likely £, with another £ collected in 1190. . This was the largest tax ever collected in England, although Henry had levied other taxes for assistance to the Holy Land in 1166 and in 1185. The tithe was extremely unpopular, despite the general acknowledgement that it was, in English eyes, for a worthy cause. Because assessments were made by dioceses, Baldwin of Exeter, the Archbishop of Canterbury was especially blamed. He spent most of the year, perhaps wisely, in Wales, preaching the crusade, accompanied by the chronicler Giraldus Cambrensis. The same tithe was levied in France, but Philip did not have the same centralized government and faced much opposition which he could not control. The tithe was also levied less successfully in England's territories in France. Henry suggested that William the Lion levy the tithe in Scotland, but William refused, and English power did not yet extend so far north as to force the tithe upon the Scots. Aftermath In the end, Henry never went on crusade. In 1189, he was involved in a war with Philip and his own son Richard the Lionheart, and was accused of spending the tithe on provisions for this war. Henry died later in the year before the crusade was underway; according to Girardus, this was divine punishment for such a harsh tithe. Richard succeeded him and found the treasury full, although he collected even more money by selling land and imposing various fines throughout England. Altogether, Henry and Richard succeeded in raising silver marks with the Saladin tithe. The subsequent Third Crusade helped capture the Mediterranean coast for the remnant of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but King Richard could not conquer Jerusalem. On his return home he was taken hostage by Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194, another massive tax was imposed on England in order to raise his ransom money. It was essentially a repeat of the Saladin tithe of 1188, but in this case the tax was set at the much higher rate of 25%. The same organizational structure and machinery of collection was used to raise money for King John's wars in France in 1207. See also Taxation in medieval England References Further reading , See also out of print 1st edition English Historical Documents, Volume 2. Oxford University Press, 1979. In print edition by Archon Books. 1971. Third Crusade Taxation in medieval England Taxation in France 1188 in