the origin of the distinction of ranks-第13章

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e　of　their　literary　compositions。　Men　were　pleased　with　a　recital　of　what　they　admired　in　real　life；　and　the　first　poetical　historians　endeavoured　to　embellish　those　events　which　had　struck　their　imagination；　and　appeared　the　most　worthy　of　being　preserved。　　　　　Such　was　the　employment　of　the　bards；　who　about　the　eleventh　century　are　said；　along　with　their　minstrels；　to　have　attended　the　festivals　and　entertainments　of　princes；　and　to　have　sung；　with　the　accompaniment　of　musical　instruments；　a　variety　of　small　poetical　pieces　of　their　own　composition；　describing　the　heroic　sentiments；　as　well　as　the　love　and　gallantry　of　the　times。　　　　　They　were　succeeded　by　the　writers　of　romance；　who　related　a　longer　and　more　connected　series　of　adventures；　in　which　were　exhibited　the　most　extravagant　instances　of　valour　and　generosity；　of　patience　and　fortitude；　of　respect　to　the　ladies；　of　disinterested　love；　and　inviolable　fidelity；　subjects　the　most　capable　of　warming　the　imagination；　and　of　producing　the　most　sublime　and　refined　descriptions；　but　which　were　often　disgraced　by　the　unskilfulness　of　the　author；　and　by　that　excessive　propensity　to　exaggeration；　and　turn　for　the　marvellous；　which　prevailed　in　those　ages　of　darkness　and　superstition。　These　performances；　however；　with　all　their　faults；　may　be　regarded　as　striking　monuments　of　the　Gothic　taste　and　genius；　to　which　there　is　nothing　similar　in　the　writings　of　antiquity；　and　at　the　same　time　as　useful　records；　that　contain　some　of　the　outlines　of　the　history；　together　with　a　faithful　picture　of　the　manners　and　customs　of　those　remarkable　periods。　　　　　This　observation　is　in　some　measure　applicable　to　the　Epic　poetry　which　followed；　and　which；　with　little　more　correctness；　but　with　the　graces　of　versification；　described　the　same　heroic　and　tender　sentiments；　though　tinctured　by　the　peculiar　genius　and　character　of　different　writers。　　　　　The　romance　of　Charlemain　and　his　twelve　peers；　ascribed　to　archbishop　Turpin；　a　cotemporary　of　that　monarch；　but　which　is　supposed　to　be　a　work　of　the　eleventh　century；　furnished　materials　for　the　Morgante；　the　Orlando　Innamorato；　and　the　Orlando　Furioso。　The　last　of　these　poem；　which　entirely　eclipsed　the　reputation　of　the　two　former；　whatever　may　be　its　merit　to　an　Italian；　in　easiness　and　harmony　of　expression；　is　a　bundle　of　incoherent　adventures；　discovering　neither　unity　of　design；　nor　any　selection　of　such　objects　as　are　fitted　to　excite　admiration。　The　Gierusalemme　Liberata；　to　the　system　of　enchantment；　and　romantic　exploits　which　modern　times　had　introduced；　has　united　the　regularity　of　the　ancient　Greek　and　Roman　poets；　and　though　the　author's　talents　for　the　pathetic　seem　inferior　to　his　powers　of　description；　the　whole　structure　of　his　admirable　poem　is　sufficient　to　show　the　advantages；　in　point　of　sublimity；　derived　from　the　manners　and　institutions　of　chivalry。　The　fabulous　legends　of　Prince　Arthur；　and　his　knights　of　the　round　table；　suggested　the　groundwork　of　Spenser's　Fairy　Queen；　but　the　writer；　instead　of　improving　upon　the　Gothic　model；　has　thought　proper　to　cover　it　with　a　veil　of　allegory；　which　is　too　dark　to　have　much　beauty　of　its　own；　and　which；　notwithstanding　the　strength　of　imagery　frequently　displayed；　destroys　the　appearance　of　reality；　necessary；　in　works　of　imagination；　to　interest　the　affections。　　　　　When　the　improvement　of　public　shows　had　given　rise　to　dramatic　performances；　the　same　sort　of　manners　was　adopted　in　those　entertainments；　and　the　first　tragedies；　unless　when　founded　upon　religious　subjects；　represented　love　as　the　grand　spring　and　mover　of　every　action；　the　source　of　all　those　hopes　and　fears　with　which　the　principal　persons　were　successively　agitated；　and　of　that　distress　and　misery　in　which　they　were　finally　involved。　This　is　the　more　remarkable；　because；　from　the　rigid　morals　of　that　age；　women　were　not　permitted　to　act　in　those　representations；　and　therefore　the　parts　allotted　to　them；　which　were　performed　by　men；　were　usually　so　conducted　by　the　poet　as　to　bear　a　very　small　proportion　to　the　rest　of　the　piece。　　　　　The　first　deviation　from　this　general　taste　of　composition　in　works　of　entertainment　may　be　discovered　in　Italy；　where　the　revival　of　letters　was　early　attended　with　some　relaxation　of　the　Gothic　institutions　and　manners。　　　　　The　advancement　of　the　Italian　states　in　commerce　and　manufactures　so　early　as　the　thirteenth　century；　had　produced　a　degree　of　opulence　and　luxury；　and　was　followed；　soon　after；　by　the　cultivation　of　the　fine　arts；　and　the　improvement　of　taste　and　science。　The　principal　towns　of　Italy　came　thus　to　be　filled　with　tradesmen　and　merchants；　whose　unwarlike　dispositions；　conformable　to　their　manner　of　life；　were　readily　communicated　to　those　who　had　intercourse　with　them。　To　this　we　may　add　the　influence　of　the　clergy；　who　resorted　in　great　numbers　to　Rome；　as　the　fountain　of　ecclesiastical　preferment；　and　who；　embracing　different　views　and　principles　from　those　of　the　military　profession；　were　enabled　to　propagate　their　opinions　and　sentiments　among　the　greater　part　of　the　inhabitants。　　　　　The　decay　of　the　military　spirit　among　the　Italians　was　manifest　from　their　disuse　of　duelling；　the　most　refined　method　of　executing　private　revenge；　and　from　their　substituting　in　place　of　it　the　more　artful　but　cowardly　practice　of　poisoning。　Their　taste　of　writing　was　in　like　manner　varied　according　to　this　alteration　of　their　circumstances；　and　the　people　began　to　relish　those　ludicrous　descriptions　of　low　life　and　of　licentious　manners　which　we　meet　with　in　the　tales　of　Boccace；　and　many　other　writers；　entirely　repugnant　to　the　gravity　and　decorum　of　former　times；　and　which　appear　to　have　taken　their　origin　from　the　monks；　in　consequence　of　such　dispositions　and　habits　as　their　constrained　and　unnatural　situation　had　a　tendency　to　produce。　This　kind　of　composition；　however；　appears　to　have　been　the　peculiar　growth　of　Italy；　and　those　authors　who　attempted　to　introduce　it　into　other　countries；　as　was　done　by　Chaucer　in　England；　are　only　servile　imitators；　or　rather　mere　translators　of　the　Italians。　　　　　In　the　other　countries　of　Europe；　the　manners　introduced　by　chivalry　were　more　firmly　rooted；　and　acquiring　stability　from　custom；　may　still　be　observed　to　have　a　good　deal　of　influence　upon　the　taste　and　sentiments　even　of　the　present　age。　When　a　change　of　circumstances；　more　than　the　inimitable　ridicule　of　Cervantes；　had　contributed　to　explode　the　ancient　romances；　they　were　succeeded　by　those　serious　novels　which；　in　France　and　England；　are　still　the　favourite　entertainment；　and　which　represent；　in　a　more　moderate　degree；　the　sentiments　of　military　honour；　as　well　as　the　love　and　gallantry　which　prevailed　in　the　writings　of　a　former　period。　The　fashion　of　those　times　has　also　remained　with　us　in　our　theatrical　compositions；　and　scarce　any　author；　till　very　lately；　seems　to　have　thought　that　a　tragedy　without　a　love…plot　could　be　attended　with　success。　　　　　The　great　respect　and　veneration　for　the　ladies；　which　prevailed　in　a　former　period；　has　still　a　considerable　influence　upon　our　behaviour　towards　them；　and　has　occasioned　their　being　treated　with　a　degree　of　politeness；　delicacy；　and　attention；　that　was　unknown　to　the　Greeks　and　Romans；　and　perhaps　to　all　the　nations　of　antiquity。　This　has　given　an　air　of　refinement　to　the　intercourse　of　the　sexes；　which　contributes　to　heighten　the　elegant　pleasures　of　society；　and　may　therefore　be　considered　as　a　valuable　improvement；　arising　from　the　extravagance　of　Gothic　institutions　and　manners。　Section　V　Changes　in　the　condition　of　women；　arising　from　the　improvement　of　useful　arts　and　manufactures　　　　　One　of　the　most　remarkable　differences　between　man　and　other　animals　consists　in　that　wonderful　capacity　for　the　improvement　of　his　faculties　with　which　he　is　endowed。　Never　satisfied　with　any　particular　attainment；　he　is　continually　impelled　by　his　desires　from　the　pursuit　of　one　object　to　that　of　another；　and　his　activity　is　called　forth　in　the　prosecution　of　the　several　arts　which　render　his　situation　more　easy　and　agreeable。　This　progress　however　is　slow　and　gradual；　at　the　same　time　that；　from　the　uniformity　of　the　human　constitution；　it