situated near Market Harborough, and not far from the memorable battle-field of Naseby, where the unfortunate Charles lost his crown, and was compelled to flee, a throneless fugitive, to Leicester. The inhabitants of Clipston are principally engaged in farm-labour, which brings them about 10s. or 11s. per week—not a very great sum, yet much higher than can be obtained in many parts of the southern counties.
A copy of Mr. William Chambers’s tract on co-operation fell into the hands of some of the more intelligent of these labourers, who displayed their latent energies by immediately forming an association similar to that at Rochdale, but, of course, on a far more modest scale, which they have successfully carried on up to the present time. This was in June, 1861, when they started with 34 members, and a capital of about 34l. They now (September, 1862) number 56 members, with funds to the amount of 90l.; the amount of business transacted during the first twelve months of their existence being 1110l. 7s. 9d.
No wonder that our friend Hodge has become elated, and, in brisk emulation of his Rochdale brethren, is busily engaged in devising plans for the erection of large bakeries, or whispering of co-operative farms, where the labourers shall be their own employers! The thin end of the wedge has been inserted, and it is impossible to predict the ultimate results which may arise therefrom.
The same influences which have had so large a share in forming the character of the Lancashire operative are busy at work amongst the semi-pauperised inhabitants of our rural towns and villages, and thereby preparing the way for a complete social, moral, and intellectual change in the habits of our rustic populations.
No real lover of his kind can reflect on these silent but widely spread movements in town and country, without a feeling of relief that working men should have learned to economise their hard-earned wages, and to acquire habits of frugality, providence, and self-help, rather than become the victims of senseless and ruinous strikes, or addicted to wasting their time on the alehouse bench. If the spread of co-operative societies produced no other results than these, they would be valuable as popular adjuncts in the social education of the masses, and it is both unwise and mischievous to criticise their proceedings in the narrow and restricted spirit of a false political economy. By inculcating the principles of self-government they are indirectly preparing the people for the exercise of a larger share of political power than that which they now possess; and by familiarising their members with the doctrines of economic science they are bringing about an amelioration of the numerous unhappy disputes which embitter the relations of labour and capital.
John Plummer.
THE ORNAMENTS, IMPLEMENTS, AND
WEAPONS OF OUR BRITISH ANCESTORS.
.png)
We head this article with an engraving of part of the contents of an ancient place of interment—the skeleton of some hunter, perhaps, buried with a stag’s antlers at his feet, the sign of an occupation which he pursued when in this life. These remains were found in Dale Park, near Arundel, in 1810. Our ancient graves, although exhibiting a certain uniformity in their deposits, occasionally seemed to yield some hints of the occupations of their tenants.
In Roman interments, amongst mortuary and other remains, have been found dice, tali, the scrivener’s “stylus,” the moneyer’s little scales, the merchant’s or petty trader’s weights and steelyards, and, though rarely, the warrior’s weapons; whilst from a grave opened under our own inspection—a female’s, doubtless,—a little vase was taken containing a pigment in colour and in material resembling rouge. In another grave was found the share and coulter of a plough, a horse’s bit, iron tires of wheels, and horse trappings.
In the interments generally considered the most ancient in this country—British, Celtic, or whatever they may appropriately be termed—we discover implements, weapons, and a few personal relics of simple forms and of rude materials.
The gold ornaments being an exception to the above we shall refer to them presently.
The stone axe, hammer and adze; the arrow or spear-head; the pebble scarcely if at all fashioned by hand and reserved for the sling; skinning-knives of flint, and flint flakes still more rudely manufactured; bronze celts of various shapes; clay beads; ornaments of amber, bone, and morse-ivory, constitute the chief portion of these remains.
In classing bronze implements amongst those of stone or flint, it will be understood that we do not adopt the hypothesis which some antiquaries contend for, that there existed, in a sort of chronological order, three distinct ages of stone, bronze, and iron. We are convinced that there is evidence—at least in this country—that a rude and savage people might have lived contemporaneously with more civilised tribes, or races, to whom the use of a higher class of manufactured articles was familiar.
This appeared to have been the case with one division of the Jutes, the Eudoses of Tacitus, who lived amid the heaths and sand-hills of the wild shores of West Slieswig, whilst a people of a higher civilisation inhabited the fertile district of the eastern portion.
Respecting the Britons, however, the most ancient inhabitants of England of whom we have