thority, the title of Raymond. Henry found that
it would be requisite to support his pretensions against potent
antagonists; and that nothing but a formidable army could maintain a
claim which he had in vain asserted by arguments and manifestoes.

An army composed of feudal vassals was commonly very intractable and
undisciplined, both because of the independent spirit of the persons
who served in it, and because the commands were not given either by the
choice of the sovereign or from the military capacity and experience of
the officers. Each baron conducted his own vassals: his rank was greater
or less, proportioned to the extent of his property: even the supreme
command under the prince was often attached to birth; and as the
military vassals were obliged to serve only forty days at their own
charge, though, if the expedition were distant, they were put to great
expense, the prince reaped little benefit from their attendance. Henry,
sensible of these inconveniences, levied upon his vassals in Normandy
and other provinces, which were remote from Toulouse, a sum of money
in lieu of their service; and this commutation, by reason of the
great distance, was still more advantageous to his English vassals. He
imposed, therefore, a scutage of one hundred and eighty thousand pounds
on the knights' fees, a commutation to which, though it was unusual,
and the first perhaps to be met with in history,[*] [16] the military
tenants willingly submitted; and with this money he levied an army which
was more under his command, and whose service was more durable and
constant.

[* See note P, at the end of the volume.]

Assisted by Berenger, count of Barcelona, and Trincaval, count of
Nismes, whom he had gained to his party, he invaded the county of
Toulouse; and after taking Verdun, Castlenau, and other places, he
besieged the capital of the province, and was likely to prevail in the
enterprise; when Lewis, advancing before the arrival of his main body,
threw himself into the place with a small reenforcement. Henry was urged
by some of his ministers to prosecute the siege, to take Lewis prisoner,
and to impose his own terms in the pacification; but he either thought
it so much his interest to maintain the feudal principles, by which his
foreign dominions were secured, or bore so much respect to his superior
lord, that he declared he would not attack a place defended by him in
person; and he immediately raised the siege. He marched