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 V. THE HARME THAT COMYTH OFF A KYNGES POVERTE.

FFIRST, yff a kynge be pore, he shall bi nescessite make his expences, and by all þat is necessarie to his estate, by creaunce and borowynge; wher through his creauncers wolle wynne vpon hym the iiij^th or the v^th pene of all that he dispendith. And so he shall lese whan he payith, the iiij^th or the v^th pene of his revenues, and thus be ther by alway porer and porer, as vser and chevisaunce encressith the pouerte off hym that borowith. His creauncers shul alway grucche ffor lake of thair paymente, and defame his highnes off mysgouernance, and defaute of kepynge of days; wich yf he kepe, he most borowe also much at the dayis, as he didd firste; ffor he shalbe than pouerer than he was by the value of the iiij^th or v^th parte of his first expences, and so be alway pouerer and pouerer, vnto the tyme he be the pouerest lorde of his lande. Ffor such maner of borowynge makith the grete lordis to

be pouerer than thair tenantes. What dishonour is this, and abatynge of the glorie of a kynge. But yet it is most to his vnsuyrte. For his subgettes woll rather goo with a lorde þat is riche, and mey pay thair wages and expenses, then with thair kynge þat hath noght in his purse, but thai most serue hym, yf thai wil do so, at thair owne dispenses. Item, yf the kynge be pouere, he shall of necessite make his giftes and rewardes by asseignementes, for wich he shall haue but litle thanke. For the pouere man hade leuer an c. marke in hande, then an c. li. bi asseignement, wich perauentur shall cost hym right miche or he can gete his payment, and per|auentur be neuer paid therof. And often tymes for lake of money the kynge shall be fayne to gyf awey his lande to such as wolde haue ben feyner of a c. li in hand, than of xl. li worth lande yerely, to the grete abatynge of his revenues and depopolacion of his reaume. But the grettest harme that comyth of a kynges pouerte is, that he shal bi necessite be arted to fynde exquysite meanes of geytinge of good; as to putt defaute in some of his subgettes þat bith innocentes, and vpon the riche men more þen the pore, by cause that he mey bettir pay; and to shew rigoure þer as fauour awght to be shewid, and fauour þer as rigour shuld be shewid, to per|version of Justice, and perturbacion of the peas and quiete of the reaume. For, as the philosepher saith in his Eytikes, Impossibile est indigentem operari bona. Hit nedith not now to specifie mo of the harmes wich comyth to a reaume bi the pouerte of þer kynge, how be it thai bith mony mo than we haue shewid yet; for euery wise man mey se ham openly i now. But we most holde it for vndouted, þat ther

mey no reaume prospere, or be worshipfull, vndir a poure kynge.