large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_43
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
Many a century lay between the serf and successful revolt, and though he tried it many a time and never lost heart, yet the coming change which his martyrdom helped on was not to be for him yet, but for the new masters of his successors. MANY A CENTURY LAY BETWEEN THE SERF AND SUCCESSFUL REVOLT AND THOUGH HE TRIED IT MANY A TIME AND NEVER LOST HEART YET THE COMING CHANGE WHICH HIS MARTYRDOM HELPED ON WAS NOT TO BE FOR HIM YET BUT FOR THE NEW MASTERS OF HIS SUCCESSORS
living little if any better than the serf, produces for his master a state of luxury of which the old lord of the manor never dreamed. The workman’s powers of production are multiplied a thousandfold; his own livelihood remains pretty much where it was. The balance goes to his master and the crowd of useless, draggled-tailed knaves and fools who pander to his idiotic sham desires, and who, under the pretentious title of the intellectual part of the middle classes, have in their turn taken the place of the mediæval jester. Truly, if the Positivist motto, “Live for others,” be taken in stark literality, the modern workman should be a good and wise man, since he has no chance of living for himself! And yet, I wish he were wiser still; wise enough to make an end of the preaching of “Live on others,” which is the motto set forth by commercialism to her favoured children. Yet in one thing the modern proletarian has an advantage over the mediæval serf, and that advantage is a world in itself. WORKING HARDER STILL AND LIVING LITTLE IF ANY BETTER THAN THE SERF PRODUCES FOR HIS MASTER A STATE OF LUXURY OF WHICH THE OLD LORD OF THE MANOR NEVER DREAMED THE WORKMAN'S POWERS OF PRODUCTION ARE MULTIPLIED A THOUSANDFOLD HIS OWN LIVELIHOOD REMAINS PRETTY MUCH WHERE IT WAS THE BALANCE GOES TO HIS MASTER AND THE CROWD OF USELESS DRAGGLE TAILED KNAVES AND FOOLS WHO PANDER TO HIS IDIOTIC SHAM DESIRES AND WHO UNDER THE PRETENTIOUS TITLE OF THE INTELLECTUAL PART OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES HAVE IN THEIR TURN TAKEN THE PLACE OF THE MEDIAEVAL JESTER TRULY IF THE POSITIVEST MOTTO LIVE FOR OTHERS BE TAKEN IN STARK LITERALITY THE MODERN WORKMAN SHOULD BE A GOOD AND WISE MAN SINCE HE HAS NO CHANCE OF LIVING FOR HIMSELF AND YET I WISH HE WERE WISER STILL WISE ENOUGH TO MAKE AN END OF THE PREACHING OF LIVE ON OTHERS WHICH IS THE MOTTO SET FORTH BY COMMERCIALISM TO HER FAVORED CHILDREN YET IN ONE THING THE MODERN PROLETARIAN HAS AN ADVANTAGE OVER THE MEDIAEVAL SERF AND THAT ADVANTAGE IS A WORLD IN ITSELF
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