the Clergy as much for three years together And yet the same year the City of London was charged with Two hundred armed men Canterbury with Forty St. Albans with ten and other Towns and Cities according to their wealth and ability Two years were not fully ended but the people were charged again and so almost every third year during his reign until that in the Forty fifth year thereof he levied a certain sum of Fifty thousand Marks of his Subjects aud within six years after he charged all persons of his Realm as well men as women that were fourteen years of age to pay him Four pence a peece except onely such as went a begging from door to door The like Subsidies were levied by Richard the Second by Henry the Fourth and Henry the Fifth and almost by all the rest of our Kings the which for brevitie sake I pass over with silence But to clear her Majesty the better of this accusation and to make it known unto her Subjects how greatly they are bound unto her Highness for sparing to use such means for money as many of her Predecessors used in time of their necessity it will not be a miss to acquaint you and them with many ways that our Princes have practised to releive their wants of which her Majesty although her occasions to use money were greater or as great as theirs never did put any one in practice In the recital of these practices I will not name our Kings in order as they reigned but relate their means to make money as they shall come to my memory Edward the First called by a Writ called Quo Warranto all together that held any Lands of him to shew by what Title they held their Lands who recovered much money of the meaner sort who having no evidences to shew durst not withstand his demand untill the Earl of Surrey called before the Justices to the same effect answered That he and his Ancestors entering into this Realm with William the Conqueror won their Lands by the Sword and that he would hold his by the Sword which stout answer made the king surcease his demand Henry the seventh wanting money caused all penal Statutes to be examined and all forfeitures layed upon his Subjects by them to be strictly and severely exacted Which exaction cost Richard Empson and Edmond Dudly their lives Henry the first in a Parliament held in the one and thirtieth year of his Reign put Priests to their fines who lived with their wives still in house with them Henry the second Anno 1166. ordained a Collectâ—on on to be made through all his Countries and Dominions of two pence in the pound of every mans Lands and Goods Jewels and Apparel onely excepted to be paid the same year and for the space of four years next ensuing one penny of every pound to be paid yearly and those that had not the worth in goods and lands to the value of twenty shillings and were house-holders and had any offices they should pay a penny to this Contribution And those that departed this life within the term that that this Collection was current their debts being paid were appointed by the same Ordinance to pay the tenth part of all the residue of their goods unto this Contribution Richard the first to make money for his voyage against the Turks levied a Tax engaged sold and let to Farm his Lands his Tolls his Customs and other his Revenues with certain Countries and Offices and understanding that Hugh Pudley Bishop of Durham had great store of ready money he sold to him the Mannor of Seggesfield with the Wapentake belonging unto the same and also found means to perswade him to buy his own Province which he did and was thereupon created an Earl by the King for the same and was Intitled both Bishop and Earl of Durham He had likewise great sums of money of the Citizens of London for Priviledges granted unto them Besides he had licence of Pope Innocent to dispence with such as pleased him for their vows and to go into the Holy Land although they had taken the cross on them for that purpose and of those he took abundantly and divers others he compelled to fine Also he feigned that he had lost his Seal wherefore he commanded a new to be made and willed it to be proclaimed and published in every Country that those to whom he had granted any thing by his Deed or Charter meaning to enjoy the same in surety should not think it much to come and have it confirmed by his new Seal least afterwards the other being lost their lawful Titles might be called in question Lastly he levied the tenth part of all the moveable goods throughout the Realm of England to the aid of the Wars and this Collection passing under the name of an Alms was extended upon the goods of Spirituall men as well as Temporal This King was as you shall hear hereafter taken Prisoner in returning from those Wars and for his Ransom order was taken that all manner of persons as well Spiritual as Temporal should give the fourth part of their whole Revenues due to them for that year toward the Kings Ransom The same king after his retuâ—n sold the Offices of Sheriffs and divers other Offices and procured a Subsidie to be given unto him of two shillings of every â— lough-lough-land and commanded that every man should make for him the third part of Knights service accordingly as every Fee might bear to furnish him forth into Normandy The same King by vertue of a Parliament called back and resumed into his hands all Patents Annueties Fees and other Grants before his voyage into the Holy Land by him made or otherwise granted or alienated And because it should not seem he used a meer extort violence herein he treated with every one of them in most curteous wise bearing them in hand that he well knew they meant not to let forth their money unto him upon usury but would be contented with such reasonable gains and profit as had been raised to their use in the time of his absence of those things which they held of him by Assignation in way of loan so that now the same might be restored unto him again since he meant not to sell them but to let them forth as it were to Farm for a time as all men might well understand considering that he could not maintain the port of a King without receipt of those profits which he had so set forth And hereunto every man yeelded although no man had received a third part of the principal which they had layed forth The same King having borrowed a great sum of money of the Merchants of the Staple called the Monks of Osteaux gat them to pay the same telling them that he borrowed it of certain Merchants beyond the Sea upon confidence of their good benevolence The same King caused all Offices in Aurmen Poictou and Mayne to fine with him for their Offices
taken an oath to keep the Statutes of his Country without breaking the same or without departing from the true sense and literal meaning of them may violate them if the iniquity of the time will not give him leave and leasure to confer with his superiour or to ask his opinion or if there be manifest dangers like to follow of the delay which he shall use Besides if a Judge be commanded yea sworn not to do any thing against the Lâ—wes of God or nature or of his Country yet if he be urged by some great occâ—sion or if necessitie enforce him thereunto or if some notable danger scandall or inconvenience is like to follow of the strict observance of those Laweâ— he may lawfully violate them And shall a Judge have Authority to break Lawes and shal not an absolute Prince have the like liberty A Provost Marshal taking a Theif in the fact of committing a robberie may hang him up presently with out any forme of Judgement and shall not a King cause a notorious Traytor to be murthered without a solemn Sentence The Governor of a City taking an Homicide an Adulterer a ravâ—shâ—r of Women upon the Fact may chastise and punish them according to the Rigor of the Law wâ—thout any forme of Law and a King taking a Traytor beâ—ng abouâ— to deprive him of his life of his Crown apd Scepter shall he not do him to death without asking the opinion of his Judges without imploring the helpe of his Magistrates and without imparting his Treason unto his Counsellors or unto the Friends and Allies of the Traytors especially when as he may escape whilst these things shall be doing when bee is so strong so backed with friends so guarded with Souldiers that if he be not executed upon a suddain the respiâ—e and leisure which shall be given him shall gâ—ve him time and meanes not only to escape the punishment which he hath deserved but also to put in great hazard the life of his Prince and the weale of his Country to be short when either the Prince or the Traytor must die presently It is written of Iehu the Judge and King of Israell that he fearing the great multitude of Baals Priests and doubting that if he should put them to death by the way of Justice there would follow some great Inconvenience or scandal to himself he feigned that hee himself wouâ—d do sacrifice unto God Baal and by that pretence and colour he caused them all to come together and when they were all assembled hee willed them all to be murthered Who hath heard the Historie of Ladislaus king of Bohemia commendeth him not for his wisdome and discretion in dissembling the grief which he took to see the Earle of Cilia his faithfull and assured Friend and Vncle killed almost in his presence so â—uningly that he not only seemed not to be grieved with his death but also to think that he was lawfully killed because hee presumed to come Armed into the Court where all others were unarmed The Bohemians seeing how lovingly hee entertained Ladislaus Humiades the Author of this Murther how kindly he used his Mother how wisely hee suffered Ladislaus and his Brother Matthias to bring him into Beuda and how resolutely when he had him where hee was stronger then hee he commanded him to be done to death for the murther committed on his Vncles person took it for a manifest Argument that he would prove as indâ—ed hee did a very wise just and valiant Prince siâ—ce in his youth he was so subtile and so resolute and gave them so notable an Example and President of his Justice Who hath read the policy which Darius king of Persia used in revenging the injury of Oretes who was grown to be so mightie so proud and so well backed with friends that hee neither could nor durst do him to death by the ordinary Course of Justice and prayseth him not for inventing a way to induce 30 of his Gentlemen to undertake his death And who commendeth not the Magâ—animitie and resolution of Bageus who when it fell out to his lott to be the first of the 30 that had vowed to hazaâ—d their live foe their king went no less hastily then cuningly about his enterprise and within a very short while murthered Oretes who had beaâ—ded and braved his King many years Briefly who readeth and alloweth not the History of David who when a man câ—me to him from Saul his Camp and told him that he had kilâ—ed Saul commanded his Sâ—rvant to kill him presently and said unto him Thy blood bee upon thine owâ— head for thine own mouth hath spoken against thee And yet every man knoweth that Saul killed himself and that this poor simple man thought to have had a reward of David for bringing him the first news of Sauls death These premissâ—s therefore being duly considered it must follow that the late king had great reason aâ—d just cause to command the Duke of Guise to be killed But his friends say nay They have caused it to be imprinted that he was one of the Peers of France one of the greatest of that Realme one of the best beloved Subjects of Europe and one that was allied unto great Kings and Princes And that therefore the King causing him to be murthered as he was migâ—t well think and justly feare that in doing him to death he should highly offend his best friends and give just occasion unto as many as suffered any loss or detriment by his death to revenge the same As therefore Iulius Caesar winked at the Treason committed by Dunorix and called him not into question for the same for feare to offend his Brother Divitiacus who was an assured and faithful Friend unto the people of Rome and a man of great credit and Authority in his Country even so the King should have spared the Duke of Guise and not have used such câ—ueltie towards him as he did for feare to displease and discontent his dearest and best friends and as Henry the 4 King of England deprived the Dukes of Anmarle of Exceter and Surrey of the Lands and possessions which Richard the second gave them and yet spared their lives so the king had done well if he had taken away the lands and livings and not the life of the Duke of Guise Truly if hâ—s kingdom should have received no greater loss or dammage by the Duke of Guise his life then the commonwealth of Rome received by Dunorix the king should not have greatly done amiss to have suffered him to live But since that the Duke did alwaies aspire unto the Crown and since he desired sought and laboured by all meanes possible to usurpe the same the King played as his Mother said the right part of a King whâ—â—â— as he resolved and exâ—cuted his death with all convenient speed For the same Caesar which had pitâ—y and compassion on Dunorix because his life could not greatly hinder or cross his dâ—signes and purposes first banished
The same King seemed in appearance to be offended with his Lord Chancellor for concluding the Truce with the French King and therefore took the Seal from him and caused a new to be made proclaiming through all his Dominions that not any thing sealed with the old Seal should stand in force both for that his Councellors had wrought more indiscreetly then was convenâ—ent and because the same Seal was lost when his Vice-Chancellor was drowned wherefore all men were commanded to come to the new Seal that would have their Charters and Writings confirmed The same King having levied two shillings once before of every Hide of land levied 5 s. of every Hide of Land for a Subsidie rating every Hide to certain hundred acres Lastly the same King caused Turneys to be exercised in divers places for the better trayning of men at Arms in Fâ—ats of Arms whereby he raised no small sums of money for granting license to his Subjects so to Tuâ—ney every Earl paid for his license twenty Marks every Baron ten Marks and every landed Knight four Marks and those that had no land two Marks Now from this King unto others King Iohn in the year 1204 levied a Subsidie of two Marks and an half of every Knights Fee belonging as well unto Spiritual as unto Temporal men the which exaction must needs be very great considering that there were better then forty thousand Knights Fees in England and that every shilling then was worth three shillings in these dayes according to the rate which Sir Thomas Smith maketh in his Book de Republica Anglorum Henry the third revoked all lands granted in his Minority unto his Servants and called to an accompt all his Officers displaced some fined others sold his Plate and borrowed so much money as he could get of the Londoners of Priors Abbots and of the Jews of one of which named Aaron it is written that he had at one time above 30000 Marks Henry the third again obtained certain Authentick Seals of the Prelates of England and sealed therewith certain writings and instruments wherein it was expressed that he had received certain sums of money for dispatch of business pertaining to them and to their Churches of these and the Merchants of Florence and of Sienna whereby they stood bound for repaiment by the same Instruments made by him their Agent in their names The Pope yeelded his consent unto this shift because it should go unto the discharging of the kings debts into which he was run by bearing of the charges of the Wars whereof I have made mention in another place against the king of Sicilie The same Henry caused a Proclamation to be made that all such as might dispend 15 l. in land should receive the honour of Knighthood and those that would not should pay their Fines and five Marks were set on every Sheriffs head for a Fine because they had not distrained every person that might dispend 15 l. land to receive the order of Knighthood as was to the same Sheriffs commanded The same Henry in the Forty fourth year of his Reign had granted him a Scutagium or Escuage that is fourteen shillings of every Knights Fee The same Henry in the second commotion of the Earl of Glocester engaged the Shrines of Saints and other Jewels and Relicks of the Church of Westminster for great sums of money wherewith he got Aid out of France and Scotland Briefly the same Henry caused all the weights and measures throughout all England to be perused and examined and laid great Fines on their heads that were found with false Weights and with false Measures Edward the second for his defence against the Scots had the sixth penny of temporal mens goods in England Ireland and Wales And Edward the Third for the recovery of France besides other Subsidies took the ninth Lamb Fleece and Sheaf of Corn through England Riâ—hard the Second had a Mark of the Merchants for every Sack of their Woolls for one year and six pence of the buyers for every pound of Wares brought in from beyond the Seas and here sold. He had likewise towards his charges for the Wars of France a Noble of every Priest Secular or Regular and as much of every Nun and of every married or not married man or woman being sixteen years old four pence and forty shillings of every Sack of Wooll of which ten shillings to be imployed at the â—ings pleasure and thirty shillings to be reserved for his necessity In the 24. year of Henry the Eighth his Reign when his Majesty married with her Highness Mother the Lady Ann Bullein Writs were directed to all Sheriffs to certifie the names of all mâ—n of 40 l. lands to receive the honour and order of Knighthood or else to make a Fine It is written by Philip de Comines that our Kings when they wanted money were wont to feign that they would go into Scotland or into France with an Army and that to make great sums of money they would levy men and pay them for a matter of two or three months within which space they would again dismiss their Armies although they had taken money of their Subjects enough to maintain them for a whole year or more and many times they had money of the King of Scotland or of France towards the charges of their Wars It is written by du Haillan in the Tenth Book of his French History that Iohn King of England being in great want of money enjoyed for six years together all the Bâ—nefices of his Realm and all his Bishopricks Abbeys and Monasteries wherewith he defraied the expences of his House and of his Armies which he might do very well because the Revenues of such Benefices as Italian Priests enjoyed sometimes in England came by just computation to above seventy thousand Marks by the year And it was declared in a Parliament held in the 11. year of King Henry the Fourth his Reign that the King might have of the temporal possessions Lands and Revenues which were lewdly consumed by the Bishops Abbots and Priors of England so much as would suffice plentifully to finde and maintain 150 Earls 1500 Knights 6209 Esquires and an hundred Hospitals more then were at that time The same King Iohn accused sometimes one sometimes another Nobleman of England that they lost his Towns and Cities beyohd the Seas by their negligence and fined them at great sums of money Thus I have with as much brevity as might be waded through the several reigns of most of the longest-lived Kings of our Realm and have set you down about thirty sundry and divers kinds of ways which they have used to make money in time of their want and necessities of all which her Majesties greatest enemies cannot truly shew or prove that her Highness in thirty six years that her Grace hath now reigned ever used as much as one and if it may please those that being Fugitives abroad and most envy and malign her peaceable and