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 XII. HERE IS SHEWID WHAT HARME WOLDE COME TO ENGLAND, YFF THE COMMONS THER OFF WERE POUERE.

SOME men haue said þat it were good ffor the kyng, þat the commons off Englande were made pore, as be the commons off Ffraunce. Ffor than thai wolde not rebelle, as now thai done oftentymes; wich the commons off Ffraunce do not, nor mey doo; ffor thai haue no wepen, nor armour, nor good to bie it with all. To theis maner off men mey be said with the phylosopher, ad pauca respicientes de facili enunciant. This is to say, thai that see but ffew thynges, woll sone say thair advyses. Ffor soth theis ffolke consideren litill the good off the reaume off Englond, wheroff the myght stondith most vppon archers, wich be no ryche men. And yff thai were made more pouere than thai be, thai shulde not

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

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

a subsidie was it, when the reaume gaff to thair kyng a quinsime and a desime quinqueniale, and the ix^th fflese off thair wolles, and also the ix^th shefe off þer graynes, ffor the terme off v. yere. This myght thai not haue done, yff thai hade ben im|pouershed be thair kyng, as be the commons off Ffraunce; nor such a graunte hath be made by any reaume off cristendome, off wich any cronicle makith mencion; nor non oþer mey or hath cause to do so. Ffor thai haue not so much ffredome in thair owne godis, nor be entreted by so ffauerable lawes as we be, except a ffewe regions be ffore specified. Item, we se dayly, how men þat haue lost thair godis, and be ffallen into pouerte, be comme anon robbers and theves; wich wolde not haue ben soche, yff pouerte hade not brought hem þerto. Howe many a theff then were like to be in this lande, yff all the com|mons were pouere. Þe grettest surete trewly, and also the most honour þat mey come to the kynge is, þat is reaume be riche in euery estate. Ffor nothyng mey make is people to arise, but lakke off gode, or lakke off justice. But yet sertanly when thay lakke gode thai woll aryse, sayng that thai lakke justice. Neuer þe les yff thai be not pouere, thay will neuer aryse, but yff þer prince so leve justice, that he give hym selff all to tyranne.