the story of mankind-第35章

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certain　executive　powers　was　not　an　English　invention；　as

seems　to　ke　the　general　belief；　and　government　by　a　‘‘king　and

his　parliament''　was　by　no　means　restricted　to　the　British　Isles。

You　will　find　it　in　every　part　of　Europe。　In　some　countries；

like　France；　the　rapid　increase　of　the　Royal　power　after　the

Middle　Ages　reduced　the　influence　of　the　‘‘parliament''　to　nothing。

In　the　year　1302　representatives　of　the　cities　had　been

admitted　to　the　meeting　of　the　French　Parliament；　but　five

centuries　had　to　pass　before　this　‘‘Parliament''　was　strong

enough　to　assert　the　rights　of　the　middle　class；　the　so…called

Third　Estate；　and　break　the　power　of　the　king。　Then　they

made　up　for　lost　time　and　during　the　French　Revolution；　abolished

the　king；　the　clergy　and　the　nobles　and　made　the　representatives

of　the　common　people　the　rulers　of　the　land。　In

Spain　the　‘‘cortex''　（the　king's　council）　had　been　opened　to　the

commoners　as　early　as　the　first　half　of　the　twelfth　century。

In　the　Germain　Empire；　a　number　of　important　cities　had　obtained

the　rank　of　‘‘imperial　cities''　whose　representatives　must

be　heard　in　the　imperial　diet。



In　Sweden；　representatives　of　the　people　attended　the　sessions

of　the　Riksdag　at　the　first　meeting　of　the　year　1359。　In

Denmark　the　Daneholf；　the　ancient　national　assembly；　was　re…

established　in　1314；　and；　although　the　nobles　often　regained　control

of　the　country　at　the　expense　of　the　king　and　the　people；

the　representatives　of　the　cities　were　never　completely　deprived

of　their　power。



In　the　Scandinavian　country；　the　story　of　representative

government　is　particularly　interesting。　In　Iceland；　the　‘‘Althing；''

the　assembly　of　all　free　landowners；　who　managed　the

affairs　of　the　island；　began　to　hold　regular　meetings　in　the　ninth

century　and　continued　to　do　so　for　more　than　a　thousand

years。



In　Switzerland；　the　freemen　of　the　different　cantons　defended

their　assemblies　against　the　attempts　of　a　number　of

feudal　neighbours　with　great　success。



Finally；　in　the　Low　Countries；　in　Holland；　the　councils　of

the　different　duchies　and　counties　were　attended　by　representatives

of　the　third　estate　as　early　as　the　thirteenth　century。



In　the　sixteenth　century　a　number　of　these　small　provinces

rebelled　against　their　king；　abjured　his　majesty　in　a　solemn

meeting　of　the　‘‘Estates　General；''　removed　the　clergy　from

the　discussions；　broke　the　power　of　the　nobles　and　assumed　full

executive　authority　over　the　newly…established　Republic　of　the

United　Seven　Netherlands。　For　two　centuries；　the　representatives

of　the　town…councils　ruled　the　country　without　a　king；

without　bishops　and　without　noblemen。　The　city　had　become

supreme　and　the　good　burghers　had　become　the　rulers　of　the

land。







THE　MEDIAEVAL　WORLD



WHAT　THE　PEOPLE　OF　THE　MIDDLE　AGES

THOUGHT　OF　THE　WORLD　IN　WHICH

THEY　HAPPENED　TO　LIVE





DATES　are　a　very　useful　invention。　We　could　not　do　without

them　but　unless　we　are　very　careful；　they　will　play　tricks

with　us。　They　are　apt　to　make　history　too　precise。　For　example；

when　I　talk　of　the　point…of…view　of　mediaeval　man；　I

do　not　mean　that　on　the　31st　of　December　of　the　year　476；

suddenly　all　the　people　of　Europe　said；　‘‘Ah；　now　the　Roman

Empire　has　come　to　an　end　and　we　are　living　in　the　Middle

Ages。　How　interesting！''



You　could　have　found　men　at　the　Frankish　court　of　Charlemagne

who　were　Romans　in　their　habits；　in　their　manners；　in

their　out…look　upon　life。　On　the　other　hand；　when　you　grow

up　you　will　discover　that　some　of　the　people　in　this　world　have

never　passed　beyond　the　stage　of　the　cave…man。　All　times

and　all　ages　overlap；　and　the　ideas　of　succeeding　generations

play　tag　with　each　other。　But　it　is　possible　to　study　the　minds

of　a　good　many　true　representatives　of　the　Middle　Ages　and

then　give　you　an　idea　of　the　average　man's　attitude　toward

life　and　the　many　difficult　problems　of　living。



First　of　all；　remember　that　the　people　of　the　Middle　Ages

never　thought　of　themselves　as　free…born　citizens；　who　could

come　and　go　at　will　and　shape　their　fate　according　to　their

ability　or　energy　or　luck。　On　the　contrary；　they　all　considered

themselves　part　of　the　general　scheme　of　things；　which　included

emperors　and　serfs；　popes　and　heretics；　heroes　and　swashbucklers；

rich　men；　poor　men；　beggar　men　and　thieves。　They　accepted

this　divine　ordinance　and　asked　no　questions。　In　this；

of　course；　they　differed　radically　from　modern　people　who　accept

nothing　and　who　are　forever　trying　to　improve　their　own

financial　and　political　situation。



To　the　man　and　woman　of　the　thirteenth　century；　the　world

hereaftera　Heaven　of　wonderful　delights　and　a　Hell　of　brimstone

and　sufferingmeant　something　more　than　empty　words

or　vague　theological　phrases。　It　was　an　actual　fact　and　the

mediaeval　burghers　and　knights　spent　the　greater　part　of　their

time　preparing　for　it。　We　modern　people　regard　a　noble

death　after　a　well…spent　life　with　the　quiet　calm　of　the　ancient

Greeks　and　Romans。　After　three　score　years　of　work　and　effort；

we　go　to　sleep　with　the　feeling　that　all　will　be　well。



But　during　the　Middle　Ages；　the　King　of　Terrors　with

his　grinning　skull　and　his　rattling　bones　was　man's　steady

companion。　He　woke　his　victims　up　with　terrible　tunes　on　his

scratchy　fiddle　he　sat　down　with　them　at　dinnerhe　smiled

at　them　from　behind　trees　and　shrubs　when　they　took　a　girl

out　for　a　walk。　If　you　had　heard　nothing　but　hair…raising

yarns　about　cemeteries　and　coffins　and　fearful　diseases　when

you　were　very　young；　instead　of　listening　to　the　fairy　stories

of　Anderson　and　Grimm；　you；　too；　would　have　lived　all　your

days　in　a　dread　of　the　final　hour　and　the　gruesome　day　of

Judgment。　That　is　exactly　what　happened　to　the　children　of

the　Middle　Ages。　They　moved　in　a　world　of　devils　and　spooks

and　only　a　few　occasional　angels。　Sometimes；　their　fear　of

the　future　filled　their　souls　with　humility　and　piety；　but　often

it　influenced　them　the　other　way　and　made　them　cruel　and

sentimental。　They　would　first　of　all　murder　all　the　women

and　children　of　a　captured　city　and　then　they　would　devoutly

march　to　a　holy　spot　and　with　their　hands　gory　with　the　blood

of　innocent　victims；　they　would　pray　that　a　merciful　heaven　forgive

them　their　sins。　Yea；　they　would　do　more　than　pray；　they

would　weep　bitter　tears　and　would　confess　themselves　the　most

wicked　of　sinners。　But　the　next　day；　they　would　once　more

butcher　a　camp　of　Saracen　enemies　without　a　spark　of　mercy

in　their　hearts。



Of　course；　the　Crusaders　were　Knights　and　obeyed　a　somewhat

different　code　of　manners　from　the　common　men。　But　in

such　respects　the　common　man　was　just　the　same　as　his　master。

He；　too；　resembled　a　shy　horse；　easily　frightened　by　a

shadow　or　a　silly　piece　of　paper；　capable　of　excellent　and　faithful

service　but　liable　to　run　away　and　do　terrible　damage　when

his　feverish　imagination　saw　a　ghost。



In　judging　these　good　people；　however；　it　is　wise　to　remember

the　terrible　disadvantages　under　which　they　lived。

They　were　really　barbarians　who　posed　as　civilised　people。

Charlemagne　and　Otto　the　Great　were　called　‘‘Roman　Emperors；''

but　they　had　as　little　resemblance　to　a　real　Roman　Emperor

（say　Augustus　or　Marcus　Aurelius）　as　‘‘King''　Wumba

Wumba　of　the　upper　Congo　has　to　the　highly　educated　rulers

of　Sweden　or　Denmark。　They　were　savages　who　lived　amidst

glorious　ruins　but　who　did　not　share　the　benefits　of　the

civilisation　which　their　fathers　and　grandfathers　had　destroyed。

They　knew　nothing。　They　were　ignorant　of　almost　every　fact

which　a　boy　of　twelve　knows　to…day。　They　were　obliged　to　go

to　one　single　book　for　all　their　information。　That　was　the

Bible。　But　those　parts　of　the　Bible　which　have　influenced　the

history　of　the　human　race　for　the　better　are　those　chapters　of

the　New　Testament　which　teach　us　the　great　moral　lessons　of

love；　charity　and　forgiveness。　As　a　handbook　of　astronomy