The British nation a history / by George MWrong . abuses. At Cluny, inthe twelfth century, began a reform ofthe old Benedictine rule, and stricterliving was enforced in the hundreds ofCluniac houses. When Cluny itselffell away, the Cistercians played therole of reformers, but they, too, in timedeclined. Even at their best the monksdeemed it no part of their duty to re-form the world, aiming rather to for-get it wholly ; but early inthe thirteenth century anew zeal to help the needyappeared, when Francis ofAssisi^ and his followers,who called themselves friars or brothers,went about Italy preac
The British nation a history / by George MWrong . abuses. At Cluny, inthe twelfth century, began a reform ofthe old Benedictine rule, and stricterliving was enforced in the hundreds ofCluniac houses. When Cluny itselffell away, the Cistercians played therole of reformers, but they, too, in timedeclined. Even at their best the monksdeemed it no part of their duty to re-form the world, aiming rather to for-get it wholly ; but early inthe thirteenth century anew zeal to help the needyappeared, when Francis ofAssisi^ and his followers,who called themselves friars or brothers,went about Italy preaching in the mar- ^^^— ket-places and village streets. They devoted themselvesto lepers and others of the suffering and neg-lected classes. Dominic, a Spaniard, beganabout the same time a similar friars took vows to remain poor and tobeg for the means to live. They began workin England in the early days of Henry III, and throughtheir zeal and purity quickly won great influence. By The ofAssisi CisTEuciAN Monk. Dominicansin England,1221. Franciscans1224, 136 THE BRITISH NATION / caring for disease, they gave a stimulus to the study of medicine, and they were not tied by the monks routine of duties, but free to go from place to place. Though before half a century passed they, too, became corrupted, they were even then, perhaps, better than their age. The Conqueror neither gave nor sold land to his followers, but, in the fashion of the time, granted it to them, subject . , , to conditions of feudal serv- The principles . of feudal ICC to liimseli. ihe leaders, tenure. ^^j^^ secured hundreds of manors, were required to take solemnoath to be loyal to the king and in pro-portion to their holdings to furnish himwith fighting men for his wars. Underfeudal tenure the nation was, indeed, agreat family, bound by something likefamily ties to the king. His vassalswere required to give him special help when his eldestson was knighted, his
Size: 1086px × 2301px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidc3britishnatiowest00wron
