The story of the middle ages; an elementary history for sixth and seventh grades . ducation of today. The civilization of modern times, indeed, owes agreat debt to these old towns, and to their sturdyinhabitants. Let us see, now, what those privileges Avere whichthe townsmen got, and which enabled them to help onthe worlds progress so much. To us theseprivileges would not seem so verv sreat Privileges i T , , -, „ J to • obtained / In imndreds of towns in France the lords t^wns? ^ granted only such rights as the folloAving: 1. The townsmen shall pay oidy small fixed sumsfor the rent of their l
The story of the middle ages; an elementary history for sixth and seventh grades . ducation of today. The civilization of modern times, indeed, owes agreat debt to these old towns, and to their sturdyinhabitants. Let us see, now, what those privileges Avere whichthe townsmen got, and which enabled them to help onthe worlds progress so much. To us theseprivileges would not seem so verv sreat Privileges i T , , -, „ J to • obtained / In imndreds of towns in France the lords t^wns? ^ granted only such rights as the folloAving: 1. The townsmen shall pay oidy small fixed sumsfor the rent of their lands, and as a tax Avhen they sellgoods, etc. 2. They shall not be obliged to go to Avar for theirlord, unless theycan return tlie same day, if theychoose. 3. AVhen they have laAv-suits, the tOAvnsmen shallnot be obliged to go outside the toAvn to have themtried. 4. No charge shall be made for the use of the toAvnoven; and the toAvnsmen may gather the dead Avood inthe lords forest for fuel. 5. The toAvnsmen shall be alloAved to sell their 186 ^-ZZii STOBY OF THE MIDDLE AGES. CATHKnUAI. OF COLOGNE LIFE OF THE TOWN 187 property when they wish, and leave the town withouthindrance from the lord. 6. Any peasant who remains a year and a day in thetown, without being claimed by his lord, shall be free. In other places the townsmen got, in addition, theright to elect their own judges; and, in still others,they got the right to elect all their officers. Towns of this latter class were sometimes calledcommunes. Over them the lord had very littleright, except to receive such sums of money „, . ^^ ° ^ . _ Their rights as it Avas agreed should be paid to him. In of self- government. some places, as in Italy, these communesbecame practically independent, and had as muchpower as the lords themselves. They made laws, andcoined money, and had their vassals, and waged warjust as the lords did. But there was this importantdifference: in the communes the rights belonged to thecitizens as a
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1, booksubjectmiddleages, bookyear1912
