The limits of power

[Scene: the court of King Henry VIII of England. Enter a messenger]

Messenger [bows]: Your Majesty.
The King: Good messenger. What news bring you of the "substantial" "extra" "powers", promised me by my loyal noble lords and barons of counsel?
Messenger: Good and exciting news, majesty.
The King: Good. Speak.
Messenger: Majesty. Your loyal noble lords and barons of counsel, having deliberated long and carefully, propose the following. That your majesty establishes (at his expense - they wanted me to make that bit clear) a new arm of his exchequer. That arm shall be tasked with collecting exactly the same amount of tax currently paid by your majesty's subjects (no more money at all - they wanted me to be very clear about that too)...
The King: But what's the point of...
Messenger: Hang on. Collecting exactly the same amount of tax currently paid by your majesty's subjects in a new and exciting way.
The King: "New and exciting"? How so?
Messenger: It shall be a more "transparent" way, majesty. 
[Pause]
The King: What?
Messenger [nervously]: Emm...transparent. I think it was something to do with that. Yes. I'm sure. Yes. I remember now. "Too much power over how the money is spent and not enough transparency and accountability over how it is raised".
[Pause]
The King: "Accountability"?
Messenger: Yes.
[Pause]
The King: Can I just have a moment?
[Pause]
The King [slowly, carefully, with cold menace]: In what sense is "accountability" a "power"? Is it not, in fact, a limitation on power?
[Pause]
Messenger: Emm...
[Pause]
Omnes: To the stake! Burn him!
Messenger [as he is carried out by the mob]: No! Hang on! There was something about air guns* too!

[End]

*Some later texts read "road signs". Scholarly opinion is divided.