Here shall you, good cousin, consider, that whereas the scripture here speaketh of the arrow shot into its place appointed or intended, in the shooting of this arrow of pride there be divers purposings and appointings.  For the proud man himself hath no certain purpose or appointment at any mark, butt, or prick upon earth, at which he determineth to shoot and there to stick and tarry.  But ever he shooteth as children do, who love to shoot up cop-high, to see how high their arrow can fly up.  But now doth the devil intend and appoint a certain mark, surely set in a place into which he purposeth—­fly this arrow never so high and the proud heart on it—­to have them both alight at last, and that place is in the very pit of hell.  There is set the devil’s well-acquainted prick and his very just mark.  And with his pricking shaft of pride he hath by himself a plain proof and experience that down upon this prick (unless it be stopped by some grace of God on the way) the soul that flieth up with it can never fail to fall.  For when he himself was in heaven and began to fly cop-high, with the lusty light flight of pride, saying, “I will fly up above the stars and set my throne on the sides of the north, and will be like unto the Highest,” long ere he could fly up half so high as he said in his heart that he would, he was turned from a bright glorious angel into a dark deformed devil, and from flying any further upward, down was he thrown into the deep dungeon of hell.

Now may it, peradventure, cousin, seem that, since this kind of temptation of pride is no tribulation or pain, all this that we speak of this sorrow of pride flying forth in the day of prosperity, would be beside our matter.

VINCENT:  Verily, mine uncle, and so seemed it unto me.  And somewhat was I minded so to say to you, too, saving that, whether it were properly pertaining to the present matter or somewhat digressing from it, methought it was good matter and such as I had no wish to leave.

ANTHONY:  But now must you consider, cousin, that though prosperity be contrary to tribulation, yet unto many a good man the devil’s temptation to pride in prosperity is a greater tribulation, and more hath need of good comfort and good counsel both, than he who never felt it would believe.  And that is the thing, cousin, that maketh me speak of it as of a thing proper to this matter.  For, cousin, as it is a right hard thing to touch pitch and never defile the fingers, to put flax unto fire and yet keep them from burning, to keep a serpent in thy bosom and yet be safe from stinging, to put young men with young women without danger of foul fleshly desire—­so it is hard for any person, either man or woman, in great worldly wealth and much prosperity, so to withstand the suggestions of the devil and occasions given by the world that they keep themselves from the deadly danger of ambitious glory.  And if a man fall into it, there followeth upon it a whole flood of all unhappy mischief:  arrogant manner, high solemn bearing, overlooking the poor in word and countenance, displeasant and disdainful behaviour, ravine, extortion, oppression, hatred and cruelty.