xii AUTHOR'S PREFACE 



people with the control of power, and those who are 

 controlled. A struggle between these two sections 

 arose in very early times, and has never entirely died 

 out. Sometimes, indeed, it burst forth into a storm, 

 as for example when the peasants revolted against 

 the upper classes in the XlVth century, and again 

 when in the XlXth century poverty-stricken agri- 

 cultural labourers combined into Trade Unions, and 

 organized strikes for higher wages and better con- 

 ditions. 



I prepared the material with the greatest care, and 

 have written in, I hope, a judicial spirit ; but the his- 

 tory of the English countryside is a thorny subject, 

 and I can hardly expect to escape criticism and 

 perhaps correction. I welcome both. 



I have only to make it quite clear that the book 

 is not based on special original research, but on the 

 writings of Prothero, Vinogradoff, Oman, Jusserand, 

 Hasbach, Slater, Tawney, Sidney and Beatrice Webb, 

 Cunningham and other recognized authorities. 



Mr. Widlake of Bristol voluntarily prepared the 

 large manorial plan from which the frontispiece of 

 this book is reproduced : for the help I received from 

 him and other members of my classes I desire to 

 express my gratitude. 



MONTAGUE FORDHAM. 

 RED CROSS BASE, 



BOULOGNE-SUR-MER, 

 February 1916. 



