CONTRIBUTORY CAUSES 317
and schoolmen might declare. There was indubitably a general
movement towards freedom, although we may find it difficult to
see clearly how an incident here, or a manumission there, could
do much to aid its forward march. So, at times, we look at a
mountain stream a few miles from its source and marvel at its
impetuous volume, but our wonder would be lessened by a better
knowledge of the hills through which it has passed, and of the
innumerable freshlets which have each contributed their store of
waters, gathered in their turn from vast areas of forest or snow-
field. Our knowledge of the medieval world is much less than
our knowledge of the mountain stream. All we can do is to
assemble our little groups of facts from wherever we can find
them, and try to see how they fit together. The slow march of
the peasant towards freedom is one to which many circumstances
contributed: the harshness of overbearing lords, the attraction of
the towns, the growing realisation that forced labour was not so
profitable in the long run as hired labour, the pressure of events
when war, famine or pestilence depleted the manorial population
and thus left the lord with holdings on his hands which he was
glad to let at a money and not a servile rent—all these, and many
others, were so many contributory causes which finally brought
the manorial system to an end—and with it came the end of
personal subjection and all its humiliating consequences.