wool.

II.

2. But in addition to tallages the financiers CHAP. of the age had discovered several other methods of raising money. The duty on the exportation Duties on of wool and hides furnished a plentiful source of revenue. By ancient custom the king's officers levied in the outports half a mark on every sack of wool, the same sum on three hundred wool-fells, and a whole mark on the last of hides.116 But Edward, by the illegal imposition of the maltolte, had proved that these articles could bear a considerable increase of duty, which would fall, it was contended, not on the native merchant, but on the foreign consumer: and when the second war with France demanded extraordinary exertions, the custom was annually raised by parliamentary authority, till in the course of seven years it had reached to fifty shillings on the sack of wool, the same sum on twelve score wool-fells, and five pounds and a mark on the last of hides. 117 3. In addi

1

manere comme la darreine quinzismes feust levee, et ne mye en autre manere. Ibid. 148. Saunz nul encresce. Ibid. 159.

116 To give an advantage to the English over the foreign merchant, wherever the former paid a mark, the latter paid a pound. Ibid. 273.

117 Foreigners instead of 2l. 10s. paid 3l. 6s. 8d.; and instead of 5l. 13s. 4d. the sum of 6l. 6s. 8d. (Ibid. 300.) The sack of wool contained 26 stone, or 364 pounds (Ibid. 142.) It differed greatly in quality and price. In 1343 the parliament raised the price 50 per cent., when the best wool, or that of Shropshire and Lincoln, sold for 14 marks the sack, exclusive of the duty, and the worst, or that of Cornwall, at no more than 4 marks. Ibid. 138. Hence it appears that there is a mistake in the estimate of the goods of VOL. IV.

N

Tonnage and

CHAP. tion the king also received the duty afterwards known by the appellation of tonnage and poundage, of two shillings on every ton of wine impoundage. ported, and of sixpence on every pound of goods imported or exported. It was granted on condition that he should keep a fleet at sea for the protection of commerce, and was at first voted from year to year, not by the two houses of parliament, but by the citizens and burgesses, who alone were concerned in the pursuits of trade.118 Soon, however, it was discovered that the new duty, as far it regarded imports, was paid in reality by the consumers: and the lords and commons, instead of petitioning against it, as they had done against the maltolte, made it legal by Tax on pa- granting it themselves.119 4. In 1371 the clergy voted a supply to the king of fifty thousand pounds, to be levied on their benefices: and the laity an equal sum, to be raised by assessment on the different parishes. Taking the number of parishes to be forty-five thousand, it was calculated that the charge on each would amount to the average sum of twenty-two shillings and threepence. The parliament was dismissed: but, when the returns were made, it was found, that the number of parishes was not much more than eight thousand six hundred, and the sum

rishes.

William Miller mentioned before. Probably for 1lb. we should read 1 stone-petra not libra.

118 Ibid. 310

119 Ibid. 317.

II.

raised would not exceed ten thousand pounds. CHAP. To repair the error the king summoned a great council, composed of a certain proportion of lords and prelates, and one of the two members who sate in the last parliament as representatives of each county, city, and borough. In the writs which he issued on the occasion, he named the persons whose presence he required, and observed, that if he did not summon a full parliament, it was to relieve his people from a part of the additional expense. This council acted, however, with all the authority of a legitimate parliament. The returns of the bishops and sheriffs were examined: a new calculation was made: the rate was raised to one hundred and sixteen shillings per parish; collectors were named by the knights of the shires: and over them were appointed surveyors to inspect their proceedings. 120 It is singular that an assembly, consisting of the most intelligent persons in the kingdom, should have adopted so erroneous a calculation: but the fact may teach us to doubt the accuracy of some of their other statements, respecting the overgrown opulence of the clergy, and the enormous sums said to be drawn from England by the court of Rome.

tion of the

V. By these and similar expedients the king Constituwas enabled to maintain the armies, which were so long the terror of France, and which raised

120 Rot. Parl. ii. 304. Brady, i. 161.

army.

II.

CHAP. to so high a pitch the military renown of the nation. The feudal constitution, as it had been settled by the first William, was adapted to the purpose of defence, but unfavourable to projects of conquest. The king could indeed summon to his standard all the male population of the country, but the exercise of this right was lawful only in actual danger of invasion: he could compel his tenants to follow him to foreign war with a number of horsemen proportionate to the number of knights' fees which they held of the crown: but the obligation of service was limited to forty days, too short a space for operations which were to be conducted on a great scale, and in a distant country. Hence former kings, in their wars in France, had been willing to accept of pecuniary aids instead of personal attendance; and to raise armies of mercenaries both from their own subjects and foreign adventurers. The passion for the crusades gave a wider extension to this system: which was again restricted as the crown grew more and more impoverished under Richard, John, and Henry III. The Edwards appear to have followed no uniform plan, but to have raised their armies in such manner as circumstances suggested. Sometimes they acted with, sometimes without, the previous advice of their parliament. Occasionally they issued letters to their military tenants, soliciting their services as a favour rather than a duty, and

EDWARD III.

CHAP.

II.

praying them to bring into the field all the forces it was in their power to raise.121 On other occasions they summoned them to join the Summons of military royal standard on a certain day, with a denun- tenants. ciation of punishment against the defaulters. The writs were intrusted in the first place to the care of the sheriff, who sent a copy to each individual in the county, holding by barony of the crown, and for the information of the lesser tenants ordered proclamation to be made in all the courts, fairs, and markets. 122 The laity were commanded to attend personally, and to bring with them the number of men specified in their tenures, with an exception in favour of the aged and infirm, who were permitted to serve by substitutes:123 the clergy and females received orders to send the whole service which they owed:124 and both were generally excused, if they preferred to pay the accustomed fine.125 It was the duty of the constable and marshal to array them as soon as they arrived, and to take care that no fraud was committed in the number of men, or the state of their equipment. But

121 Rym. ii. 783. iii. 531.

122 Rym. iii. 562.

123 Intersitis cum servitio nobis debito. Rym. ii. 75. Qui ad portandum arma potentes non existunt, tales ad diem et locum prædictos ad servitium suum nobis debitum pro ipsis faciendum transmittant, quales ad illud faciendum ydoneos esse constat. Rym. ii. 75.

124 Dictis die et loco habeatis servitium nobis debitum paratum ad proficiscendum nobiscum. Ibid. p. 74. 76. See also ii. 767. iii. 148, 404. 125 Rym. ii. 650,