large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb_10
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb
English
6138
I remember three passages, from contemporary history or gossip, about the life of those times which luck has left us, and which illustrate curiously the change that has taken place in the habits of Englishmen. I REMEMBER THREE PASSAGES FROM CONTEMPORARY HISTORY OR GOSSIP ABOUT THE LIFE OF THOSE TIMES WHICH LUCK HAS LEFT US AND WHICH ILLUSTRATE CURIOUSLY THE CHANGE THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE HABITS OF ENGLISHMEN
ure, capitalistic exchange was unknown: to buy goods cheap that you might sell them dear was a legal offence (forestalling): to buy goods in the market in the morning and to sell them in the afternoon in the same place was not thought a useful occupation and was forbidden under the name of regrating; usury, instead of leading as now directly to the highest offices of the State, was thought wrong, and the profit of it mostly fell to the chosen people of God: the robbery of the workers, thought necessary then as now to the very existence of the State, was carried out quite crudely without any concealment or excuse by arbitrary taxation or open violence: on the other hand, life was easy, and common necessaries plenteous; the holidays of the Church were holidays in the modern sense of the word, downright play-days, and there were ninety-six obligatory ones: nor were the people tame and sheep-like, but as rough-handed and bold a set of good fellows as ever rubbed through life under the sun. CAPITALISTIC MANUFACTURE CAPITALISTIC EXCHANGE WAS UNKNOWN TO BUY GOODS CHEAP THAT YOU MIGHT SELL THEM DEAR WAS A LEGAL OFFENCE FORESTALLING TO BUY GOODS IN THE MARKET IN THE MORNING AND TO SELL THEM IN THE AFTERNOON IN THE SAME PLACE WAS NOT THOUGHT A USEFUL OCCUPATION AND WAS FORBIDDEN UNDER THE NAME OF REGRATING USURY INSTEAD OF LEADING AS NOW DIRECTLY TO THE HIGHEST OFFICES OF THE STATE WAS THOUGHT WRONG AND THE PROFIT OF IT MOSTLY FELL TO THE CHOSEN PEOPLE OF GOD THE ROBBERY OF THE WORKERS THOUGHT NECESSARY THEN AS NOW TO THE VERY EXISTENCE OF THE STATE WAS CARRIED OUT QUITE CRUDELY WITHOUT ANY CONCEALMENT OR EXCUSE BY ARBITRARY TAXATION OR OPEN VIOLENCE ON THE OTHER HAND LIFE WAS EASY AND COMMON NECESSARIES PLENTEOUS THE HOLIDAYS OF THE CHURCH WERE HOLIDAYS IN THE MODERN SENSE OF THE WORD DOWNRIGHT PLAY DAYS AND THERE WERE NINETY SIX OBLIGATORY ONES NOR WERE THE PEOPLE TAME AND SHEEP LIKE BUT AS ROUGH HANDED AND BOLD A SET OF GOOD FELLOWS AS EVER RUBBED THROUGH LIFE UNDER THE SUN
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