Here begynneth the booke whiche is called the body of polycye And it speketh of vertues and of good maners, and the sayd boke is deuyded in thre partyes. The fyrst party is adressed to prynces. The seconde to knyghtes and nobles: and the thyrde to the vnyuersal people. The fyrst chapytre speketh of the dyscrypcyon of the body of polycye.

¶ The loue that the good prynce ought to haue to his sub∣iectes. Capitulo. x.

THere we must se a lytell of the ryght of the prynce after the lawes. That is to were yf the good prynce may set ony new imposycyon or subsydy vpon his people aboue his de meynes for ony cause in y^e worlde. And me semeth y^t the lawes gyueth lycence ynoughe and graunteth that the prynce maye do it in some case. Notwithstandynge it sholde be done as syl∣dome as it myght. And for to knowe for what cause it sholde be done / it is to vnderstande / for the defence of his londe ayenst his enemyes / if so be that he be assayled by the warre / for y^e whi che he must holde men of warre vnder wages for the defence of the londe. Also for maryenge of his chyldren / or for getynge them out of pryson / yf they be in that case. ••nd for these causes specyally he may set a subsydy vpon his subiectes without of fendynge of the lawe. But yet it ought to be done with grete compassyon & dyscrecyon for y^• leest charge of the people y^• my∣ght be. ••nd that he take noo more than is necessary for the sa∣me cause that he sette it for. ••nd in this case / the ryche ought

to supporte the poore. And not that the ryche to be excused nor exempte / Lyke as it is nowe a dayes / and that the poore folke be so moche more charged / for ••dare saye who so euer be dys∣pleased ther with / that is a grete meruayle sauynge theyr re∣uerence y^t the grete and ryche offycers of the kynge or of other prynces whiche haue theyr grete estate and power of y^e kynge and of the lordes / and that maye well bere the charges / that they sholde be excepte. And the poore men that haue nothynge of the kynge / he bounde to paye. And howe may this be by rea son / yf I haue gyuen a grete good to one of my seruauntes for to maynteyne his lyfe honourably / and it happened that a ne∣de fell vnto me / ought not he to helpe me soner in my dystresse than he that had neuer nothynge of melyt is a straunge custo me nowe a dayes that is vsed in this royalme / In the teate of tayles or imposycyons whiche ben sette•• for the poore men pay and the ryche go free. But who that wolde do well sholde bre∣ke this and make it to be borne euenly. Not that some of y^e gre te men paye and some not. Nor of suche thynges wolde aryse enuytees. For it sholde seme a maner of a bondage and a dys∣praysynge to them that pay it. But and it were brought that euery man sholde paye / then sholde there be noo reproche / yet notwithstandynge I holde not with that / that they that folo∣we the warre for the defence of the londe / but that they sholde be exempte And this that I saye for the poore people / compas∣syon hath moued me for the grete wepynges and syghynges that cometh bytterly frome theyr hartes. ••or some of theym there be that whan they shall make theyr payment of this mo∣ney whiche they be sette vnto / they must fast and fare euyll af∣terwarde / the poore man and all his housholde / and fayne for to sell theyr bedde and theyr other thynges as good as for nou ght. ¶ A wolde god that the kynge and the noble prynces of fraunce were well enfourmed of this greate myschyefe.

For then I wolde not doubte / for the grete noblesse that is in theyr blode / they wolde not suffre this grete hardenes and so∣rowe amonge the people▪ But it happeneth often tymes that there ben suche that he receyuours of this y^• is gadered / whi∣che ben grete fatte and ryche / and wheder that all this good y^• is gadered come to the profyte for that y^• it is gadered for / god knoweth / and so knoweth other men▪ And without fayle yf su che goodes be gadered for to be employed in superfl••yte / & for other causes than for pure necessyte lyke as I haue sayd befo∣re / it is grete synne to them that sette it / and a greuous hurte ¶ And nowe to the purpose that hath ben sayd here tofore of the noble Romaynes whiche were paynymes & mysbyleuers yet they gouerned them so well / that it ought to be ensample to vs / as Ualere sayth / for he telleth y^• the lawe of Rome was suche•• That all maner of goodes y^• were gadered for y^• warre sholde not be employed / but onely to the vse of that same / that it was ordeyned to (and in no wyse to be dyspended vpon super fluyte of estate / for superfluyte of wynes & meetes taken mo∣re than is necessary causeth the body more to desyre rest / than the trauayle of the warre▪ ¶ Nowe I wylleue at this tyme to speke ony more of this purpose / Notwithstondynge I coulde say moche more / but for bycause that the sentence of suche ma ters please not the euyl mynystres whiche ben made ryche by this meanes / and wyll also blame me therfores I maye saye to them without boost lyke as ••ryppydes that was a grete •••••• t•• sayd vnto them of Athenes / whiche prayed hym y^• he wold•• put out a sentence of a tragedy y^• he had mades Tragedy val•• re sayth it is a maner of a dyte that blameth thynges that bē euylldone in ordre of polycy of the comontye or of prynces / and sayd he made not his dytyes to blame ne to be blamed / but to that entente that it sholde enduce & styre men to good lyuynge And yet Ualere sayth more of y^• same poete▪ that he wolde not

put hymselfe suche wyse vnder / that he wolde obey the senten ce of the people / and leue his owne sentence. And vpon this Ua lere sayth / for certayne sayth he / feaute is to be alowed that is drawne and cometh out or reason. And sayth also that he that hath so grete reason maye Iuge the trouthe of his owne w••r ke / so that it be not done with pryde ne boost / but in susteynyn ge the meryte of his thynge whiche he vnderstondeth is wor∣shypfull and lowable / For he saythe / whopray••eth another y^• he seeth vertuous / desyreth to haue hymselfe praysed / for bo∣the cometh of one case and of one lyke wysdome.