DREI VOLKSWIRTHSCHAFTL. DENKSCHRIFTEN Ä. D. ZEIT HEINRICHS VIII. 49 



a like ordinaunce mynestrid in ertli like as in hevyn. Your mastership 

 knowith, all my pore desire hath been over all tliynges , that ye shulde 

 help all peple to lifF owt of necessite and scarsite, yong and old, seke 

 and hoUe, that therby the kyng may first opteyn and wyn the myndes 

 and hertes of all bis comen peple. For though it be thought an acte 

 impossible to doo, the order therof is made in such a forme, that lakkyth 

 but the mynestery to doo it in deed. All peple, that is able to werke, 

 by ther werkes shal be kept owt of nede and ete ther own mete to de- 

 serve it before they ete it, and all peple not able to werke somes of mo- 

 ney shal be gatherid in the realme to kepe theym owt of necessite, above 

 400,000 L. every yere. And the kyng of his own tresore shall pay no 

 peny, but shall be gatherid of such, as shal be gladd to pay it for ther 

 own avauntage. All my pore mynde hath been with charite to shew, 

 how all peple shuld be kept owt of necessite. Your Mastership know- 

 ith well, I never therfore axid any wordly promocion nor rewarde. And 

 wher I delyvered two bokes to your Mastership before Alhalloutide last 

 past, in which apperith somewhat of the distruction of the comen weale 

 of the realme and somwhat of the remedy, and wher I profered my ser- 

 vyce to your Mastership to be in your howse with the help of a faire 

 writer to sett forthe the knowledge of all thynges , apperteynyng to the 

 right Order of comen weale, whan your mastershipp provysed, I shuld so 

 doo. And for not so doyng I desired of yow three daies before Cristy- 

 mes to have the said two bokes, that I myght have wreton in theym 

 many moo thynges apperteynyng to the right order of comen weale, 

 which ye yitt know not. And the last yere in the meane tyme, whan 

 I occupied my mynde abowt such thynges, I have been robbid by a false 

 felow , whome 1 toke to be my servaunt and putt hym in speciall trust 

 to oversee the werkmanshipp of a wode sale, which I bought of the 

 busshopp of Wynchester beyend Wyndsore , and delyvered to hym at 

 dyvers tymes the some of 363 L. to pay all the charges therof, wheras 

 after the Cristymes I callid hym sodenly to make his accownt. And so 

 he hath made a boke of his accownt, wherin he confessith hym seif, he 

 hath receyvid the seid 363 L. and chargith hymself with all the stuff, 

 Histor.-phüolog. Classe. XXIII. 7. G 



