The Origin of Property in Land

The Origin of Property in Land - With an introductory chapter on the English manor by W. J. Ashley

The Essay by the late M. Fustel de Coulanges, here translated, appeared in the Revue des Questions Historiques for April, 1889. It seemed especially suitable for translation; since it presented in a comparatively brief compass all the main arguments of that great historian against the various attempts which have been made to support the theory of primitive agrarian communism by an appeal to historical records. The translation has been made with the consent of Madame Fustel de Coulanges; and it has benefited by the suggestions of M. Guiraud, an old pupil of the author, and now Charg de Cours at the Sorbonne. The presentation of the Essay in an English dress has been deemed a suitable occasion to estimate the bearing of its arguments on early English social history, and to review in the light of it the evidence now accessible as to the origin of the English manor. W. J. A. M. A. Toronto, January 21, 1891. [Pg vii] In spite of all the labour that has been spent on the early history of England, scholars are at variance upon the most fundamental of questions: the question whether that history began with a population of independent freemen or with a population of dependent serfs. Nothing less than this is at issue in the current discussions as to the existence of the mark and the origin of the manor; as well as in the discussions, at first sight of less significance, as to the character of our medival constitution. Neither for the government of the parish nor for the government of the nation is it possible to construct an historical theory which does not rest, consciously or unconsciously, on some view as to the position of the body of the people. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 67558
Author: Fustel de Coulanges, 1830-1889
Release Date: Mar 4, 2022
Format: eBook
Language: English
Publisher: Swan Sonnenschein
Publication Date: 1891
Publisher Country: UK

Contributors

Translator: Ashley, Margaret, -1922