第1章
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  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。

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