Page:The child's pictorial history of England; (IA childspictorialh00corn).pdf/95

 to make new laws, or impose new taxes, at his pleasure.

31. This famous act is generally regarded as the beginning of the liberty which all Englishmen are so justly proud of; but the laws it contained were, in many respects often broken by the sovereigns of England, for a very long period.

32. The Barons of England still lived in their castles, on their own estates, in the midst of their vassals and serfs. Their castle-halls were crowded with knights, squires, pages, and military dependents, for it was their pride to have as many of such retainers as they could possibly maintain. The pages were boys of high rank, generally the younger sons of noblemen, whose profession was to be knight errantry.

33. Now, in order to obtain the honour of knighthood, they were obliged to serve some great baron, first as pages, then as esquires, for several years, and to be very obedient and respectful in their conduct, and do all that was required of them readily and cheerfully.

34. While pages, they had to wait upon their lords and his guests at dinner and supper, to carry messages, and perform little services for the ladies of the family; but they were themselves waited upon by the domestic slaves, and,