Page:A short history of social life in England.djvu/61

Rh words, "When I was under the rod." A boy came of age when he could brandish his father's sword and bend his bow, tasks requiring no small amount of skill. But this accomplished, the young warrior was presented with shield and spear, and became a full-fledged citizen. Then the real business of his life began, for England in those days was a world of strife. Every man was a warrior as well as a legislator; every man bore arms alike as a duty and as a privilege. What all had helped to acquire, all demanded equally to share—a point of view somewhat lost sight of in these latter days.

All learnt the use of arms, and attended the local moot with spear and shield, assenting to the suggestions of chief or Ealdorman by the noisy clash of the one upon the other. Thus, it will readily be seen, the moot was in fact composed of the local militia, or "fyrd," just as the Witenagemote was the gathering of those Ealdormen who had not only presided at the local meetings, but had led the men in attendance to battle.

And yet a further strength was added to this early military organisation, involving some of those sterling qualities which characterised our