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.

mey the kynge rewarde with offices, with owt gyuynge awey off his livelod. Ffor soth the grettest lordes livelod in Englande mey not suffice to rewarde so many men, though he wolde departe hit euery dell amonges is seruantes; nor ij. the gretteste lordes off Englond mey make so gret a myghte as þe kynge mey haue only off his officers, yff thai were holliche and only is seruantes, and euery off hem had but on office. To this sane suche lordes and oþer men, such as axen off þe kyng offices ffor thair seruantes, that thai and all thair seruantes shall alwey serue þe kynge, and is officers shul do hym the bettir seruyce, by reason thei bith in þer seruice; ffor thai woll helpen hym to do so, and suffre non in thair companye, but suche as woll do so. Wher to may be said, that it is trewe thai shall do the kyng seruice while thai be in thair companie; but so shulde thai haue done, though the kynge had neuer made thaym his officers. Wher fore þe kynge shal not be the bettir served, þat he hath yeuen his offices to thair seruantes, but raþer worse. Ffor owre lorde said, Remo potest duobus dominis seruire. And so þe kynge shall lese the offices, as ffor any syngular service he shall haue ffor hem, or þat the same officers shulde thynke them selff by hold vnto the kynge ffor þer offices, wich is hyghnes hath yeuen them at þe contemplacion off þer maisters, and ffor no reward off any seruice þat thai haue done, or shul doo vnto hym selff. Be consideracion wher off þer olde maistirs shall be bettir serued be thaym than thei were be fore; and so be more myghty in thair contraes to do what them liste; and the kynge in lasse myght, and haue the ffewer officers to represse hem when thai do a mysse. And this hath causyd mony men to be suche braggers and suytours

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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 152
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/aew3422.0001.001/176:19

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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 2, 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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