New-York tribune., 1894-04-22

went ont and no blood drawn, God be thanked
The incident was not one to soften passlon' VI -.
conciliate rivals; but the issue of the strie, as
comma red with the hOstities In the last cch.u
shows how the balance Of power was snhtng:
The bishoDs resources were being e~hIuStru
faster than his pretensions every uaueI III
LYNN was perpetually reminded that In NOR
vich. only fifty miles or 50 distant. the citizehs
had held their own borough court since ll9i, ana
the higher court with view OF franKpedge siHVs
1929. For these privileges they themselves n nau
waited now for three hundred years. ana only
one settlement was possible In 1913 the quar-
rel as to the view OF frankplcdge was still gong
but the bishop was driven at last 10 compro-
mise which preserved his historic claims un-
touched while II handed over the real power 10
the municipality. ruder and more effective
close before long put to the quarrel by the
sharp methods Of the Reformation When
Bishops Lynn became finally Kings Lynn.
The case OF boroughs attached to a monastery
was even worse. The power which they had II
fight was invnclble Against the little lay cor
poration was set "a great ecclesiastical corpora
ton wealthy. influential united. persistent. I'M
mortal. All the elements which went 10 make mp
the strength Of the town were raised in the
conven, to a yet higher degree Of perfection. and
the struggle was prolonged. intense and at the
best remained a drawn battle. setting nothing
beyond dispute save the animosty Of the COM
batants" 1t Is in the light Of this long-drawn
with which the burghers all over England at
the time Of the Reformation entered into the
destruction Of the religious houses. 1t was not
hatred Of sacerdotalism nor even Of ecclesiasu-
cism: II was no enthusiasm for new doctrines
that actuated them but simply the desire 10
avcnge the tyranny and wrongs Of four centuries.
1t was largely a selfish feeling. for nobody was
more tyrann!cal than a burgher when he had the
opportunity to be So Witress the way the guild
of Merchant Adventures pursued their oppo-
nents in trade both native and foreign. not
stopping at murder nor At piracy to gain thcii
ends
It would be n hopeless task t. go over In detail
the particulars included in Mrs. Green's two
Well-proportioned volumes. The reader Will rise
from the perusal OF them with new views. per
haps as to the condition Of the English world III
the fifteenth century. lie Will find that age
compared as a transition period with the present
There were few or no great names In mlhtary or
literary annals. The brilliant study and writing
of a short time before were forgotten IN"
whole world had awakened to the fact that the
old manner Of life, the old methods OF commerce
were no longer available; ii now turned 10 prar-
teal affairs. II began To- store up rlches Will
out knowing why But the outcome showed mat
ali this prenaration was necessary TO the wide
ranging energy OF the sixteenth century. WIN
out the towns England would have had no snare
I'm the work Of discovery and colonization whlch
began with finding passage around the cape oi
Good Hone Mrs. Green's elaborate ana emil
nentlv readable work Is the outcome OF a promise
which she made 10 her husband before his death
She evidently considers II only part of her task
FOR she remarks I'm her preface "ln this book
have made my first beginning toward the ful'
filling Of that promise