large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_90
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
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_. 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
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. 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. 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. THIN 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 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 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
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb.flac