large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_84
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
This is, briefly speaking, the motive power of necessity that lay behind the struggle of the town corporations and craft gilds to be free, a struggle which, though it was to result in the breaking up of the mediæval hierarchy, began by an appearance of strengthening it by adding to its members, increasing its power of production, and so making it more stable for the time being. About this struggle, and the kind of life which accompanied it, I may have to write another time, and so will not say more about it here. THIS IS BRIEFLY SPEAKING THE MOTIVE POWER OF NECESSITY THAT LAY BEHIND THE STRUGGLE OF THE TOWN CORPORATIONS AND CRAFT GUILD TO BE FREE A STRUGGLE WHICH THOUGH IT WAS TO RESULT IN THE BREAKING UP OF THE MEDIAEVAL HIERARCHY BEGAN BY AN APPEARANCE OF STRENGTHENING IT BY ADDING TO ITS MEMBERS INCREASING ITS POWER OF PRODUCTION AND SO MAKING IT MORE STABLE FOR THE TIME BEING ABOUT THIS STRUGGLE AND THE KIND OF LIFE WHICH ACCOMPANIED IT I MAY HAVE TO WRITE ANOTHER TIME AND SO WILL NOT SAY MORE ABOUT IT HERE
ced 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. That any set of people who could claim to be other than the property of free men should not have definite rights differentiated sharply from those of other groups, was an idea that did not occur to the Middle Ages; therefore, as soon as men came into existence that were not serfs and were not nobles, they had to struggle for status by organizing themselves into associations that should come to be acknowledged members of the great feudal hierarchy; for indefinite and negative freedom was not allowed to any person in those days; if you had not status you did not exist except as an outlaw. 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 THAT ANY SET OF PEOPLE WHO COULD CLAIM TO BE OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY OF FREE MEN SHOULD NOT HAVE DEFINITE RIGHTS DIFFERENTIATED SHARPLY FROM THOSE OF OTHER GROUPS WAS AN IDEA THAT DID NOT OCCUR TO THE MIDDLE AGES THEREFORE AS SOON AS MEN CAME INTO EXISTENCE THAT WERE NOT SERFS AND WERE NOT NOBLES THEY HAD TO STRUGGLE FOR STATUS BY ORGANIZING THEMSELVES INTO ASSOCIATIONS THAT SHOULD COME TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED MEMBERS OF THE GREAT FEUDAL HIERARCHY FOR INDEFINITE AND NEGATIVE FREEDOM WAS NOT ALLOWED TO ANY PERSON IN THOSE DAYS IF YOU HAD NOT STATUS YOU DID NOT EXIST EXCEPT AS AN OUTLAW
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