the unseen world and other essays-第50章

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een　operating　for　eight　hundred　years　when　Philip　succeeded　to　the　throne。　The　Moorish　conquest　in　711　had　practically　isolated　Spain　from　the　rest　of　Europe。　In　the　Crusades　she　took　no　part；　and　reaped　none　of　the　signal　advantages　resulting　from　that　great　movement。　Her　whole　energies　were　directed　toward　throwing　off　the　yoke　of　her　civilized　but　〃unbelieving〃　oppressors。　For　a　longer　time　than　has　now　elapsed　since　the　Norman　Conquest　of　England；　the　entire　Gothic　population　of　Spain　was　engaged　in　unceasing　religious　and　patriotic　warfare。　The　unlimited　power　thus　acquired　by　an　unscrupulous　clergy；　and　the　spirit　of　uncompromising　bigotry　thus　imparted　to　the　whole　nation；　are　in　this　way　readily　accounted　for。　But　in　spite　of　this；　the　affairs　of　Spain　at　the　accession　of　Charles　V。　were　not　in　an　unpromising　condition。　The　Spanish　Visigoths　had　been　the　least　barbarous　of　the　Teutonic　settlers　within　the　limits　of　the　Empire；　their　civil　institutions　were　excellent；　their　cities　had　obtained　municipal　liberties　at　an　earlier　date　than　those　of　England；　and　their　Parliaments　indulged　in　a　liberty　of　speech　which　would　have　seemed　extravagant　even　to　De　Montfort。　So　late　as　the　time　of　Ferdinand；　the　Spaniards　were　still　justly　proud　of　their　freedom；　and　the　chivalrous　ambition　which　inspired　the　marvellous　expedition　of　Cortes　to　Mexico；　and　covered　the　soil　of　Italy　with　Spanish　armies；　was　probably　in　the　main　a　healthy　one。　But　the　forces　of　Spanish　freedom　were　united　at　too　late　an　epoch；　in　1492；　the　power　of　despotism　was　already　in　the　ascendant。　In　England　the　case　was　different。　The　barons　were　enabled　to　combine　and　wrest　permanent　privileges　from　the　crown；　at　a　time　when　feudalism　was　strong。　But　the　Spanish　communes　waited　for　combined　action　until　feudalism　had　become　weak；　and　modern　despotism；　with　its　standing　armies　and　its　control　of　the　spiritual　power；　was　arrayed　in　the　ranks　against　them。　The　War　of　the　Communes；　early　in　the　reign　of　Charles　V。；　irrevocably　decided　the　case　in　favour　of　despotism；　and　from　that　date　the　internal　decline　of　Spain　may　be　said　to　have　begun。

But　the　triumphant　consolidation　of　the　spiritual　and　temporal　powers　of　despotism；　and　the　abnormal　development　of　loyalty　and　bigotry；　were　not　the　only　evil　results　of　the　chronic　struggle　in　which　Spain　had　been　engaged。　For　many　centuries；　while　Christian　Spain　had　been　but　a　fringe　of　debatable　border…land　on　the　skirts　of　the　Moorish　kingdom；　perpetual　guerilla　warfare　had　rendered　consecutive　labour　difficult　or　impracticable；　and　the　physical　configuration　of　the　country　contributed　in　bringing　about　this　result。　To　plunder　the　Moors　across　the　border　was　easier　than　to　till　the　ground　at　home。　Then　as　the　Spaniards；　exemplifying　the　military　superiority　of　the　feudal　over　the　sultanic　form　of　social　organization；　proceeded　steadily　to　recover　dominion　over　the　land；　the　industrious　Moors；　instead　of　migrating　backward　before　the　advance　of　their　conquerors；　remained　at　home　and　submitted　to　them。　Thus　Spanish　society　became　compounded　of　two　distinct　castes；the　Moorish　Spaniards；　who　were　skilled　labourers；　and　the　Gothic　Spaniards；　by　whom　all　labour；　crude　or　skilful；　was　deemed　the　stigma　of　a　conquered　race；　and　unworthy　the　attention　of　respectable　people。　As　Mr。　Motley　concisely　says：

〃The　highest　industrial　and　scientific　civilization　that　had　been　exhibited　upon　Spanish　territory　was　that　of　Moors　and　Jews。　When　in　the　course　of　time　those　races　had　been　subjugated；　massacred；　or　driven　into　exile；　not　only　was　Spain　deprived　of　its　highest　intellectual　culture　and　its　most　productive　labour；　but　intelligence；　science；　and　industry　were　accounted　degrading；　because　the　mark　of　inferior　and　detested　peoples。〃

This　is　the　key　to　the　whole　subsequent　history　of　Spain。　Bigotry；　loyalty；　and　consecrated　idleness　are　the　three　factors　which　have　made　that　great　country　what　it　is　to…day；the　most　backward　region　in　Europe。　In　view　of　the　circumstances　just　narrated；　it　is　not　surprising　to　learn　that　in　Philip　II。's　time　a　vast　portion　of　the　real　estate　of　the　country　was　held　by　the　Church　in　mortmain；　that　forty…nine　noble　families　owned　all　the　rest；　that　all　great　estates　were　held　in　tail；　and　that　the　property　of　the　aristocracy　and　the　clergy　was　completely　exempt　from　taxation。　Thus　the　accumulation　and　the　diffusion　of　capital　were　alike　prevented；　and　the　few　possessors　of　property　wasted　it　in　unproductive　expenditure。　Hence　the　fundamental　error　of　Spanish　political　economy；　that　wealth　is　represented　solely　by　the　precious　metals；　an　error　which　well　enough　explains　the　total　failure；　in　spite　of　her　magnificent　opportunities；　of　Spain's　attempts　to　colonize　the　New　World。　Such　was　the　frightful　condition　of　Spanish　society　under　Philip　II。；　and　as　if　this　state　of　things　were　not　bad　enough；　the　next　king；　Philip　III。；　at　the　instigation　of　the　clergy；　decided　to　drive　into　banishment　the　only　class　of　productive　labourers　yet　remaining　in　the　country。　In　1610；　this　stupendous　crime　and　blunderunparalleled　even　in　Spanish　historywas　perpetrated。　The　entire　Moorish　population　were　expelled　from　their　homes　and　driven　into　the　deserts　of　Africa。　For　the　awful　consequences　of　this　mad　action　no　remedy　was　possible。　No　system　of　native　industry　could　be　created　on　demand；　to　take　the　place　of　that　which　had　been　thus　wantonly　crushed　forever。　From　this　epoch　dates　the　social　ruin　of　Spain。　In　less　than　a　century　her　people　were　riotous　with　famine；　and　every　sequestered　glen　and　mountain　pathway　throughout　the　country　had　become　a　lurking…place　for　robbers。　Whoever　would　duly　realize　to　what　a　lamentable　condition　this　beautiful　peninsula　had　in　the　seventeenth　century　been　reduced；　let　him　study　the　immortal　pages　of　Lesage。　He　will　learn　afresh　the　lesson；　not　yet　sufficiently　regarded　in　the　discussion　of　social　problems；　that　the　laws　of　nature　cannot　be　violated　without　entailing　a　penalty　fearful　in　proportion　to　the　extent　of　the　violation。　But　let　him　carefully　remember　also　that　the　Spaniards　are　not　and　never　have　been　a　despicable　people。　If　Spain　has　produced　one　of　the　lowest　characters　in　history；　she　has　also　produced　one　of　the　highest。　That　man　was　every　inch　a　Spaniard　who；　maimed；　diseased；　and　poor；　broken　down　by　long　captivity；　and　harassed　by　malignant　persecution；　lived　nevertheless　a　life　of　grandeur　and　beauty　fit　to　be　a　pattern　for　coming　generations；the　author　of　a　book　which　has　had　a　wider　fame　than　any　other　in　the　whole　range　of　secular　literature；　and　which　for　delicate　humour；　exquisite　pathos；　and　deep　ethical　sentiment；　remains　to…day　without　a　peer　or　a　rival。　If　Philip　II。　was　a　Spaniard；　so；　too；　was　Cervantes。

Spain　could　not　be　free；　for　she　violated　every　condition　by　which　freedom　is　secured　to　a　people。　〃Acuteness　of　intellect；　wealth　of　imagination；　heroic　qualities　of　heart　and　hand　and　brain；　rarely　surpassed　in　any　race　and　manifested　on　a　thousand　battle…fields；　and　in　the　triumphs　of　a　magnificent　and　most　original　literature；　had　not　been　able　to　save　a　whole　nation　from　the　disasters　and　the　degradation　which　the　mere　words　Philip　II。　and　the　Holy　Inquisition　suggest　to　every　educated　mind。〃　Nor　could　Spain　possibly　become　rich；　for；　as　Mr。　Motley　continues；　〃nearly　every　law；　according　to　which　the　prosperity　of　a　country　becomes　progressive；　was　habitually　violated。〃　On　turning　to　the　Netherlands　we　find　the　most　complete　contrast；　both　in　historical　conditions　and　in　social　results；　and　the　success　of　the　Netherlands　in　their　long　struggle　becomes　easily　intelligible。　The　Dutch　and　Flemish　provinces　had　formed　a　part　of　the　renovated　Roman　Empire　of　Charles　the　Great　and　the　Othos。　Taking　advantage　of　the　perennial　contest　for　supremacy　between　the　popes　and　the　Roman　emperors；　the　constituent　baronies　and　municipalities　of　the　Empire　succeeded　in　acquiring　and　maintaining　a　practical　though　unrecognized　independence；　and　this　is　the　original　reason　why　Italy　and　Germany；　unlike　the　three　western　European　communities；　have　remained　fragmentary　until　our　own　time。　By　reason　of　the　practical　freedom　of　action　thus　secured；　the　Italian　civic　republ