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"In the reign of Hen. II. the manner of collecting it appears to have been well understood, and it forms a distinct head in the ancient Dialogue of the Exchequer, written in the time of that prince. From that time it was regularly claimed and enjoyed by all the queens consort of England until the death of Henry VIII.; though, after the accession of the Tudor family, the collecting of it seems to have been much neglected," which agrees with the fact of no sum being entered under that head in these accounts. "There being no queens consort afterwards, until the accession of James I., the nature and quantity of the queen's gold became matter of doubt, and on the subject being referred to the Judges, their report was so unfavourable to the queen's claim, that she never exacted it." In the llth Car. I., the king, on the petition of Queen Henrietta Maria, issued his writ for levying it; but afterwards purchased it for her for 10,000 l., "finding it, perhaps, too trifling and troublesome to levy;" and since that time no attempt has been made to collect this revenue, the value of which was nearly destroyed by the aboliltion of military tenures at the Restoration. -- Blackstone's Commentaries, i. 220, 222.
"A bedde he had ryght well ydyght
With ryche clothus of ryght gode aray."
Legend of St. Ede of Wilton, stanza 296
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