The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-07


honored ideas as to knowing his place and open
ing his eyes as to the possibility Of lettering
his lot.
II H. at thesans time acknowledged by Mr..
Corbett that some facts seem 20 prove. though
indirectly. that n certain amount Of prosperity
must have marked most years OF the century.
even though the lower classes may not always
have enjoyed an enviable exist ence. One OF the
most r.king Of these data Is to I've found In the
activity in building. All over England there
are still to be seen parish churches which were
built at this time. some OF them among the
finest In the kingdom. while there are n still
greater number that were enlarged and added
to. all OF which shows that there was wealth TO
spare and an increasing population. fact of q
similar kind and telling In the same direction,
In the relntroduction of the use of bricks
the art of making which had been for
gotten ever since the departure OF the
Romans. In 1442 we hear of brick
kiln being made TO supply bricks for the build
ing OF the boys chambers at Elton, and between
that year and 1851 Henry VI. seems to have
used up nearly 100000 bricks on his new
foundation: in 1875 the brickmakers. who are
said to have been London men. had 10 look
about for a nav brick field. Not many relics of
this outburst of brick building now remain. but
1t Is natural TO connect with IL the great inn
provement in domestic architecture which 81
simultaneously took place. and which led to the
erection of the first country houses that at all
deserve the name. aud to the first introduction
of chimneys into farmhouses. All through the
century. moreover. the statute book testinos
to the luxury and ostentation of the mobiles
and gentry Of the time, and to the wealth
which enabled them to maintain largo troops OF
al |, aud ali, at n
apparel. In l449. no fewer than 800 men
formed the retinue Of relatively unimportant
person, one Walter Strykelande, deputy steward
OF Kendall. in westmoreland; and we read in
1880 OF sir John Arundel, who was drowned
of the coast of Brittany. and lost mot only his
life. but all his apparel to his body" to the
amount OF two and fifty suits of cloth OF gold"
The moneys spent profusely In these ways must.
in nearly every case. have been derived from
the profits OF successful agriculture. The only
trade that the landowners OF this period could
engage In without loss Of dignity was the export
Of agricultural produce. and not very many of
them did even this, but lived entirely OF their
rentals In almost every instance the gentleman's
farm was his fortune. and there could have been
no magnifcence without prosperous tenantry.
Some people. indeed. may be disposed to dispute
this. and to contend that the landowners were
enabled to crafty their passion for display,
not because their tenants wero prosperous, but
because their rents were excessive. IL seems,
however, that in reality this was rarely tho
case. and that in the fifteenth century, rents
were exceedingly low and landlords very leni-
ent. This may be seen not only from the study
of the terms OF actual leases that have been pre-
served. but from the way in which tho men of
the next century, when the practice OF rack
renting did undoubtedly become usual. lamented
the olden state OF things. number of facts cited
by Mr.. Corbett prove how long-sufferlng many Of
the landlords were. and vindicate the testimony
OF q writer OF q much later date. who In talking
of the monasteries and commencing them as
landowners, says: They never revenged them
selves of any injury but were content TO forgive
1t freely; they never raised any rents. nor took
any fines of their tenant. Yea, happy was that
person who was tenant to an abbey. for II was
rare thing to hear of any tenant that was re-
moved by taking OF his farm over his head nor
was he afraid OF any reentry for non-payment OF
rent II necessity drove him thereto" when this
was written. In the reign OF Edward W.. such
landlords had become extinct, but In the fifteenth
century IL still the great monastic houses that
set the examples to which the rest OF the farm
owning community usually conformed. To tho
same effect runs the well-known passage in the
sermon preached by Bishop Latimer before Ed
ward W., in which he contrasts the state OF
things In the fifteenth century with that OF his
own day: MY father was yeoman, and had
no lands OF his own, only he had a farm OF three
or four pounds by the year at the uttermost;
and hereupon he titled so much as kept half |
dozen men. He had walk for a hundred
sheep. and my mother MIXED thirty kline. He
was able and did find the king harness with
himself and his horse. lie kept me to school, |
and my sisters he married with Ave pounds |
apiece. He kept hospitality for his poor neigh
bors, and some aims he gave to the poor. and all
this he did of the same farm" He adds that
teen pounds by the year, or more and is not able
to do anything for his prince, for himself. or for
his children, give cup of drink to the poor"
II was during the period covered by this vol |
ume that Oxford and Cambridge universities, |
which had long been the great training schools |
for clerks, took more organized shape in the |
new college foundations. The first college proper
1T Oxford was Merton, founded In 1874 by |
Bishop Walter Of Rochester. an ex Chancellor. |
Bishop Stapyldon OF Exeter In 1914, Edward ii. |
In 1926, and Robert Eglesheld and Queen Phil |
ppa in 1910 followed Merton's example with |
Exeter, Oriel, and Queens colleges. Bishop |
Hugh OF Ely in 1880 transferred the system to |
in st. Peters College; and between |
l347 and 1883 Edward Gonville and Bishop |
william Bateman OF Norwich established there |
iOnville Hall. These, of course, are only in
stances OF new foundations, not a complete list.
In the reign of Edward l. the University Of Ok
ford was granting degrees in civil and canon