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

Lancaster Council leader Eileen Blamire said she would like the city to pay a contribution to ensure the treasure is put on display in the city first.

BBC: Hopes to buy Silverdale Viking hoard for Lancaster

Means are how much are we willing to pay, both in terms of lives and treasure.

NPR: Scoring the War in Iraq: Who's Winning?

Gates and Obama, there is a time-tested reality: We can pay now for peace through strength, or pay later and vastly more in lives and treasure for the costs of failing to achieve that peace through our provocative weakness.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Peace Despite Weakness?