Book VII.
Cap. 107. To gouerne þy self.
I trowe þat þou hauys now vnderstandyd, þat þy subgitȝ er þe hauynge of þi hous and þi tresour, wherof þi kyngdom is confermed. Lekyn þanne þi subgitȝ to oon orche-ȝerd, þat hauys diuers trees berynge fruytȝ, and haue nogℏt þare-ynne sedes bryngynge fortℏ wedes and netles, and florysshe nogℏt fortℏ fruyt bryngand, ffor trees þat hauyn yn hem many braunches and rotes, and þe stoke vpsette, some of hem makys fruyt & seed couenable to multiplye þaire kynde, whenne þay er wel tylled and kepyd; þanne, after þe quantyte of þy tresour is þe lastyng and þe defens, of þy kyngdom and of þy myȝt. Now it nedys þanne þat þou gouerne hem wel, and þat þou gyf good entent to here nedys, so þat þou remowe fro hem aƚƚ þaire wronges. And be it neuer noyous to þe, to geue entent to here statys, no to enquere whare- [folio 37a] of þey haue myster, ffor þanne þay shaƚƚ haue oon purpos stabyld ynens þe, þat fallys nogℏt to distruccion̛, but to conuersacion̛, þat þou ert wel ordeyned, of maners enfourmed, lastyng, wys, and sufferand; and if þou be nogℏt swyche, þe hertys of þi subgitȝ saƚƚ be rebeƚƚ to þy gouernaiƚƚ, and saƚƚ bycome corumpyd by sweche thogℏtes, þat byfore wer clene.
Cap. 108. [Of expendours.]
And make nogℏt many expendours of þin expensys to be maad, ffor þare-by may come to þe corupcion̛, ffor vche of hem wyƚƚ etyƚƚ to ouer-passe oþer in Corupcion̛ of wyrkynges, & he shal peyne hym to shewe hym to be praysed and profytable to þe, in oppressioun of þy subgitȝ, And so shaƚƚ vche of þy conseillers doo, þat ouer-longe dwellys yn þe office. And many er swyche þat oon sayen, & oþer-wayes doon, and brynges many to here vndoynge, to may[n]gteyne hem & defende hem̛.