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Article THE GILDS.* Page 1 of 5 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Gilds.*
THE GILDS . *
THERE is no doubt but that Mr . Walford's History of the Gilds is a very valuable contribution to our knowledge of a forgotten portion of the history of the English people . Indeed it is difficult to assess at its proper value and importance now the part played by the Gilds in mediaeval social and public life . But the more we lift the veil
which time and apathy have cast over these shifting annals of a remarkable institution of a now forgotten past , we are struck at once , and impressed with the reality and importance of the " facts " as presented to our view and apprehension . Mr . Toulman Smith whetted our appetite for more information , and Mr . Waiford skilfully enough keeps
up the interest and increases the longing . We think there cannot be a question that [ at one time all the Crafts were under the Gilds , governed by Gild regulations , customs , and ordinances . That there may be traces of non-Gild Craftsmen seems plain from the Scottish evidences , but that very exception would prove the rule .
We think it fair , however , to say , that so far , in our opinion , we have but touched , as it were , the fringe of the whole question , and that we are still essentially ignorant of many points , in default of which it is impossible for us dogmatically to deal with the Gilds . Ours is at the best but past knowledge . We have got together some slight" indiciaa " of Gild life , Gild habits , Gild ways , but we want much fuller light and clearer information and more certain facts before we can weave a
connected history or assert that we really possess coherent details of a state of things which has all but passed away from our common life , and , saving for the Companies of the City of London , has ceased to be part and parcel of our national characteristics or municipal government .
There are still several hundred Gild returns awaiting a decipherer , collator , editor , and until we have them reproduced from their dust of ages , calmly considered , carefully edited , and lying before us well printed , in all their distinctive reality , it is worse than idle , —indeed , it is a ridiculous misuse of time—to say that we have mastered either
, the letter or the spirit of the Gilds , or have realized the " nonna Vivendi " and the " jus agendi " of those numerous Gilds which at one time undoubtedly controlled and directed all the operative bodies in this country .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Gilds.*
THE GILDS . *
THERE is no doubt but that Mr . Walford's History of the Gilds is a very valuable contribution to our knowledge of a forgotten portion of the history of the English people . Indeed it is difficult to assess at its proper value and importance now the part played by the Gilds in mediaeval social and public life . But the more we lift the veil
which time and apathy have cast over these shifting annals of a remarkable institution of a now forgotten past , we are struck at once , and impressed with the reality and importance of the " facts " as presented to our view and apprehension . Mr . Toulman Smith whetted our appetite for more information , and Mr . Waiford skilfully enough keeps
up the interest and increases the longing . We think there cannot be a question that [ at one time all the Crafts were under the Gilds , governed by Gild regulations , customs , and ordinances . That there may be traces of non-Gild Craftsmen seems plain from the Scottish evidences , but that very exception would prove the rule .
We think it fair , however , to say , that so far , in our opinion , we have but touched , as it were , the fringe of the whole question , and that we are still essentially ignorant of many points , in default of which it is impossible for us dogmatically to deal with the Gilds . Ours is at the best but past knowledge . We have got together some slight" indiciaa " of Gild life , Gild habits , Gild ways , but we want much fuller light and clearer information and more certain facts before we can weave a
connected history or assert that we really possess coherent details of a state of things which has all but passed away from our common life , and , saving for the Companies of the City of London , has ceased to be part and parcel of our national characteristics or municipal government .
There are still several hundred Gild returns awaiting a decipherer , collator , editor , and until we have them reproduced from their dust of ages , calmly considered , carefully edited , and lying before us well printed , in all their distinctive reality , it is worse than idle , —indeed , it is a ridiculous misuse of time—to say that we have mastered either
, the letter or the spirit of the Gilds , or have realized the " nonna Vivendi " and the " jus agendi " of those numerous Gilds which at one time undoubtedly controlled and directed all the operative bodies in this country .