Page:A short history of nursing - Lavinia L Dock (1920).djvu/86

70 CHAPTER V DEMOCRATIC AND SECULAR TENDENCIES IN NURSING LEAVING to one side all the human tragedies connected with the crusades, those remark- able episodes may be considered as a vast university extension course for great masses of people. New ideas, a wider knowledge, a larger Political world vision came to mediaeval society and social ^-j^g crusaders streamed forth to movements following Palestine and back again to their crusades western homes. Many narrow con- ventions were discarded and outworn beliefs ex- changed for new, more timely ones. The epoch following on the crusades was marked by evi- dences of intellectual growth and popular long- ing for freedom and progress. Commerce and trade created a powerful middle class. Free cities grew in number and importance. Cuilds of arti- sans and workmen reached a high stage of organi- zation. The peasants became articulate and voiced demands for a redress of grievances. A 70