the story of mankind-第29章

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

monks；　civilisation　would　have　been　extinguished　entirely；　and

the　human　race　would　have　been　forced　to　begin　once　more

where　the　cave…man　had　left　off。







CHIVALRY



CHIVALRY





IT　was　quite　natural　that　the　professional　fighting…men　of

the　Middle　Ages　should　try　to　establish　some　sort　of　organisation

for　their　mutual　benefit　and　protection。　Out　of　this　need

for　close　organisation；　Knighthood　or　Chivalry　was　born。



We　know　very　little　about　the　origins　of　Knighthood。　But

as　the　system　developed；　it　gave　the　world　something　which　it

needed　very　badlya　definite　rule　of　conduct　which　softened

the　barbarous　customs　of　that　day　and　made　life　more　livable

than　it　had　been　during　the　five　hundred　years　of　the　Dark

Ages。　It　was　not　an　easy　task　to　civilise　the　rough　frontiersmen

who　had　spent　most　of　their　time　fighting　Mohammedans

and　Huns　and　Norsemen。　Often　they　were　guilty　of　backsliding；

and　having　vowed　all　sorts　of　oaths　about　mercy　and

charity　in　the　morning；　they　would　murder　all　their　prisoners

before　evening。　But　progress　is　ever　the　result　of　slow　and

ceaseless　labour；　and　finally　the　most　unscrupulous　of　knights

was　forced　to　obey　the　rules　of　his　‘‘class''　or　suffer　the　consequences。



These　rules　were　different　in　the　various　parts　of　Europe；

but　they　all　made　much　of　‘‘service''　and　‘‘loyalty　to　duty。''　The

Middle　Ages　regarded　service　as　something　very　noble　and

beautiful。　It　was　no　disgrace　to　be　a　servant；　provided　you

were　a　good　servant　and　did　not　slacken　on　the　job。　As　for

loyalty；　at　a　time　when　life　depended　upon　the　faithful　per…

formance　of　many　unpleasant　duties；　it　was　the　chief　virtue

of　the　fighting　man。



A　young　knight　therefore　was　asked　to　swear　that　he　would

be　faithful　as　a　servant　to　God　and　as　a　servant　to　his　King。

Furthermore；　he　promised　to　be　generous　to　those　whose　need

was　greater　than　his　own。　He　pledged　his　word　that　he　would

be　humble　in　his　personal　behaviour　and　would　never　boast　of

his　own　accomplishments　and　that　he　would　be　a　friend　of　all

those　who　suffered；　（with　the　exception　of　the　Mohammedans；

whom　he　was　expected　to　kill　on　sight）。



Around　these　vows；　which　were　merely　the　Ten　Commandments

expressed　in　terms　which　the　people　of　the　Middle　Ages

could　understand；　there　developed　a　complicated　system　of

manners　and　outward　behaviour。　The　knights　tried　to　model

their　own　lives　after　the　example　of　those　heroes　of　Arthur's

Round　Table　and　Charlemagne's　court　of　whom　the　Troubadours

had　told　them　and　of　whom　you　may　read　in　many　delightful

books　which　are　enumerated　at　the　end　of　this　volume。

They　hoped　that　they　might　prove　as　brave　as　Lancelot　and

as　faithful　as　Roland。　They　carried　themselves　with　dignity

and　they　spoke　careful　and　gracious　words　that　they　might　be

known　as　True　Knights；　however　humble　the　cut　of　their　coat

or　the　size　of　their　purse。



In　this　way　the　order　of　Knighthood　became　a　school　of　those

good　manners　which　are　the　oil　of　the　social　machinery。　Chivalry

came　to　mean　courtesy　and　the　feudal　castle　showed　the

rest　of　the　world　what　clothes　to　wear；　how　to　eat；　how　to　ask

a　lady　for　a　dance　and　the　thousand　and　one　little　things　of

every…day　behaviour　which　help　to　make　life　interesting　and

agreeable。



Like　all　human　institutions；　Knighthood　was　doomed　to

perish　as　soon　as　it　had　outlived　its　usefulness。



The　crusades；　about　which　one　of　the　next　chapters　tells；

were　followed　by　a　great　revival　of　trade。　Cities　grew　overnight。

The　townspeople　became　rich；　hired　good　school　teachers

and　soon　were　the　equals　of　the　knights。　The　invention

of　gun…powder　deprived　the　heavily　armed　‘‘Chevalier''　of　his

former　advantage　and　the　use　of　mercenaries　made　it　impossible

to　conduct　a　battle　with　the　delicate　niceties　of　a　chess

tournament。　The　knight　became　superfluous。　Soon　he　became

a　ridiculous　figure；　with　his　devotion　to　ideals　that　had　no

longer　any　practical　value。　It　was　said　that　the　noble　Don

Quixote　de　la　Mancha　had　been　the　last　of　the　true　knights。

After　his　death；　his　trusted　sword　and　his　armour　were　sold

to　pay　his　debts。



But　somehow　or　other　that　sword　seems　to　have　fallen　into

the　hands　of　a　number　of　men。　Washington　carried　it　during

the　hopeless　days　of　Valley　Forge。　It　was　the　only　defence

of　Gordon；　when　he　had　refused　to　desert　the　people　who　had

been　entrusted　to　his　care；　and　stayed　to　meet　his　death　in　the

besieged　fortress　of　Khartoum。



And　I　am　not　quite　sure　but　that　it　proved　of　invaluable

strength　in　winning　the　Great　War。







POPE　vs。　EMPEROR



THE　STRANGE　DOUBLE　LOYALTY　OF　THE

PEOPLE　OF　THE　MIDDLE　AGES　AND　HOW

IT　LED　TO　ENDLESS　QUARRELS　BETWEEN

THE　POPES　AND　THE　HOLY　ROMAN　EMPERORS





IT　is　very　difficult　to　understand　the　people　of　by…gone

ages。　Your　own　grandfather；　whom　you　see　every　day；　is　a

mysterious　being　who　lives　in　a　different　world　of　ideas　and

clothes　and　manners。　I　am　now　telling　you　the　story　of　some

of　your　grandfathers　who　are　twenty…five　generations　removed；

and　I　do　not　expect　you　to　catch　the　meaning　of　what　I　write

without　re…reading　this　chapter　a　number　of　times。



The　average　man　of　the　Middle　Ages　lived　a　very　simple

and　uneventful　life。　Even　if　he　was　a　free　citizen；　able　to

come　and　go　at　will；　he　rarely　left　his　own　neighbourhood。

There　were　no　printed　books　and　only　a　few　manuscripts。

Here　and　there；　a　small　band　of　industrious　monks　taught

reading　and　writing　and　some　arithmetic。　But　science　and　history

and　geography　lay　buried　beneath　the　ruins　of　Greece　and

Rome。



Whatever　people　knew　about　the　past　they　had　learned　by

listening　to　stories　and　legends。　Such　information；　which　goes

from　father　to　son；　is　often　slightly　incorrect　in　details；　but

it　will　preserve　the　main　facts　of　history　with　astonishing

accuracy。　After　more　than　two　thousand　years；　the　mothers　of

India　still　frighten　their　naughty　children　by　telling　them　that

‘‘Iskander　will　get　them；''　and　Iskander　is　none　other　than

Alexander　the　Great；　who　visited　India　in　the　year　330　before

the　birth　of　Christ；　but　whose　story　has　lived　through　all　these

ages。



The　people　of　the　early　Middle　Ages　never　saw　a　textbook

of　Roman　history。　They　were　ignorant　of　many　things

which　every　school…boy　to…day　knows　before　he　has　entered

the　third　grade。　But　the　Roman　Empire；　which　is　merely　a

name　to　you；　was　to　them　something　very　much　alive。　They

felt　it。　They　willingly　recognised　the　Pope　as　their　spiritual

leader　because　he　lived　in　Rome　and　represented　the　idea　of

the　Roman　super…power。　And　they　were　profoundly　grateful

when　Charlemagne；　and　afterwards　Otto　the　Great；　revived

the　idea　of　a　world…empire　and　created　the　Holy　Roman

Empire；　that　the　world　might　again　be　as　it　always　had　been。



But　the　fact　that　there　were　two　different　heirs　to　the

Roman　tradition　placed　the　faithful　burghers　of　the　Middle

Ages　in　a　difficult　position。　The　theory　behind　the　mediaeval

political　system　was　both　sound　and　simple。　While　the　worldly

master　（the　emperor）　looked　after　the　physical　well…being　of

his　subjects；　the　spiritual　master　（the　Pope）　guarded　their

souls。



In　practice；　however；　the　system　worked　very　badly。　The

Emperor　invariably　tried　to　interfere　with　the　affairs　of　the

church　and　the　Pope　retaliated　and　told　the　Emperor　how

he　should　rule　his　domains。　Then　they　told　each　other　to　mind

their　own　business　in　very　unceremonious　language　and　the

inevitable　end　was　war。



Under　those　circumstances；　what　were　the　people　to　do；

A　good　Christian　obeyed　both　the　Pope　and　his　King。　But

the　Pope　and　the　Emperor　were　enemies。　Which　side　should

a　dutiful　subject　and　an　equally　dutiful　Christian　take？



It　was　never　easy　to　give　the　correct　answer。　When　the

Emperor　happened　to　be　a　man　of　energy　and　was　sufficiently

well　provided　with