New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-02
IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY.
ENGLAND UNDER HENRY II.

EXPECTATION OF uuulHS tiiOoc p"'H'' W
which the historical novcsts have taught us
10 look for in all accounts Of the Middle Ages
will be disappointed, for it contains no informa-
ton at all concerning love or chivairy III 'hc
twelfth century. But those who desire to know
how society was really constituted under the
Plantagenets- how the laws were made and adj
ministered, how the King governed and who were
his lieutenants, what interests attracted men most.
what measure of order and culture eXisted-will
discover in tits volume n magazine OF facts, drawn
directly from the records of the time. Mr. Hall
saws: Il have attempted in this book nothing
less than the dclineation of living characters ana
the description Of existing institutions at given
period of typical reign. Every parsonage acted
and spoke almost precisely as represented in this
narrative, and every event took place at the exact
time and in the exact manner described here. as
far as conscientious process. unsparng OF re-
search has enabled me to discover the historical
truth. Indeed, it is scarcely too much to say
that twothrds of this book might he rctransatcd
into the original Latin or Norman-Frcnch OF the
contemporary historian, or elsewhere that chapter
and verse could be supplied for every statement
or allusion from still more authentic records
Mr.. Hall. in short. has attempted to do for tie
time of Henry the Second what he had already
done for the time of Elizabeth. In casting his
material into the form OF a narrative-for 1t can
hardly be called nOvcl-we do not feel certain
that he adopted the best plan, for it will have TO
be admitted that he does not possess those arts
which lend attraction and interest TO the union
of fiction with history, or, as cyncs might say,
the mingling Of two kinds OF fiction. The deter
mination TO adhere scrupulously to the facts
authenticated by the records. moreover, could
not but limit and hamper the undertaking: and
for this among other reasons, that the records
necessarily fail to furnish any information upon
q great many phases of life and matters of inter
est and significance, omission to consider which
must deprive the work of hfclkcncss to con-
siderable extent. Mr.. Hall has indeed attempted
no more of story than might serve TO introduce
his hi orical pcIscnagcs and the long disgust.
tioi nd explanations by which they illustrate
and clucidatc the institutions laws and customs
Of the period The reign of Henry the Second
occupied one of the later stages of transition
from the old TO the new conditions. Old English
laws and customs, heathcnish supcrstitions and
had been taken over into the Noman-English
system. which was gradually becoming the normal
state. The relative position of king and barons
still depended less upon law than upon the char
actor of the reigning sovereign. The people were
still struggling with the greed and rapacty of the
dominant Norman >aristocratic element. Henry
himself was bent upon curbing the power Of tie
barons, and to that end had ordered the destruc-
ton Of all the strong castles and fortified places
in the land save those upon the Marches where
they We're indispensable 10 the protection of the
border
Nothing was yet settled; neither the fiscal
system, nor the land system, nor the judicial
system. Litigation incredibly tedious and
eXpensivc--a fact strikingly shown in tie nara
tive Of Richard of Anests lawsuit. every detail
of which is faithful transcript from the record.
This suit lasted six years, and the sutton com
PEELED in the course OF IL 10 20 or send TO the
Court Of Rome, to follow the King to Normandy.
to travel in his train up and down through Eng
land, and to borrow so much money from the
Jews that when at last the suit was won, the
estate which it concerned was heavily mortgaged.
This difficulty and expense were largely due TO
the continual confusion and strife between canon
and civil laws An ordinary suit for the recovery
of parcel of land could not be prosecuted with
ont recourse TO King, Pope, cardinals. legates.
bishops and priests, besides the civil Judges Such
were the cth..o of tie period. moreover. that
ruption-as we should call twas necessary
part Of the pleadings. Every one who was called
upon to sign a paper, from the Pope downward.
regularly put up TO auction. save where state
or personal interests interviewed In criminal
cases, however, the settlement was often rs head
long as in the civil processes it was slow. Mr..
Hall gives an example of this in the account of
the trial of gang of London robbers. In those
troubled times, and even in the metropolis, such
bands Of thieves did not scruple TO break into
houses violently in the night and kill all who
opposed them. Thus, during one Of IIcnrys iu-
dietary visits 10 London, the brother Of Earl
Ferrcrs was murdered In his lodging and his
body dragged forth and thrown into the kennel.
The King was terribly incensed By this outrage.
and was about 10 impose heavy fine upon the
,ity, when accident revealed the identity Of the
criminals.
The same gang nights after the murder
made an attack upon TIE house Of knight, who
however. had been warned and was OH his guard.
lie and his servants stood arms In hand until the
door was beaten in, and the knight tlcn seeing
hand bearing a torch thrust into the hail. made
fierce blow at it with his sword ard struck il of
His servants at the same time threw themselves
upon the other robbers, beat them Oft, and cap
tnrcd several IL is an interesting circumstance
that the leader of these thieves proved to be an
Aldcrman-which seems TO indicate that this MI
nicipal Office is associated with one and another
tiHu Oi Stealing DN NcHeTdDlc litlOi.
The thief who had lost his hand turned States
evidence, and the King had the trial hastcnc1
II did not occupy much time No opportunity of
defence was afforded the prisoners, who were IN
represented by counsel The sentence was given
upon the evidence Of the informer,
in few minutes, and TO the effect that the
accused should undergo the ordeal By wafer This
ordeal, survival from much earlier period was
well calculated TO appau guilty and innocent
alike. A caldron of boiling water was prepared
and the accused having his right hand and arm
carefully bandaecd, and the bandages sealed was
required TO thrust the member so covered into the
boiling caldron. and TO take from the bottom a
white stone. This done lie RENTED 10 Gus
tody for three days, when tie bandagcs were re-
moved, and if, as was most natural, the hand and
arm showed injury by scalding, the guilt of the
man was considered proved, and lie was hurried