But, on the whole, it seems indisputable that the common people of the great nations do cleave to honesty and goodwill, and that the desire for intelligence is being widely fostered. As long, then, as we can count on honesty, goodwill, and intelligence in our streets and market-places, as we can to-day, mankind does well to elect its representatives to council and Parliament and proclaim democracy--"Government of the people, by the people, for the people"--as the proper government for mankind. * * * * * Notes. [1] We cannot be sure about the constitution of the Witenagemot. The evidence is conflicting, and, at best, we can only offer a statement of opinion. [2] "The parish was the community of the township organised for Church purposes and subject to Church discipline, with a constitution which recognised the rights of the whole body as an aggregate, and the right of every adult member, _whether man or woman_, to a voice in self-government, but at the same time kept the self-governing community under a system of inspection and restraint by a central authority outside the parish boundaries."--Bishop Hobhouse, _Somerset Record Society_, Vol. IV. "The community had its own assembly--the parish meeting--which was a deliberative assembly. It had its own officers, who might be either men or women, duly elected, sometimes for a year, sometimes for life, but in all cases subject to being dismissed for flagrant offences. The larger number of these officials had well-defined duties to discharge, and were paid for their services out of funds provided by the parishioners."--DR. JESSOPP, _Before the Great Pillage_. [3] Radmer, _Life of Anselm_. (Rolls Series.) [4] "The boldness of Anselm's attitude not only broke the tradition of ecclesiastical servitude, but infused through the nation at large a new spirit of independence."--J.R. GREEN, _History of the English People_. [5] "For as long as any one in all the land was said to hold any power except through him, even in the things of God, it seemed to him that the royal dignity was diminished."--EADMER, _Life of Anselm_. [6] See Palgrave's _History of Normandy and England_. [7] "A martyr he clearly was, not merely to the privileges of the Church or to the rights of the See of Canterbury, but to the general cause of law and order as opposed to violence."--FREEMAN, _Historical Essays_. [8] _See_ Campbell's _Lives of the Chancellors_. [9] F. York Powell, _England to 1509_.