174 THE WAR FINANCES OF HENRY V April Early in March 1417 the king began to borrow to meet immediate war expenses, granting the Londoners half the wool subsidy in return for half of a loan of 10,000 marks. 1 By letters under the privy seal he summoned leading men of the realm to meetings at Reading and Salisbury to make him loans.' 2 Similar missives went to all the clergy, from archbishops to chaplains, requesting them to advance money to the royal com- missioners appointed to receive the same, 3 and in May messengers were sent to get the money. 4 There was no escaping these royal 'requests ', for the commissioners had the authority to assess the amounts to be borrowed, 5 and men who had promised to pay were not permitted to neglect their pledges. 6 With the assembling of the army the need for money to pay the soldiers necessitated renewed borrowing, 7 and funds were secured from the Londoners by pawning to them a jewelled sword, 8 from other cities, 9 from wealthy prelates and ecclesiastics on other and similar securities, 10 and from foreign merchants. 11 Again, when the expedition which conquered Normandy was about to sail, commissioners were sent out to raise another loan throughout the country, but after two months they could report only failure, because the persons approached pleaded poverty. 12 The sum total borrowed during Easter term (11 April — 29 September) 1417 was £34,146 17s. Id., of which more than two- thirds was obtained from a few individuals. 13 In addition, the ransoms obtained from the captive French nobles taken at Agincourt still further augmented the revenue, providing large sums which, when coming to the king, furnished means for prosecuting the war, and when accruing to English captains gave them and 1 Calendar of the London Letter Books, i. 176 : Issue Roll 629, m. 16 ; Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Henry V, ii. 67 : Issue Roll 633, m. 1. The last reference records the repayment on 4 October 1417 of the 5,000 marks not covered by the wool subsidy grant. 2 Issue Roll 630, m. 2. In Issue Roll 633, mm. 3, 4, 7, 8, 14, 18, is record of repay- ment to six individuals of sums borrowed in March. 3 Kingsford, ubi supra. 4 Tssue Roll 630, m. 2. 5 British Museum, Cotton. MS., Cleopatra F. vi, fo. 228 (old foliation 289). 6 Sloane MS. 4601, fo. 54. 7 Cott. MS., Cleop. F. vi, fo. 228 (old foliation 289). 8 Col. of London Letter Books, i. 202, 214. 9 Col. of Pat. Rolls, Henry V, ii. 111. 18 Ibid. pp. 112, 279; Rymer, Foedera,ix. 460-1 ; Rotidi Parliam. iv. 111. 11 The Florentines provided 13,333 ' scutis boni et puri auri ' (Chancery Enrolment 267, Close Roll, 5 Henry V, m. 16 d ). 12 Rymer, ix. 499-500. 13 Receipt Roll 677 passim. Computing the gold crown at Is. (Kenyon, Gold Coins of England, p. 211), there remains only £9,487 17s. Id. unaccounted for from the preceding references. During the same term there is recorded repayment of loans to the extent of £8,182 3s. 4d. (Issue Roll 633). In the preceding term £18,500 had been borrowed and £19,000 repaid (Issue Roll 629 ; Receipt Roll 675).
