nt, or relapsing after
recantation, so that he might pay the penalty of being publicly burnt
before the people.(738) It was the first English law passed for the
suppression of religious opinion, and its first victim is said to have
been one William Sautre, formerly a parish priest of Norfolk.(739)

(M393)

Henry had other difficulties to face besides opposition from the nobles.
France had refused to acknowledge his title to the crown, and demanded the
restoration of Richard's widow, a mere child of eleven. The Scots(740) and
the Welsh were on the point of engaging in open insurrection. Invasion was
imminent; the exchequer was empty, and the Londoners appealed to could
offer no more than a paltry loan of 4,000 marks.(741)

(M394)

As time went on, Henry had to try new methods for raising money. The
parliament which met at the opening of 1404, granted the king a 1_s._ in
the pound on all lands, tenements and rents, besides 20_s._ for every
knight's fee. The money so raised was not, however, to be at the disposal
of the king's own ministers, but was to be placed in the hands of four
officials to be known as treasurers of war (_Guerrarum Thesaurarii_). The
names of the treasurers elected for the purpose are given as John Owdeby,
clerk, John Hadley, Thomas Knolles, and Richard Merlawe, citizens of
London.(742) Three of these were citizens of note. Hadley had already
served as mayor in 1393, Knolles had filled the same office in 1399, and
was re-elected in 1410, whilst Merlawe was destined to attain that honour
both in 1409 and 1417.

(M395)

It was during Merlawe's first mayoralty that the citizens advanced to the
king the sum of 7,000 marks,(743) to enable him to complete the reduction
of Wales, which his son, the Prince of Wales, had already nearly
accomplished. In 1412 they advanced a further sum of 10,000 marks.(744) At
the beginning of that year a commission was addressed by Henry to Robert
Chichele, the mayor, brother of the archbishop of the same name, to the
sheriffs of the city, to Richard Whitington and Thomas Knolles, the late
mayor, instructing them to make a return of the amount of land and
tenements held in the city and suburbs, with the view of levying 6_s._
8_d._ on every L20 annual rent by virtue of an act passed by the late
parliament.(745) A return was made to the effect that it was very
difficult to discover the true value of lands and tenements in the city
and suburbs, owing to absence of tenants