large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_105
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
But the real causes of that break up lay much deeper than that. The system was not capable of expansion in production; it was, in fact, as long as its integrity remained untouched, an army fed by slaves, who could not be properly and closely exploited; its free men proper might do something else in their leisure, and so produce art and literature, but their true business as members of a conquering tribe, their concerted business, was to fight. BUT THE REAL CAUSES OF THAT BREAK UP LAY MUCH DEEPER THAN THAT THE SYSTEM WAS NOT CAPABLE OF EXPANSION AND PRODUCTION IT WAS IN FACT AS LONG AS ITS INTEGRITY REMAINED UNTOUCHED AN ARMY FED BY SLAVES WHO COULD NOT BE PROPERLY AND CLOSELY EXPLOITED ITS FREEMEN PROPER MIGHT DO SOMETHING ELSE IN THEIR LEISURE AND SO PRODUCE ART AND LITERATURE BUT THEIR TRUE BUSINESS AS MEMBERS OF A CONQUERING TRIBE THEIR CONCERTED BUSINESS WAS TO FIGHT
u must not suppose that there was anything in this war of a national, far less of a race, character. The last series of wars before this time I am now speaking of, in which race feelings counted for much, was the Crusades. This French war, I say, was neither national, racial, or tribal; it was the private business of a lord of the manor, claiming what he considered his legal rights of another lord, who had, as he thought, usurped them; and this claim his loyal feudatories were bound to take up for him; loyalty to a feudal superior, not patriotism to a country, was the virtue which Edward III.’s soldiers had to offer, if they had any call to be virtuous in that respect. This war once started was hard to drop, partly because of the success that Edward had in it, falling as he did on France with the force of a country so much more homogeneous than it; and no doubt it was a war very disastrous to both countries, and so may be reckoned as amongst the causes which broke up the feudal system. RED INTO WITH FRANCE YOU MUST NOT SUPPOSE THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING IN THIS WAR OF A NATIONAL FAR LESS OF A RACE CHARACTER THE LAST SERIES OF WARS BEFORE THIS TIME I AM NOW SPEAKING OF IN WHICH RACE FEELINGS COUNTED FOR MUCH WAS THE CRUSADES THIS FRENCH WAR I SAY WAS NEITHER NATIONAL RACIAL OR TRIBAL IT WAS THE PRIVATE BUSINESS OF A LORD OF THE MANOR CLAIMING WHAT HE CONSIDERED HIS LEGAL RIGHTS OF ANOTHER LORD WHO HAD AS HE THOUGHT USURPED THEM AND THIS CLAIM HIS LOYAL FEUDATORIES WERE BOUND TO TAKE UP FOR HIM LOYALTY TO A FEUDAL SUPERIOR NOT PATRIOTISM TO A COUNTRY WAS THE VIRTUE WHICH EDWARD THE THIRD SOLDIERS HAD TO OFFER IF THEY HAD ANY CALL TO BE VIRTUOUS IN THAT RESPECT THIS WAR ONCE STARTED WAS HARD TO DROP PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE SUCCESS THAT EDWARD HAD IN IT FALLING AS HE DID ON FRANCE WITH THE FORCE OF A COUNTRY SO MUCH MORE HOMOGENEOUS THAN IT AND NO DOUBT IT WAS A WAR VERY DISASTROUS TO BOTH COUNTRIES AND SO MAY BE RECKONED AS AMONGST THE CAUSES WHICH BROKE UP THE FEUDAL SYSTEM
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