large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_24
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
The Great Council of the Realm was purely feudal; it was composed of the feudatories of the king, theoretically of all of them, practically of the great ones only. THE GREAT COUNCIL OF THE REALM WAS PURELY FEUDAL IT WAS COMPOSED OF THE FEUDATORIES OF THE KING THEORETICALLY OF ALL OF THEM PRACTICALLY OF THE GREAT ONES ONLY
eginning to have some power; this led the king first, and afterwards the barons, to attack it definitely; it was rich enough to pay for the trouble of being robbed, and not yet strong enough to defend itself with open success, although the slower and less showy success of growth did not fail it. The instrument of attack in the hands of the barons was the ordinary feudal privilege, the logical carrying out of serfdom; but this attack took place two reigns later. We shall come to that further on. The attack on the lower tribe which was now growing into importance was in this reign made by the king; and his instrument was—Parliament. I have told you that Simon de Montfort made some attempt to get the burgesses to sit in his Parliament, but it was left to Edward I. to lay the foundations firmly of parliamentary representation, which he used for the purpose of augmenting the power of the Crown and crushing the rising liberty of the towns, though of course his direct aim was simply at—money.  WAS ALSO BEGINNING TO HAVE SOME POWER THIS LED THE KING FIRST AND AFTERWARDS THE BARONS TO ATTACK IT DEFINITELY IT WAS RICH ENOUGH TO PAY FOR THE TROUBLE OF BEING ROBBED AND NOT YET STRONG ENOUGH TO DEFEND ITSELF WITH OPEN SUCCESS ALTHOUGH THE SLOWER AND LESS SHOWY SUCCESS OF GROWTH DID NOT FAIL IT THE INSTRUMENT OF ATTACK IN THE HANDS OF THE BARONS WAS THE ORDINARY FEUDAL PRIVILEGE THE LOGICAL CARRYING OUT OF SERFDOM BUT THIS ATTACK TOOK PLACE TWO REINS LATER WE SHALL COME TO THAT FURTHER ON THE ATTACK ON THE LOWER TRIBE WHICH WAS NOW GROWING INTO IMPORTANCE WAS IN THIS REIGN MADE BY THE KING AND HIS INSTRUMENT WAS PARLIAMENT I HAVE TOLD YOU THAT SIMON DE MONTFORT MADE SOME ATTEMPT TO GET THE BURGESSES TO SIT IN HIS PARLIAMENT BUT IT WAS LEFT TO EDWARD THE FIRST TO LAY THE FOUNDATIONS FIRMLY OF PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION WHICH HE USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF AUGMENTING THE POWER OF THE CROWN AND CRUSHING THE RISING LIBERTY OF THE TOWNS THOUGH OF COURSE HIS DIRECT AIM WAS SIMPLY IT MONEY
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