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 the effect of Law." Henry VI.'s last Chancellor is instructing Edward in the principles of constitutional liberty, and he shows him, how the French peasantry were worn down and impoverished by a system of intolerable and arbitrary exactions—soldiers quartered upon them, taking all they chose and paying for nothing, a fourth part of all the produce of their vines taken for the King, cities and boroughs assessed for great sums to support his wars, every village heavily taxed, and never any intermission or abatement of these burdens, but once or twice in every year no village is so small but may expect to be plundered. Fortescue appeals to the Prince to remember how he himself in his travels could sometimes hardly be accommodated even in the great towns, because the King's troops were so oppressive, living on the people, and paying for nothing. "In England no one takes up his abode in another man's house, without leave of the owner," and the King himself must pay at a reasonable rate for what he takes. Then he compares the French peasant with the English. The Frenchman hardly ever tastes anything but water—the Englishman drinks none, except "upon a religious score, by way of penance." He is fed in abundance with all sorts of flesh and fish, is clothed in good woollen, his bedding and other "furniture" is of wool, and that in great store. Everyone according to his rank hath all things which make life easy; he can provide himself with salt; he can enjoy the fruits of his farm. There is scarce a small village in England in which you will not find a knight, an esquire, or some substantial householder, and many yeomen of estates sufficient to make a "substantial" jury (they must have 100s. a year). Where do you find this? In other parts of the world, except in large cities and walled towns, there are very few except the nobility whose possessions are of any considerable value. In France the soldiers, if they cannot get fuel in one village, "march away full speed to the next." They make the people feed and clothe the women they bring with them—even to the smallest trifle of a lace or point. So the peasants never taste anything but water except on festivals, and wear sackcloth, and go barelegged and barefooted. A very little of the fat of bacon is all their meat, or the offals of beasts killed for the better sort—for whom quails,