the story of mankind-第87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！



bright　pieces　of　jewellery　for　their　women　and　planted　gardens

which　sang　happy　songs　of　colour　with　their　many　bright　flowers。



Our　own　ancestors；　the　wandering　nomads　from　the　distant

Asiatic　prairies；　enjoying　a　free　and　easy　existence　as

fighters　and　hunters；　composed　songs　which　celebrated　the

mighty　deeds　of　their　great　leaders　and　invented　a　form　of

poetry　which　has　survived　until　our　own　day。　A　thousand　years

later；　when　they　had　established　themselves　on　the　Greek　mainland；

and　had　built　their　‘‘city…states；''　they　expressed　their

joy　（and　their　sorrows）　in　magnificent　temples；　in　statues；　in

comedies　and　in　tragedies；　and　in　every　conceivable　form　of

art。



The　Romans；　like　their　Carthaginian　rivals；　were　too　busy

administering　other　people　and　making　money　to　have　much

love　for　‘‘useless　and　unprofitable''　adventures　of　the　spirit。

They　conquered　the　world　and　built　roads　and　bridges　but　they

borrowed　their　art　wholesale　from　the　Greeks。　They　invented

certain　practical　forms　of　architecture　which　answered　the

demands　of　their　day　and　age。　But　their　statues　and　their　histories

and　their　mosaics　and　their　poems　were　mere　Latin　imi…

tations　of　Greek　originals。　Without　that　vague　and　hard…to…

define　something　which　the　world　calls　‘‘personality；''　there　can

be　no　art　and　the　Roman　world　distrusted　that　particular　sort

of　personality。　The　Empire　needed　efficient　soldiers　and

tradesmen。　The　business　of　writing　poetry　or　making　pictures

was　left　to　foreigners。



Then　came　the　Dark　Ages。　The　barbarian　was　the　proverbial

bull　in　the　china…shop　of　western　Europe。　He　had　no　use

for　what　he　did　not　understand。　Speaking　in　terms　of　the　year

1921；　he　liked　the　magazine　covers　of　pretty　ladies；　but　threw

the　Rembrandt　etchings　which　he　had　inherited　into　the　ash…

can。　Soon　he　came　to　learn　better。　Then　he　tried　to　undo　the

damage　which　he　had　created　a　few　years　before。　But　the　ash…

cans　were　gone　and　so　were　the　pictures。



But　by　this　time；　his　own　art；　which　he　had　brought　with

him　from　the　east；　had　developed　into　something　very　beautiful

and　he　made　up　for　his　past　neglect　and　indifference　by　the　so…

called　‘‘art　of　the　Middle　Ages''　which　as　far　as　northern　Europe

is　concerned　was　a　product　of　the　Germanic　mind　and　had

borrowed　but　little　from　the　Greeks　and　the　Latins　and　nothing

at　all　from　the　older　forms　of　art　of　Egypt　and　Assyria；　not

to　speak　of　India　and　China；　which　simply　did　not　exist；　as　far

as　the　people　of　that　time　were　concerned。　Indeed；　so　little

had　the　northern　races　been　influenced　by　their　southern　neighbours

that　their　own　architectural　products　were　completely

misunderstood　by　the　people　of　Italy　and　were　treated　by

them　with　downright　and　unmitigated　contempt。



You　have　all　heard　the　word　Gothic。　You　probably　associate

it　with　the　picture　of　a　lovely　old　cathedral；　lifting　its　slender

spires　towards　high　heaven。　But　what　does　the　word　really

mean？



It　means　something　‘‘uncouth''　and　‘‘barbaric''something

which　one　might　expect　from　an　‘‘uncivilised　Goth；''　a　rough

backwoods…man　who　had　no　respect　for　the　established　rules　of

classical　art　and　who　built　his　‘‘modern　horrors''　to　please　his

own　low　tastes　without　a　decent　regard　for　the　examples　of

the　Forum　and　the　Acropolis。



And　yet　for　several　centuries　this　form　of　Gothic　architecture

was　the　highest　expression　of　the　sincere　feeling　for　art

which　inspired　the　whole　northern　continent。　From　a　previous

chapter；　you　will　remember　how　the　people　of　the　late　Middle

Ages　lived。　Unless　they　were　peasants　and　dwelt　in　villages；

they　were　citizens　of　a　‘‘city''　or　‘‘civitas；''　the　old　Latin　name

for　a　tribe。　And　indeed；　behind　their　high　walls　and　their　deep

moats；　these　good　burghers　were　true　tribesmen　who　shared

the　common　dangers　and　enjoyed　the　common　safety　and　prosperity

which　they　derived　from　their　system　of　mutual　protection。



In　the　old　Greek　and　Roman　cities　the　market…place；　where

the　temple　stood；　had　been　the　centre　of　civic　life。　During

the　Middle　Ages；　the　Church；　the　House　of　God；　became　such　a

centre。　We　modern　Protestant　people；　who　go　to　our　church

only　once　a　week；　and　then　for　a　few　hours　only；　hardly　know

what　a　mediaeval　church　meant　to　the　community。　Then；　before

you　were　a　week　old；　you　were　taken　to　the　Church　to　be

baptised。　As　a　child；　you　visited　the　Church　to　learn　the　holy

stories　of　the　Scriptures。　Later　on　you　became　a　member

of　the　congregation；　and　if　you　were　rich　enough　you　built

yourself　a　separate　little　chapel　sacred　to　the　memory　of　the

Patron　Saint　of　your　own　family。　As　for　the　sacred　edifice；

it　was　open　at　all　hours　of　the　day　and　many　of　the　night。　In

a　certain　sense　it　resembled　a　modern　club；　dedicated　to　all　the

inhabitants　of　the　town。　In　the　church　you　very　likely　caught

a　first　glimpse　of　the　girl　who　was　to　become　your　bride　at　a

great　ceremony　before　the　High　Altar。　And　finally；　when　the

end　of　the　journey　had　come；　you　were　buried　beneath　the

stones　of　this　familiar　building；　that　all　your　children　and　their

grandchildren　might　pass　over　your　grave　until　the　Day　of

Judgement。



Because　the　Church　was　not　only　the　House　of　God　but

also　the　true　centre　of　all　common　life；　the　building　had　to　be

different　from　anything　that　had　ever　been　constructed　by

the　hands　of　man。　The　temples　of　the　Egyptians　and　the

Greeks　and　the　Romans　had　been　merely　the　shrine　of　a　local

divinity。　As　no　sermons　were　preached　before　the　images　of

Osiris　or　Zeus　or　Jupiter；　it　was　not　necessary　that　the　interior

offer　space　for　a　great　multitude。　All　the　religious　processions

of　the　old　Mediterranean　peoples　took　place　in　the　open。　But

in　the　north；　where　the　weather　was　usually　bad；

most　functions　were　held　under　the　roof　of　the　church。



During　many　centuries　the　architects　struggled　with

this　problem　of　constructing　a　building　that　was　large

enough。　The　Roman　tradition　taught　them　how　to　build　heavy

stone　walls　with　very　small　windows　lest　the　walls　lose

their　strength。　On　the　top　of　this　they　then　placed　a

heavy　stone　roof。　But　in　the　twelfth　century；　after　the

beginning　of　the　Crusades；　when　the　architects　had　seen　the

pointed　arches　of　the　Mohammedan　builders；　the　western　builders

discovered　a　new　style　which　gave　them　their　first　chance　to　make

the　sort　of　building　which　those　days　of　an　intense　religious

life　demanded。　And　then　they　developed　this　strange　style　upon

which　the　Italians　bestowed　the　contemptuous　name　of　‘‘Gothic''or　barbaric。

They　achieved　their　purpose　by　inventing　a　vaulted　roof　which

was　supported　by　‘‘ribs。''　But　such　a　roof；　if　it　became

too　heavy；　was　apt　to　break　the　walls；　just　as　a　man

of　three　hundred　pounds　sitting　down　upon　a　child's　chair

will　force　it　to　collapse。　To　overcome　this　difficulty；　certain

French　architects　then　began　to　re…enforce　the　walls　with

‘‘buttresses''　which　were　merely　heavy　masses　of　stone　against

which　the　walls　could　lean　while　they　supported　the　roof。　And

to　assure　the　further　safety　of　the　roof　they　supported　the　ribs

of　the　roof　by　so…called　‘‘flying　buttresses；''　a　very　simple

method　of　construction　which　you　will　understand　at　once　when

you　look　at　our　picture。



This　new　method　of　construction　allowed　the　introduction

of　enormous　windows。　In　the　twelfth　century；　glass　was　still

an　expensive　curiosity；　and　very　few　private　buildings　possessed

glass　windows。　Even　the　castles　of　the　nobles　were

without　protection　and　this　accounts　for　the　eternal　drafts

and　explains　why　people　of　that　day　wore　furs　in…doors　as

well　as　out。



Fortunately；　the　art　of　making　coloured　glass；　with　which

the　ancient　people　of　the　Mediterranean　had　been　familiar；

had　not　been　entirely　lost。　There　was　a　revival　of　stained

glass…making　and　soon　the　windows　of　the　Gothic　churches

told　the　stories　of　the　Holy　Book　in　little　bits　of　brilliantly

coloured　window…pane；　which　w