large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_70
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
There was, indeed, a fringe of people between the serf and the free noble who produced the matters of handicraft which were needed for the latter, but deliberately, and, as we should now think, wastefully; and as these craftsmen and traders began to grow into importance and to push themselves, as they could not help doing, into the feudal hierarchy, as they acquired _status_, so the sickness of the feudal system increased on it, and the shadow of the coming commercialism fell upon it. THERE WAS INDEED A FRINGE OF PEOPLE BETWEEN THE SERF AND THE FREE NOBLE WHO PRODUCED THE MATTERS OF HANDICRAFT WHICH WERE NEEDED FOR THE LATTER BUT DELIBERATELY AND AS WE SHOULD NOW THINK WASTEFULLY AND AS THESE CRAFTSMEN AND TRADERS BEGAN TO GROW INTO IMPORTANCE AND TO PUSH THEMSELVES AS THEY COULD NOT HELP DOING INTO THE FEUDAL HIERARCHY AS THEY ACQUIRED STATUS SO THE SICKNESS OF THE FEUDAL SYSTEM INCREASED ON IT AND THE SHADOW OF THE COMING COMMERCIALISM FELL UPON IT
 claim his loyal feudatories were bound to take up for him; loyalty to a feudal superior, not patriotism to a country, was the virtue which Edward III.’s soldiers had to offer, if they had any call to be virtuous in that respect. This war once started was hard to drop, partly because of the success that Edward had in it, falling as he did on France with the force of a country so much more homogeneous than it; and no doubt it was a war very disastrous to both countries, and so may be reckoned as amongst the causes which broke up the feudal system. But the real causes of that break-up lay much deeper than that. The system was not capable of expansion in production; it was, in fact, as long as its integrity remained untouched, an army fed by slaves, who could not be properly and closely exploited; its free men proper might do something else in their leisure, and so produce art and literature, but their true business as members of a conquering tribe, their concerted business, was to fight. URPED THEM AND THIS CLAIM HIS LOYAL FEUDATORIES WERE BOUND TO TAKE UP FOR HIM LOYALTY TO A FEUDAL SUPERIOR NOT PATRIOTISM TO A COUNTRY WAS THE VIRTUE WHICH EDWARD THE THIRD SOLDIERS HAD TO OFFER IF THEY HAD ANY CALL TO BE VIRTUOUS IN THAT RESPECT THIS WAR ONCE STARTED WAS HARD TO DROP PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE SUCCESS THAT EDWARD HAD IN IT FALLING AS HE DID ON FRANCE WITH THE FORCE OF A COUNTRY SO MUCH MORE HOMOGENEOUS THAN IT AND NO DOUBT IT WAS A WAR VERY DISASTROUS TO BOTH COUNTRIES AND SO MAY BE RECKONED AS AMONGST THE CAUSES WHICH BROKE UP THE FEUDAL SYSTEM BUT THE REAL CAUSES OF THAT BREAK UP LAY MUCH DEEPER THAN THAT THE SYSTEM WAS NOT CAPABLE OF EXPANSION AND PRODUCTION IT WAS IN FACT AS LONG AS ITS INTEGRITY REMAINED UNTOUCHED AN ARMY FED BY SLAVES WHO COULD NOT BE PROPERLY AND CLOSELY EXPLOITED ITS FREEMEN PROPER MIGHT DO SOMETHING ELSE IN THEIR LEISURE AND SO PRODUCE ART AND LITERATURE BUT THEIR TRUE BUSINESS AS MEMBERS OF A CONQUERING TRIBE THEIR CONCERTED BUSINESS WAS TO FIGHT
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