large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_38
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
These at first were men who had no more rights than chattel slaves had, except that mostly, as part of the stock of the manor, they could not be sold off it; they had to do all the work of the manor, and to earn their own livelihood off it as they best could. THESE AT FIRST WERE MEN WHO HAD NO MORE RIGHTS THAN CHATTEL SLAVES HAD EXCEPT THAT MOSTLY AS PART OF THE STOCK OF THE MANOR THEY COULD NOT BE SOLD OFF IT THEY HAD TO DO ALL THE WORK OF THE MANOR AND TO EARN THEIR OWN LIVELIHOOD OF IT AS THEY BEST COULD
ere 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. 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. Except this, that it was much furthered by the change that gradually took place between the landlords and the class on whom all society rested, the serfs. O 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 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 EXCEPT THIS THAT IT WAS MUCH FURTHERED BY THE CHANGE THAT GRADUALLY TOOK PLACE BETWEEN THE LANDLORDS AND THE CLASS ON WHOM ALL SOCIETY RESTED THE SERFS
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