large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_54
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
Of that came the great episode of the Peasants' War, led by men like Wat Tyler, Jack Straw, and John Ball, who indeed, with those they led, suffered for daring to be before their time, for the revolt was put down with cruelty worthy of an Irish landlord or a sweating capitalist of the present day; but, nevertheless, serfdom came to an end in England, if not because of the revolt, yet because of the events that made it, and thereby a death wound was inflicted on the feudal system. OF THAT CAME THE GREAT EPISODE OF THE PEASANTS WAR LED BY MEN LIKE WAT TYLER JACK STRAW AND JOHN BALL WHO INDEED WITH THOSE THEY LED SUFFERED FOR DARING TO BE BEFORE THEIR TIME FOR THE REVOLT WAS PUT DOWN WITH CRUELTY WORTHY OF AN IRISH LANDLORD OR A SWEATING CAPITALIST OF THE PRESENT DAY BUT NEVERTHELESS SERFDOM CAME TO AN END IN ENGLAND IF NOT BECAUSE OF THE REVOLT YET BECAUSE OF THE EVENTS THAT MADE IT AND THEREBY A DEATH WOUND WAS INFLICTED ON THE FEUDAL SYSTEM
rst paying purely and simply _service_ for their holdings, but gradually commuting that service for fines and money payment—for rent, in short. Towards the close of the fourteenth century, after the country had been depopulated by the Black Death, and impoverished by the long war, the feudal lords of these copyholders and tenants began to regret the slackness with which their predecessors had exploited their _property_, the serfs, and to consider that under the new commercial light which had begun to dawn upon them _they_ could do it much better if they only had their property a little more in hand; but it was too late, for their property had acquired rights, and therewithal had got strange visions into their heads of a time much better than that in which they lived, when even those rights should be supplanted by a condition of things in which the assertion of rights for any one set of men should no longer be needed, since all men should be free to enjoy the fruits of their own labour. COMING TENANTS AT FIRST PAYING PURELY AND SIMPLY SERVICE FOR THEIR HOLDINGS BUT GRADUALLY COMMUTING THAT SERVICE FOR FINES AND MONEY PAYMENT FOR RENT IN SHORT TOWARDS THE CLOSE OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY AFTER THE COUNTRY HAD BEEN DEPOPULATED BY THE BLACK DEATH AND IMPOVERISHED BY THE LONG WAR THE FEUDAL LORDS OF THESE COPYHOLDERS AND TENANTS BEGAN TO REGRET THE SLACKNESS WITH WHICH THEIR PREDECESSORS HAD EXPLOITED THEIR PROPERTY THE SERFS AND TO CONSIDER THAT UNDER THE NEW COMMERCIAL LIGHT WHICH HAD BEGUN TO DAWN UPON THEM THEY COULD DO IT MUCH BETTER IF THEY ONLY HAD THEIR PROPERTY A LITTLE MORE IN HAND BUT IT WAS TOO LATE FOR THEIR PROPERTY HAD ACQUIRED RIGHTS AND THEREWITHAL HAD GOT STRANGE VISIONS INTO THEIR HEADS OF A TIME MUCH BETTER THAN THAT IN WHICH THEY LIVED WHEN EVEN THOSE RIGHTS SHOULD BE SUPPLANTED BY A CONDITION OF THINGS IN WHICH THE ASSERTION OF RIGHTS FOR ANY ONE SET OF MEN SHOULD NO LONGER BE NEEDED SINCE ALL MEN SHOULD BE FREE TO ENJOY THE FRUITS OF THEIR OWN LABOUR
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