5.—“... _his servitude_ ...”
“Villeins were not protected by Magna Charta. “_Nullus liber homo
capiatur vel imprisonetur_,” &c., was cautiously expressed to exclude
the poor villein, for, as Lord Coke tells us, the lord may beat his
villein, and, if it be without cause, he cannot have any remedy. What a
degraded condition for a being endued with reason!”—Edward Christian
(“Note to Blackstone’s Commentaries,” Book II., Chap. VI.)
Mr. Christian’s exclamation of concern is doubtless meant to apply to
the serf, yet was not the lord’s position equally despicable?
6.—“... _in turn was master to a slave_.”
This was, in fact, simply extending the spirit of the feudal system
(with its serfdom as just pictured), a little further. Buckle
exemplifies in ancient French society the servility descending from
one grade to another in man:—“By virtue of which each class exercising
great power over the one below it, the subordination and subserviency
of the whole were completely maintained.... This, indeed, is but part
of the old scheme to create distinctions for which Nature has given no
warrant, to substitute a superiority which is conventional for that
which is real, and thus try to raise little minds above the level of
great ones. The utter failure, and, as society advances, the eventual
cessation of all such attempts is certain.” But, meanwhile, evil
accompaniments are apparent, as Buckle further instances by saying:
“Le Vassor, who wrote late in the reign of Louis XIV., bitterly says:
‘Les Français accoutumés à l’esclavage, ne sentent plus la pesanteur
de leurs chaînes.’”—(“History of Civilisation in England,” Vol. II,
Chaps III., IV.)
That the foregoing habits or foibles are human rather than simply
masculine, or that the imitation of them very naturally spreads to the
other sex, would seem to be shown by such evidence as Letourneau gives:—
“In primitive countries the married woman—that is to say, the woman
belonging to a man—has herself the conscience of being a thing, a
property (it is proved to her often and severely enough), but she does
not think of retaliating, especially in what concerns the conjugal
relations. Moreover, as her condition is oftenest that of a slave
overburdened with work, not only does she not resent the introduction of
other women in the house of the master, but she desires it, for the work
will be so much the less for herself. Thus among the Zulus the wife
first purchased strives and works with ardour in the hope of furnishing
her husband with means to acquire a second wife, a companion in misery
over whom, by right of seniority, she will have the upper hand.”—(“The
Evolution of Marriage,” Chap. VIII.)
Yet, in point of fact, this is not woman seeking to establish her own
dominion, but rather to secure somewhat more of freedom for herself. As
Alexandre Dumas fils tells us, concerning the Mormon women:—
“Non seulement elles donnent leur consentement à leurs maris, quand ils
le leur demandent pour un nouveau mariage, mais elles sont quelquefois
les premières à leur proposer une nouvelle femme qui a, disent-elles,
des qualités nécessaires à la communauté, en réalité pour augmenter un
peu la possession d’elles-mêmes, c’est-à-dire leur liberté.”—(“Les
Femmes qui Tuent,” &c., p. 169.)
8.—“... _vassalage to man_.”