large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb_4
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb
English
6138
The latter half of the seventeenth century, the reign of Charles II., saw the last blow struck at this feudal system, when the landowners' military service was abolished, and they became simple owners of property that had no duties attached to it save the payment of a land tax. THE LATTER HALF OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY THE REIGN OF CHARLES THE SECOND SAW THE LAST BLOW STRUCK AT THIS FEUDAL SYSTEM WHEN THE LANDOWNER'S MILITARY SERVICE WAS ABOLISHED AND THEY SIMPLY BECAME OWNERS OF PROPERTY THAT HAD NO DUTIES ATTACHED TO IT SAVE THE PAYMENT OF A LAND TAX
fection and corruption, the power of the Crown increased, attended with nascent bureaucracy; in short, the middle class was forming underneath the outward show of feudalism still intact: and all was getting ready for the beginning of the great commercial epoch in whose _latter_ days I would fain hope we are living. That epoch began with the portentous change of agriculture which meant cultivating for profit instead of for livelihood, and which carried with it the expropriation of the _people_ from the land, the extinction of the yeoman, and the rise of the capitalist farmer; and the growth of the town population, which, swelled by the drift of the landless vagabonds and masterless men, grew into a definite proletariat or class of free-workmen; and their existence made that of the embryo capitalist-manufacturer also possible; and the reign of commercial contract and cash payment began to take the place of the old feudal hierarchy, with its many-linked chain of personal responsibilities.  GUILDS GREW INTO PERFECTION AND CORRUPTION THE POWER OF THE CROWN INCREASED ATTENDED WITH NASCENT BUREAUCRACY IN SHORT THE MIDDLE CLASS WAS FORMING UNDERNEATH THE OUTWARD SHOW OF FEUDALISM STILL INTACT AND ALL WAS GETTING READY FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE GREAT COMMERCIAL EPOCH IN WHOSE LATTER DAYS I WOULD FAIN HOPE WE ARE LIVING THAT EPOCH BEGAN WITH THE PORTENTOUS CHANGE OF AGRICULTURE WHICH MEANT CULTIVATING FOR PROFIT INSTEAD OF FOR LIVELIHOOD AND WHICH CARRIED WITH IT THE EXPROPRIATION OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE LAND THE EXTINCTION OF THE YEOMAN AND THE RISE OF THE CAPITALIST FARMER AND THE GROWTH OF THE TOWN POPULATION WHICH SWELLED BY THE DRIFT OF THE LANDLESS VAGABONDS AND MASTERLESS MEN GREW INTO A DEFINITE PROLETARIAT OR CLASS OF FREE WORKMEN AND THEIR EXISTENCE MADE THAT OF THE EMBRYO CAPITALIST MANUFACTURER ALSO POSSIBLE AND THE REIGN OF COMMERCIAL CONTRACT AND CASH PAYMENT BEGAN TO TAKE THE PLACE OF THE OLD FEUDAL HIERARCHY WITH ITS MANY LINKED CHAIN OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
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