Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 3.djvu/606

586 sworn. This ye have ratified. Only there resteth that, like true men to God and their word, like those that should have respect to honour and loyalty, like those that should more regard the wealth of their mistress than your own affections, ye should duly observe and keep that ye have bargained and promised. Ye should remember with whom ye have covenanted, and to whose commodity and benefit the covenant tendeth. Ye have covenanted with a prince of honour, that will not suffer your disloyalty unpunished and unrevenged; whose power and puissance, by God's grace, is and shall be sufficient against you to make you know and feel your own faults and offences. Ye have covenanted for the wealth of your mistress and the poor commons, to whose great detriment your follies and perverse fancies, if ye observe not your pacts, shall chiefly redound. For as, by the peace and marriage covenanted and agreed, the realm shall be preserved to the behoof of your mistress, and the commons live in quiet, to their great wealth and benefit, so, contrarywise, by your unfaithfulness ye shall destroy that your mistress should enjoy, and be cause and occasion whereby the goods of the poor commons shall be wasted and spoiled at home, and their intercourse letted in outward parts. If ye set more by a little gain, or promise of gain, out of France than by your own honour, if ye care more for the maintenance of the Cardinal's appetites and affections than for the observation of your faith and loyalty, yet fear the hand of God over you—fear the power of a prince able to daunt you—fear, you that take upon you to be