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 XVII. HERE FOLOWETHE ADUERTYSMENTES FOR THE GEUYNG OF THE KYNGES OFFYCES.

YFF it woll lyke þe kyng to gyff non office, in to the tyme þat his entente therin be comened with his counsell, and thair opiniyon by his hyghnes vnder|stonde in the same, he shall mowe so rewarde his seruantes with offices, as ther shall be lityll nede to gyff hem moch off his livelod, and his offices shall then be geuen to soche as shall only serue hym selff. Wher through he shall haue than a greter myght, and a garde off his officers, when he liste to call thaym, than he hath nowe off his oþer ffeed men vndre the astate off lordes. Ffor the myght off þe lande, aftir the myght off þe grete lordes þeroff,

stondith most in þe kynges officers. Ffor thai mowe best rule þe contreis wher as þer offices ben, wich is in euery partie off þe lande. A pouere baylyff mey do more in his bayille, then any man off his degre dwellynge with in his office. Some fforester off þe kynges, that hath non oþer livelod, mey brynge moo men to þe ffelde well areyed, and namely ffor sho|tynge, then mey some knyght or Squyer off ryght gret lyuelod, dwellynge be hym, and hauynge non offyce. What than mey gretter officers do, stewardes off gret lordeshippes, reseyvors, constables off Castels, maystir fforesters, and such oþer officers; be sydis the hygher offycers, as Justices off fforestes, Justices and Chambirlayns off Contreis, þe warden off þe portes, and such oþer? Ffor sothe it is not lyghtly estymable, what myght þe kynge may haue off is officers, yff euery off hem hade but on office, and serued non oþer man but þe kynge. Nor hit is ease to be estemed, howe mony men mey be rewarded with offices, and how gretly, yff thai be discretly geuen. The kynge givyth mo than M^ll offices, be sydes tho þat my lorde þe prince geuyth, off wich I reken þe officers, as the kynges officers. Off thes officers some mey dispende by þe yere, by reason off is office, cc. li., some a c.li., some a c. marc, some xl. li., some l. marc, and so downwarde. So as þe lest off hem, þough he be but a parker, takynge but ij^d on a dey, yet he hath be þe yere iij. li. x^d, be sydes his dwellynge in þe logge, his cowe ffor is mylke, and such oþer thynge goynge abowte hym, and the ffees off is office, so as þat office is to hym also profitable as wolde be a c.s. off ffee or rente, wich is a feyre lyuynge ffor a yoman. How mony men then off euery estate, and off euery degre, and how gretly,

mey the kynge rewarde with offices, with owt gyuynge awey off his livelod. Ffor soth the grettest lordes livelod in Englande mey not suffice to rewarde so many men, though he wolde departe hit euery dell amonges is seruantes; nor ij. the gretteste lordes off Englond mey make so gret a myghte as þe kynge mey haue only off his officers, yff thai were holliche and only is seruantes, and euery off hem had but on office. To this sane suche lordes and oþer men, such as axen off þe kyng offices ffor thair seruantes, that thai and all thair seruantes shall alwey serue þe kynge, and is officers shul do hym the bettir seruyce, by reason thei bith in þer seruice; ffor thai woll helpen hym to do so, and suffre non in thair companye, but suche as woll do so. Wher to may be said, that it is trewe thai shall do the kyng seruice while thai be in thair companie; but so shulde thai haue done, though the kynge had neuer made thaym his officers. Wher fore þe kynge shal not be the bettir served, þat he hath yeuen his offices to thair seruantes, but raþer worse. Ffor owre lorde said, Remo potest duobus dominis seruire. And so þe kynge shall lese the offices, as ffor any syngular service he shall haue ffor hem, or þat the same officers shulde thynke them selff by hold vnto the kynge ffor þer offices, wich is hyghnes hath yeuen them at þe contemplacion off þer maisters, and ffor no reward off any seruice þat thai haue done, or shul doo vnto hym selff. Be consideracion wher off þer olde maistirs shall be bettir serued be thaym than thei were be fore; and so be more myghty in thair contraes to do what them liste; and the kynge in lasse myght, and haue the ffewer officers to represse hem when thai do a mysse. And this hath causyd mony men to be suche braggers and suytours

to þe kyng, ffor to haue his offices in þer contraes to thaym selff, and to þer men, þat almost no man in sume contray durste take an office off þe kyng, but he ffirst had þe good will off þe said bragers and engrossers of offices. Ffor yff he dyd not so, he shuld not aftir þat tyme haue pease in his contray; wheroff hath comyn and growen mony gret trowbels and debates in dyuerse contraes off Englond. Wich materes thrugly considered, it semyth verely good, þat no man haue any office of þe kynges yefte, but he be ffirst sworne that he is seruant to non oþer man, or woll serue any oþer man, or take is clothynge or ffee while he seruyth þe kyng. And þat no man haue mo offices then on, except þat the kynges bretheryn mowe haue ij offices; and suche men as serue þe kyng abouute his person, or in his counsell, mowe haue in þer contrays a parkershippe ffor þer disporte when thay come whom, or such an oþer office, as thai mey wele kepe by þer deputes.