the story of mankind-第28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！



They　soon　learned　to　speak　the　language　of　their　subjects　and

gave　up　the　uncivilised　ways　of　the　early　Vikings　（or　Sea…

Kings　who　had　been　very　picturesque　but　also　very　unwashed

and　terribly　cruel。



Early　in　the　tenth　century　a　Viking　by　the　name　of　Rollo

had　repeatedly　attacked　the　coast　of　France。　The　king　of

France；　too　weak　to　resist　these　northern　robbers；　tried　to

bribe　them　into　‘‘being　good。''　He　offered　them　the　province

of　Normandy；　if　they　would　promise　to　stop　bothering　the　rest

of　his　domains。　Rollo　accepted　this　bargain　and　became　‘‘Duke

of　Normandy。''



But　the　passion　of　conquest　was　strong　in　the　blood　of　his

children。　Across　the　channel；　only　a　few　hours　away　from　the

European　mainland；　they　could　see　the　white　cliffs　and　the

green　fields　of　England。　Poor　England　had　passed　through

difficult　days。　For　two　hundred　years　it　had　been　a　Roman

colony。　After　the　Romans　left；　it　had　been　conquered　by　the

Angles　and　the　Saxons；　two　German　tribes　from　Schleswig。

Next　the　Danes　had　taken　the　greater　part　of　the　country

and　had　established　the　kingdom　of　Cnut。　The　Danes　had

been　driven　away　and　now　（it　was　early　in　the　eleventh　century）

another　Saxon　king；　Edward　the　Confessor；　was　on　the

throne。　But　Edward　was　not　expected　to　live　long　and　he

had　no　children。　The　circumstances　favoured　the　ambitious

dukes　of　Normandy。



In　1066　Edward　died。　Immediately　William　of　Normandy

crossed　the　channel；　defeated　and　killed　Harold　of

Wessex　（who　had　taken　the　crown）　at　the　battle　of　Hastings；

and　proclaimed　himself　king　of　England。



In　another　chapter　I　have　told　you　how　in　the　year　800　a

German　chieftain　had　become　a　Roman　Emperor。　Now　in

the　year　1066　the　grandson　of　a　Norse　pirate　was　recognised

as　King　of　England。



Why　should　we　ever　read　fairy　stories；　when　the　truth

of　history　is　so　much　more　interesting　and　entertaining？







FEUDALISM



HOW　CENTRAL　EUROPE；　ATTACKED　FROM

THREE　SIDES；　BECAME　AN　ARMED　CAMP

AND　WHY　EUROPE　WOULD　HAVE　PERISHED

WITHOUT　THOSE　PROFESSIONAL

SOLDIERS　AND　ADMINISTRATORS　WHO

WERE　PART　OF　THE　FEUDAL　SYSTEM





THE　following；　then；　is　the　state　of　Europe　in　the　year　one

thousand；　when　most　people　were　so　unhappy　that　they　welcomed

the　prophecy　foretelling　the　approaching　end　of　the

world　and　rushed　to　the　monasteries；　that　the　Day　of　Judgement

might　find　them　engaged　upon　devout　duties。



At　an　unknown　date；　the　Germanic　tribes　had　left　their　old

home　in　Asia　and　had　moved　westward　into　Europe。　By

sheer　pressure　of　numbers　they　had　forced　their　way　into　the

Roman　Empire。　They　had　destroyed　the　great　western　empire；

but　the　eastern　part；　being　off　the　main　route　of　the

great　migrations；　had　managed　to　survive　and　feebly　continued

the　traditions　of　Rome's　ancient　glory。



During　the　days　of　disorder　which　had　followed；　（the　true

‘‘dark　ages''　of　history；　the　sixth　and　seventh　centuries　of　our

era；）　the　German　tribes　had　been　persuaded　to　accept　the

Christian　religion　and　had　recognised　the　Bishop　of　Rome

as　the　Pope　or　spiritual　head　of　the　world。　In　the　ninth　century；

the　organising　genius　of　Charlemagne　had　revived　the

Roman　Empire　and　had　united　the　greater　part　of　western

Europe　into　a　single　state。　During　the　tenth　century　this

empire　had　gone　to　pieces。　The　western　part　had　become　a

separate　kingdom；　France。　The　eastern　half　was　known　as　the

Holy　Roman　Empire　of　the　German　nation；　and　the　rulers　of

this　federation　of　states　then　pretended　that　they　were　the

direct　heirs　of　Caesar　and　Augustus。



Unfortunately　the　power　of　the　kings　of　France　did　not

stretch　beyond　the　moat　of　their　royal　residence；　while　the

Holy　Roman　Emperor　was　openly　defied　by　his　powerful

subjects　whenever　it　suited　their　fancy　or　their　profit。



To　increase　the　misery　of　the　masses　of　the　people；　the

triangle　of　western　Europe　（look　at　page　128；　please）　was　for　ever

exposed　to　attacks　from　three　sides。　On　the　south　lived　the

ever　dangerous　Mohammedans。　The　western　coast　was　ravaged

by　the　Northmen。　The　eastern　frontier　（defenceless　except

for　the　short　stretch　of　the　Carpathian　mountains）　was　at

the　mercy　of　hordes　of　Huns；　Hungarians；　Slavs　and　Tartars。



The　peace　of　Rome　was　a　thing　of　the　remote　past；　a　dream

of　the　‘‘Good　Old　Days''　that　were　gone　for　ever。　It　was　a

question　of　‘‘fight　or　die；''　and　quite　naturally　people　preferred

to　fight。　Forced　by　circumstances；　Europe　became　an　armed

camp　and　there　was　a　demand　for　strong　leadership。　Both

King　and　Emperor　were　far　away。　The　frontiersmen　（and

most　of　Europe　in　the　year　1000　was　‘‘frontier''）　must　help

themselves。　They　willingly　submitted　to　the　representatives

of　the　king　who　were　sent　to　administer　the　outlying　districts；

PROVIDED　THEY　COULD　PROTECT　THEM　AGAINST　THEIR　ENEMIES。



Soon　central　Europe　was　dotted　with　small　principalities；

each　one　ruled　by　a　duke　or　a　count　or　a　baron　or　a　bishop；　as

the　case　might　be；　and　organised　as　a　fighting　unit。　These

dukes　and　counts　and　barons　had　sworn　to　be　faithful　to　the

king　who　had　given　them　their　‘‘feudum''　（hence　our　word

‘‘feudal；''）　in　return　for　their　loyal　services　and　a　certain

amount　of　taxes。　But　travel　in　those　days　was　slow　and　the

means　of　communication　were　exceedingly　poor。　The　royal

or　imperial　administrators　therefore　enjoyed　great　independence；

and　within　the　boundaries　of　their　own　province　they

assumed　most　of　the　rights　which　in　truth　belonged　to　the　king。



But　you　would　make　a　mistake　if　you　supposed　that　the

people　of　the　eleventh　century　objected　to　this　form　of

government。　They　supported　Feudalism　because　it　was　a　very

practical　and　necessary　institution。　Their　Lord　and　Master

usually　lived　in　a　big　stone　house　erected　on　the　top　of　a　steep

rock　or　built　between　deep　moats；　but　within　sight　of　his

subjects。　In　case　of　danger　the　subjects　found　shelter　behind

the　walls　of　the　baronial　stronghold。　That　is　why　they　tried

to　live　as　near　the　castle　as　possible　and　it　accounts　for　the

many　European　cities　which　began　their　career　around　a　feudal

fortress。



But　the　knight　of　the　early　middle　ages　was　much　more

than　a　professional　soldier。　He　was　the　civil　servant　of　that

day。　He　was　the　judge　of　his　community　and　he　was　the

chief　of　police。　He　caught　the　highwaymen　and　protected

the　wandering　pedlars　who　were　the　merchants　of　the　eleventh

century。　He　looked　after　the　dikes　so　that　the　countryside

should　not　be　flooded　（just　as　the　first　noblemen　had　done

in　the　valley　of　the　Nile　four　thousand　years　before）。　He

encouraged　the　Troubadours　who　wandered　from　place　to　place

telling　the　stories　of　the　ancient　heroes　who　had　fought　in　the

great　wars　of　the　migrations。　Besides；　he　protected　the　churches

and　the　monasteries　within　his　territory；　and　although　he　could

neither　read　nor　write；　（it　was　considered　unmanly　to　know

such　things；）　he　employed　a　number　of　priests　who　kept　his

accounts　and　who　registered　the　marriages　and　the　births　and

the　deaths　which　occurred　within　the　baronial　or　ducal　domains。



In　the　fifteenth　century　the　kings　once　more　became　strong

enough　to　exercise　those　powers　which　belonged　to　them　because

they　were　‘‘anointed　of　God。''　Then　the　feudal　knights　lost

their　former　independence。　Reduced　to　the　rank　of　country

squires；　they　no　longer　filled　a　need　and　soon　they　became　a

nuisance。　But　Europe　would　have　perished　without　the　‘‘feudal

system''　of　the　dark　ages。　There　were　many　bad　knights

as　there　are　many　bad　people　to…day。　But　generally　speaking；

the　rough…fisted　barons　of　the　twelfth　and　thirteenth　century

were　hard…working　administrators　who　rendered　a　most　useful

service　to　the　cause　of　progress。　During　that　era　the　noble

torch　of　learning　and　art　which　had　illuminated　the　world　of

the　Egyptians　and　the　Greeks　and　the　Romans　was　burning

very　low。　Without　the　knights　and　their　good　friends；　the

monks；　civilisation　would　have　b