How saint Lowis, king of Fraunce, in his testament writen of his owne hande, counceiled his sonne [that] after hym reigned, to cherisshe and favoure the good Citeis and Townes of his lande, and use justice and peas. And to doo and werke after the blissid counceile of Saint Lowes, king of Fraunce, [who] declared among othir exhortacions and counceile in his testament, the chapiter where he exhorted and comaundid his sonne Phelip that reigned king after hym, that he shulde put and doo alle his diligence that he shulde kepe his peple in pease and justice, and inespecialle to favoure and cherisshe the good Citeis and Townes of his roiaume, and to kepe theym in fraunchise and fredoms soo as they may encrese and lyve puissauntlie, for if they be tendred, that they be of power and mighetie of goode, the ennemies of youre roiaume or of youre adverse partie wol doubt and be ware to take any entreprise ayenst youre noble mageste. And if the adversaries wolle werke ayen the honoure of youre parsone, and the welfare of youre roiaume, youre saide citesins and burgeis and good comyns shalbe of power and of goode courage, and wille withe here bodies and goodes largelie depart to be yoven forto resist them. And, {82} therefore, favoure and forbere the pore peple and namelie the nedie, in signe that ye in youre hertis may bring to mynde and remembre the vengeaunce of hard offensis to this roiaume shewed, and to the recuvere of the worship of the roiaume late lost. And who so hathe not a bodie habille herto, or usage to emploie hym in dedis of armes, or think it long not to hym, as men of religiouste[184] and spirituelle, temporelle men wolde sey, Yet com forthe withe a goode courage, and not by constreint ne in manere of tasque ne of thraldom in tyme to come, but of fre wille withe a bounteuous hert at this tyme that is so expedient and necessarie, as trew Englisshe men shulde doo, every man bring and put forthe of his goodes after that his power is. Now in the worship of God let this be timelie done. It shall now shew, or it may be shewed, who that shalbe founde goode and profitable to the comonwele, or set hym silfe to the employ and fortheraunce of this dede of gret necessite. And who so hathe no power to ley out finaunce, good, or tresoure, yet put his good wille therto. A noble Roiaume of gret price and of noble renomme as thow hast be. Whan God lust to shew thy power, and to be victorious, who may noy the? Shall thou than suffre the to be confunded withe simpler people of reputacion then thow art, withe the whiche ye and youre noble progenitours have conquerid and overcom diverse tymes before this? It is welle to undrestonde that ye have no protectoure, kepar, ne defendour but it come of God, of the whiche he is witnesse and the leder. Som say that the floode of Temmys rennythe beting hier than the londe in stormye seasons. Yet for alle that, withe Goddis mighte and grace, thow art