large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_111
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
The feudal system was naturally one of open war; and the alliances, marriages, and other dealings, family with family, made by the king and potentates, were always leading them into war by giving them legal claims, or at least claims that could be legally pleaded, to the domains of other lords, who took advantage of their being on the spot, of their strength in men or money, or their popularity with the Baronage, to give immediate effect to _their_ claims. THE FEUDAL SYSTEM WAS NATURALLY ONE OF OPEN WAR AND THE ALLIANCES MARRIAGES AND OTHER DEALINGS FAMILY WITH FAMILY MADE BY THE KING AND POTENTATES WERE ALWAYS LEADING THEM INTO WAR BY GIVING THEM LEGAL CLAIMS OR AT LEAST CLAIMS THAT COULD BE LEGALLY PLEADED TO THE DOMAINS OF OTHER LORDS WHO TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THEIR BEING ON THE SPOT OF THEIR STRENGTH IN MEN OR MONEY OR THEIR POPULARITY WITH THE BARONAGE TO GIVE IMMEDIATE EFFECT TO THEIR CLAIMS
press in a form which was all their own, the ideas and life of the time. That time was in a sense brilliant and progressive, and the life of the worker in it was better than it ever had been, and might compare with advantage with what it became in after periods and with what it is now; and indeed, looking back upon it, there are some minds and some moods that cannot help regretting it, and are not particularly scared by the idea of its violence and its lack of accurate knowledge of scientific detail. However, one thing is clear to us now, the kind of thing which never is clear to most people living in such periods—namely, that whatever it was, it could not last, but must change into something else. The complete feudalism of the fourteenth century fell, as systems always fall, by its own corruption, and by development of the innate seeds of change, some of which indeed had lain asleep during centuries, to wake up into activity long after the events which had created them were forgotten.  AND THAT THEY COULD EXPRESS IN A FORM WHICH WAS ALL THEIR OWN THE IDEAS AND LIFE OF THE TIME THAT TIME WAS IN A SENSE BRILLIANT AND PROGRESSIVE AND THE LIFE OF THE WORK IN IT WAS BETTER THAN IT EVER HAD BEEN AND MIGHT COMPARE WITH ADVANTAGE WITH WHAT IT BECAME IN AFTER PERIODS AND WITH WHAT IT IS NOW AND INDEED LOOKING BACK UPON IT THERE ARE SOME MINDS AND SOME MOODS THAT CANNOT HELP REGRETTING IT AND ARE NOT PARTICULARLY SCARED BY THE IDEA OF ITS VIOLENCE AND ITS LACK OF ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE OF SCIENTIFIC DETAIL HOWEVER ONE THING IS CLEAR TO US NOW THE KIND OF THING WHICH NEVER IS CLEAR TO MOST PEOPLE LIVING IN SUCH PERIODS NAMELY THAT WHATEVER IT WAS IT COULD NOT LAST BUT MUST CHANGE INTO SOMETHING ELSE THE COMPLETE FEUDALISM OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY FELL AS SYSTEMS ALWAYS FALL BY ITS OWN CORRUPTION AND BY DEVELOPMENT OF THE INNATE SEEDS OF CHANGE SOME OF WHICH INDEED HAD LAIN ASLEEP DURING CENTURIES TO WAKE UP INTO ACTIVITY LONG AFTER THE EVENTS WHICH HAD CREATED THEM WERE FORGOTTEN
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb.flac