“Blood is spilled and treasure is spent.”
Who started this whole “blood and treasure” talking point? Those specific words, repeated ad nauseum.
Weve seen the phrase blood and treasure a lot lately, but its an age-old poetic expression meaning lives and money. Its generally been used in reference to the high price of war or conquest.
The expression seems to have been fairly common in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The earliest references weve been able to find appeared in the 1640s.
Passages from the proceedings of the House of Lords include the Blood and Treasure that hath been spent (1646) and, reversing the formula, with great Expence both of their Treasure and Blood (1643).
More at:
http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2013/02/blood-and-treasure.html