424 A. D. 1272. 



the language of the people vvhofe fouls were committed to their paftoral 

 charge by the unerring father of Chriflendom, if they did Uve among 

 them, but who relided moflly in Italy, and drew their penfions to that 

 country, amounted in the year 1245 to fixty thoufand marks, and in 

 1252 rofe to feventy thoufand. [M. Paris, pp. 658, 859.] If the royal 

 revenue had been even judicioufly managed, fuch fums fent out of the 

 country without any vahie in return (nor v/ere they all that went out 

 for nothing) were fufficient to keep the kingdom in perpetual diftrefs. 

 It is no wonder then, that fuch a manager as Henry was continually 

 embarrafled, and indebted to all who would give him any credit, among 

 whom the merchants of Luca, Florence, and Sienna, the Caurfini fettled 

 in London, and his own brother Richard, are the moll confpicuous. 

 [Fa^dera, V. i, pp. 544, 6^c^.—^above, pp. 400, 422.] In the year 1255 

 he declared, as an apology for his exadions, that his debts, which may 

 alfo be called the national debts, amounted to three millions of marks, 

 which, if it was true, was a moft aftonifbing fum *. [M. Parts, p. 902.] 

 In the year 1222, upon a lumping fettlement of the arrears of the joint- 

 ure of Queen Berengaria, the widov/ of Richard I, payable in England, 

 ((he probably had other appointments in the French territories of the 

 kings of England f) it was fettled at one thoufand pounds a-year. 

 [Fcedera, V. i, p. 242.] Henry ftated the revenue appointed for the efta- 

 bliihment of his oldeft fon at fifteen thoufand marks. But he brought 

 it forward unfairly, when apologizing for his exadions, feeing it arofe 

 from the duchy of Gafcoigne, and lands in Ireland. [M. Paris, p. 902. 

 — Fcedera, V. i, p. 500.] A knight, whofe lands produced ^150 a-year, 

 was thought very rich ; and to-be-fure fo he was. But John Manfel, 

 a clergyman, ftatefman, and warrior, by monopolizing a great number 

 of churches, had an income of 4,000 marks. No clergyman, indeed, 

 had ever before poffeflcd fuch an income : and people wondered, that a. 

 man of his prudence could forget, that he mufl: render an account of the 

 prodigious num^ber of fouls he hadprefumed to take the care of. Warine 

 de Muntchemfil, one of the noblcfl; and wifefl men of England, died in 

 the year 1255, poITeired of above two hundred thoufand marks, a fum 

 which may be pronounced almoft incredible :|;. [M. Paris, pp. 859, 908, 



The queen dowager of Scotland, being entitled to a third of the net 



* The iiitered on tlic king's dchts, though con- f Queen Ah'tnoia, tlic widow of Henry III, 



fic'.ered by Mathew Paris as utterly ruinous to '.he had an annual income of ^f 2,000 fterling from 



kingdom, would not have been livo ptr cail per an- Gafcoigne. \_Rjt. f>at. 8 Ediu. I, m. 10. J 

 num on the debt here Rated by Henry. But .is % By the moil probable account, the treafure 



wc cannot fnppofe that the intenll was lower than accumulated by Henry H, one of the mofl power- 



ttn ptr cent, it may wlII be prefnined, tiiat the prin- ful and prudeiit of the kings of England, during 



cipal could not be fo much as 600,000 marks, or a long leign, was not near fo much. See nbove, 



^^400,': CO; a fum fufficicntly dillrcl'sful to the p. 346. 

 kingdom, and alfo, moft probably, to the creditors, 

 when the art of funding was unknown. 



