14 INTRODUCTORY. 



English people then, as probably the English people now, were 

 under the impression that a foreign empire contributes to the 

 greatness, the strength, the reputation, and the wealth of 

 England. Again, they thought their kings had been wronged 

 by the violation of the treaty of Bretigny, the Great Peace as it 

 was called, and that it behoved them to revive the time when 

 all France south of the Loire was annexed permanently and 

 without any feudal relation to the English Crown. Nor were 

 there wanting solid reasons why they should desire the posses- 

 sion of some part of Southern Europe. As long as England 

 possessed Guienne, wine was cheap in England, and the English 

 people consumed a considerable quantity of French wine as 

 long as it was cheap. Salt too was an important article of 

 consumption, and was procured certainly and cheaply from 

 Southern France. Long after the loss of the French provinces, 

 Henry the Eighth stipulated in his treaties with France for 

 a regular supply of salt from that country, under the name 

 Sal de Brouage 1 . 



Again, it was believed that the acquisition and retention 

 of the whole or of part of France would relieve the English of 

 those burdens which the necessities of the sovereign constantly 

 imposed on the people through the Parliament. The English 

 army, which was singularly efficient in action, owing doubtless 

 to the fact that it was recruited by voluntary enlistment and was 

 carefully drilled, was a very costly instrument. The pay of the 

 soldier was ample, and as far as the commissariat of the time 

 could secure it, his needs were well attended to. In 1452, 

 during some of the efforts which the country was making to 

 recover what had been lost, the House of Commons granted 

 the king, by an assessment made on the several counties, and 

 on which I shall have to comment hereafter, the services of 

 13,000 archers, who were to be equipped at the charge of the 

 the several counties, and to be paid at the rate of sixpence 

 a day, this being of course exclusive of provisions. Now six- 

 pence a day in the fifteenth century was the full rate of wages 



1 See Corps Diplomatique, vol. iv. part I, p. 474, Treaty of Apr. 30, 1527. 



