Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-07-31
Written for this Paper.
"Merrie England"

that change was taking place in the
social condition of the English. In
the eighteenth and nineteenth statutes
Of the thirty-second year of Henry
VIII, it was declared that much of the
towns were falling into decay. ''Divers
and many beautiful houses of habita-
tion, built in TYNE past within their
walls and liberties are now fallen down
and decayed, and at this day remain
unre-edifed, and do lie as desolate and
vacant grounds, many of them nigh
adjoining to the High Streets, replen-
ished with much uncleanliness and
filth, with pits, sellars, and vaults ly-
ing open and uncovered to the great
peril and danger of the inhabitants,
and other the Kings subjects passing
by the same.' This quaint language
very clearly shows that there was some
quietrevclution in progress. 1t was
this before the Reformation in the
wallike era of the Roses, it had been
necessary for safety to build and live
in walled towns whose sites would ma
turally be chosen on account of their
military Importance. But under the
benlticent rule Of Henry a popular
monarch with the people, government
being stable and secure, trade and ag-
ricultural business leaving these wall
ed towns sought the more inviting re-
gions of the open country. The veal
thy citizens, who before had lived in
these 'beautiful houses" now going to
decay in the old towns, began to strike
out and buy land in the open country,
and this fact will make it necessary to
consider some facts which were due to
the remaining influence of the Feudal
System.
The Feudal system had one distin-
gushing feature, in regard to the ten
ure of land, which was, to use the
words of Froude, that "the land of
England must provide for the defence
of England" The owners of land
were expected to do military service.
There was theoretical patriotism
which regarded the common veal
above any private interest. Those
who had grown rich in trade, and
took advantage of this fact, to buy up
large quantities of land, thus making
fewer homes for the laborers were re
proved, for the love of-"flthy lucre.'
The idea was that each person always
consider the public welfare above
his own personal profit. All the land
was held upon strictly military prin-
ciple. The land owner took rank in
the army according to his rank among
landowners. theoretically the land
all belonged to the Crown under the
Grown it was held by the great noble
houses under these there was
regularly graduated scale of owner
ship---"each owner possessed his
separate right, which the law guarded
and which none might violate, yet
none of these was independent of an
authority higher than himself and the
entire body of the English free posses
ors of the soil was interpenetrated by
a coherent organization which con-
verted them into perpetually sub
sisting body of soldiers. The extent
of land which was held by the petty
free-holders was very large, and the
possession of it was jealously treasur-
ed ; the private estates of the mobiles
and gentlemen, were either cultivated
by their own servants, or let out, as at
present, to free tenants; or, Tin earlier
times,) were occupied by v1liaas, a
class who, without being bond-men,
were expected to furnish services 9TH
er than those of the feld,-services
which were limited by law, and re-
cognized by an outward ceremony, a
solemn oath and promise from the
villain to the lord"
These strictly Feudal regulations
had pretty much passed away, in the
time of Henry the With, but in his
reign, and even later, a laborer was
not allowed to leave his master with
out sufficient excuse, nor on the other
hand could laborer be discharged
from mere caprice. The relationship
was understood as of more or
less permanence. In this age such
regulations would seem very despotic
Yet, in the olden time they secured
some great advantages. There was a
definite place for every man in Eng
land, he had a definite work to per-
form, and could be relied upon for a