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.

ellis the same pouere men wolde haue toke thair godes, wher in it semyth þat pouerte hath be þe holl cause off all suche rysynges. The pouere man hath be sturred þerto be occasion off is pouerte, for to gete gode and þe riche men haue gone with hem, be cause thai wolde not be pouere be lesynge off þer gode. What than wolde ffall, yff all the commons were pouere? Trewly it is lyke that this lande then shulde be like vnto þe reaume off Boeme, wher the commons ffor pouerte rose apon the nobles, and made all thair godis to be comune. Item, hit is the kyngis honour, and also is office, to make is reaume riche; and it is dishonour whan he hath but a pouere reaume, off wich men woll say þat he reigneth but vppon beggers. Yet it were moch gretter dishonour, yff he ffounde is reaume riche, and then made it pouere. And it were also gretly ayenest his conciens, þat awght to defende hem and her godis, yff he toke ffro hem thair godis with owt lafull cause; ffrom the infame wheroff God defende owre kyng, and gyff hym grase to augmente is reaume in riches, welth, and prosperite, to his per|petuell laude and worshippe. Item, the reaume off Ffraunce givith neuer ffrely off thair owne gode will any subsidie to thair prince, be cause þe commons þeroff be so pouere, as thai meynot give any thyng off þair owne godis. And the kyng ther askith neuer subsidie off is nobles, ffor drede þat yff he charged hem so, thai wolde confedre with þe com|mons, and perauentur putt hym doune. But owre commons be riche, and þerfore thai give to thair kynge, at somme tymes quinsimes and dessimes, and ofte tymes oþer grete subsidies, as he hath nede ffor þe gode and defence off his reaume. How gret

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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 139
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/aew3422.0001.001/163:14

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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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