英国资产阶级革命：英文讲义.doc

The Rise of Parliamnt in England Significance of the English parlimentary system England during the 16th and 17th centuries was deve1oping the Parliamentary system of government, while on the continent, especially in France, the trend was toward absolutism. The English revolutions of the 17th century assured the supremacy of Parliament over the Crown, and established a stable, yet flexible government. This development has had an immense influence on the general political evolution of Europe. English Parliamentarians represents one of the three main streams of historical influence that have gone into the making of modern democracy, the other two streams being the French Revolution, and the rise of laissez faire Capitalism. Part One 1) Early Steps Toward Parliamentary Government The germ of the Eng1ish Parliament is to be found in the ancient Witen of the Anglo-Saxon Kings, an advisory council of the chief (literally, the wise) men of the kingdom. After the Norman conquest (l066) the Witen was replaced by the Great Council, composed of all who held land by feudal tenure directly from the king. It was thus originally in no sense an elective body or one representative of the English people, but it served to form a tradition that government was a joint responsibility. 2) Magna Carta In 12l5, exasperated by the abuses of the worthless King John, a group of barons rose in rebellion and, forced the king to sign the agreement called the Great Charter or Magna Carta which placed restrictions on his Powers. Later generations undoubted1y read into the Magna Carta a great rnany guarantees of civil liberty that were never in the minds of the thoroughly reactionary and self-interest seeking barons who drew it up. Reinterpreted to suit changing times, the Magna Carta was appealed to in the 17th century as the great bulwark of the rights of English-men. It served as a reminder that the subjects had once risen in arms against their monarch. It furnished a basis f