J 26 strictures on manners. y^^y ^^-^ 



was always the second, at least the third city ia 

 England, contained then but 1418 families. — There 

 was no spirit for buildings of converriency, far lefs for 

 magnifience* . For Malmesbury tells us, that the 

 great distinction between the Anglo-saxon nobility, 

 and the French or Norman, was, that the latter built 

 magnificent and st.itely castles ; whereas the former 

 consumed their immense fortunes in riot and hospi- 

 tality in mean houses. 



There was in those days no middle rank of men, 

 who, as we see now, gradually mix with their su- 

 periors, and procure insensibly honour and distinc- 

 tion. If by any extraordinary accident a person of 

 mean birth acquired riches, a circumstance so singu- 

 lar made him an object of universal jealousy and dis- 

 gust to all the nobles, and he soon found it impofsi- 

 ble to screen himself from opprefsion, except by cour- 

 ting the protection of some great chieftain, and pay- 

 ing a large price for his safety. 



Theft and robbery were very frequent at this 



time. To impose some checks upon these crimes, 



it was ordered that no man fhould sell or buy any 

 thing above twenty- pence value, except in open mar- 

 ket ; and every bargain was to be executed before 

 •witnefses. Gangs of robbers much disturbed the 

 peace of the country ; and the law determined that 

 a tribe of banditti consisting of between sevea and 



* If, as historians relate, St Paul's cathedral, which was burnt 

 down in the year 961, w.'.f li-built the same year, nothing can be. a 

 clearer proof of the meannefs of the chief buildings at that time, 

 <!ince, as Mr Maitland rl;;htly conjectures, it must mast probably 

 kave been a small timber building. 



