[Footnote 151: According to Ailred (temp. Hen. II), "a king, many bishops and abbots, many great earls and noble knights descended both from English and Norman blood, constituted a support to the one and an honor to the other. At present," says another author of the same period, "as the English and Normans dwell together, and have constantly intermarried, the two nations are so completely mingled together, that at least as regards freemen, one can scarcely distinguish who is Norman and who English.... The villeins attached to the soil," he says again, "are alone of pure Saxon blood."] [Footnote 152: Magna Charta, 1215.] [Footnote 153: "Chaucer's Works," ed. Sir H. Nicholas, 6 vols., 1845, "Prologue to the Canterbury Tales," II. p. 11, line 333.] [Footnote 154: Prologue to "The Canterbury Tales," II. p. 17, line 547.] [Footnote 155: From 1214, and also in 1225 and 1254. Guizot, "Origin of the Representative System in England," pp. 297-299.] [Footnote 156: In 1264.] [Footnote 157: Aug. Thierry, IV. 56. Ritson's "Robin Hood," 1832.] [Footnote 158: Latimer's "Sermons," ed. Arber, 6th Sermon, 1869, p. 173.] [Footnote 159: Ritson, "Robin Hood Ballads," I. IV. verses 41-48.] [Footnote 160: Ibid, verses 145-152.] [Footnote 161: A pinder's task was to pin the sheep in the fold, cattle in the penfold or pound (Richardson).--Tr.] [Footnote 162: Ritson, II. 3, verses 17-26.] [Footnote 163: Ibid. II. 6, verses 58-89.] [Footnote 164: Ritson, verses 94-101.] [Footnote 165: "The Difference between an Absolute and Limited Monarchy--A learned Commendation of the Politic Laws of England" (Latin). I frequently quote from the second work, which is more full and complete.] [Footnote 166: The courage which finds utterance here is coarse; the English instincts are combative and independent. The French race, and the Gauls generally, are perhaps the most reckless of life of any.] [Footnote 167: "The Difference," etc., 3d ed. 1724, ch. XIII. p. 98. There are nowadays in France 42 highway robberies as against 738 in England. In 1843, there were in England four times as many accusations of crimes and offences as in France, having regard to the number of inhabitants (Moreau de Jonnès).] [Footnote 168: Statute of Winchester, 1285; Ordinance of 1378.] [Footnote 169: Benvenuto Cellini, quoted by Froude, I. 20, "History of England." Shakespeare, "Henry V," conversation of French lords before the battle of Agincourt.] [Footnote 170: "The Difference." etc.]