large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_27
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
Well, the burghers would say, "'Tis hard 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 compurgation instead of wager of battle," and so forth, and so forth. WELL THE BURGHERS WOULD SAY TIS HARD 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
at the council, he had to do by means of his officers (the sheriffs) dealing with them one after another, which was a troublesome job; for the men were stiff-necked and quite disinclined to part with their money; and the robbery having to be done on the spot, so to say, encountered all sorts of opposition: and, in fact, it was the money needs both of baron, bishop, and king which had been the chief instrument in furthering the progress of the towns. The towns would be pressed by their lords, king, or baron, or bishop, as it might be, and they would see their advantage and strike a bargain. For you are not to imagine that because there was a deal of violence going on in those times there was no respect for law; on the contrary, there was a quite exaggerated respect for it if it came within the four corners of the feudal feeling, and the result of this feeling of respect was the constant struggle for _status_ on the part of the townships and other associations throughout the Middle Ages. THEY WERE NOT REPRESENTED AT THE COUNCIL HE HAD TO DO BY MEANS OF HIS OFFICERS THE SHERIFFS DEALING WITH THEM ONE AFTER ANOTHER WHICH WAS A TROUBLESOME JOB FOR THE MEN WERE STIFF NECKED AND QUITE DISINCLINED TO PART WITH THEIR MONEY AND THE ROBBERY HAVING TO BE DONE ON THE SPOT SO TO SAY ENCOUNTERED ALL SORTS OF OPPOSITION AND IN FACT IT WAS THE MONEY NEEDS BOTH OF BARON BISHOP AND KING WHICH HAD BEEN THE CHIEF INSTRUMENT IN FURTHERING THE PROGRESS OF THE TOWNS THE TOWNS WOULD BE PRESSED BY THEIR LORDS KING OR BARON OR BISHOP AS IT MIGHT BE AND THEY WOULD SEE THEIR ADVANTAGE AND STRIKE A BARGAIN FOR YOU ARE NOT TO IMAGINE THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS A DEAL OF VIOLENCE GOING ON IN THOSE TIMES THERE WAS NO RESPECT FOR LAW ON THE CONTRARY THERE WAS A QUITE EXAGGERATED RESPECT FOR IT IF IT CAME WITHIN THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE FEUDAL FEELING AND THE RESULT OF THIS FEELING OF RESPECT WAS THE CONSTANT STRUGGLE FOR STATUS ON THE PART OF THE TOWNSHIPS AND OTHER ASSOCIATIONS THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE AGES
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