land, and how we who live in these times are now obliged to go abroad to get them. To so low a depth has learning fallen among the English nation, that there have been very few on this side of the Humber, who were able to understand the English of their service, or to turn an epistle out of Latin into English; and I know there were not many beyond the Humber who could do it. There were so few, that I cannot think of one on the south side of the Thames, when I first began to reign. God Almighty be thanked that we have always a teacher in the pulpit now. Therefore I pray you to do what I believe you will be ready to do, that you will bestow all the wisdom, which God has given you, on all around you, as far as you are able. Think what punishment shall for this world befal us, if we turn out to have neither loved wisdom ourselves, nor to have taught it to others: if we have loved only the name of Christianity, and very few of us have discharged its duties. When I thought of all this, I fancied The translation is Spelman's, with the phraseology slightly altered. |