the story of mankind-第90章

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ABOUT　THE　LAST　FIFTY　YEARS；　BUT

WHICH　REALLY　CONTAINS　SEVERAL　EXPLANATIONS

AND　A　FEW　APOLOGIES





IF　I　had　known　how　difficult　it　was　to　write　a　History　of

the　World；　I　should　never　have　undertaken　the　task。　Of　course；

any　one　possessed　of　enough　industry　to　lose　himself　for　half

a　dozen　years　in　the　musty　stacks　of　a　library；　can　compile　a

ponderous　tome　which　gives　an　account　of　the　events　in　every

land　during　every　century。　But　that　was　not　the　purpose　of

the　present　book。　The　publishers　wanted　to　print　a　history

that　should　have　rhythma　story　which　galloped　rather　than

walked。　And　now　that　I　have　almost　finished　I　discover　that

certain　chapters　gallop；　that　others　wade　slowly　through　the

dreary　sands　of　long　forgotten　agesthat　a　few　parts　do　not

make　any　progress　at　all；　while　still　others　indulge　in　a　veritable

jazz　of　action　and　romance。　I　did　not　like　this　and　I　suggested

that　we　destroy　the　whole　manuscript　and　begin　once

more　from　the　beginning。　This；　however；　the　publishers　would

not　allow。



As　the　next　best　solution　of　my　difficulties；　I　took　the　type…

written　pages　to　a　number　of　charitable　friends　and　asked　them

to　read　what　I　had　said；　and　give　me　the　benefit　of　their　advice。

The　experience　was　rather　disheartening。　Each　and　every

man　had　his　own　prejudices　and　his　own　hobbies　and　preferences。

They　all　wanted　to　know　why；　where　and　how　I　dared

to　omit　their　pet　nation；　their　pet　statesman；　or　even　their　most

beloved　criminal。　With　some　of　them；　Napoleon　and　Jenghiz

Khan　were　candidates　for　high　honours。　I　explained　that　I

had　tried　very　hard　to　be　fair　to　Napoleon；　but　that　in　my

estimation　he　was　greatly　inferior　to　such　men　as　George

Washington；　Gustavus　Wasa；　Augustus；　Hammurabi　or

Lincoln；　and　a　score　of　others　all　of　whom　were　obliged　to

content　themselves　with　a　few　paragraphs；　from　sheer　lack　of

space。　As　for　Jenghiz　Khan；　I　only　recognise　his　superior

ability　in　the　field　of　wholesale　murder　and　I　did　not　intend　to

give　him　any　more　publicity　than　I　could　help。



‘‘This　is　very　well　as　far　as　it　goes；''　said　the　next　critic；

‘‘but　how　about　the　Puritans？　We　are　celebrating　the　tercentenary

of　their　arrival　at　Plymouth。　They　ought　to　have

more　space。''　My　answer　was　that　if　I　were　writing　a　history

of　America；　the　Puritans　would　get　fully　one　half　of　the　first

twelve　chapters；　that　however　this　was　a　history　of　mankind

and　that　the　event　on　Plymouth　rock　was　not　a　matter　of　far…

reaching　international　importance　until　many　centuries　later；

that　the　United　States　had　been　founded　by　thirteen　colonies

and　not　by　a　single　one；　that　the　most　prominent　leaders　of　the

first　twenty　years　of　our　history　had　been　from　Virginia；　from

Pennsylvania；　and　from　the　island　of　Nevis；　rather　than　from

Massachusetts；　and　that　therefore　the　Puritans　ought　to　content

themselves　with　a　page　of　print　and　a　special　map。



Next　came　the　prehistoric　specialist。　Why　in　the　name　of

the　great　Tyrannosaur　had　I　not　devoted　more　space　to　the

wonderful　race　of　Cro…Magnon　men；　who　had　developed　such

a　high　stage　of　civilisation　10；000　years　ago？



Indeed；　and　why　not？　The　reason　is　simple。　I　do　not　take

as　much　stock　in　the　perfection　of　these　early　races　as　some　of

our　most　noted　anthropologists　seem　to　do。　Rousseau　and

the　philosophers　of　the　eighteenth　century　created　the　‘‘noble

savage''　who　was　supposed　to　have　dwelt　in　a　state　of　perfect

happiness　during　the　beginning　of　time。　Our　modern　scientists

have　discarded　the　‘‘noble　savage；''　so　dearly　beloved　by

our　grandfathers；　and　they　have　replaced　him　by　the　‘‘splendid

savage''　of　the　French　Valleys　who　35；000　years　ago　made　an

end　to　the　universal　rule　of　the　low…browed　and　low…living

brutes　of　the　Neanderthal　and　other　Germanic　neighbourhoods。

They　have　shown　us　the　elephants　the　Cro…Magnon　painted

and　the　statues　he　carved　and　they　have　surrounded　him　with

much　glory。



I　do　not　mean　to　say　that　they　are　wrong。　But　I　hold　that

we　know　by　far　too　little　of　this　entire　period　to　re…construct

that　early　west…European　society　with　any　degree　（however

humble）　of　accuracy。　And　I　would　rather　not　state　certain

things　than　run　the　risk　of　stating　certain　things　that　were　not

so。



Then　there　were　other　critics；　who　accused　me　of　direct

unfairness。　Why　did　I　leave　out　such　countries　as　Ireland

and　Bulgaria　and　Siam　while　I　dragged　in　such　other　countries

as　Holland　and　Iceland　and　Switzerland？　My　answer

was　that　I　did　not　drag　in　any　countries。　They　pushed　themselves

in　by　main　force　of　circumstances；　and　I　simply　could

not　keep　them　out。　And　in　order　that　my　point　may　be　understood；

let　me　state　the　basis　upon　which　active　membership　to

this　book　of　history　was　considered。



There　was　but　one　rule。　‘‘Did　the　country　or　the　person

in　question　produce　a　new　idea　or　perform　an　original　act

without　which　the　history　of　the　entire　human　race　would　have

been　different？''　It　was　not　a　question　of　personal　taste。　It

was　a　matter　of　cool；　almost　mathematical　judgment。　No　race

ever　played　a　more　picturesque　role　in　history　than　the　Mongolians；

and　no　race；　from　the　point　of　view　of　achievement　or

intelligent　progress；　was　of　less　value　to　the　rest　of　mankind。



The　career　of　Tiglath…Pileser；　the　Assyrian；　is　full　of

dramatic　episodes。　But　as　far　as　we　are　concerned；　he　might　just

as　well　never　have　existed　at　all。　In　the　same　way；　the　history

of　the　Dutch　Republic　is　not　interesting　because　once　upon　a

time　the　sailors　of　de　Ruyter　went　fishing　in　the　river　Thames；

but　rather　because　of　the　fact　that　this　small　mud…bank　along

the　shores　of　the　North　Sea　offered　a　hospitable　asylum　to　all

sorts　of　strange　people　who　had　all　sorts　of　queer　ideas　upon

all　sorts　of　very　unpopular　subjects。



It　is　quite　true　that　Athens　or　Florence；　during　the　hey…day

of　their　glory；　had　only　one　tenth　of　the　population　of　Kansas

City。　But　our　present　civilisation　would　be　very　different

had　neither　of　these　two　little　cities　of　the　Mediterranean　basin

existed。　And　the　same　（with　due　apologies　to　the　good　people

of　Wyandotte　County）　can　hardly　be　said　of　this　busy　metropolis

on　the　Missouri　River。



And　since　I　am　being　very　personal；　allow　me　to　state　one

other　fact。



When　we　visit　a　doctor；　we　find　out　before　hand　whether

he　is　a　surgeon　or　a　diagnostician　or　a　homeopath　or　a　faith

healer；　for　we　want　to　know　from　what　angle　he　will　look　at

our　complaint。　We　ought　to　be　as　careful　in　the　choice　of　our

historians　as　we　are　in　the　selection　of　our　physicians。　We

think；　‘‘Oh　well；　history　is　history；''　and　let　it　go　at　that。　But

the　writer　who　was　educated　in　a　strictly　Presbyterian　household

somewhere　in　the　backwoods　of　Scotland　will　look　differ…

ently　upon　every　question　of　human　relationships　from　his

neighbour　who　as　a　child；　was　dragged　to　listen　to　the　brilliant

exhortations　of　Robert　Ingersoll；　the　enemy　of　all　revealed

Devils。　In　due　course　of　time；　both　men　may　forget　their

early　training　and　never　again　visit　either　church　or　lecture

hall。　But　the　influence　of　these　impressionable　years　stays

with　them　and　they　cannot　escape　showing　it　in　whatever　they

write　or　say　or　do。



In　the　preface　to　this　book；　I　told　you　that　I　should　not　be

an　infallible　guide　and　now　that　we　have　almost　reached　the

end；　I　repeat　the　warning。　I　was　born　and　educated　in　an

atmosphere　of　the　old…fashioned　liberalism　which　had　followed

the　discoveries　of　Darwin　and　the　other　pioneers　of　the　nineteenth

century。　As　a　child；　I　happened　to　spend　most　of　my

waking　hours　with　an　uncle　who　was　a　great　collector　of　the

books　written　by　Montaigne；　the　great　French　essayist　of　the

sixteenth　century。　Because　I　was　born　in　Rotterdam　and

educated　in　the　city　of　Gouda；　I　ran　continually　across

Erasmus　and　for　some　unknown　reason　this　great　exponent

of　tolerance　took　hold　of　my　intolerant　self。　Later　I　discovered

Anatole　Fran