ABSTRACT
Henry III's reign (1217–1272) is marked by tax discussions with the barons about “pecuniary aids”, which ultimately climaxed in the so-called Second Barons' War (1264–1267). This tax dispute received major attention in Matthew Paris's Chronica maiora. Despite the chronicler's tendency to condemn the ruler, arguments can be verified by referring to other historiographical and documentary sources. Moreover, the descriptions show reasons for the failure of pecuniary aids from an outsider's point of view: the king did not demonstrate competence in money management and refused to listen to the barons' advice. The tax discussions revealed competing understandings of the king's area of competence and rulership. Ultimately, emotional outbursts in Matthew Paris's narrative communicated the king's loss of control, which supported the image of a politically incompetent king. Clearly, a ruler had to comply with certain standards to be successful in preventing tax avoidance. The discussions around pecuniary aid revealed underlying lines of conflict.
