The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-29

| forth to reckon. By the close Of the fourteenth
| century their influence was marked. and II was
| doubtless through its vigorous burRhers that
the House OF Com mons In the early part OF the
| fifteenth century laid hold OF powers which II
had never had before. and was not to have
again for some two hundred years. Then were
nsds the procedents which Ppm and Ham I'd en-
were to turn to such account. In the list OF Pc
| titlons and statutes throughout tho fifteenth
century In which the influence Of the burghers
| on legislation was plainly dominant, we may
look for the true beginning OF democratic gov
| eminent 10 England.
VI.
We come. lastly. to tho spirit By which In the
fifteenth century the Engllsh towns had come
to be animated aud TO the inherent resources
Of their corporate life In the town had grown
M q new world with an organization and a
polity OF Its own wholly different from that Of
the country Members who Joined it's COM
munity we're compelled to renouncs all other
allegiance aud forego any protection from
other patrons. The chief magistrate set over
the Inhabitants must be one of their own fellow
citizens. not n far dweler," unlesa in time OF
special necd. and then only by the pleasure
OF the conmonaity." 1t was only when a
country squire was willing to throw
In his lot with the burRhers. to turn into n
good citizen and honest tradesman. and prove
his trustworthiness and capacitv 10y serving In
n subordinate post that he could hope to iise
TO the highest office. 1t is true that country
folk were welcome to pay double price for
having n stall In the market or q storeroom in
the common house for their wool. while the
Impoverished knight might come In search OF
a renewal OF his wasted fortunes through the
dOwry OF some rich MERGERS daughter.
Otherwise the town carried on It's existence
apart in a watchfu and Jealous Independence.
The way Of thinking and acting In the new
world OF Traders and shopkeepers and ar
tisans lives again for us In wholly new lit
erature. which first sprnng up In England
about the middle Of the fifteenth century In
hooks OF courtesy and popular rhymes as to
the conduct Of daily life. The appearance OF
such hooks at this time is significant. Tho
mobiles had already their own literary tradi-
lions ha ,ded down from an older time. but the
standard OF chivalrous conduct set up for
them In the Morte d'Arthur was one with
which the burghers had nothing TO do. The
new literature was for the townsfolk them
selves. and It bore in every line tho impress
Of Its origin. One book OF courtesy after
another was adapted for tho vulgar
use The right conduct OF life. es-
peciaily as 1t concerned polite behavior.
was set out In little songs made for children
directions In verse pointed out tho duties OF
girls. OF young men. OF housewives. OF wander
ing youths looking for service. The rhymes
are OF the HON eiest kind. with trlte and pro-
sale illustrations taken from the common
sights OF the market place. the tavern. the
workshop. or the street with It's vagrant pigs
and Its swinging signs 1t Is In their rudeness
and simplicity that their interest lies. The
limits OF burghers ambition and OF his duty
arc bounded by rigid lines; the standard OF
conduct is ono framed for q laborious middle
class. with It's plain-spoken seriousness. its
sturdy morality. Its activity and rectitude and
its dulness and vigilance and
thrift. According to the songs and sayings 1t is
the duty OF good men to set their people well to
" ork. to keep house carefully. to get through |
any heavy Job steadily and swiftly to pay |
wages regularly. to give true weight and to |
remember that borrowed thing must needs |
60 home" They are not to ape their betters |
in dress: with one whom thou knowest OF |
greater state" there should be no easy fellow |
ship. no dining. or betting. or playing at dice:
above all. there must be no show OF overmuch |
= meekness or servility. for else fool thou
wilt he told" A practical religion adds Its
simple obligations. Men ought to pay their
lithes. to give to the poor. to be strong and |
stiff against the devil side by side. however.
with directions about mercy. truth. and full
nlling the law. come warnings about carv-
Ing meat and cutting bread and dividing
cheese. about formal and dignihed bearing,
how to walk and stand and knsel. how to enter
\ house. and greet a friend In the street-all
and laboriously shaped into rhyme
The notion OF the worth OF the individual man
was none the less important for the homely
md practical form given to It In rude and I'M
rained expression. Men need not. thsy are
old he shame!aced. OF however lowly posi-
ion they might come. but in whatever So
'iety he might find himself the hum blest
'itizen should so order his behavior that
whom he left the table. the others
hould say "A gentleman was here"
Evidently these books o. courtesy show
Is ono side OF the great change that passed
'yer English society when the m edieyal theory
u status was broken down by the increase OF
iches which trade brought with II. and the
lew chances OF rising In the world through
wealth. Men were no longer obliged. as for
nerly. to pass through the door OF tho church
o find the way to social advancement, but
night attain to II along the com m on highroad
4 secular enterprise.
1t was largely due. too to the awakened ae-
lyity OF the towns that the work OF education
rent on throughout tho fifteenth century, 4
FORK whose magnitude and importance have
een too long obscursd by the Tsorganlzers Of
he Reformation days. who for the giving OF a
ew charter. or the adapting Of q school to the
ew system established by law. clothed them
elves with the glory OF founders and bore
way from their silent predecessors the honor
{ inaugurAtinR new world. As matter of
act. the founding OF free grammar schools
II over England was the work OF
he trading classes themselves In the
sriod preceding the Reformation. Some
mes the schools were founded By |
uilds; sometimes townsmen who had thriven
! the world remembered gratefully the place
their birth or their education. Not only In
10 busy centres Of commerce. but In the OBJ
sure villages that lay hidden in forest or