The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-25

A at the time OF the Norman Conquest. 40.
two centuries later. the vast majority OF the
English population must have been engaged
in farming The proof of this Is simply mat
ter Of arithmetic for the rate OF production
during all this period was SO low ton the
average not more than eight bushels an acre
tor wheat. or four times the amount sown. or
not more than three and u half times for bar
leyL that otherwise It would have been impos-
sibls to keep alive aven the m Oldest population
Of between 1.5OO. 900 and 2,oOO,OOO. which 1t
was estimated. England then possessed.
Tho in M ediate effect OF the Norman Con-
quest was to bring disaster to the towns. The
number Of burgesses enumerated In 1885 rs
com pared with that recorded for tho reign OF
Edward the Copfessor, shows u falling of OF
oue-half 5000 AZ against 10000. Within
nifty years. however. the towns had recovered
from their temporary depression, and 1t was
acknowledged that the Norman gave more
thar lie took In his train came extension OF
trade routes and intercourse with Norman ard
Breton, poitovh. Gascon and Spanish ports.
Foreign merchants nocked to London and
Winchester to Ipswich. Boston and Lincoln.
Foreign craftsmen settled everywhere. and
tho trades OF the mason. the ear
penter. the glass maker and the workers
in metals must have received an immense
stimulus from the castles. cathedrals. and alb
beys which began to rise on every hand. To
the industrial classes any exactions by their
Norman sovereign. however heavy in them
selves, must have seemed light compared with
tho relief from the insecurity and anarchy Of
AnElo-Saxon days. Nor was security OF In
land trade all that the new rulers gave. A
charter from one who was Duke OF Normandy
and Maine. as well "a King OF England A;
still more. a charter from Angevin sover-
elgns. whose writs ran from Berwick to
Bayonne. could Law open range of trafhc
hitherto unexampled. 1t was also dur
ing the Norman and Angevln period that
the towns obtained charters OF self
government whereby their irregular dues in
kind we're committed for fixed money pay
ments. and they were empowered TO try in
their own courts all but a few excepted cases
At this time arose. moreover. the guild system,
OF which the merchant guild was the pioneer.
NOtwithstG ndinG The restrictions which this
system imposed on industry 1t undoubtedly
did much 10 inculeats . code OF industrial
morality. enforcing severe penalties TOR short
weights aud N measures. for shoddy material.
and for scant woTE maushiP. The guilds also
acted as benefit insurance and burial societies.
and exercised social. educational and even re-
liGious functions besides regulating the hours
OF work. the processes OF manufacture. and
wages and prices. The internal trade of Eng
land depended chiefly upon the great seasonal
fairs. The greatest OF these during the twelfth
century was held at StOurbridgs. Here mer-
chants from Hamburg. Bruges. and Stras-
bourg from ROusn and Bordeaux. and from
Florence and Genoa all met. The farm bailins
cane hithsT TO buy their annual stores OF pep
per Of iron goods. and OF tar; aud to dispose OF
| wool and hide. cattle. grain. and hay. The
| mAneiplss OF oxford colleges and distant
| abbsys came to buy the winters provisions
and stock OF salt and spices as well as LIsRs
| linen or spanish wines. or furs from the Bal
tie or Flemish cloth. eoneourse like this
which eqSsrsd a space half . mile square,
shows that means OF communication and GER
tain routes Of trafie must have been in a
tolsrabls condition during the early middle
| ages. That they were so Is shown b. diaries Of
| journeys and travelling expenses bJ the mod
| crate cost OF carriage. even for heavy goods
and. finally. By the frequency Of iRns. There
| Is reason to believe. however that the
roads were worse at the end OF the thirteenth
/ century than they had been 200 years before
Even At the later date. however. the road from
London TO Dover seems to have been kept in
| pretty good repair The same thing. doubt
less might be said Of the road linking South
AmDtoB. the great emporium Of the gTeA
Eastern trade. with WlRshsStsT where fail
Vas held which. In the thiFtssnth century. VA
more important even than that Of stSaEbEidEs