large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_48
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
There are still ballads, and prose stories deduced from these ballads, in existence, which tell the tale of this strange monster as the English people imagined it. As they belong to the literature of the fourteenth century, the period I have undertaken to tell you about specially, I will give you one of the latter of these concerning the death of King John, for whom the people imagined a more dramatic cause of death than mere indigestion, of which in all probability he really died; and you may take it for a specimen of popular literature of the fourteenth century. THERE ARE STILL BALLADS AND PRO STORIES DEDUCED FROM THOSE BALLADS IN EXISTENCE WHICH TELL THE TALE OF THIS STRANGE MONSTER AS THE ENGLISH PEOPLE IMAGINED IT AS THEY BELONGED TO THE LITERATURE OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY THE PERIOD I HAVE UNDERTAKEN TO TELL YOU ABOUT SPECIALLY I WILL GIVE YOU ONE OF THE LATTER OF THESE CONCERNING THE DEATH OF KING JOHN FOR WHOM THE PEOPLE IMAGINED A MORE DRAMATIC CAUSE OF DEATH THAN MERE INDIGESTION OF WHICH IN ALL PROBABILITY HE REALLY DIED AND YOU MAY TAKE IT FOR A SPECIMEN OF POPULAR LITERATURE OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY
ne on the villany of his family, and lost his French dominion in the lump. Under such rascals as these came the turn of the Baronage; and they, led by Stephen Langton, the archbishop who had been thrust on the unwilling king by the Pope, united together and forced from him his assent to Magna Charta, the great, thoroughly well-considered deed, which is conventionally called the foundation of English Liberty, but which can only claim to be so on the ground that it was the confirmation and seal of the complete feudal system in England, and put the relations between the vassals, the great feudatories, and the king on a stable basis; since it created, or at least confirmed, order among these privileged classes, among whom, indeed, it recognized the towns to a certain extent as part of the great feudal hierarchy: so that even by this time they had begun to acquire status in that hierarchy. So John passed away, and became not long after an almost mythical personage, the type of the bad king. PESTS PUT THE COPING STONE ON THE VILLANY OF HIS FAMILY AND LOST HIS FRENCH DOMINION IN THE LUMP UNDER SUCH RASCALS AS THESE CAME THE TURN OF THE BARONAGE AND THEY LED BY STEPHEN LANGTON THE ARCHBISHOP WHO HAD BEEN THRUST ON THE UNWILLING KING BY THE POPE UNITED TOGETHER AND FORCED FROM HIM HIS ASSENT TO MAGNA CHARTER THE GREAT THOROUGHLY WELL CONSIDERED DEED WHICH IS CONVENTIONALLY CALLED THE FOUNDATION OF ENGLISH LIBERTY BUT WHICH CAN ONLY CLAIM TO BE SO ON THE GROUND THAT IT WAS THE CONFIRMATION AND SEAL OF THE COMPLETE FEUDAL SYSTEM IN ENGLAND AND PUT THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE VASSALS THE GREAT FUGITATORS AND THE KING ON A STABLE BASIS SINCE IT CREATED OR AT LEAST CONFIRMED ORDER AMONG THESE PRIVILEGED CLASSES AMONG WHOM INDEED IT RECOGNIZED THE TOWNS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT AS PART OF THE GREAT FEUDAL HIERARCHY SO THAT EVEN BY THIS TIME THEY HAD BEGUN TO ACQUIRE STATUS IN THAT HIERARCHY SO JOHN PASSED AWAY AND BECAME NOT LONG AFTER AN ALMOST MYTHICAL PERSONAGE THE TYPE OF THE BAD KING
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