The chancellor of the exchequer, who announced new three-year spending plans on July 15th, positively luxuriates in his generosity with other people's money.

ECONOMIST: British public spending

Mr Mortimer nonetheless luxuriates in what he has: grants to chantries and hospitals, rewards for service, reports from ambassadors, requests for provisioning (all those thousands of longbows, arrows, barrels of beer, sides of beef) and the ceaseless pawning of a large part of Henry's treasure to pay for his whim of a war.

ECONOMIST: Henry V, English hero