large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_4
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
From that time they ceased to be pure serfs, and began to tend towards becoming tenants, at first paying purely and simply _service_ for their holdings, but gradually commuting that service for fines and money payment—for rent, in short. FROM THAT TIME THEY CEASED TO BE PURE SERFS AND BEGAN TO TEND TOWARDS BECOMING TENANTS AT FIRST PAYING PURELY AND SIMPLY SERVICE FOR THEIR HOLDINGS BUT GRADUALLY COMMUTING THAT SERVICE FOR FINES AND MONEY PAYMENT FOR RENT IN SHORT
t 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. 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. But as the power of production increased, owing to better methods of working, and as the country got to be more settled, their task-work became easier of performance and their own land more productive to them; and that tendency to the definition and differentiation of rights, moreover, was at work for their benefit, and the custom of the manor defined what their services were, and they began to acquire rights. ODUCTION 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 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 BUT AS THE POWER OF PRODUCTION INCREASED OWING TO BETTER METHODS OF WORKING AND AS THE COUNTRY GOT TO BE MORE SETTLED THEIR TASK WORK BECAME EASIER OF PERFORMANCE AND THEIR OWN LAND MORE PRODUCTIVE TO THEM AND THAT TENDENCY TO THE DEFINITION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF RIGHTS MOREOVER WAS AT WORK FOR THEIR BENEFIT AND THE CUSTOM OF THE MANOR DEFINED WHAT THEIR SERVICES WERE AND THEY BEGAN TO ACQUIRE RIGHTS
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