TRACES DEVELOPMENT OF CITIES IN EUROPE

Professor Henri Pirenne, who is considered the foremost historian in Belgium, delivered yesterday the third of his series of five lectures on "The Origin of Cities in Western Europe". The fourth lecture will be give Monday in Emerson D at 4.30 o'clock.

In yesterday's lecture, Professor Pirenne continued to trace the growth of European cities from the Middle Ages to the present era. "Starting with the 11th century", he said, "we find a new class of men, the merchants, setting in France, and other western countries. These newcomers establish themselves around the fortified towns."

Professor Pirenne compared the background which made possible the rise of the merchant class with the situation leading to the growth of enormous fortunes "in Europe" during the Great military and trading elements in the mediaeval city by a blackboard drawing of his native city of Ghent.

"In time," he continued, "the inhabitants of the merchant class around the town became known as the 'forisburgus' or the 'suburbium' which latter name has given rise to your English word 'suburb'. Gradually the old town element became absorbed in the new.

Origin of "Bourgeoise"

"The class of men as that period which resulted from the amalgamation of the old and the new, received the name of 'burgus' from which the term 'bourgeoisie' is derived. At this point we may rightfully say that the true origin of the cities in the Middle Ages was in the suburbs.

"With the coming into existence of this new class, many changes were necessary in the laws and institutions which had formerly been sufficient for a rural population. Municipal administration, town courts and corporations came into existence."