The Ysan refugees are fed, clothed and able to pay taxes in kind. Thus, they can survive but as animals, serfs or peasants. Ysan culture will be lost. Olath Cartagi, former apprentice to an Ysan metal dealer, gets the idea of smelting, instead of importing, iron and goes into partnership with a man who has the necessary skills. Apuleius lends money and Gratillonius helps, not least with his own manual labor in the building of the furnace on
Mont Frugy. Stone hauled from pre-mythical menhirs is cleaved and dressed to line the smelting pit and its drains.
With a ready supply of iron, Confluentes will acquire blacksmiths who will then support other industries. Ysans freed from agricultural labor can again become:
coppersmiths;
goldsmiths;
jewelers;
masons;
sculptors;
glass workers;
weavers;
dyers;
merchants;
shippers;
seamen.
They will rebuild civilization and become strong enough to defend it. The colony will become a city with a cathedral planned by Bishop Corentinus. Today, there is Quimper with its Cathedral of St Corentin.
7 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I agree with the analysis here. I would only add that we still need AGRICULTURE to feed towns, cities, industrialists, merchants, craftsmen, artisans, etc.
Sean
Sean,
Yes. Some would be freed some of the time, not all all of the time!
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I'm trying to say we NEED some farmers and peasants, small, medium, and large landowners, etc.
Sean
Sean,
Agreed.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Thanks! And I think it's a very bad sign for a society if the owning of land becomes so difficult only giant corporate latifundia can afford to do so. A very telling scene in GO TELL THE SPARTANS was where Grand Senator Bronson reflects with angry frustration how he came to own a quarter million acres of land in his home state of the US from these small to medium size former land owners turning title over to him in return for them remaining as his tenants. Because it was the only way they could avoid losing their lands to giant latifundia. Not only that, Bronson had household troops raised from his estates personally loyal only to him. It sure looks like feudalism to me!
We are used to seeing Grand Senator Bronson as a villain. But he didn't start it out like that, with one character wondering if he could be understood as a misguided patriot.
Sean
"owning of land becomes so difficult only giant corporate latifundia can afford to do so"
I've read about Henry George's single tax on land ideas & wondered about the practicality of them. A land tax with a basic personal exemption to favor small holders might solve the problem you mention in your comment.
Kaor, Jim!
I doubt such a scheme would ever work or be implemented. Politicians, partisan ax grinders, special interests of all kinds, etc., would bollix it up!
Merry Christmas! Sean
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