And yeah, i want to believe that the common people

throughout the middle ages, knew more latin than what we smart-phone totting moderns give them credit for.  Back then, the roman church was in everyone's business - surely, folks picked up on at least some of the language.  There were even noblemen, who went to scribes, because not all dukes and other landowners, were reasonably literate - these guys knew how to manage their lands, their workforce, lead armies, find water, hunt for food; that's alot.

Oh, and what we were taught in school, was very, VERY heavy on class resentment.  By the way, i heard that Karl Marx was rather workshy.  Could he not have found an office job?  He was quite literate, and would have been able to earn a comfortable salary - with enough left over for savings, and retirement.

  

Anyway, we all know, that scholars, during the medieval period (and after) wrote. - with quill pen and ink horn - lots of pages, in poor light.  How did they manage to write beautiful script - and without spell-check?  They must have been able to organize their thoughts - in their heads.  As for writing supplies, there was no Staples - nor were there back-to-school mark-downs on paper.

But the real basis for my belief is:

Does not the Bible say, that as time goes on, sin compounds itself (like interest upon a payday loan)?  Does not the Scriptures say that Adam was created perfect, then after the fall...  He lived some 930 years; some 2000 years later, Abraham lived (i think) 175 years.  i think Sarah only made it too around 125-ish - oh, and when Pharoah had taken a fancy to her, uhm, she was in her middle 60s.  YES, she was 60+   The couple was 10 years apart in age, and were born some 300 years post-flood.  About 500 years after that, the Hebrews were coming into the promised land.  Joshua was in his 80s, and still a warrior - a mighty one.

So, it makes sense as to why - even in the 1600 and 1700s, people were able to write splendidly, without a keyboard and monitor.  By the way, John Bunyan held down a regular job, before he became a preacher; if i am not mistaken, he fixed old pots (tinker).  Cannot recall, but around that time, maybe a few years/decades after,  there was some other preacher, the son of a cobbler (shoe repair) who learned the Scriptures.

Makes sense, there would be at least a few common people who had somehow learned to read; after all, what does one do, when there's no glu-tube, farce-book, snipe-chat?  Back then, regular people didn't have a lot of spare time, but they had some.  And even while working, there was surely some conversation going on - during those pre-hollywood/superbowl centuries.

One other thing:  back then, you had to have your act together, because there was no welfare bureau, nor was there unemployment insurance - so you didn't want to be a complete jerk in your family/community.