An introduction to American history, European beginnings . bread andale and cheese, the shoes and cloaks, the knives andswords, that the English workmen could make. 213 214 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN HISTORY A medieval town in England looked very differentindeed from any towns that we have in our country. Inthe first place it was almost always small, and the houseswere crowded very close together. The streets were so narrow that the build-ings almost met over-head, and housewivescould easily gossipout of an upper win-dow with neighborsacross the way. Therewere no one walked inthe
An introduction to American history, European beginnings . bread andale and cheese, the shoes and cloaks, the knives andswords, that the English workmen could make. 213 214 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN HISTORY A medieval town in England looked very differentindeed from any towns that we have in our country. Inthe first place it was almost always small, and the houseswere crowded very close together. The streets were so narrow that the build-ings almost met over-head, and housewivescould easily gossipout of an upper win-dow with neighborsacross the way. Therewere no one walked inthe crooked, ill-pavedstreets. Very oftenthe whole town wasshut in by a high wallin which were severalbig gates that wereclosed at a certain timein the evening. Afterthat time no one could come in or go out without specialpermission. In Chester to-day one may take a pleasantwalk along a ledge on the inside of the old wall thatstill surrounds the town. The houses of the townspeople were plain affairs,generally built of wood and plaster, and there was little. A Gate in the Old Town Wall,Southampton, England TOWNS AND BUSINESS IN MIDDLE AGES 215 attempt to beautify them. The citizens were more inter-ested in erecting a fine hall in which to hold their meet-ings, and, if their town was a cathedral city, in buildingthe most beautiful cathedral possible. The old haUs inLondon and elsewhere in England are buildings that anytown to-day might be proud of. Town merchants. When we picture a merchant of theMiddle Ages w^e must not fancy him behind a counterselling silks and muslins, hats, or shoes, or stationery,or other goods which he has ordered from as many dif-ferent factories. Still less should w^e think of him as run-ning a department store, where many clerks sell thingsbrought from all parts of the world. The establishmentof a merchant of the Middle Ages was more like thesmall shoemakers shop we sometimes see to-day, wherethe shoemaker, sitting on his bench in the front room ofhis hous
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