ded their own armed dependent vassals,
and he directed the sheriffs to command the minor tenants-in-chief
and supply them with equipment. A baron could assemble an army in
a day, but might use it to resist any perceived misgovernment by a
king. Armed conflict did not interfere much with daily life
because the national wealth was still composed mostly of flocks
and herds and simple buildings. Machinery, furniture, and the
stock of shops were still sparse. Life would be back to normal
within a week.

Henry wanted to check this power of the barons. So he took over or
demolished their adulterine castles and restored the older
obligation of every freeman to serve in defense of the realm, the
fyrd, which was a military draft. At the King's call, barons were
to appear in mail suit and helmet with sword and horse, knights
and freeholders with 213s.[16 marks] of rent or chattels in coat
of mail with shield and lance, freeholders of 133s.[10 marks] with
lance and hauberk [coat of armor] and iron headpiece, burgesses
and poorer freemen with lance and headpiece and wambais, and such
as millers with pike and leather shirt. The spiritual and other
baronies paid a commutation for personal service, called
"scutage", at the rate of 27s. per knight's fee. Barons and
knights paid according to their knight's fee a scutage ranging
from 10s. to 27s. As of 1181, the military obligations of villeins
were defined. The master of a household was responsible for every
villein in his household. Others had to form groups of ten and
swear obedience to the chief of the group. The sheriff was
responsible for maintaining lists of men liable for military
service and procuring supplies. This national militia could be
used to maintain the peace. The sheriff could call upon the
military array of the county as a posse comitatus to take a band
of thieves into custody or to quell disorder. For foreign wars,
Henry decided to use a mercenary army and a mercenary fleet.

However, the nobility who were on the borders of the realm had to
maintain their private armies for frequent border clashes. The
other nobility now tended towards tournaments with mock foot
battles between two sides. Although subject to knightly rules,
serious injury and death often resulted. For this reason, the
church opposed them, but unsuccessfully.

New taxes replaced the Danegeld tax. Freeholders of land paid
taxes according to their ploughable land ("hidage", by the hide, and
later "