as indeed
a conservative reaction in several directions. The authorities of
London forbade the admission of any former villain to citizenship, and
the Commons in Parliament petitioned the king to reduce the rights of
villains still further. On the whole, the revolt is rather an
illustration of the general fact that great national crises have left
but a slight impress on society, while the important changes have
taken place slowly and by an almost imperceptible development. The
results of the rising are rather to be looked for in giving increased
rapidity and definite direction to changes already in progress, than
in starting any new movement or in obtaining the results which the
insurgents may have wished.

*31. Commutation of Services.*--One of these changes, already in
progress long before the outbreak of the revolt, has already been
referred to. A silent transformation was going on inside of the
manorial life in the form of a gradual substitution of money payments
by the villain tenants for the old labor for two, three, or four days
a week, and at special times during the year. This was often described
as "selling to the tenants their services." They "bought" their
exemption from furnishing actual work by paying the value of it in
money to the official representing the lord of the manor.

This was a mutually advantageous arrangement. The villain's time would
be worth more to himself than to his lord; for if he had sufficient
land in his possession he could occupy himself profitably on it, or if
he had not so much land he could choose his time for hiring himself
out to the best advantage. The lord, on the other hand, obtained money
which could be spent in paying men whose services would be more
willing and interested, and who could be engaged at more available
times. It is not, therefore, a matter of surprise that the practice of
allowing tenants to pay for their services arose early. Commutation is
noticeable as early as the thirteenth century and not very unusual in
the first half of the fourteenth. After the pestilence, however, there
was a very rapid substitution of money payments for labor payments.
The process continued through the remainder of the fourteenth century
and the early fifteenth, and by the middle of that century the
enforcement of regular labor services had become almost unknown. The
boon-works continued to be claimed after the week-work had
disappeared, since labor was not so easy to obtain at