1921 AND THE DUKE OF BEDFORD 197 1328. For the year 1419-20, when the English collected only the ordinary revenue, the financial burden upon the people was less than in England, namely 5 s.t, 4d. (9k/. sterling) per head. By 1421-2 this had been increased to 10 s.t. (Is. M. sterling), and in 1423-4 to 14 s.t. 3d. (2s. 2c?. sterling). The uncertainty as to the accuracy of the estimates of population makes it necessary to consider these figures as merely suggested. If the population had been as great as in 1328 the above results would have to be more than halved. It seems doubtful if they would have to be increased in any circumstances. At this time a Norman carpenter got a daily wage of 5 s.t. 1 (9c?. sterling). In the years of heaviest taxation in England (1416-17) the average per head was Is. 9c?. and Is. 3c?. sterling respectively. From this it appears that, at its worst, taxation in England threw on the country an average burden per head equivalent to three and one-half days' wages for a carpenter at the maximum wage. This was at the beginning of the period of conquest. By the end of the period" under con- sideration England has been relieved and Normandy is bearing taxation the average individual burden of which equalled less than three days' wages for a carpenter. The difference, of course, which cannot be measured, lies in the fact that in the latter instance the tax was levied by an alien conqueror upon the country which had been the seat of war. These considerations of Norman taxation include, in addition to the ' taille ', the regular income, which in 1423-4 amounted to 160,829 livres tournois. 2 In addition Bedford had the French treasury receipts, which in 1423 totalled 125,896 livres tournois, and in the following year 146,303 livres tournois. 3 He also appealed to the pope for permission to tax the French clergy to the extent of 12,000 gold florins. 4 Whether or not this was done does not appear. Taken altogether, we may perhaps estimate his annual revenue at about 560,000 livres tournois, equivalent to £84,000. 5 That this was insufficient may quickly be concluded by comparison with the receipts and expenditure of the English Poissy, Pontoise, &c, 1-5 (Bib. Nat., Fonds Francais, 4486, pp. 71 f.). The levy of December 1422 shows comparatively slight variations (Exchequer Accts. 188/7). In 1328 distribution was : Rouen, 21-65 ; Gisors, 22-13 ; Caux, 15 ; Caen, 18-22 ; Cotentin, 23. 1 D'Avenel, Histoire Economique de la Propriete, des Salaires, des Denrees, iii. 589. 2 Bib. Nat., Fonds Francais, 4485, passim. 3 Ritter, Bibliotheque de VEcole des Chartes, lxxiii. 472-3, 478-9, 480, 482. 4 Souillie, p. 747. If the florin was worth as much in 1424 as it was in 1346 this would be equivalent to 146,400 livres tournois (Natalis de Wailly, Memoire sur les Variations de la Livre Tournois, p. 62). 8 This result is obtained by adding to Surreau's receipts for 1423-4 (Bib. Nat., Fonds Francais, 4485, p. 145) the mean between the French receipts for 1423 and 1424 (Ritter, loc. cit). If the receipts for the same months as Surreau's account covers were substituted, the result would be about 28,000 livres tournois less.
