ve in rest." And it
is added, that whoever could put himself forward as a ruler in such
matters, was, "as the worlde goithe now," more esteemed among all estates
than he who had expended thirty or forty years of his life in great
jeopardies in the conquests and wars of his sovereign. The author pursues
the argument at greater length, as the reader will find, and expresses his
decided opinion that the high-born personages in question should rather
learn to be good men of arms, chieftains, or captains in the field, than to
be a captain or ruler at a sessions or shire-day; leaving such matters to
the king's justices and officers,[21] and that "suche singuler practik
shulde not be accustumed and occupied undewly with suche men that be come
of noble birthe,"--except (it is added on second thoughts) he be the
younger brother, having not whereof to live honestly.

The following chapter (p. 78) discusses "How officers of the law shulde be
{xvi} chosen, welle disposid and temperate men, vertuous in condicion, and
they to be protectid by lordis and noble men of birthe." There is nothing
however in this chapter so remarkable as in that which has preceded.

The author next shows (p. 79) "How over gret cost and pomp in clothing
shulde be eschewed;" in which respect he asserts that in France "alle
costius arraiementis of clothing, garmentis, and bobauncees, and the usaige
of pellure and furres they have expresselie put away:" whilst in England
the like "costues arraymentis and disguising of clothing, of so many divers
facion," had caused impoverishing of the land, and excited great pride,
envy, and wrath amongst the people.

Whether this was truly a national grievance may be doubted. It is, however,
more probable that the "pore comyns" of England had really suffered, as set
forth in the succeeding chapter (p. 80), "gret hurt and inconvenientis
because the creditours have not been duelie paid of here lonys and prestis
made to high sovereins." This, it is stated, had been oftentimes the case
in the reign of Henry the Sixth. They had advanced loans, "prests of
vitails and other merchandise," of which the payment was so long delayed
that great part of their property was previously expended, and they were
sometimes fain to defalke and release part of their dues, in order to
recover the rest. As an alternative for this inconvenience the writer
recommends a course that would scarcely have proved more efficacious. "Let
your riche tresours (