man,1 ^plained to thenr the reafons why he wanted money; and that two hundred thoufand « florins muft be raifed from the country, in fuch ' wife that the rich fhould pay ten francs each, the ' middling ranks five, and the poor one franc. This demand much a&onifhed his audience; for the preceding year there had been a battle in Navarre, which had caufed a tax to be laid for one hundred thoufand florins; he had, befide, in the fame year, married his daughter, the lady Jane, to the duke of Brittany, and there were large arrears of the tas for her dower yet un-paid, . ; The king having demanded their anfwer, they requeued fome time to confult together : Jie al-lowed them fifteen. days, when they were all to ' ' meet again in the fame place, that is tp fay, thofe who had come frpm the cities towns; on which they departed. • When news of this heavy tax was known, the whole cpuntry was in .confternation. At the end of the fifteen days, they affembled again at P^mpelnna, and the de-puties from the principal towns amounted to about fixty perfofis, The king woijld hear their anfwer in perfon, and he ordered them.to make it in a large orchard, which was difiant from the palace, and inclofed with high walls. . - In giving their anfwer, they explained how impofiible it was for the country to pay this new tax from the poverty of the kingdom, and from the arrears of former taxes being ftill unpaid. They were unanimous in this declaration^ and. begged pf him* for Cod's fake, • to have pity pn them, t*t8