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.

CHAPTER X. HOW THAT THE CROVNE IS BESTE TO BE INDOWED.

Now that the lykennes off the kynges charges ordinarie and extraordinarie bith shewid, and ouer that, how necessarie it is that he haue grete livelod aboff þe same charges, in wich it nedyth þat he excede gretly euery man off the lande, wych livelod vndoutedly he hath not at þis day; hyt is therfore byhouefull þat we now serch how the kyng mey haue such livelod; but ffirst, off what comodites it mey best be take. The kyng off Ffraunce myght not sumtyme dyspende off his demaynes, as in lorde|shippes, and oþer patrimonie peculier, so mich as myght tho the kynge off England; wich mey well appere be that the qwene off Ffraunce hath but v. M^l marke yerely to huyr douer, wher as the qwene off Englond hath x. M^l marke. Ffor in tho dayis ther was but litle more off the reaume off Ffraunce in the kynges handes, but þat parte wich is callyd the Ile off Ffraunce. Ffor all the remenant off the reaume as Burgonye, Normandye, Guyne, Cham|payne, Langdoke, and Fflaunders, with mony oþer such grete lordshippes, were than in the handes off the Dussepers, and off oþer princes and grete lordis. Ffor wych cause the gabell off the salt, and the quaterimes of the wynes were graunted to the kynge by the iij estates off Ffraunce, wych was no litill subsidie. Ffor ther is no man in Ffraunce þat mey eyte salt, but yff he bie it off the kyng; and that is now sett to so grete prise, þat the bushell, wich the

kyng bieth ffor iij^d or iiij^d, is solde to his peple ffor ij^s and a j^d, and other while more. And the iiij^th pype off the wynes that be made in Ffraunce mey be no lityll thyng, sithyn the tyllyng off the vynes is the grettest comodite off the reame; but þat como|dite we haue not in this lande. Wher fore ther is no parte off tho maners off subsidie þat myght be gode ffor owre souerane lorde, but yff it were that he myght sell to his subgettes the salte þat comyth hyder. In wich thynge he shall haue more groch|ynge off the peple than proffett. Ffor in Ffraunce the peple salten but lytill mete, except thair bacon, for thai wolde bie litil salte; but yet thai be arted to bye more salte than thai wolde. Ffor the kynges officers bryngen to thair houses euery yere, also moche salte as by thair coniecture is ressnable to the nombre off þe men, women, and childeren that dwellen therin, ffor wich thai shall pay though thai wolnot haue so muche. This rule wolde be sore aborred in Englond, as well by the marchaunts þat bithe wonned to haue thair ffredome in biynge and sellynge off salte, as by the peple þat vsen moche to salte thair meytes more than do þe Ffrenchmen; by occasion wheroff thai woll than at euery mele groche with the kynge, þat entreteth hem more rygoursly than his progenitors haue done. And so his hyghnes shall haue þeroff, but as hadd þe man þat sherid is hogge, muche crye and litil woll. In Fflaunders, and in oþer lordeshippes off the Dukes off Burgoigne downewarde, he takith certayn imposicions made by hym selff vppon euery oxe, euery shepe, and vppon oþer thynges solde; and also vppon euery vesaill off wyne, euery barrell off bere, and oþer vitalles solde in his lordeshippes, wich is no litil revenue to hym;

but yet he dothe it maugre the peple, wich God defende þat the kynge oure souerayn lorde shulde do vppon is peple, with owt thair grauntes or assent. Nertheles with thair assent suche maner off subsidie, yff þer couude not be ffounde a better meane off þe encressynge off the kynges revenues, were not vn|resnoble. Ffor therin and in the gabell off þe salte, euery man shalbeyre þe charge þeroff eyegally. But yet I wolde not þat suche a newe charge were put apon þe peple in owre souerayn lordis dayis, with wich is progenitours charged hem neuer, yff a better remedie coude be ffounde. Kynge Salamon charged is peple with gretter ymposicions than thai were wonned to beyre be ffore his dayis. And by cause his sonne kynge Roboham wolde not ease hem theroff, the x. parties off the peple, devided in xii. parties, de partide ffrom hym, and chese hem a new kynge, and come neuer aftir þat tyme vndre is sub|iection. Off wiche departyng God said hym selff aftirwarde, a me factum est istud. Wiche is an en|sample þat it is not good a kynge to ouer sore charge his peple. Wherfore me thinkith, þat yff þe kynge myght haue is livelod ffor the sustenance off his estate in grete lordshippes, maneres, ffee ffermys, and such other demaynes, his people not charged, he shulde kepe to hym hollych thair hertes, excede in lordshippes all the lordes off his reaume, and ther shulde non off hem growe to be like vnto hym, wich thynge is most to be fered off all þe worlde. Ffor then with in ffewe yeres þer shulde not remeyne lordeshippes in is reaume, by wich þai myght growe so grette. Ner thai myght growe soche be mariages, but yff the kyng wolde hit. Ffor to hym fallen all þe grete mariages off his lande, wich he mey dispose

as hym liste. And by discente þer is not like to ffalle gretter heritage to any man than to þe kyng. Ffor to hym bith cosens þe most and grettest lordes off þe reaume. And by escheittes þer mey not so muche lande fall to any man as to þe kyng, by cause þat no man hath so many tenantes as he; and also no man mey haue the escheittes off treson but hym selff. And be purchas, yff this be done, þer shall no man so well encresse his livelod as the kyng. Ffor ther shall non off his tenantes aliene livelod with owt is licence, wheryn he mey best preferre hym selff. Nor þer shall no livelod be kept so holl as þe kynges, consideryng þat he mey not onestly selle is lande, as oþer men mey doo; and also his sellyng wolde be the hurte off all his reaume. Soche was þe sellynge off Chirke and Chirkes landes, weroff neuer manne see a president, and God defende that any man see mo soche hereaftir. Ffor sellynge off a kynges livelod is propirly callid delapidacion off his crowne, and therfore is off gret infame. Now we haue ffounde vndoutably, what maner revenuez is best ffor the indowment off the crowne. But sithyn it is said be fore, þat the kyng hath not at this day sufficiant therto, it is most convenient that we nowe serch, how is hyghnes mey haue sufficiant off suche revenues, wich we ffounde now best ther fore.