Практикум по английскому языку (по истории Англии Средних веков). Пилипенко В.А - 31 стр.

               ,             y                   ,
 accepted the programme of demands embodied by the
 barons in Magna Charter. Magna Charter has been
 rightly regarded as a turning point of English history,
 but almost for wrong reasons. It was not a
 «constitutional document». What it did was to set out in
 detail the way in which John had gone beyond his rights
 as a feudal overlord and to demand that his unlawful
 actions should stop. It marked the alliance between the
 barons and the citizens of London by breaking the
 freedom of merchants from arbitrary taxations. The
 most famous clause declared that «no freeman» «...the
 second word excluded from any possible benefit the
 overwhelming mass of the people who were still in
 villeinage». More important was the clause setting up a      êðåïîñòíàÿ
 permanent committee of 24 barons to see that John’s          çàâèñèìîñòü
 promises were kept. This particular device did not work
 well, but it did open a new way along which the barons
 could conduct a political struggle as a class rather than
 individuals. It also prepared the way for the entry of
 new classes onto the political field. The contents of
 Magna Charter shows that it expresses mostly the
 interests of barons. But historically-progressive role of
 the Charter consists of the fact that the growth of the
 influence of the layers of the population was great and it
 mainly provided the success for the barons in their
 attempts to limit king’s power.

                     ASSIGNMENT TO TEXT VIII

I. Check the meaning of the terms in your dictionary and learn them
by heart:
     domain, rebellion, violate — violation, submit, demand, unlawful
action, benefit, device, limit king’s power, influence.

II. Read the text. Answer the questions to it:
     1. By what was the period between the Conquest and 1200
characterized?
     2. What were king’s rights and duties?
     3. The vassals in their turn had rights and duties, didn’t they?
     4. Who was the king? What do you know about him?
     5. Did the king violate the system of property relations in Britain? Why?
     6. What were his relations with Church?
     7. What is Magna Charter?


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