The boke named the royall.

¶Here foloweth of the foure rootes of the synne of pry¦de. Ca. lxxxxxviii.

THe foure thoughtes and consyderacyons the whiche ben tofore reherced pulleth out and taketh awaye frome the roote out of the gar∣dyn or herber of the herte the foure rootes of pryde / that is of the proude man the whiche weneth for to knowe moche thynge / Or for to be of the valour of moche thynge / or that he may do and compry∣se moche thynge / or to haue moche thynge. These ben y^e foure hornes. That is for to vnderstande the foure co∣wardyses the whiche shamed the countree that our lor∣de god shewed vnto the holy man Zacharye the prophe∣te. But the foure thynges that he shewed hym proprely after that they came for to beet downe these tofore sayd foure hornes the whiche ben the foure thoughtes and cō¦syderacyons toforesayd. For whan a man frome whens he cometh / and whan that he vnderstandeth and alsoo knoweth the pouerte / the vylete / and veraye fraylte of his byrthe / how and in what maner he was conceyued as in synne / of soo foule mater and fylthe made & four∣med. In so poore an house herboured and lodged. In so grete pouerte borne and brought forthe. In what pay∣nes and myseryes nourysshed and fostred. In what la∣boures and trauayles he hath lyued. And he hath loste & spente his tyme folysshely about vayne and transytorye vanytees / he seeth and consydereth the grete nombre & multytude of his synnes and trespaces. And knoweth clerely the good dedes the whiche he hath lefte and not doone by his slouthe and neclygence. Thenne the grace of the holy ghoost maketh him to fele / to Iuge and for to knowe in his herte / that he is of noo value / ne noo thyn¦ge worthe / after whan he thynketh where he is / and se∣eth this worlde whiche is nothynge but an exyle / & a de¦sert

full of berys & lyepardes / a forest full of theuys and engynes a see full of tempest and perylles / a fourneys brennynge and enbraced with fyre and of all synnes / a felde of bataylle and of anguysshe / where alwaye byho∣ueth to lyue in warre & fyght ayenste the deuylles whi∣che ben so subtyll and so sage. Thenne the grace of God maketh hym for to fele aryght and perceyue that he felt nothynge for to gouerne hym well touchynge his salua¦cyon yet agayne whan the synner thynketh / consydere∣the and knoweth his synnes and his defautes that he is full of synnes / and voyde of all good dedes and werkes. Thenne thē holy ghost maketh him to fele and to know his pouerte / and that he hath no spyrytuell good in hym After whan the synnar seeth tofore hym whiche waye he goeth / and he seeth the deth / to whome noo man may gaynsaye On that other parte y^e synnar seeth y^e Iustyce and the vengeaunce of god so Iuste & soo ryghtfull whi¦che is so moche to be doubted / by whos handes he must passe / he seeth and knoweth the paynes horryble of helle from whome the synnar may not escape. Thenne god gyueth hym to knowe that the power of a man and of a woman is nought / and that they may do no thynge w^t∣out the specyall grace of god. Thenne y^e synnar begyn∣neth to haue the spyryte and yeft of drede. In these thou¦ghtes and consyderacyons ben the braunches of y^e rote of the tree of humylyte. This tree is planted besyde the fountayne of the drede of god / of whiche it is alwaye a∣rowsed & watred as well in wynter as in somer. Now oughtes thou to knowe that these .vii. vertues of whiche I purpose to speke of haue eche of them seuen degrees / by whiche it prouffyteth / aryseth / and groweth in y^e her∣te of a creature / and his good werkys by whiche is she∣weth

outewarde. For vertue groweth on hye / lyke as doeth the palme / the cypres or the cedre / and after spre∣deth and casteth his braunches on all sydes.