large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_106
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
The workman of to day, if he could realize the position of his forerunner, has some reason to envy him: the feudal serf worked hard, and lived poorly, and produced a rough livelihood for his master; whereas the modern workman, working harder still, and living little if any better than the serf, produces for his master a state of luxury of which the old lord of the manor never dreamed. The workman's powers of production are multiplied a thousandfold; his own livelihood remains pretty much where it was. THE WORKMAN OF TO DAY IF HE COULD REALIZE THE POSITION OF HIS FORERUNNER HAS SOME REASON TO ENVY HIM THE FEUDAL SERF WORKED HARD AND LIVED POORLY AND PRODUCED A ROUGH LIVELIHOOD FOR HIS MASTER WHEREAS THE MODERN WORKMAN WORKING HARDER STILL AND LIVING LITTLE IF ANY BETTER THAN THE SERF PRODUCES FOR HIS MASTER A STATE OF LUXURY OF WHICH THE OLD LORD OF THE MANOR NEVER DREAMED THE WORKMAN'S POWERS OF PRODUCTION ARE MULTIPLIED A THOUSANDFOLD HIS OWN LIVELIHOOD REMAINS PRETTY MUCH WHERE IT WAS
is tenants all he could, turned tillage into pasture, and sweated the pastures to death in his eagerness for wool, which for him meant money and the breeding of money; till at last the place of the serf, which had stood empty, as it were, during a certain transition period, during which the non-capitalistic production was expanding up to its utmost limit, was filled by the proletarian working for the service of a master in a new fashion, a fashion which exploited and (woe worth the while!) exploits him very much more completely than the customs of the manor of the feudal period. The life of the worker and the production of goods in this transition period, when Feudal society was sickening for its end, is a difficult and wide subject that requires separate treatment; at present I will leave the mediæval workman at the full development of that period which found him a serf bound to the manor, and which left him generally a yeoman or an artisan sharing the collective _status_ of his gild. ORD GOT RID OF HIS TENANTS ALL HE COULD TURNED TILLAGE INTO PASTURE AND SWEATED THE PASTURES TO DEATH IN HIS EAGERNESS FOR WOOL WHICH FOR HIM MEANT MONEY AND THE BREEDING OF MONEY TILL AT LAST THE PLACE OF THE SERF WHICH HAD STOOD EMPTY AS IT WERE DURING A CERTAIN TRANSITION PERIOD DURING WHICH THE NON CAPITALISTIC PRODUCTION WAS EXPANDING UP TO ITS UTMOST LIMIT WAS FILLED BY THE PROLETARIAN WORKING FOR THE SERVICE OF A MASTER IN A NEW FASHION A FASHION WHICH EXPLOITED AND WERE WORTH THE WHILE EXPLOITS HIM VERY MUCH MORE COMPLETELY THAN THE CUSTOMS OF THE MANNER OF THE FEUDAL PERIOD THE LIFE OF THE WORKER AND THE PRODUCTION OF GOODS IN THIS TRANSITION PERIOD WHEN FEUDAL SOCIETY WAS SICKENING FOR ITS END IS A DIFFICULT AND WIDE SUBJECT THAT REQUIRES SEPARATE TREATMENT AT PRESENT I WILL LEAVE THE MEDIAEVAL WORKMAN AT THE FULL DEVELOPMENT OF THAT PERIOD WHICH FOUND HIM A SERF BOUND TO THE MANNER AND WHICH LEFT HIM GENERALLY A YEOMAN OR AN ARTISAN SHARING THE COLLECTIVE STATUS OF HIS GUILD
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