large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_92
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
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 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
eeds of change, some of which indeed had lain asleep during centuries, to wake up into activity long after the events which had created them were forgotten. The feudal system was naturally one of open war; and the alliances, marriages, and other dealings, family with family, made by the king and potentates, were always leading them into war by giving them legal claims, or at least claims that could be legally pleaded, to the domains of other lords, who took advantage of their being on the spot, of their strength in men or money, or their popularity with the Baronage, to give immediate effect to _their_ claims. Such a war was that by which Edward I. drew on England the enmity of the Scotch; and such again was the great war which Edward III. entered 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. F THE INNATE SEEDS OF CHANGE SOME OF WHICH INDEED HAD LAIN ASLEEP DURING CENTURIES TO WAKE UP INTO ACTIVITY LONG AFTER THE EVENTS WHICH HAD CREATED THEM WERE FORGOTTEN THE FEUDAL SYSTEM WAS NATURALLY ONE OF OPEN WAR AND THE ALLIANCES MARRIAGES AND OTHER DEALINGS FAMILY WITH FAMILY MADE BY THE KING AND POTENTATES WERE ALWAYS LEADING THEM INTO WAR BY GIVING THEM LEGAL CLAIMS OR AT LEAST CLAIMS THAT COULD BE LEGALLY PLEADED TO THE DOMAINS OF OTHER LORDS WHO TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THEIR BEING ON THE SPOT OF THEIR STRENGTH IN MEN OR MONEY OR THEIR POPULARITY WITH THE BARONAGE TO GIVE IMMEDIATE EFFECT TO THEIR CLAIMS SUCH A WAR WAS THAT BY WHICH EDWARD THE FIRST DREW IN ENGLAND THE ENMITY OF THE SCOTCH AND SUCH AGAIN WAS THE GREAT WAR WHICH EDWARD THE THIRD ENTERED 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
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