Buttherealcausesofthatbreak—uplaymuchdeeperthanthat。Thesystemwasnotcapableofexpansioninproduction;itwas，infact，aslongasitsintegrityremaineduntouched，anarmyfedbyslaves，whocouldnotbeproperlyandcloselyexploited;itsfreemenpropermightdosomethingelseintheirleisure，andsoproduceartandliterature，buttheirtruebusinessasmembersofaconqueringtribe，theirconcertedbusiness，wastofight。Therewas，indeed，afringeofpeoplebetweentheserfandthefreenoblewhoproducedthemattersofhandicraftwhichwereneededforthelatter，butdeliberately，and，asweshouldnowthink，wastefully;andasthesecraftsmenandtradersbegantogrowintoimportanceandtopushthemselves，astheycouldnothelpdoing，intothefeudalhierarchy，astheyacquiredSTATUS，sothesicknessofthefeudalsystemincreasedonit，andtheshadowofthecomingcommercialismfelluponit。
Thatanysetofpeoplewhocouldclaimtobeotherthanthepropertyoffreemenshouldnothavedefiniterightsdifferentiatedsharplyfromthoseofothergroups，wasanideathatdidnotoccurtotheMiddleAges;therefore，assoonasmencameintoexistencethatwerenotserfsandwerenotnobles，theyhadtostruggleforstatusbyorganizingthemselvesintoassociationsthatshouldcometobeacknowledgedmembersofthegreatfeudalhierarchy;forindefiniteandnegativefreedomwasnotallowedtoanypersoninthosedays;ifyouhadnotstatusyoudidnotexistexceptasanoutlaw。
Thisis，brieflyspeaking，themotivepowerofnecessitythatlaybehindthestruggleofthetowncorporationsandcraft—gildstobefree，astrugglewhich，thoughitwastoresultinthebreakingupofthemediaevalhierarchy，beganbyanappearanceofstrengtheningitbyaddingtoitsmembers，increasingitspowerofproduction，andsomakingitmorestableforthetimebeing。
Aboutthisstruggle，andthekindoflifewhichaccompaniedit，Imayhavetowriteanothertime，andsowillnotsaymoreaboutithere。
Exceptthis，thatitwasmuchfurtheredbythechangethatgraduallytookplacebetweenthelandlordsandtheclassonwhomallsocietyrested，theserfs。Theseatfirstweremenwhohadnomorerightsthanchattelslaveshad，exceptthatmostly，aspartofthestockofthemanor，theycouldnotbesoldoffit;theyhadtodoalltheworkofthemanor，andtoearntheirownlivelihoodoffitastheybestcould。Butasthepowerofproductionincreased，owingtobettermethodsofworking，andasthecountrygottobemoresettled，theirtask—workbecameeasierofperformanceandtheirownlandmoreproductivetothem;andthattendencytothedefinitionanddifferentiationofrights，moreover，wasatworkfortheirbenefit，andthecustomofthemanordefinedwhattheirserviceswere，andtheybegantoacquirerights。Fromthattimetheyceasedtobepureserfs，andbegantotendtowardsbecomingtenants，atfirstpayingpurelyandsimplySERVICEfortheirholdings，butgraduallycommutingthatserviceforfinesandmoneypayment——forrent，inshort。