when, befides what has been faid above, the Project of feizing all the Lands of the Church having fail'd, it was refolv'd not to spare some part of that Patrimony, fince the Whole could not then be had. Accordingly, all the Poffeffions of the Alien Priories were granted to the King and his Heirs for ever, being above an hundred Houfes; fo that taking them but at low Rates, they must all together arife to a very great Value. The Benefit of the Conqueft made by fuch profane and oppreffive Methods has been long fince evident; for tho' it is boafted that this King fubdu'd a great Part of France, and his Son was crown'd at Paris, yet what was the Benefit of those fo much celebrated Actions, but an immense Effufion of Blood, and the dreining this Nation of all its Treasure? And as for the Conquefts themselves, that very King, who, as has been faid, was crown'd at Paris, liv'd to lose not only thofe foreign Acquifitions gain'd by his Father, but alfo the English Crown, unjuftly tranfmitted to him by his Grandfather. Such is the Juftice of God, which, tho' ftay'd by his Mercy, to give Sinners fufficient time to repent, never fails to fall heavy upon them when they grow harden'd in their Iniquities.

The third and fourth Year of this Reign I cannot find what Taxes were rais'd; and yet it is most certain, that at fuch a time the Nation could not be exempt from contributing to the great Expence that the Maintenance of a vaft Army muft occafion; for what is taken by Violence abroad never goes to leffen the Contribution at home. Besides, if we look back into the Account of the MS. before quoted, it appears that he had fix times whole Tenths and Fifteenths, and feveral Subfidies and other Impofitions, which convince us that our Hiftorians have been very fhort in tranfmitting to

L

Pofterity

Pofterity the exact Accounts of what Taxes were given in thofe Days.

The fifth Year there were granted two Tenths of the Clergy, and one Fifteenth of the Laity. Thus it feems the Clergy were oblig'd with very grievous Supplies to purchase their Peace, that by giving a confiderable Part they might prevent the feizing of the whole.

Here again there is an Interruption concerning Monies levy'd till the ninth Year of this Reign. Our Authors are fo full of their Conceits and the Actions in France, that for the most part they forget to take notice of any thing done in England. They fpend all their Eloquence upon extolling the warlike Exploits, leaving us almoft in the dark as to other political Tranfactions; or, at beft, give fuch imperfect Accounts, as afford us but weak Ideas of them. The History of our Parliaments is one of the most principal Branches we ought to have been acquainted with, and yet nothing is more lightly flurr'd over than that. Our Conquefts, as has been faid, are long fince gone from us, Parliaments ftill remain, and it would be a piece of Information much more worthy our Curiofity, and better for our Inftruction, to have right Notions of the Original of Parliaments, and how they advanc'd themfelves from fuch inconfiderable Beginning to the immenfe Power they now poffefs, than to spend our Time in reading how God permitted the English to invade and over-run France, as a Punishment for the Sins of thofe People, and when he had fufficiently chaftiz'd them, rais'd their Spirits again fo as to be able to expel thofe bold Conquerors, and rid themfelves from the Sovereignty of foreign Masters; the which Work of God ferves the Readers only to puff themselves up with the empty Remembrance of

what

what their Forefathers did, and to conceit themfelves great Heroes, because fuch mighty Deeds were perform'd by their Ancestors, tho' they themfelves never look'd an Enemy in the Face,

Befides all the Sums of Money levy'd as aforesaid, it appears, that King rais'd very much by pawning of Jewels, and even thofe of the Crown, with other things of Value; all which, after his Decease, the Parliament order'd to be redeem'd, or left to the Poffeffors for ever, as may be seen in the Statutes of the firft Year of King Henry VI. cap. 5. in the following Words:

And mozeover the King will, and hath ozdained of the said Affent, that all they, tá whom the laid King his Father hath delivered Gayes, Jewels, and other Things, shall be bcfoze the King's Councell befoze the Feaft of St. John Baptift next coming, with the fame Things and Jewels. And in cale they be not latisfied of their Dueties, o2 within halfe a Beere after the lame Feaft; then they, after the faide halfe Peere, hall have all the faide Jewels andThings in Peace and without Impeachment of the King, paying to the King all that the fame Jewels and Things thall be found of greater Halue then that werefoze they were put in Gage, unleffe they be ancient Jewels of the Crowne: And that they and their Heires, Land-Tenants, and Executos, and every of them, thall be of the fame Jewels and Things, which be not ancient Jewels of the Crowne, quit and discharged against the King, after the halfe Peere, for ever.

The Cotton MS. p. 64. is very fhort as to this King's Reign, and fums up all in a few Words

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thus:

thus: King Henry V. in his firft Year, a Subfidy of Staple Ware; Tonnage and Poundage for four Years, as in the 13th of King Henry IV. upon fundry Conditions; and in the fecond, two Difmes, and two Fifteenths, to be levied of the Laity; and in the fourth, the like; and in the fifth, one Difme, and one Fifteenth ; and in the seventh, one Fifteenth, one Difme, and a Third of either; and in the ninth, one Difme, and one Fifteenth.

Thus we fee the whole Reign was a Succeffion of Taxes and Impofitions on the Subjects to carry on the Wars in France, on which Account they readily fubmitted to all the Oppreffion, tho' fo great that the inferior People were entirely wafted and confum'd, all the Wealth of France taken by Rapine being lavish'd abroad in Excess and Luxury. Princes that delight in War are certainly the greateft Politicians, according to the worldly Policy, which has no regard to Religion, or any other View than temporal Intereft, the great Idol of the Generality of Mankind. That they are fo is plain, in that cafting fuch a Mift before the Eyes of the Subjects, who are led away by fpecious Pretences, tho' never fo groundlefs, they keep them in fuch a continual State of Blindness, as not to see their own Ruin carry'd on under the Colour of destroying thofe they have an Averfion to, and therefore fpend their own Substance, and become Beggars, to fatiate their Malice against others. In the mean time Sovereigns and their Favourites, without the leaft Oppofition, enjoy the Spoil of their own and their neighbouring Countries. If they happen to fail of Succefs abroad, the Loffes muft be made good at home, in hopes of making amends for paft Difappointments; but if Providence fo orders it that they prove victorious, they are thereby enabled to do the more Mischief to those they have made

their Enemies, and no lefs to their own People, who being dazzled with the Reports of great Advantages gain'd, are fo dull as never to obferve that they are putting out their Money for others to receive the Intereft, and themselves to lofe the Principal. A peaceable Prince, who only ftudies the Eafe of his Subjects, tho' ever so frugal, is always grudg'd the leaft Duty that is paid him; becaufe Peace and Plenty make Men wanton, and then like pamper'd Horfes they will kick and wince, not for that the Rider is heavy, for that will make them quiet, but because they are too well fed; for as the infallible Word of God tells us, Behold this was the Iniquity of thy Sifter Sodom, Pride, Fulness of Bread, and Abundance of Idlenefs, Ezek. xvi. 49. The fame may be faid of other Nations.

BY

Y many reputed a Saint, as having been a Man of much Piety and Virtue in all his Behaviour, if we only except his holding and contending for a Crown, he could not but know he had no Right to, with the Expence of very much Blood and Treafure. How to reconcile Sanctity with fo much Slaughter and Defolation in Defence of an unjuft Title, is I believe unknown to the greater part of Mankind. I will not in the leaft go about to depreciate that religious Courfe of Life he is by all Writers allow'd to have liv'd, yet cannot but wonder that fo nice a Confcience fhould never be mov'd with the Reflection of the manifeft Wrong done to his Neighbour. His own Excufe on this Account is very frivolous: He alledg'd, that the Crown had been tranfmitted to him by his Father and Grandfather; and that it came to him when he