The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-28

liamcnts could har lly fail TO die away. But
Mr. Gf'cn points ont that the very success II
Tao House OF York was Il moro fatal blow IT, 'lir
trust In the national legislature, for il WIS by
the act Of the Houses that the Lanca-triHn line
had boon raised 20 the throne. It's title wus
parliamentary itir. and it, existence was, in
fict, a contention that the win ~ the legislative
body could override tho claims Of blood IN the
succession ~ the Crown. With all this thccivil
war dealt roughly and dcr.siyely. Tho parlia-
ncntary line was driven from the thronc. anl
the parliamentary title set u.ids NJ u-urintion.
Relieved from tho check VI tho two lloUsrs
thus weakened and disorclitcd. the Crown
would obviously bc restored tothc power j; lil
held under tho c1r,cr Kings hut. in actual fact.
Edward ". found himself the p'ss"sspr -, a
far grcut"r authority. In the framework 81
foudal society. 'cudAl kini; WIS confronted hy
two great rival powers. the baronage and Tho
Church But with the growth Of Parliament the
weight of the haronase IA a separate cons,ltu-
tional element and eycn the separate influence
Of the Church. had fallen into decay
and now that tho assembly OF tho estates
practically ccascd. II WIS too late to re-
vivc the Older restraints which had once
crampcd the action OF tho Crown. But
tho author reminds us that the wr'ek OF the
ieudal organization was only one symptom 81
tho now order spreading over the face OF wos,-
ern Europe. The spell Of the past. the spell Of
custom and tradition. was everywhere rudely
broken; the supremacy Of the warrior IN "A
world of war no longer seemed the sole natural
adjustment 81 society nor was man held any
longer in unquostoning awe OF a iri' sih0od by
belief in it's poss,r,sion ~ supernatural truths
and powers. What was more significant Of
revolution noble and priest alike wero Begin
ming to disbclieve in themselves. Tao monas-
hat ..tIf.
dition. Il find in them" says Pos-io. the
Italian scholar. who visited Lnalan1 some
twenty years after Chau6cr's death. "hui very
few lovers oflearning. and those % barharous
sort. skilled more in puihnl and sophisnis
than i'm letters" Oxford LATIN. indrcd had
become proycrbial for II iargon in which the
very tradition Of grammar had been lost. Lit
crnturc. which until now had rested mainly In
the hands OF the clergy. came almost 10 an "nd.
and the most cons 9icuOus tra'c o! mental ne
tivity was seen in the numerous treatlsns which
dealt with alchemy or mngir. Somewhat Of
their old independence. however. fingered
among the lower clergy and tho monas,ir or
dcrs: hut 1t was through iis proatcs
that the Church exercised direct political
influence. and ,hcs' were driven 10y
sheer need. by the attack ot tle baron- ON their
temporal possessions and Of the Lollnrds Oh
their SUPPLEMENTARY into d"prndrn' c ON tho
Crown. Their weakness told der-iv'ly on con
stitutional progress. since through the diminu-
ton In the number Of peers TEMPORAL the
greater part OF the House OF Lords WIS now
composed OF bishops and mitred abbois At
this point. however. Mr.. Grrrn corrc'ts popu-
lar error. which ascrihes the lrs,ening ol tie
baronage TO the vars Of the Roses. II seems
that the records show as many temporal
peers in the first year OF Henry VII.
as nj the accession Of Henry VI. some sixty
years before. OF the greater houses. only two.
those oil Beaufort and Tiptoit. We're oNtn-
guished by the civil war. The extinction If
great families. the breakup Of crcit estates.
had. in fact been going on throughout tho
reigns of tho Edwards. and, curously enough.
1t was lust after Asincourt that in England 10
less than in France. the number oi baronS sank
TO tue lowest cbb. From that date tin the time
of the Tudors they numbered but ltty-two. Mr.
Green j. supported hy,all Competent students
OF the middle ages In a'tril JtnE the subvrr-
sion OF the huronHg' ~ military force t. the
revolution in the art Of war. Ieni.ll-m wts
ruined bv gunpowlcr which. although 1t had
been ia use rs early IT. Crecy. WINS not brought
into effective AMI constant employment until
tn" accession Of the House Of Isn'nster. But
the wars of Henry V. and the Regent Bedford
w're wars NJ siesrS. Ih" " hast Of the barons "
a. Warwick is styled. relic mainly on his field
pieces. AMI 1t WAS artillery tnnt turnel the day
nt Barnet and Tcwkoshury The strength
which the change gave u the Crown was almost
/ overwhelming. Without artillery the vsomcu
and Ayerymnn. who had been wont To- take
down the low At the call IF a great bnron.
wore now helpless and the one efficient train
Of artillery IN the Aingd, IN .,y at the disposal Of
the King.
Bat far greater energy than guns could give