the story of mankind-第53章

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Bohemia；　in　direct　violation　of　Ferdinand's　wishes。



At　once　the　Habsburg　armies　marched　into　Bohemia。　The

young　king　looked　in　vain　for　assistance　against　this　formidable

enemy。　The　Dutch　Republic　was　willing　to　help；　but；

engaged　in　a　desperate　war　of　its　own　with　the　Spanish　branch

of　the　Habsburgs；　it　could　do　little。　The　Stuarts　in　England

were　more　interested　in　strengthening　their　own　absolute　power

at　home　than　spending　money　and　men　upon　a　forlorn　adventure

in　far　away　Bohemia。　After　a　struggle　of　a　few　months；

the　Elector　of　the　Palatinate　was　driven　away　and　his　domains

were　given　to　the　Catholic　house　of　Bavaria。　This　was　the　beginning

of　the　great　war。



Then　the　Habsburg　armies；　under　Tilly　and　Wallenstein；

fought　their　way　through　the　Protestant　part　of　Germany

until　they　had　reached　the　shores　of　the　Baltic。　A　Catholic

neighbour　meant　serious　danger　to　the　Protestant　king　of

Denmark。　Christian　IV　tried　to　defend　himself　by　attacking

his　enemies　before　they　had　become　too　strong　for　him。　The

Danish　armies　marched　into　Germany　but　were　defeated。

Wallenstein　followed　up　his　victory　with　such　energy　and　violence

that　Denmark　was　forced　to　sue　for　peace。　Only　one

town　of　the　Baltic　then　remained　in　the　hands　of　the　Protestants。

That　was　Stralsund。



There；　in　the　early　summer　of　the　year　1630；　landed　King

Gustavus　Adolphus　of　the　house　of　Vasa；　king　of　Sweden；

and　famous　as　the　man　who　had　defended　his　country　against

the　Russians。　A　Protestant　prince　of　unlimited　ambition；

desirous　of　making　Sweden　the　centre　of　a　great　Northern

Empire；　Gustavus　Adolphus　was　welcomed　by　the　Protestant

princes　of　Europe　as　the　saviour　of　the　Lutheran　cause。　He

defeated　Tilly；　who　had　just　successfully　butchered　the　Protestant

inhabitants　of　Magdeburg。　Then　his　troops　began　their

great　march　through　the　heart　of　Germany　in　an　attempt　to

reach　the　Habsburg　possessions　in　Italy。　Threatened　in　the

rear　by　the　Catholics；　Gustavus　suddenly　veered　around　and

defeated　the　main　Habsburg　army　in　the　battle　of　Lutzen。

Unfortunately　the　Swedish　king　was　killed　when　he　strayed

away　from　his　troops。　But　the　Habsburg　power　had　been

broken。



Ferdinand；　who　was　a　suspicious　sort　of　person；　at　once

began　to　distrust　his　own　servants。　Wallenstein；　his　commander…

in…chief；　was　murdered　at　his　instigation。　When　the

Catholic　Bourbons；　who　ruled　France　and　hated　their　Habsburg

rivals；　heard　of　this；　they　joined　the　Protestant　Swedes。

The　armies　of　Louis　XIII　invaded　the　eastern　part　of　Germany；

and　Turenne　and　Conde　added　their　fame　to　that　of

Baner　and　Weimar；　the　Swedish　generals；　by　murdering；　pillaging

and　burning　Habsburg　property。　This　brought　great

fame　and　riches　to　the　Swedes　and　caused　the　Danes　to　become

envious。　The　Protestant　Danes　thereupon　declared　war　upon

the　Protestant　Swedes　who　were　the　allies　of　the　Catholic

French；　whose　political　leader；　the　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　had

just　deprived　the　Huguenots　（or　French　Protestants）　of　those

rights　of　public　worship　which　the　Edict　of　Nantes　of　the　year

1598　had　guaranteed　them。



The　war；　after　the　habit　of　such　encounters；　did　not　decide

anything；　when　it　came　to　an　end　with　the　treaty　of　Westphalia

in　1648。　The　Catholic　powers　remained　Catholic　and

the　Protestant　powers　stayed　faithful　to　the　doctrines　of

Luther　and　Calvin　and　Zwingli。　The　Swiss　and　Dutch　Protestants

were　recognised　as　independent　republics。　France

kept　the　cities　of　Metz　and　Toul　and　Verdun　and　a　part　of　the

Alsace。　The　Holy　Roman　Empire　continued　to　exist　as　a　sort

of　scare…crow　state；　without　men；　without　money；　without　hope

and　without　courage。



The　only　good　the　Thirty　Years　War　accomplished　was　a

negative　one。　It　discouraged　both　Catholics　and　Protestants

from　ever　trying　it　again。　Henceforth　they　left　each　other　in

peace。　This　however　did　not　mean　that　religious　feeling　and

theological　hatred　had　been　removed　from　this　earth。　On　the

contrary。　The　quarrels　between　Catholic　and　Protestant

came　to　an　end；　but　the　disputes　between　the　different　Protestant

sects　continued　as　bitterly　as　ever　before。　In　Holland

a　difference　of　opinion　as　to　the　true　nature　of　predestination

（a　very　obscure　point　of　theology；　but　exceedingly　important

the　eyes　of　your　great…grandfather）　caused　a　quarrel　which

ended　with　the　decapitation　of　John　of　Oldenbarneveldt；　the

Dutch　statesman；　who　had　been　responsible　for　the　success　of

the　Republic　during　the　first　twenty　years　of　its　independence；

and　who　was　the　great　organising　genius　of　her　Indian　trading

company。　In　England；　the　feud　led　to　civil　war。



But　before　I　tell　you　of　this　outbreak　which　led　to　the　first

execution　by　process…of…law　of　a　European　king；　I　ought　to

say　something　about　the　previous　history　of　England。　In　this

book　I　am　trying　to　give　you　only　those　events　of　the　past

which　can　throw　a　light　upon　the　conditions　of　the　present

world。　If　I　do　not　mention　certain　countries；　the　cause　is　not

to　be　found　in　any　secret　dislike　on　my　part。　I　wish　that　I

could　tell　you　what　happened　to　Norway　and　Switzerland　and

Serbia　and　China。　But　these　lands　exercised　no　great　influence

upon　the　development　of　Europe　in　the　sixteenth　and

seventeenth　centuries。　I　therefore　pass　them　by　with　a　polite

and　very　respectful　bow。　England　however　is　in　a　different

position。　What　the　people　of　that　small　island　have　done　during

the　last　five　hundred　years　has　shaped　the　course　of　history

in　every　corner　of　the　world。　Without　a　proper　knowledge　of

the　background　of　English　history；　you　cannot　understand

what　you　read　in　the　newspapers。　And　it　is　therefore　necessary

that　you　know　how　England　happened　to　develop　a　parliamentary

form　of　government　while　the　rest　of　the　European　continent

was　still　ruled　by　absolute　monarchs。







THE　ENGLISH　REVOLUTION



HOW　THE　STRUGGLE　BETWEEN　THE　‘‘DIVINE

RIGHT''　OF　KINGS　AND　THE　LESS　DIVINE

BUT　MORE　REASONABLE　‘‘RIGHT　OF

PARLIAMENT''　ENDED　DISASTROUSLY　FOR

KING　CHARLES　II





CAESAR；　the　earliest　explorer　of　north…western　Europe；　had

crossed　the　Channel　in　the　year　55　B。C。　and　had　conquered

England。　During　four　centuries　the　country　then　remained

a　Roman　province。　But　when　the　Barbarians　began　to

threaten　Rome；　the　garrisons　were　called　back　from　the　frontier

that　they　might　defend　the　home　country　and　Britannia

was　left　without　a　government　and　without　protection。



As　soon　as　this　became　known　among　the　hungry　Saxon

tribes　of　northern　Germany；　they　sailed　across　the　North　Sea

and　made　themselves　at　home　in　the　prosperous　island。　They

founded　a　number　of　independent　Anglo…Saxon　kingdoms

（so　called　after　the　original　Angles　or　English　and　the　Saxon

invaders）　but　these　small　states　were　for　ever　quarrelling　with

each　other　and　no　King　was　strong　enough　to　establish　himself

as　the　head　of　a　united　country。　For　more　than　five　hundred

years；　Mercia　and　Northumbria　and　Wessex　and　Sussex

and　Kent　and　East　Anglia；　or　whatever　their　names；　were

exposed　to　attacks　from　various　Scandinavian　pirates。　Finally

in　the　eleventh　century；　England；　together　with　Norway　and

northern　Germany　became　part　of　the　large　Danish　Empire

of　Canute　the　Great　and　the　last　vestiges　of　independence

disappeared。



The　Danes；　in　the　course　of　time；　were　driven　away　but　no

sooner　was　England　free；　than　it　was　conquered　for　the　fourth

time。　The　new　enemies　were　the　descendants　of　another　tribe

of　Norsemen　who　early　in　the　tenth　century　had　invaded

France　and　had　founded　the　Duchy　of　Normandy。　William；

Duke　of　Normandy；　who　for　a　long　time　had　looked　across　the

water　with　an　envious　eye；　crossed　the　Channel　in　October

of　the　year　1066。　At　the　battle　of　Hastings；　on　October　the

fourteenth　of　that　year；　he　destroyed　the　weak　forces　of　Harold

of　Wessex；　the　last　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　Kings　and　established

himself　as　King　of　England。　But　neither　William　nor　his

successors　of