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.

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,

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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?
Canvas: Page 151
Publication: Oxford,: Clarendon Press,; 1885.
Subject terms: Political science; Monarchy; Constitutional law -- Great Britain.

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aew3422.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/aew3422.0001.001/175:19

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Full citation: "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 May 1, 2025.

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.

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