Читать книгу The Child's Pictorial History of England. From the Earliest Period to the Present Time онлайн

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12. You must remember that people could not buy land then for money, nor have it for paying rent; but large estates were given to the thanes and nobles by the king, on condition that they should perform certain services for him; and you have already seen how the vassals of the nobles held their little farms on similar terms.

13. This was called the feudal system, which means, holding land for services instead of rent; and the person holding the land was called the vassal of him to whom it belonged, whether rich or poor; so the nobles were the vassals of the king, and the ceorls were the vassals of the nobles.

14. I think you now understand what the feudal system was, therefore I shall proceed with the history of Alfred the Great.

15. The war had gone on for several years, and the king was so unfortunate that, at last, he was obliged to hide himself in a woody marsh in Somersetshire, called the Isle of Athelney, because it was surrounded by bogs and rivers.

16. The Danes were then in pursuit of him; and, one time, fearing to be taken prisoner, he got some man to let him keep his cows, or pigs, I do not know which; so that, if the Danes happened to see him, they might not guess who he was.