beacon lights of history-iii-2-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



was　written　in　his　old　age。



Unfortunately；　we　know　but　little　of　Chaucer's　habits　and

experiences；　his　trials　and　disappointments；　his　friendships　or　his

hatreds。　　What　we　do　know　of　him　raises　our　esteem。　　Though

convivial；　he　was　temperate；　though　genial；　he　was　a　silent

observer；　quiet　in　his　manners；　modest　in　his　intercourse　with　the

world；　walking　with　downcast　eye；　but　letting　nothing　escape　his

notice。　　He　believed　in　friendship；　and　kept　his　friends　to　the

end；　and　was　stained　neither　by　envy　nor　by　pride；as　frank　as　he

was　affectionate；　as　gentle　as　he　was　witty。　　Living　with　princes

and　nobles；　he　never　descended　to　gross　adulation；　and　never　wrote

a　line　of　approval　of　the　usurpation　of　Henry　IV。；　although　his

bread　depended　on　Henry's　favor；　and　he　was　also　the　son　of　the

king's　earliest　and　best　friend。　　He　was　not　a　religious　man；　nor

was　he　an　immoral　man；　judged　by　the　standard　of　his　age。　　He

probably　was　worldly；　as　he　lived　in　courts。　　We　do　not　see　in　him

the　stern　virtues　of　Dante　or　Milton；　nothing　of　that　moral

earnestness　which　marked　the　only　other　great　man　with　whom　he　was

contemporary；he　who　is　called　the　〃morning　star〃　of　the

Reformation。　　But　then　we　know　nothing　about　him　which　calls　out

severe　reprobation。　　He　was　patriotic；　and　had　the　confidence　of

his　sovereign；　else　he　would　not　have　been　employed　on　important

missions。　　And　the　sweetness　of　his　character　may　be　inferred　from

his　long　and　tender　friendship　with　Gower；　whom　some　in　that　age

considered　the　greater　poet。　　He　was　probably　luxurious　in　his

habits；　but　intemperate　use　of　wine　he　detested　and　avoided。　　He

was　portly　in　his　person；　but　refinement　marked　his　features。　　He

was　a　gentleman；　according　to　the　severest　code　of　chivalric

excellence；　always　a　favorite　with　ladies；　and　equally　admired　by

the　knights　and　barons　of　a　brilliant　court。　　No　poet　was　ever　more

honored　in　his　life　or　lamented　in　his　death；　as　his　beautiful

monument　in　Westminster　Abbey　would　seem　to　attest。　　That　monument

is　the　earliest　that　was　erected　to　the　memory　of　a　poet　in　that

Pantheon　of　English　men　of　rank　and　genius；　and　it　will　probably　be

as　long　preserved　as　any　of　those　sculptured　urns　and　animated

busts　which　seek　to　keep　alive　the　memory　of　the　illustrious　dead；

of　those　who；　though　dead；　yet　speak　to　all　future　generations。





AUTHORITIES。





Chaucer's　own　works；　especially　the　Canterbury　Tales；　publications

of　the　Chaucer　Society；　Pauli's　History　of　England；　ordinary

Histories　of　England　which　relate　to　the　reigns　of　Edward　III。　and

Richard　II。；　especially　Green's　History　of　the　English　People；　Life

of　Chaucer；　by　William　Godwin　（4　volumes；　London；　1804）；　Tyrwhitt's

edition　of　Canterbury　Tales；　Speglet's　edition　of　Chaucer；　Warton's

History　of　English　Poetry；　St。　Palaye's　History　of　Chivalry；

Chaucer's　England；　by　Matthew　Browne　（London；　1869）；　Sir　Harris

Nicholas's　Life　of　Chaucer；　The　Riches　of　Chaucer；　by　Charles

Cowden　Clarke；　Morley's　Life　of　Chaucer。　　The　latest　work　is　a　Life

and　Criticism　of　Chaucer；　by　Adolphus　William　Ward。　　There　is　also

a　Guide　to　Chaucer；　by　H。　G。　Fleary。　　See　also　Skeat's　collected

edition　of　Chaucer's　Works；　brought　out　under　the　auspices　of　the

Early　English　Text　Society。







CHRISTOPHER　COLUMBUS。



A。D。　1446…1506。



MARITIME　DISCOVERIES。





About　thirteen　hundred　years　ago；　when　Attila　the　Hun；　called　〃the

scourge　of　God；〃　was　overrunning　the　falling　empire　of　the　Romans；

some　of　the　noblest　citizens　of　the　small　cities　of　the　Adriatic

fled；　with　their　families　and　effects；　to　the　inaccessible　marshes

and　islands　at　the　extremity　of　that　sea；　and　formed　a　permanent

settlement。　　They　became　fishermen　and　small　traders。　　In　process

of　time　they　united　their　islands　together　by　bridges；　and　laid　the

foundation　of　a　mercantile　state。　　Thither　resorted　the　merchants

of　Mediaeval　Europe　to　make　exchanges。　　Thus　Venice　became　rich　and

powerful；　and　in　the　twelfth　century　it　was　one　of　the　prosperous

states　of　Europe；　ruled　by　an　oligarchy　of　the　leading　merchants。



Contemporaneous　with　Dante；　one　of　the　most　distinguished　citizens

of　this　mercantile　mart；　Marco　Polo；　impelled　by　the　curiosity

which　reviving　commerce　excited　and　the　restless　adventure　of　a

crusading　age；　visited　the　court　of　the　Great　Khan　of　Tartary；

whose　empire　was　the　largest　in　the　world。　　After　a　residence　of

seventeen　years；　during　which　he　was　loaded　with　honors；　he

returned　to　his　native　country；　not　by　the　ordinary　route；　but　by

coasting　the　eastern　shores　of　Asia；　through　the　Indian　Ocean；　up

the　Persian　Gulf；　and　thence　through　Bagdad　and　Constantinople；

bringing　with　him　immense　wealth　in　precious　stones　and　other

Eastern　commodities。　　The　report　of　his　wonderful　adventures

interested　all　Europe；　for　he　was　supposed　to　have　found　the

Tarshish　of　the　Scriptures；　that　land　of　gold　and　spices　which　had

enriched　the　Tyrian　merchants　in　the　time　of　Solomon；men　supposed

by　some　to　have　sailed　around　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope　in　their　three

years'　voyages。　　Among　the　wonderful　things　which　Polo　had　seen　was

a　city　on　an　island　off　the　coast　of　China；　which　was　represented

to　contain　six　hundred　thousand　families；　so　rich　that　the　palaces

of　its　nobles　were　covered　with　plates　of　gold；　so　inviting　that

odoriferous　plants　and　flowers　diffused　the　most　grateful　perfumes；

so　strong　that　even　the　Tartar　conquerors　of　China　could　not　subdue

it。　　This　island；　known　now　as　Japan；　was　called　Cipango；　and　was

supposed　to　be　inexhaustible　in　riches；　especially　when　the　reports

of　Polo　were　confirmed　by　Sir　John　Mandeville；　an　English　traveller

in　the　time　of　Edward　III。；and　with　even　greater　exaggerations；

since　he　represented　the　royal　palace　to　be　more　than　six　miles　in

circumference；　occupied　by　three　hundred　thousand　men。



In　an　awakening　age　of　enterprise；　when　chivalry　had　not　passed

away；　nor　the　credulity　of　the　Middle　Ages；　the　reports　of　this

Cipango　inflamed　the　imagination　of　Europe；　and　to　reach　it　became

at　once　the　desire　and　the　problem　of　adventurers　and　merchants。

But　how　could　this　El　Dorado　be　reached？　　Not　by　sailing　round

Africa；　for　to　sail　South；　in　popular　estimation；　was　to　encounter

torrid　suns　with　ever　increasing　heat；　and　suffocating　vapors；　and

unknown　dangers。　　The　scientific　world　had　lost　the　knowledge　of

what　even　the　ancients　knew。　　Nobody　surmised　that　there　was　a　Cape

of　Good　Hope　which　could　be　doubled；　and　would　open　the　way　to　the

Indian　Ocean　and　its　islands　of　spices　and　gold。　　Nor　could　this

Cipango　be　reached　by　crossing　the　Eastern　Continent；　for　the

journey　was　full　of　perils；　dangers；　and　insurmountable　obstacles。



Among　those　who　meditated　on　this　geographical　mystery　was　a　young

sea　captain　of　Genoa；　who　had　studied　in　the　University　of　Pavia；

but　spent　his　early　life　upon　the　waves；intelligent；

enterprising；　visionary；　yet　practical；　with　boundless　ambition；

not　to　conquer　kingdoms；　but　to　discover　new　realms。　　Born　probably

in　1446；　in　the　year　1470　he　married　the　daughter　of　an　Italian

navigator　living　in　Lisbon；　and；　inheriting　with　her　some　valuable

Portuguese　charts　and　maritime　journals；　he　settled　in　Lisbon　and

took　up　chart…making　as　a　means　of　livelihood。　　Being　thus　trained

in　both　the　art　and　the　science　of　navigation；　his　active　mind

seized　upon　the　most　interesting　theme　of　the　day。　　His　studies　and

experience　convinced　him　that　the　Cipango　of　Marco　Polo　could　be

reached　by　sailing　directly　west。　　He　knew　that　the　earth　was

round；　and　he　inferred　from　the　plants　and　carved　wood　and　even

human　bodies　that　had　occasionally　floated　from　the　West；　that

there　must　be　unknown　islands　on　the　western　coasts　of　the

Atlantic；　and　that　this　ocean；　never　yet　crossed；　was　the　common

boundary　of　both　Europe　and　Asia；　in　short；　that　the　Cipango　could

be　reached　by　sailing　west。　　And　he　believed　the　thing　to　be

p