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large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb
English
6138
The hopes of the early part of the commercial period may be read in almost every book of the time, expressed in various degrees of dull or amusing pedantry, and show a naïf arrogance and contempt of the times just past through which nothing but the utmost simplicity of ignorance could have attained to. THE HOPES OF THE EARLY PART OF THE COMMERCIAL PERIOD MAY BE READ IN ALMOST EVERY BOOK OF THE TIME EXPRESSED IN VARIOUS DEGREES OF DULL OR AMUSING PEDANTRY AND SHOW A NAIVE ARROGANCE AND CONTEMPT OF THE TIMES JUST PAST WHICH NOTHING BUT THE UTMOST SIMPLICITY OF IGNORANCE COULD HAVE ATTAINED TO
days I would fain hope we are living. That epoch began with the portentous change of agriculture which meant cultivating for profit instead of for livelihood, and which carried with it the expropriation of the _people_ from the land, the extinction of the yeoman, and the rise of the capitalist farmer; and the growth of the town population, which, swelled by the drift of the landless vagabonds and masterless men, grew into a definite proletariat or class of free-workmen; and their existence made that of the embryo capitalist-manufacturer also possible; and the reign of commercial contract and cash payment began to take the place of the old feudal hierarchy, with its many-linked chain of personal responsibilities. The latter half of the seventeenth century, the reign of Charles II., saw the last blow struck at this feudal system, when the landowners’ military service was abolished, and they became simple owners of property that had no duties attached to it save the payment of a land-tax. HOSE LATTER DAYS I WOULD FAIN HOPE WE ARE LIVING THAT EPOCH BEGAN WITH THE PORTENTOUS CHANGE OF AGRICULTURE WHICH MEANT CULTIVATING FOR PROFIT INSTEAD OF FOR LIVELIHOOD AND WHICH CARRIED WITH IT THE EXPROPRIATION OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE LAND THE EXTINCTION OF THE YEOMAN AND THE RISE OF THE CAPITALIST FARMER AND THE GROWTH OF THE TOWN POPULATION WHICH SWELLED BY THE DRIFT OF THE LANDLESS VAGABONDS AND MASTERLESS MEN GREW INTO A DEFINITE PROLETARIAT OR CLASS OF FREE WORKMEN AND THEIR EXISTENCE MADE THAT OF THE EMBRYO CAPITALIST MANUFACTURER ALSO POSSIBLE AND THE REIGN OF COMMERCIAL CONTRACT AND CASH PAYMENT BEGAN TO TAKE THE PLACE OF THE OLD FEUDAL HIERARCHY WITH ITS MANY LINKED CHAIN OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITIES THE LATTER HALF OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY THE REIGN OF CHARLES THE SECOND SAW THE LAST BLOW STRUCK AT THIS FEUDAL SYSTEM WHEN THE LANDOWNER'S MILITARY SERVICE WAS ABOLISHED AND THEY SIMPLY BECAME OWNERS OF PROPERTY THAT HAD NO DUTIES ATTACHED TO IT SAVE THE PAYMENT OF A LAND TAX
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