[155-A]: All Souls' day.
[155-B]: The kings exchequer.
[155-C]: Justices.
[155-D]: Master of the rolls.
[155-E]: Knights or squires.
[156]: The same Commons be so empoverished and distroyyd, that they may unneth lyve. They drink water, they eate apples, with bread right brown made of rye. They eate no flesh, but if it be selden, a litill larde, or of the entrails or heads of beasts slayne for the nobles and merchants of the land. They weryn no wollyn, but if it be a pore cote under their uttermost garment made of grete canvass, and call it a frok. Their hosyn be of like canvas, and passen not their knee, wherfor they be gartrud and their thygles bare. Their wif and children gone bare fote.... For sum of them that was wont to pay to his lord for his tenement which he hyrith by the year a scute payth now to the kyng, over that scute, fyve skuts. Where thrugh they be artyd by necessitie so to watch, labour and grub in the ground for their sustenance, that their nature is much wastid and the kynd of them brought to nowght. They gone crokyd and ar feeble, not able to fight nor to defend the realm; nor they have wepon, nor monye to buy them wepon withal.... This is the frute first of hyre Jus regale.... But blessed be God this land ys rulid under a better lawe, and therfor the people therof be not in such penurye, nor therby hurt in their persons, but they be wealthie and have all things necessarie to the sustenance of nature. Wherefore they be myghty and able to resyste the adversaries of the realmes that do or will do them wrong. Loo, this is the frut of Jus politicum et regale under which we lyve.
[157]: Voir Commines, qui porte le même jugement.
[158]: The might of the realme most stondyth upon archers which be not rich men....
Comparer Hallam, II, 482. Tout cela remonte à la conquête et plus avant:
It is reasonable to suppose that the greater part of those who appear to have possessed small freeholds or parcels of manors were no other than the original nation.