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SIR JOHN FROISSART
Chronicles of England, France, Spain and the adjoining countries
from the latter part of the reign of Edward II to the coronation of Henry IV. Vol.8
page 112
have been throtWi into confufioii. indeed, Î be-lieve there was little ' doUbt of it j for the great lords, fuch as prelates, abbots j and rich citizens " were panic-ftruck, but the commonalty and pooref fort held it very cheap. Such knights and fquires as were not rich, but eager for renown, were delighted, and faid to each other,—' Lord, what fine times are coming, fince the king of France intends to vifit us! He is a valiant king and of great enterprife : there has not been fikh ft one in France thefe three hundred years. He will make his people good men at arms; and blefled may he be for thinking to invade us ; for certainly Wes fhall be all flain or made powerfully rich : one or other muft happen.' , *
If the preparations for this invafion were great in France, thofe in England, for its defence, were not iefs fo, as 1 have before mentioned, and will therefore flightly return to it.
The taxes in England were equally heavy with thofe in France ; but though they were very op* preffive, the common people faid they ought not to complain, for they were raifed for the defence of the country, and paid to knights and fquires to guard their lands, and they were their labourers, who provided them with food, and the fheep from whom they took the wool ; but, if England fhoùld be conquered, they would ' be the greateft Iofers. No one was exempted from the payment of thefe taxes, fo that two millions of florins were raifed for the defence of the country, and paid into the hands of the archbifhop of York, the earl of H % Oxford,
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