第1章

EssaysinEnglishMediaevalHistorybyPaulVinogradoff1892

PrefaceAforeigner’sattempttotreatofdifficultandmuchdisputedpointsofEnglishhistoryrequiressomejustification。WhyshouldaRussianscholarturntothearduousstudyofEnglishmediaevaldocuments？Canhesayanythingofsufficientgeneralinteresttowarranthisexplorationofsodistantafield？

Thefirstquestioniseasiertoanswerthanthesecond。

TherearemanyreasonswhyweinRussiaareespeciallykeentostudywhatmaybecalledsocialhistory——theeconomicdevelopmentofnations，theirclassdivisionsandformsofco-operation。Wearestilllivinginsurroundingscreatedbythesocialrevolutionofthepeasantemancipation；manyofoureldercontemporariesrememberboththeperiodofserfdomandthepassagefromittomodernlife；somehavetakenpartintheworkingoutandputtingintopracticeoftheemancipatingacts。

QuestionsentirelysurrenderedtoantiquarianresearchintheWestofEuropearestilltopicsofcontemporaryinterestwithus。

Itisnotonlythecivilprogressofthepeasantrythatwehavetonotice，butthetransformationandpartialdecayofthelandedgentry，theindirectinfluenceoftheeconomicconvulsionsonpolitics，ideas，andmorality，and，inamorespecialway，theinfluenceoffreecompetitiononsoilandpeoplethathadbeenfetteredforages，thepassagefrom’naturalhusbandry’tothemoneysystem，thesubstitutionofrentsforlabour，aboveall，theworkingofcommunalinstitutionsundertheswayofthelordandintheirmodernfreeshape。Governmentandsocietyhavetodealevennowwithproblemsthatmustbesolvedinthelightofhistory，ifinanylightatall，andnotbyinstinctgropinginthedark。Allsuchpracticalproblemsvergetowardsonemainquestion：howfarlegislationcanandshouldactuponthesocialdevelopmentoftheagrarianworld。Areeconomicagenciestosettleforthemselveswhohastotilllandandwhoshallownit？

OrcanwelearnfromWesternhistorywhatistobeparticularlyavoidedandwhatistobeaimedat？Idonotthinkthatanybodyislikelytomaintainatthepresentday，that，forinstance，astudyoftheformationanddissolutionofthevillagecommunityintheWestwouldbemeaninglessforpoliticiansandthinkerswhohavetoconcernthemselveswiththeactuallifeofthevillagecommunityintheEast。

Anotherpowerfulincitementcomesfromthescientificdirectionlatelyassumedbyhistoricalstudies。Theyhavebeenforalongtimeverycloselyconnectedwithfineliterature：

theiraimwasalifelikereproductionofthepast；theyrequiredartisticpower，andstirredupfeelingsaswellasreflectivethought。Suchliteraryhistoryhasanaturalbenttowardsnationaltradition，forthesamereasonthatliteratureisattractedbynationallife：theartistgainsbybeingpersonallyintouchwithhissubject；itismoreeasyforhimtocasthismaterialintotherightmould。Ancienthistoryhardlyconstitutesanexception，becausetheelementsofclassicalcivilisationhavebeenappropriatedbyEuropeannationssoastoformpartoftheirownpast。WhatIcallliteraryhistoryhasbynomeansdoneallitswork。Thereistoomuchintheactionsofmenthatdemandsartisticperceptionandevendivinationonthepartofthehistorian，toallowthismodeoftreatmenttofallintodecay。

Butnobodywilldenythathistoricalstudyisextendingmoreandmoreinthedirectionofwhatisnowcalledanthropologyandsocialscience。Historiansareinquestoflawsofdevelopmentandofgeneralisationsthatshallunravelthecomplexityofhumanculture，asphysicalandbiologicalgeneralisationshaveputintoorderourknowledgeofthephenomenaofnature。

Thereisnosubjectmorepromisingfromthispointofviewthanthehistoryofsocialarrangements。Itbordersonpoliticaleconomy，whichhasalreadyattainedascientificstanding；partofitsmaterialhasbeenfashionedbyjuridicaldoctrineandpracticallaw，andtherebymouldedintoaclear，well-definedshape；itdealswithfactsrecurringagainandagainwithmuchuniformity，andpresentinggreatfacilitiesforcomparison；theobjectsofitsobservationarelesscomplexthanthephenomenaofhumanthought，morality，orevenpoliticalorganisation。Andfromthepointofviewofthescientificinvestigatortherecanbenootherreasonfortakingupaparticularepochornation，butthehopeofgettingagoodspecimenforanalysis，andofmakinguseofsuchanalysisforpurposesofgeneralisation。

NowIthinkthattherecanbenobetteropportunityforstudyingearlystagesofagrariandevelopmentthanthataffordedbyEnglishmediaevalhistory。Thesourcesofinformationarecomparativelyabundantinconsequenceofthepowerfulactionofcentralauthority；fromfarbackinthefeudaltimewegetlegalandfiscaldocumentstoenlightenus，notonlyaboutgeneralarrangementsbutevenaboutdetailsinthehistoryoflandedpropertyandofthepoorerclasses。AndthetaskofstudyingtheEnglishlineofdevelopmentisrenderedespeciallyinterestingbecauseitstandsevidentlyincloseconnexionwiththevariationsofthesameprocessonthecontinent。Scandinavian，German，French，Italian，andSpanishhistoryconstantlypresentpointsofcomparison，andsuchdifferencesastherearemaybetracedtotheiroriginsjustbecausesomanyfactsareincommontostartwith。Ithinkthatalltheseconsiderationsopenagloriousvistafortheenquirer，andtheinterestexcitedbysuchpublicationsasthoseofFusteldeCoulangesprovesthatthepublicisfullyalivetotheimportanceofthosestudiesinspiteoftheirdrydetails。

WhatcouldIpersonallyundertaketofurtherthegreatobjectsofsuchinvestigation？Thegroundhasbeensurveyedbypowerfulminds，andmanycontroversiesshowthatitisnotaneasyonetoexplore。Twomaincoursesseemedopeninthepresentstateofthestudy。Apromisingmethodwouldhavebeentorestrictoneselftoadefiniteprovincialterritory，togetintimatelyacquaintedwithalldetailsofitsgeography，localhistory，peculiaritiesofcustom，andtotracethesocialevolutionofthistractoflandasfarbackaspossible，withoutlosingsightofgeneralconnexionsandanalogies。HowinstructivesuchworkmaybecomemaybegatheredfromLamprecht’smonumentalmonographontheMoselland，whichhasbeenrightlycalledbyitsauthor’DeutschesWirthschaftslebenimMittelalter。’Orelse，onemighttrytogatherthegeneralfeaturesoftheEnglishmediaevalsystemasembodiedinthenumerous，onemightalmostsayinnumerable，recordsofthefeudalperiod，andtoworkbackfromthemintotheimperfectlydescribedpre-feudalage。Suchenquirywouldnecessarilyleaveoutlocalpeculiarities，ortreatthemonlyasvariationsofgeneraltypes。Fromthemethodicalpointofviewithasthesamerighttoexistenceasanyotherstudyof’universalities’whicharealwaysexemplifiedbyindividualbeings，althoughthelatterarenotmadeupbythem，butappearcomplicatedineverysinglecasebyadditionalelements。

Beingaforeigner，Iwasdriventotakethesecondcourse。I

couldnottrustmyselftobecomesufficientlyfamiliarwithlocallife，evenifIhadthetimeandopportunitytostudyitclosely。

IhopesuchinvestigationsmaybetakenupbyscholarsineverypartofEnglandandmayprosperintheirhands；thegaintogeneralhistorywouldbesimplyinvaluable。AndIwasnotsorryofthenecessityofgoingbythesecondtrack，becauseIcouldhopetoachievesomethingusefulevenifIwentwrongonmanypoints。EveryyearbringspublicationsofCartularies，Surveys，Court-rolls；theimportanceoftheselegalandeconomicrecordshasbeendulyrealised，andhistorianstakethemmoreandmoreintoaccountbythesideofannalsandstatutes。Butsurelysomeattemptoughttobemadetoconcentratetheresultsofscatteredinvestigationinthisfield。TheCartulariesofRamsey，Battle，BurySt。Edmunds，St。Paul’s，theHundredRolls，theManorialRecordsofBroughtonandKing’sRipton，giveusmaterialofoneandthesamekind，which，forallitswealthandvariety，presentsgreatfacilitiesforclassificationandcomparison。(1*)

Ihaveseenagoodmanyofthesedocuments，bothpublishedandinmanuscript，andIhopethatmybookmaybeofsomeserviceinthewayofconcentratingthisparticularstudyofmanorialrecords。I

amconscioushowdeficientmyworkisinmanyrespects；butifbythehelpofcorrections，alterations，additions，itmaybemadetoservetosomeextentforthepurpose，Ishallbegladtohavewrittenit。Imaysayalsothatitisintendedtoopentheway，byacarefulstudyofthefeudalage，foranotherworkontheoriginsofEnglishpeasantlifeintheNormanandpre-Normanperiods。

Onepleasantresultthetoilexpendedonmediaevaldocumentshasbroughtmealready。IhavecomeintocontactwithEnglishscholars，andIcansaythatIhavereceivedencouragement，advice，andsupportineverycasewhenIhadtoapplyforthem，andinsolargeandliberalameasureasIcouldhardlyhopefororexpect。Oftwomen，nowdead，Ihavetorepeatwhatmanyhavesaidbeforeme。HenryBradshawwasthefirsttolayanEnglishMS。cartularybeforemeintheCambridgeUniversityLibrary；andinallmytravelsthroughEuropeanlibrariesandarchivesIneveragainmetsuchaguide，soreadytohelpfromhisinexhaustiblestoreofpalaeographical，linguisticandhistoricallearning。

WalfordSelbywasaninvaluablefriendtomeattheRecordOffice——alwayswillingandabletofindexactlywhatwaswantedformyresearches。

ItwouldbeimpossibletomentionallthosefromwhomIhavereceivedhelpinonewayoranother，butIshouldliketospeakatleastofafew。IhavethepleasantdutyofthankingtheMarquisofBathfortheloanoftheLongleatMS。ofBracton，whichwassentformyusetotheBodleianLibrary。LordLeighwaskindenoughtoallowofmycomingtoStoneleighAbbeytoworkatabeautifulcartularyinhispossession，andtheHon。MissCordeliaLeightookthepainsofmakingformesomeadditionalextractsfromthatdocument。SirFrederickPollockandMrYorkPowellhavegonethroughtheworkofreadingmyproofs，andIowetothemmanysuggestionsforalterationsandimprovements。IhavedisputedsomeofMrSeebohm’sopinionsonmediaevalhistory；butIadmitfreelythatnobodyhasexercisedastrongerinfluenceontheformationofmyownviews，andIfeelproudthatpersonalfriendshiphasgivenmemanyopportunitiesofadmiringtheoriginalityandwidthofconceptionofonewhohasdonegreatthingsfortheadvancementofsocialhistory。AsforF。W。

Maitland，Icanonlysaythatmybookwouldhardlyhaveappearedatallifhehadnottakeninfinitetroubletofurtheritspublication。HehasnotonlydoneeverythinginhispowertomakeitpresentabletoEnglishreadersinstyleandwording，butastothesubject-matter，manyafriendlysuggestion，manyacriticismIhavehadfromhim，andifIhavenotalwaysprofitedbythem，theblameistobecastentirelyonmyownobstinacy。

PaulVinogradoffNOTES：

1。MissLamond’seditionofWalterofHenleydidnotappearuntilthegreaterpartofmybookwasintype。IhadstudiedtheworkinMS。SoalsoIstudiedtheCartularyofBattleAbbeyinMS。

withoutbeingawarethatithadbeeneditedbyMrScargillBird。

HadMrGomme’sVillageCommunitiescometomyhandsatanearlierdateIshouldhavemademorereferencestoit。

IntroductionWhenthetimecomesforwritingahistoryofthenineteenthcentury，oneofthemostimportantandattractivechapterswillcertainlybedevotedtothedevelopmentofhistoricalliterature。

Thelastyearsofagreatagearefastrunningout：greathasbeenthestrifeandtheworkintherealmofthoughtaswellasinthematerialarrangementoflife。Thegenerationsofthenineteenthcenturyhavewitnessedamightyrevivalofreligiousfeeling；theyhaveattemptedtosetupphilosophicalsystemsasbroadandasprofoundasanyofthespeculationsofformertimes；

theyhaveraisedthestructureoftheoreticalandappliedsciencetoaheightwhichcouldhardlyhavebeenforeshadowedsometwohundredyearsago。Andstillitistohistoricalstudythatwehavetolookasthemostcharacteristicfeatureoftheperiod。

Medievalasceticisminitsdesperatestruggleagainsttheflesh，andPuritanismwithitssenseofindividualreconciliationwithGod，werebothmorevigorousformsofreligiouslifethanthemodernrestorationsoffaithandChurch，socuriouslymixedupwithhelplessness，surrenderofacquiredtruth，hereditaryinstincts，andutilitarianreflection。Inphilosophy，Hegel’smetaphysicaldialectic，Schopenhauer’stransformationofKant’steaching，andtheattemptsofEnglishandFrenchpositivismatencyclopaedicalsciencemaybecomparedtheoreticallywithPlato’spoeticalidealismorwiththerationalisticschoolsoftheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturies。Butitwouldbedifficulttodeny，thatinpointofinfluenceonmen’sminds，thoseoldersystemsheldamorecommandingpositionthanthese：

Hegelseemstooarbitraryandphantastical，Schopenhauertoopessimistic，positivismtooincompleteandbarrenastoultimateproblemstosuitthepracticalrequirementsofphilosophy；andpeoplearealreadycomplainingofthedecayofphilosophicalstudy。Inscience，again，theageofDarwiniscertainlysecondtonone，butithastoshareitsglorywiththeageofNewton，anditmaybereasonablydoubtedwhethertheastronomer，followinginthefootstepsofGalileoandKepler，wasnotactuatedbyevengreaterthirstandprideofknowledgethanthemodernbiologistorgeologist。Itisotherwisewithregardtohistory。