large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_53
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
Send me up from each one of your communes a man or two whom I can bully or cajole or bribe to sign away your substance for you." SEND ME UP FROM EACH ONE OF YOUR COMMUNES A MAN OR TWO WHOM I CAN BULLY OR CAJOLE OR BRIBE TO SIGN AWAY YOUR SUBSTANCE FOR YOU
l put ourselves out to pay it if you will do something for us in return; let, for example, our men be tried in our own court, and the verdict be of one of compurgation instead of wager of battle,” and so forth, and so forth. All this sort of detailed bargaining was, in fact, a safeguard for the local liberties, so far as they went, of the towns and shires, and did not suit the king’s views of law and order at all; and so began the custom of the sheriff (the king’s officer, who had taken the place of the earl of the Anglo-Saxon period) summoning the burgesses to the council, which burgesses you must understand were not elected at the folkmotes of the town, or hundred, but in a sort of hole-and-corner way by a few of the bigger men of the place. What the king practically said was this: “I want your money, and I cannot be for ever wrangling with you stubborn churles at home there, and listening to all your stories of how poor you are, and what you want; no, I want you to be _represented_. ARD TO PAY THIS MONEY BUT WE WILL PUT OURSELVES OUT TO PAY IT IF YOU WILL DO SOMETHING FOR US IN RETURN LET FOR EXAMPLE OUR MEN BE TRIED IN OUR OWN COURT AND THE VERDICT BE OF ONE OF COMPREGATION INSTEAD OF WAGER OF BATTLE AND SO FORTH AND SO FORTH ALL THIS SORT OF DETAILED BARGAINING WAS IN FACT A SAFEGUARD FOR THE LOCAL LIBERTIES SO FAR AS THEY WENT OF THE TOWNS AND SHIRES AND DID NOT SUIT THE KING'S VIEWS OF LAW AND ORDER AT ALL AND SO BEGAN THE CUSTOM OF THE SHERIFF THE KING'S OFFICER WHO HAD TAKEN THE PLACE OF THE EARL OF THE ANGLO SAXON PERIOD SUMMONING THE BURGESSES TO THE COUNCIL WHICH BURGESSES YOU MUST UNDERSTAND WERE NOT ELECTED AT THE FOLK MOOTS OF THE TOWN OR HUNDRED BUT IN A SORT OF HOLE AND CORNER WAY BY A FEW OF THE BIGGER MEN OF THE PLACE WHAT THE KING PRACTICALLY SAID WAS THIS I WANT YOUR MONEY AND I CANNOT BE FOREVER WRANGLING WITH YOU STUBBORN CHILDS AT HOME THERE AND LISTENING TO ALL YOUR STORIES OF HOW POOR YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU WANT NO I WANT YOU TO BE REPRESENTED
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