s for resisting an enemy.
This was the era when the feudal militia in England gave place to one
which was perhaps still less orderly and regular.

* Rymer, vol, ix. p. 254, 255.

We have an authentic and exact account of the ordinary revenue of the
crown during this reign; and it amounts only to fifty-five thousand
seven hundred and fourteen pounds ten shillings and tenpence a year. [*]
This is nearly the same with the revenue of Henry III.; and the kings
of England had neither become much richer nor poorer in the course of so
many years. The ordinary expense of the government amounted to forty-two
thousand five hundred and seven pounds sixteen shillings and tenpence;
so that the king had a surplus only of thirteen thousand two hundred and
six pounds fourteen shillings for the support of his household; for his
wardrobe; for the expense of embassies; and other articles. This sum was
nowise sufficient: he was therefore obliged to have frequent recourse
to parliamentary supplies, and was thus, even in time of peace, not
altogether independent of his people. But wars were attended with a
great expense, which neither the prince's ordinary revenue, nor the
extraordinary supplies, were able to bear; and the sovereign was always
reduced to many miserable shifts, in order to make any tolerable figure
in them. He commonly borrowed money from all quarters; he pawned his
jewels, and sometimes the crown itself;[**] he ran in arrears to his
army; and he was often obliged, notwithstanding all these expedients, to
stop in the midst of his career of victory, and to grant truces to the
enemy. The high pay which was given to soldiers agreed very ill with
this low income. All the extraordinary supplies, granted by parliament
to Henry during the course of his reign, were only seven tenths and
fifteenths, about two hundred and three thousand pounds.[***] It is
easy to compute how soon this money must be exhausted by armies of
twenty-four thousand archers and six thousand horse; when each archer
had sixpence a day,[****] and each horseman two shillings. The most
splendid successes proved commonly fruitless when supported by so poor a
revenue; and the debts and difficulties which the king thereby incurred,
made him pay dear for his victories. The civil administration, likewise,
even in time of peace, could never be very regular, where the government
was so ill enabled to support itself.

* Rymer, vol. x. p. 113.

** Rymer, vol. x