Page:Elizabeth Elstob - An English-Saxon homily on the birth-day of St. Gregory.djvu/89

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Birth-Day of S. Gregory.

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geteald on fulfremedra halgena geteal჻ He lufode forhæfednysse on met- tum & on drynce. & ^[1] on wæcean. & on sundrigum gebedum. þerto eacan he þrowode singallice un- trumnysse. & swa he stið- licor mid andweardum un- trumnyssum ^[2] ofsete wæs	reputed in the number of perfect Saints. He ob- serv'd much Abstinence in Meat and Drink, in watch- ing, and in frequent De- votions. He suffer'd more- over continual ^[3] Indisposi- tion of Body, and the more severely he was oppress'd with his present Infirmities,

Those who would see more to this purpose may consult the learned and ingenious Roman Antiquary Mr. B. Kennet, Antiq. Part 2. c. 8. p. 297. The Prætor Urbanus was a Magistrate who had a judicial Power of deciding Cases of Right and Wrong between the Citizens, in some measure resembling our Lord Mayor.

↑ Here seems some Word or other to be wanting in the Saxon.
↑ ofset. C. H.
↑ This account of his continual Indisposition he gives us in his own words, in his Epistle to Leander Bishop of Sevil; by which Epistle he dedicates to him his Moral. on Job which he had undertaken at his request. Quo malis præfentibus durius deprimor, eo de æterna certius præsumptione respiro. But it may not be amiss to give you the whole thus in English: viz. "For while the Body is worn out with trouble, the Mind also being affected, the Power of Eloquence decays. Many Years now have pass'd, in which I have been tormented with frequent Pains in my Bowels, every hour and every mamenr, my digestion being weaken'd, I begin to be quite tired out. I scarce breach thro' flow but unintermitting Fevers. In the mean time, while I diligently consider with my self what the Scripture saith. Every Son which the Lord receiveth, he chasteneth, Heb. xii. 6. the more I am oppress'd with my present Infirmities, with the greater certainty do I breath after eternal Life. And perhaps this was the Design of Divine Providence, that I being smitten should explain Job; who was also smitten, and might better understand the Mind of

[1] Here seems some Word or other to be wanting in the Saxon.

[2] set. C. H.

[p9-3] This account of his continual Indisposition he gives us in his own words, in his Epistle to Leander Bishop of Sevil; by which Epistle he dedicates to him his Moral. on Job which he had undertaken at his request. Quo malis præfentibus durius deprimor, eo de æterna certius præsumptione respiro. But it may not be amiss to give you the whole thus in English: viz. "For while the Body is worn out with trouble, the Mind also being affected, the Power of Eloquence decays. Many Years now have pass'd, in which I have been tormented with frequent Pains in my Bowels, every hour and every mamenr, my digestion being weaken'd, I begin to be quite tired out. I scarce breach thro' flow but unintermitting Fevers. In the mean time, while I diligently consider with my self what the Scripture saith. Every Son which the Lord receiveth, he chasteneth, Heb. xii. 6. the more I am oppress'd with my present Infirmities, with the greater certainty do I breath after eternal Life. And perhaps this was the Design of Divine Providence, that I being smitten should explain Job; who was also smitten, and might better understand the Mind of

[1]

[2]

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