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 VI. ORDINANCE FFOR THE KYNGES ORDINARIE CHARGES.

AND sithyn it is necessarie that the kynge be alway riche, wich may not be with owt he haue revenues sufficiant for the yerely mayntenance of his estate; it is behouefull that we furst esteme, what his erly charges and expences bith likely to drawe vnto. Ffor aftir that nedith his reuenues to be proporcioned; but yet thai nedun to be gretter than woll be the charges, for doute of soden cases, wich mey falle to hym and to his reaume. Ffor Seynt Bernarde saith, þat yf a mannes ex|penses be egall to his livelode, a soden chaunce mey distroye his estate. The kynges yerely ex|penses stonden in charges ordinarie, and in charges extra ordinarie. His charges ordinary mey not be eschewed, and therfore it nedith þat ther be lyvelode asseigned ffor the payment therof; wich lyvelode be in no wyse putte to no other vse. And yff it happen that any patent be made of any parte therof to oþer vse, þat thanne þat patent be voide and of non effect. Wich thynge yff hit be ffermely estableshed, the kynges ordinarie charges mey alway be paid in hande, and the pro vision ffor hem mey alway be made in seson; wich shalbe worth to the kynge the

iiij^th or the v^th parte of the quantite of his expenses for ordinarie charges. This may in nothinge restrane the kyngis pover. Ffor it is no poiar to mowe aliene and put away; but it is power to mowe haue and kepe to hym self. As it is no poiar to mowe synne, and to do ylle, or to mowe to be seke, wex olde, or that a man may hurte hym self. Ffor all thes poiars comen of impotencie. And therfore thay mey properly by callid nown poiars. Wherfore the holy sprites and angels, þat mey not synne, wex old, be seke, or hurte ham selff, haue more poiar than we, that mey harme owre selff with all thes defautes. So is the kynges power more, in that he may not put ffrom hym possescions necessaries for his owne sustenance, than yff he myght put ham ffrom hym, and aliene the same to his owne hurte and harme. Nor this is ayen the kynges prerogatiff, be wich he is exaltid above his subgettes; but rather this is to hym a prerogatiff. Ffor no man saue he mey haue ayen the lande þat he hath onis aliened. This livelode asseigned ffor the ordinarie charges shall aftirwarde be neuer askid off the kyng, nor his highnes shall thynke ffor þat, that he hath þe more livelode to be given awey; but be reason hereoff he will þe more restrayn his yeftis off oþer off his livelod, considerynge þat than it woll not be grette, and therfore he shall haue more nede off it then thai that will aske it. The ordenarie charges, wich þe writer hereoff can nowe remenbr, be thies; the kynges housholde, his warderobe. And how so be it þat the kynge liste now, or will hereaftir, make his howshold lesse than it was wonned to be; yet his highnes shall þan haue therfore a bouute his persone, ffor his honour and suyrte, lordes, knyghtes,

and sqviers, and oþer, in also grete nombr, or gretter than his howsolde was wonned to be, to his charges peraduentur also gretly, as his houshold well ruled was wonned to stonde hym inne. Wher fore here|inne it nedith not to considre or to purvey, but only ffor the kynges house, wich he may resume or chaunge in to his new maner, or other fourme at his pleasur, and as it shalbe thought aftir the seasons most expedient. The expenses off wich housholde mey sone be estemed by the wich off olde tyme haue be officers therin, and bi the clerkys off theschekquer. The secounde ordinarie charge is the payment off the wages and ffees off the kynges grete officers, his courtes, and his counsell. Wich charge woll alwey be grete, and thies men nedun to be alway redely payid. Ffor indigens in ham is not only vnworshipfull, but it mey do the most harme þat mey falle of eny nede in any estate of the lande, aftir the kynges most grete estate. Þe thirde charge ordinarie is the payment of the kepyng of the marches, wher in we beyre moch gretter charges yerely than done the Scottis, wich often tymes is for the ffauour þat we do to the persones þat kepe ham, wich ffauoure þe Scottis do not. The iiij^th charge is the kepyng off Caleis, wich charge is welynoghe knowen. Þe v^th charge is ffor the kynges werkes, off wich þe yerely expenses mey not be es|temede, but yet þe accoumptes off the clerkes off the werkes wollyn shewe þe likenes þeroff, wile þe kynge makith no new werkes. The kepynge off the see I reken not amonge the ordinarie charges, how be it the charge þeroff is yerely borne, bi cause it is not estimable, and the kynge hath therfore þe subsidie off pondage and tonnage. Nor the lesse

be that reason pondage and tonnage mey not be rekenned as parcell off the revenues wich the kynge hath ffor the mayntenance off his estate, bi cause it aught to be applied only to þe kepynge off the see. And though we haue not alwey werre vppon the see, yet it shalbe nescessarie þat the kynge haue alway some ffloute apon the see, ffor the repressynge off rovers, sauynge off owre marchauntes, owre ffishers, and the dwellers vppon owre costes; and þat the kynge kepe alway some grete and myghty vessels, ffor the brekynge off an armye when any shall be made ayen hym apon þe see. Ffor thanne it shall be to late to do make such vessailles. And yet with owt thaym all the kynges navey shallnot suffice to borde with carrikkes and oþer grete ves|sailles, nor yet to mowe breke a myghty ffloute gadered off purpose. Now, as I suppose, we haue rekened þe grettest parte off the kynges ordinarie charges. Wherfore we woll considre next his extra ordinarie charges, also ferre as mey be possible to vs.