19"] IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY. 501 



ment on the ground that they had dehased the coinage, and each one 

 had his right hand struck off. Under Henry II. there was a great 

 amount of coining, of which the details may be followed in the Pipe 

 Rolls, as far as they are accessible. In addition, instruments of 

 credit came into use, especially bills of exchange, which greatly in- 

 creased the amount of capital. The Templars in their house at Paris 

 received deposits, and gave orders upon their house in Jerusalem. 

 In doing this, they were probably imitating the example of the Jews, 

 who had long used such papers ; and we find the example of the 

 Templars, or of the Jews, imitated by others, so that, e. g., by 1188 

 bills of exchange had become very common in Hamburg. 



The extravagance of the age is well depicted in the literature. 

 The knightly hero is always lavish in his gifts and entertainments, 

 as well as in his attire. Sumptuous banquets, where the boards lit- 

 erally groaned under the weight of the dishes, were the fashion. 

 Large stone castles were built and richly adorned, and in these the 

 number of attendants increased greatly. The armor became more 

 costly ; the legal expenses, from which the nobles were never free, 

 mounted up ; but the main source of out-go was the necessity of 

 keeping up the style of living demanded by the fashion of the day. 

 Consequentlv the knight had to spend much more, and the minstrels 

 sang only of those who were generous. Even the fathers and 

 mothers in their advice urged their sons to give freely and never to 

 be niggardly. 



There were great opportunities to acquire wealth. One of the 

 men who improved his chances to the best advantage was Suger. 

 He was of peasant stock and was educated at the Monastery of St. 

 Denis, where he became intimate with the prince who later was 

 known as Louis \ I. of France. The intimacy always continued, and 

 after the death of Louis \l., Suger, who was then Abbot of St. 

 Denis, acted as regent of France during the absence of Louis \TI. 

 on the crusade. During the time of the king's expedition, Suger 

 paid all the expenses of the kingdom of France out of his own for- 

 tune. He had previously restored and beautified the church of St. 

 Denis at his own expense. And he still had enough wealth, so that 

 in the last year of his life he planned to equip and finance a crusade 



