large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_32
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
It is beyond the scope of this piece to give anything like a connected story, even of the slightest, of the course of events between the conquest of Duke William and the fully developed mediæval period of the fourteenth century, which is the England that I have before my eyes as Mediæval or Feudal. IT IS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THIS PEACE TO GIVE ANYTHING LIKE A CONNECTED STORY EVEN OF THE SLIGHTEST OF THE COURSE OF EVENTS BETWEEN THE CONQUEST OF DUKE WILLIAM AND THE FULLY DEVELOPED MEDIAEVAL PERIOD OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY WHICH IS THE ENGLAND THAT I HAVE BEFORE MY EYES AS MEDIAEVAL OR FEUDAL
 Duke William did introduce the complete Feudal system into the country; and it also connected it by strong bonds to the Romanized countries, and yet by so doing laid the first foundations of national feeling in England. The English felt their kinship with the Norsemen or the Danes, and did not suffer from their conquests when they had become complete, and when, consequently, mere immediate violence had disappeared from them; their feeling was tribal rather than national; but they could have no sense of tribal unity with the varied populations of the provinces which mere dynastical events had strung together into the dominion, the manor, one may say, of the foreign princes of Normandy and Anjou; and, as the kings who ruled them gradually got pushed out of their French possessions, England began to struggle against the domination of men felt to be foreigners, and so gradually became conscious of her separate nationality, though still only in a fashion, as the manor of an _English_ lord. BUT THE CONQUEST OF DUKE WILLIAM DID INTRODUCE THE COMPLETE FEUDAL SYSTEM INTO THE COUNTRY AND IT ALSO CONNECTED IT BY STRONG BONDS TO THE ROMANIZED COUNTRIES AND YET BY DOING SO LAID THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS OF NATIONAL FEELING IN ENGLAND THE ENGLISH FELT THEIR KINSHIP WITH THE NORSEMEN OR THE DANES AND DID NOT SUFFER FROM THEIR CONQUESTS WHEN THEY HAD BECOME COMPLETE AND WHEN CONSEQUENTLY MERE IMMEDIATE VIOLENCE HAD DISAPPEARED FROM THEM THEIR FEELING WAS TRIBAL RATHER THAN NATIONAL BUT THEY COULD HAVE NO SENSE OF TRIBAL UNITY WITH THE VARIED POPULATIONS OF THE PROVINCES WHICH MERE DYNASTICAL EVENTS HAD STRUNG TOGETHER INTO THE DOMINION THE MANNER ONE MAY SAY OF THE FOREIGN PRINCES OF NORMANDY AND ANJOU AND AS THE KINGS WHO RULED THEM GRADUALLY GOT PUSHED OUT OF THEIR FRENCH POSSESSIONS ENGLAND BEGAN TO STRUGGLE AGAINST THE DOMINATION OF MEN FELT TO BE FOREIGNERS AND SO GRADUALLY BECAME CONSCIOUS OF HER SEPARATE NATIONALITY THOUGH STILL ONLY IN A FASHION AS THE MANNER OF AN ENGLISH LORD
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