For those who would reform Pennsylvania’s system of taxation, history holds many valuable lessons. Consider this scene being carried out almost exactly 800 years ago. King John needed money for his army since losses in war greatly reduced the wealth of the kingdom, and a huge tax would have to be raised in order to rebuild his army. King John raised much of this treasure by increasing land taxes on Barons, and scutage (feudal payment to an overlord replacing direct military service) eleven times in his seventeen years as king, as compared to eleven times by the previous three monarchs over a four decade period. The last two of his increases doubled prior tax levels. (He also imposed the first income tax in English history, but it didn’t last)