Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/359

 RENT-ROLL OF THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM. 207 True it is, that we fiiul, in old inventories, vast quantities of plate the property of individuals — Sir John Fastulfe, for instance, one of the heroes of Agincourt, possessed not less than 13,400 ounces of silver in flagons and other massive articles, and the bed-rooms at Caister were furnished with luxuries which would then, perhaps, be regarded as eil'enii- uate f still, ordinarily, great simplicity prevailed. Carpets were used only as coverings for tables and sideboards ; some- times for chairs. Hay and rushes served for floors. A. few oaken benches and tables, raised on strong tressells, and a pair of andirons or dogs, generally formed the whole inventory of the best furnished apartment. In the reign of Edward I., says Mr. Hallam — " An income of 101. or 20/. was reckoned a competent estate for a gentleman ; at least the lord of a single manor would seldom have enjoyed more. A knight who possessed 150/. per annum passed for extremely rich."'-" His income was comparatively free from taxation, and its expenditui-e was lightened by the services of his villeins. Sir John Fortescue speaks of 5/. a year as " a fair living for a yeoman," a class whose importance he is not at all inclined to diminish.^ Dr. Henry, eighty years ago, observed : — "It seems to be abundantly evident, that inferior clergymen, yeomen, respectable tradesmen, and others in the middle ranks of life, could have lived as plentifully, in the fifteenth century, on an income of 51. a year, of the money of that age, as those of the same rank can live on ten times that nominal, or five times that real income, that is, on 50/. a year, at present. " The precious metals of gold and silver," he continues, " have indeed greatly increased in Britain since those times ; but we must not therefore imagine, that we are so much richer than our ancestors ; because as these metals increased in quantity, they decreased in value and efficacy."" To proceed with our illustrations. We have particulars of the pay of Edward the Thii-d's army in the twentieth year of his reign. That of the Black Prince was 20.y. per diem. The sum total is 12,720/., for which, says Barrington,'' an army and fleet of 31,294 men were to be paid and subsisted for sixteen months. In the expedition made by John Duke of Norfolk (then 8 Archaeol. vol. xxi. p.234. - Henry's Hist. Eiip., vol. x. p. 27X » Hallain's Middle Ages, vol. iii. p. 451. ^ Observations ou the Statutes, p. 20 <. • Ibid. VOL. VIII. " O