d,(491) the king
sent orders to the City to hold its forces in readiness to march under the
leadership of two of its aldermen, John de Pulteney and Reginald de
Conduit.(492) A commission to seize ships in the port of London to the
king's use, resulted in the detention of six ships.(493)

(M285)

At length, the friendly attitude which Philip of Valois had taken up
towards Scotland, much to Edward's prejudice, determined the latter to go
in person to France for the purpose, not only of defending his possessions
there, but also of enforcing his claim to the French crown. The year 1337
was devoted to active preparations for the struggle. The City of London,
in spite of its franchise, was called upon to furnish 500 men at arms, and
to send them to Portsmouth by Whitsuntide.(494) The date was subsequently
altered to Trinity Sunday.(495) The king took occasion to find fault with
the city's dilatoriness in executing his demands, as well as with the
physique of the men that were being supplied. At the request of the mayor,
Sir John de Pulteney (he had recently received the honour of
knighthood(496)), the number of men to be furnished was reduced to 200,
the rest to be supplied on further notice.(497)

(M286)

When Parliament met in London in February, the City made presents of money
to the king, the queen, the chancellor, the treasurer, and others,(498)
for no other purpose apparently, but to win their favour. In the following
month the City obtained a charter declaring its liberties and customs to
be unaffected by the recent statute establishing free trade,(499) when
presents in money or kind were again made to the officers of state.(500)

(M287)

The services which the mayor had done the city in the work of obtaining
this charter were acknowledged by a gift of two silver basins and the sum
of L20 from his fellow citizens.(501) It was by Pulteney's influence that
the king consented to allow a sum of 1,000 marks to be taken into account
at a future assessment for a fifteenth, instead of insisting upon its
being a free gift from the citizens.(502)

(M288)

In March, 1337, a statute forbade the importation of wool, as a
preliminary to the imposition of an additional custom, and in the
following year parliament granted the king half the wool of the
kingdom.(503) The Londoners having no wool of their own, paid a
composition,(504) and were often reduced to sore straits. Thus in April,
1339, an assessment had to be made in t