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.

About this Item

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?
Publication
Oxford,: Clarendon Press,
1885.
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Subject terms
Political science
Monarchy
Constitutional law -- Great Britain.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AEW3422.0001.001
Cite this Item
"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 23, 2025.

Pages

CHAPTER XIX. HOWE GRET GODE WOLL GROWE OFF THE FFERME ENDOWYNGE OFF þE CROWNE.

AND when þe kyng, be þe meanes afor said or oþer wyse, hath gotyn ayen his lyuelod, yff then it wolde lyke is most noble grace to establysh, and as who sayth, amortyse þe same lyuelod to is crowne, so as it mey neuer be alyened þerfro, with owt þe assent off his parlement, wych than wold be as a newe ffundacion of is crowne, he shall be þerby the

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grettest ffounder off þe world. Ffor þer as oþer kynges haue ffounded byshopriches, abbeys, and oþer howses off relegyon, þe kyng shall þan haue ffounded an holl reaume, and endowed it with gretter possescions, and better then euer was any reaume in cristendome. This maner off ffundacion mey not be ayenste þe kynges prerogatyff, or his liberte, no more than is þe ffundacion off an abbey, ffro wich he mey take no parte off þe possescions wich he hath onis geve hym, with owt þe assent off þer covent. But this maner off endowment off his crowne shalbe to þe kyng a gretter prerogatyff, in þat he hath then enriched is crowne with such riches and possescions, as neuer kyng shall mowe take from it with owt þe assent off is holl reaume. Nor this mey be to þe hurte off þe prerogatyff or power off is successours; ffor, as it is shewid be fore, it is no prerogatyff or power to mowe lese any good, or to mowe wast, or put it awey. Ffor all such thynges come off impotencie, as doyth power to be syke or wex olde. And trewly, yff þe kyng do thus, he shall do þerby dayly more almes, þan shall be do be all the ffundacions þat euer were made in Englond. Ffor euery man off þe lande shal by this ffundacion euery day be the meryer, þe surer, ffare þe better in is body and all his godis, as euery wyse man mey well conseyue. The ffundacion of abbeys, of hos|pitals, and suche other houses, is nothyng in com|parisoun herof. For this shalbe a collage, in whiche shul syng and pray for euermore al the men of Ingland spirituel and temporel. And ther song shalbe suche among other antemes: I blissed be oure lord God, for that he hath sent kyng Edward the iiij to reigne vpon vs. He hath don more for

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vs, than euer dide kyng of Inglond, or myght have done before hym. The harmes that hath fallen in getyng of his Realme, beth now bi hym turned into our altheyr goode and profite. We shul nowe mowe enjoye oure owne goode, and live vndir jus|tice, which we have not don of longtyme, God knowith. Wherfor of his almesse it is that wee have al that is in oure wone.

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