large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb_7
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb
English
6138
The very face of the country has changed; not merely I mean in London and the great manufacturing centres, but through the country generally; there is no piece of English ground, except such places as Salisbury Plain, but bears witness to the amazing change which 400 years has brought upon us. THE VERY FACE OF THE COUNTRY IS CHANGED NOT MERELY I MEAN IN LONDON AND THE GREAT MANUFACTURING CENTRES BUT THROUGH THE COUNTRY GENERALLY THERE IS NO PEACE OF ENGLISH GROUND EXCEPT SUCH PLACES AS SALISBURY PLAIN BUT BEARS WITNESS TO THE AMAZING CHANGE WHICH FOUR HUNDRED YEARS HAS BROUGHT UPON US
ce in the habits of Englishmen. A lady writing from Norfolk 400 years ago to her husband in London, amidst various commissions for tapestries, groceries, and gowns, bids him also not to forget to bring back with him a good supply of cross-bows and bolts, since the windows of their hall were too low to be handy for long-bow shooting. A German traveller, writing quite at the end of the mediæval period, speaks of the English as the laziest and proudest people and the best cooks in Europe. A Spanish ambassador about the same period says, “These English live in houses built of sticks and mud, {87} but therein they fare as plenteously as lords.” Indeed, I confess that it is with a strange emotion that I recall these times and try to realize the life of our forefathers, men who were named like ourselves, spoke nearly the same tongue, lived on the same spots of earth, and therewithal were as different from us in manners, habits, ways of life and thought, as though they lived in another planet.  THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE HABITS OF ENGLISHMEN A LADY WRITING FROM NORFOLK FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AGO TO HER HUSBAND IN LONDON AMIDST VARIOUS COMMISSIONS FOR TAPESTRIES GROCERIES AND GOWNS BIDS HIM ALSO NOT TO FORGET TO BRING BACK WITH HIM A GOOD SUPPLY OF CROSS BOWS AND BOLTS SINCE THE WINDOWS OF THEIR HALL WERE TOO LOW TO BE HANDY FOR LONG BOW SHOOTING A GERMAN TRAVELLER WRITING QUITE AT THE END OF THE MEDIAEVAL PERIOD SPEAKS OF THE ENGLISH AS THE LAZIEST AND PROUDEST PEOPLE AND THE BEST COOKS IN EUROPE A SPANISH AMBASSADOR ABOUT THE SAME PERIOD SAYS THESE ENGLISH LIVE IN HOUSES BUILT OF STICKS AND MUD BUT THEREIN THEY FARE AS PLENTEOUSLY AS LORDS INDEED I CONFESS THAT IT IS WITH A STRANGE EMOTION THAT I RECALL THESE TIMES AND TRY TO REALIZE THE LIFE OF OUR FOREFATHERS MEN WHO WERE NAMED LIKE OURSELVES SPOKE NEARLY THE SAME TONGUE LIVED ON THE SAME SPOTS OF EARTH AND THEREWITHAL WERE AS DIFFERENT FROM US IN MANNERS HABITS WAYS OF LIFE AND THOUGHT AS THOUGH THEY LIVED IN ANOTHER PLANET
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb.flac