The governance of England: otherwise called The difference between an absolute and a limited monarchy. A rev. text edited with introd., notes, and appendices by Charles Plummer.

haue wherwith to bie hem bowes, arroes, jakkes, or any oþer armour off defence, wherby thai myght be able to resiste owre enymes, when thai liste to come vppon vs; wich thai mey do in euery side, con|siderynge þat we be a Ilelonde; and, as it is said be fore, we mey not sone haue soucour off any oþer reaume. Wherfore we shull be a pray to all owre enymyes, but yff we be myghty off owre selff, wich myght stondith most vppon owre pouere archers; and therfore thai nedun not only haue suche able|ments as now is spoken off, but also thai nedun to be much excersised in shotynge, wich mey not be done with owt ryght grete expenses, as euery man experte þer in knowith ryght well. Wherfore þe makyng pouere of þe commons, wich is þe makyng pouere off owre archers, shalbe þe distruccion of the grettest myght off owre reaume. Item, yff pouere men mey not lightly rise, as is the openion of thes men, wich ffor þat cause wolde haue þe commons pouere; how than, yff a myghty man made a rysinge shulde he be repressed, whan all the commons ben so pouere, þat aftir such openyon thai mey not ffeght, and be þat reason not helpe the kyng with ffeghtynge? And whi makith the kynge þe com|mons euery yere to be mustered; sithen it were god thai hade non harnes nor were able to ffight? O, howe vnwyse is þe oppenyon off thes men; ffor it mey not be mayntened be any reason! Item, whan any rysinge hath be made in this londe be ffor theis dayis by commons, the pouerest men þeroff haue be þe grettest causers and doers ther in. And thryfty men haue ben loth therto, ffor drede off lesynge off thair gode. But yet oftentymes thai haue goo with thaym, through manasheynge þat

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Title: The governance of England: otherwise called The difference between an absolute and a limited monarchy. A rev. text edited with introd., notes, and appendices by Charles Plummer.
Author: Fortescue, John, Sir, 1394?-1476?
Canvas: Page 138
Publication: Oxford,: Clarendon Press,; 1885.
Subject terms: Political science; Monarchy; Constitutional law -- Great Britain.

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aew3422.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/aew3422.0001.001/162:14

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Full citation: "The governance of England: otherwise called The difference between an absolute and a limited monarchy. A rev. text edited with introd., notes, and appendices by Charles Plummer." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aew3422.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 8, 2025.

The governance of England: otherwise called The difference between an absolute and a limited monarchy. A rev. text edited with introd., notes, and appendices by Charles Plummer.

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