The boke named the royall.

¶Of seuen petycyons and requestes that be conteyned in the Pater noster. Ca. lxxvi.

[illustration]

Our fader that art in heuē sanctified be thy name thy kingdom come to vs / thy wyl be done in erth as in heuen / our dayly brede gyue vs to day & for¦gyue vs our dett as we forgyue our detts. & lede vs not in to tēptacōn but delyuer vs frō euyl. amē

AS a lytell chylde is sette to scole / at the begȳ∣nynge he lerneth his (Pater noster). Who y^e wyll lerne of this Clergye and knowe it / he must be lytell and humble as is a chylde. For our good mayster Ihesu cryst techeth his sco¦lers this clergye whiche is the moost prouffytable / and moost fayre that is. What man or woman that this do∣tryne well knoweth / vnderstandeth & well retayneth it.

For suche there be that wene well for to vnderstonde it / that no thynge knowe therof / by y^e barke or rynde w^tout forth That is the lettre whiche is good. But lytell is it worthe to the regarde of the marghe / of the godnes and of the grete substaunce whiche withinforth is soo swete. It is moche shorte in wordes & moche lōge in substaūce lyght to saye & subtyll for to vnderstonde. This prayer and oryson passeth & surmounteth all other in thre thyn¦ges. That is to wytte. In shortnesse. In dygnyte / and in prouffytablenesse ¶The dygnyte is in that / that the ryght blessed sonne of god made it / too god the fader in shorte wordes. God the holy ghoost touchynge his de∣maunde / he wyll that it be shorte in wordes / by cause y^t none excuse hym to lerne it and to conne it. And also by cause that none sholde be greued to say it wyllyngly and ofte. And for to shewe that god y^e fader hereth vs ryght soone / and graunteth it gladly whan we praye hym w^t good herte / so that it be not of longe ryotte ne of wordes polysshed ne rymed. ¶For swete saynt Gregory sayth Verayly for to werke is not to saye fayre and glosynge wordes with the mouthe / but too caste oute wepynges and depe syghes from the herte. ¶The valure and the prouffyte of this oryson or prayer is so grete / that it com¦pryseth and encloseth in wordes moche shorte / all that whiche may be desyred of herte / and prayed and demaū¦ded of mouthe. That is to be delyuerd of al euylles / and replenysshed with all goodes ¶Thus begynneth the holy pater noster. Fader our that arte in heuen. ¶Be∣holde now how that our blyssed aduocate / & our ryght good and blyssed mayster and souerayne our redēptour and sauyour Ihesu cryste / the whiche is the sapyence & wysdom of god y^e fader omnypotent / & that knoweth al

the vsages and al the lawes of his courte / techeth vs for to plete well / and to speke wysely / subtylly / and shortely But certaynly yf the fyrst worde that thou sayst. Fader our that arte in heuen / yf that it be well vnderstanden & well pursued he shall gyue to the all thy request and all thy demaunde. ¶For saynt Bernarde sayth that y^e oray¦son that begynneth by the ryght name of god the fader / gyueth to vs hope to Impetre and gete all our prayers and requestes. This swete worde (fader) whiche maketh swete all the remanaunt / sheweth to the that / whiche y^u oughtest to beleue and somoneth the to that / whiche y^u oughtest to doo. And these two thynges saueth the man whan he beleueth well and aryght. And whan he dooth after that he ought to do / whan thou callest hym (fader) thou knowest that he is lorde of the house / that is of he∣uen and of erthe / and capytayne and begynnynge. And fountayne of whome all creatures and al godes cometh This knowlegest thou in that / his puyssaunce & myght. ¶After I say by cause that he is a fader / he is ordeyner gouerner / and purueyer of his meyny / and specyally of his chyldren / that is of the men of whome hymself hath created / made and fourmed to his semblaunce / & in this thou knowlegest his sapyence / yet also syth that he is fa∣der by nature & by ryght / he loueth that whiche he hath made. Lyke as sayth the boke of sapyence. And he is de∣bonayre and loueth and nouryssheth his chyldren / and dooth theyr prouffyte better than they can deuyse. And he beteth and chastyseth them whan they mysdone or of∣fende / for theyr prouffyte and welthe as a good fader / And gladly he receyueth and taketh theym vnto mercy and to pardon / whan they haue trespaced or offended / and retorne to hym by grete repentaunce. And by this

we knowe his boūte and his grete debonayrte. ¶Now I haue shewed to y^e thenne this worde / whan y^u sayst / Fader) his puyssaunce / his sapyence / his bounte / and his debonayrte. On that other parte he remembreth thy sel¦fe / thy noblesse / thy beaute / and thy rychesse. ¶Of more grete noblesse ne mayst thou not be sone. Ne vnto so gre¦te a kynge. Ne vnto so myghty and puyssaunt an Empe¦roure as is god. For more greter ryches mayst thou not haue / than to be heyre of all that he hath / More grete be∣aute mayst thou not haue than to resemble hym by right The whiche beaute is so grete that it passeth the beaute of man and of aungelles. Thenne this worde (fader) re∣membreth the that thou arte his sone / bycause that thou paynest thy selfe to resemble hym / as a good sone ought to resemble his fader and to ensue thy good fader / in all good vertues and in all good werkes. That is to saye y^t thou be wyse / and noble / vygorous / stronge / and puys∣saunt to do well / to kepe the from all synnes / and stron∣gely resyst ayenst the temptacyons of the fende. And y^t thou be wyse / and aduysed / large / curteyse / swete / & de∣bonayre / clene without velony / and without synne / lyke as is thy fader our lorde Ihesu cryste. And that thou ha¦te synne and fylth and all euyll / as dooth thy good fader Ihesu cryste / so that thou forsake hym not. This worde thenne (fader) remembreth the all the tymes that thou sayest it / that yf thou be his good & true sone thou ough∣test to resemble hym by nature / by commaundement & by ryght. For thou owest to hym loue / honoure / reueren¦ce and drede / seruyce / and obedience. Now thynke than whan thou sayest thy pater noster / that thou be vnto hȳ a good sone and true yf thou wylte that he be vnto the a good fader swete and debonayre / It is sayd to a knyght

thynke whos sone thou arte / for to gyue to hym the gre∣ter courage / whan he entreth in to the tournoyenge / here seest thou how this fyrst worde whan thou sayest fa¦der / how swete it is / and how it admonesteth the / that thou be valyaunte and noble and techeth the what thou sholdest be.