large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb_13
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb
English
6138
A lady writing from Norfolk 400 years ago to her husband in London, amidst various commissions for tapestries, groceries, and gowns, bids him also not to forget to bring back with him a good supply of cross bows and bolts, since the windows of their hall were too low to be handy for long bow shooting. A LADY WRITING FROM NORFOLK FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AGO TO HER HUSBAND IN LONDON AMIDST VARIOUS COMMISSIONS FOR TAPESTRIES GROCERIES AND GOWNS BIDS HIM ALSO NOT TO FORGET TO BRING BACK WITH HIM A GOOD SUPPLY OF CROSS BOWS AND BOLTS SINCE THE WINDOWS OF THEIR HALL WERE TOO LOW TO BE HANDY FOR LONG BOW SHOOTING
me place was not thought a useful occupation and was forbidden under the name of regrating; usury, instead of leading as now directly to the highest offices of the State, was thought wrong, and the profit of it mostly fell to the chosen people of God: the robbery of the workers, thought necessary then as now to the very existence of the State, was carried out quite crudely without any concealment or excuse by arbitrary taxation or open violence: on the other hand, life was easy, and common necessaries plenteous; the holidays of the Church were holidays in the modern sense of the word, downright play-days, and there were ninety-six obligatory ones: nor were the people tame and sheep-like, but as rough-handed and bold a set of good fellows as ever rubbed through life under the sun. I remember three passages, from contemporary history or gossip, about the life of those times which luck has left us, and which illustrate curiously the change that has taken place in the habits of Englishmen.  AFTERNOON IN THE SAME PLACE WAS NOT THOUGHT A USEFUL OCCUPATION AND WAS FORBIDDEN UNDER THE NAME OF REGRATING USURY INSTEAD OF LEADING AS NOW DIRECTLY TO THE HIGHEST OFFICES OF THE STATE WAS THOUGHT WRONG AND THE PROFIT OF IT MOSTLY FELL TO THE CHOSEN PEOPLE OF GOD THE ROBBERY OF THE WORKERS THOUGHT NECESSARY THEN AS NOW TO THE VERY EXISTENCE OF THE STATE WAS CARRIED OUT QUITE CRUDELY WITHOUT ANY CONCEALMENT OR EXCUSE BY ARBITRARY TAXATION OR OPEN VIOLENCE ON THE OTHER HAND LIFE WAS EASY AND COMMON NECESSARIES PLENTEOUS THE HOLIDAYS OF THE CHURCH WERE HOLIDAYS IN THE MODERN SENSE OF THE WORD DOWNRIGHT PLAY DAYS AND THERE WERE NINETY SIX OBLIGATORY ONES NOR WERE THE PEOPLE TAME AND SHEEP LIKE BUT AS ROUGH HANDED AND BOLD A SET OF GOOD FELLOWS AS EVER RUBBED THROUGH LIFE UNDER THE SUN I REMEMBER THREE PASSAGES FROM CONTEMPORARY HISTORY OR GOSSIP ABOUT THE LIFE OF THOSE TIMES WHICH LUCK HAS LEFT US AND WHICH ILLUSTRATE CURIOUSLY THE CHANGE THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE HABITS OF ENGLISHMEN
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