gent and
nedie peple. And inespecialle to tho that have lost theire londis,
livelode, and {81} goode in the werres, so that the saide tresoure may be
put forthe, and late it be set in money to the remedie and socoure of this
gret importunyte and necessite, and to the defens of youre roiaume from
youre adversaries before specified; for it is saide that [an empyre
or[182]] roiaume is bettir without tresoure of golde than without worship,
and also bettir it is to lyve a pore life in a riche roiaume in
tranquillite and pease than to be riche in a pore roiaume where debate and
strife reignithe. And if ye wolle doo thus, every man than in his degree
wolle doo the same. And to example of us alle ye [soo[182]] puissaunt and
mighetie men of good counceile and stere,[183] every man helpe after his
degree.

[Sidenote: Nota bene.]

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 spirituel