1921 AND THE DUKE OF BEDFORD 191 collection had been inaugurated. 1 This levy differed from the first in that payment was to be in ' forte monnaie ' instead of the debased coinage which had been accepted in March. 2 Although collection continued throughout the summer, by August there still remained arrears amounting to 20,000 livres tournois. 3 It was consequently deemed prudent to collect the remaining 240,000 livres tournois in two terms instead of one as had originally been planned. Orders to collect half this sum were accordingly issued on 20 August 1421. 4 Subsequently another term was added, two levies of 60,000 livres tournois each being made in 1422, the second after Henry's death. 5 Meanwhile collection of the second ' dime ', ordered in December 1421, 6 took place in January, 7 and in the following April Henry undertook^to collect arrears of the * dime ' voted to Charles VI before the English invasion, most of which was still unpaid. 8 The failure of Alington and Surreau to mention any receipts from this source makes it doubt- ful if anything was obtained. Considering the ' taille ' as a whole it appears that Henry succeeded in collecting something between 250,000-300,000 of the 400,000 livres tournois voted. 9 Henry V's death, followed so quickly by that of Charles VI, produced new political conditions which reacted immediately upon the financial situation. Although the personal union of England
and France was theoretically accomplished by the proclamation
of the infant Henry VI, the division of authority between Bedford and Gloucester made the administrative separation practically complete. Bedford's household might replace the king's as an administrative organ, but it had no relations with the English exchequer because Bedford himself, being only regent of France, had no official connexion with the London treasury. The problem which for him was even more acute than it had been for his brother was that of making the conquered country pay for the war. His position was an improvement over that of the French government before 1417 only in so far as his possession 1 Roles de Brequigny, 1375. 2 One good livre tournois was worth four debased ones (Foreign Accts. 69 F r ). For parish rolls see Bib. Nat., Fonds Francais, 25907, nos. 1011 ff. ; Bib. de Rouen, Y 29, t. 2, nos. 53-8. 3 Roles de Brequigny, 1022. * 4 Ibid. See also Bib. Nat., Fonds Francais, 26044, nos. 5658-60. 5 Col. of Norm. Rolls, 42. 449. This levy was short over 9,000 livres. tournois (Exchequer Accts. 188/7, ff. 10 v -17 r ). For the fifth levy see Arch, du Calvados F, Fonds Danquin, Serie Auge. 6 Cal. of Norm. Rolls, 42. 434 ; Rymer, x. 225. 7 Exchequer Accts. 188/7, fo. 17 v . 8 Rymer, x. 103. 9 Roles de Brequigny, 1022 ; Exchequer Accts. 188/7, passim ; Foreign Accts. 61 B v . The maximum'ngure obtainable is 272,035 livres tournois 9s. 4d., equivalent to £40,805 5s. In 1423-4 the arrears of Henry's levies were still being collected (Bib. Nat., Fonds Francais, 4485, pp. 63-7).
