the story of mankind-第94章

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tories　which　belonged　to　the　Chinese　people。　Such　conflicts；

however；　were　the　exception。　No　one　really　desired　to　fight。

Indeed；　the　idea　of　fighting　with　armies　and　battleships　and

submarines　began　to　seem　absurd　to　the　men　of　the　early　20th

century。　They　associated　the　idea　of　violence　with　the　long…

ago　age　of　unlimited　monarchies　and　intriguing　dynasties。

Every　day　they　read　in　their　papers　of　still　further　inventions；

of　groups　of　English　and　American　and　German　scientists　who

were　working　together　in　perfect　friendship　for　the　purpose

of　an　advance　in　medicine　or　in　astronomy。　They　lived　in　a

busy　world　of　trade　and　of　commerce　and　factories。　But　only

a　few　noticed　that　the　development　of　the　state；　（of　the　gigantic

community　of　people　who　recognise　certain　common　ideals；）

was　lagging　several　hundred　years　behind。　They　tried　to　warn

the　others。　But　the　others　were　occupied　with　their　own

affairs。



I　have　used　so　many　similes　that　I　must　apologise　for　bringing

in　one　more。　The　Ship　of　State　（that　old　and　trusted

expression　which　is　ever　new　and　always　picturesque；）　of　the

Egyptians　and　the　Greeks　and　the　Romans　and　the　Venetians

and　the　merchant　adventurers　of　the　seventeenth　century　had

been　a　sturdy　craft；　constructed　of　well…seasoned　wood；　and

commanded　by　officers　who　knew　both　their　crew　and　their

vessel　and　who　understood　the　limitations　of　the　art　of　navigating

which　had　been　handed　down　to　them　by　their　ancestors。



Then　came　the　new　age　of　iron　and　steel　and　machinery。

First　one　part；　then　another　of　the　old　ship　of　state　was

changed。　Her　dimensions　were　increased。　The　sails　were　discarded

for　steam。　Better　living　quarters　were　established；　but

more　people　were　forced　to　go　down　into　the　stoke…hole；　and

while　the　work　was　safe　and　fairly　remunerative；　they　did　not

like　it　as　well　as　their　old　and　more　dangerous　job　in　the

rigging。　Finally；　and　almost　imperceptibly；　the　old　wooden

square…rigger　had　been　transformed　into　a　modern　ocean　liner。

But　the　captain　and　the　mates　remained　the　same。　They　were

appointed　or　elected　in　the　same　way　as　a　hundred　years　before。

They　were　taught　the　same　system　of　navigation　which

had　served　the　mariners　of　the　fifteenth　century。　In　their

cabins　hung　the　same　charts　and　signal　flags　which　had　done

service　in　the　days　of　Louis　XIV　and　Frederick　the　Great。

In　short；　they　were　（through　no　fault　of　their　own）　completely

incompetent。



The　sea　of　international　politics　is　not　very　broad。　When

those　Imperial　and　Colonial　liners　began　to　try　and　outrun

each　other；　accidents　were　bound　to　happen。　They　did　happen。

You　can　still　see　the　wreckage　if　you　venture　to　pass

through　that　part　of　the　ocean。



And　the　moral　of　the　story　is　a　simple　one。　The　world　is

in　dreadful　need　of　men　who　will　assume　the　new　leadership

who　will　have　the　courage　of　their　own　visions　and　who　will

recognise　clearly　that　we　are　only　at　the　beginning　of　the

voyage；　and　have　to　learn　an　entirely　new　system　of　seamanship。



They　will　have　to　serve　for　years　as　mere　apprentices。

They　will　have　to　fight　their　way　to　the　top　against　every　possible

form　of　opposition。　When　they　reach　the　bridge；　mutiny

of　an　envious　crew　may　cause　their　death。　But　some　day；　a

man　will　arise　who　will　bring　the　vessel　safely　to　port；　and　he

shall　be　the　hero　of　the　ages。







AS　IT　EVER　SHALL　BE



‘‘The　more　I　think　of　the　problems　of　our　lives；　the　more　I　am

‘‘persuaded　that　we　ought　to　choose　Irony　and　Pity　for　our

‘‘assessors　and　judges　as　the　ancient　Egyptians　called　upon

‘‘the　Goddess　Isis　and　the　Goddess　Nephtys　on　behalf　of　their

‘‘dead。

‘‘Irony　and　Pity　are　both　of　good　counsel；　the　first　with　her

‘‘smiles　makes　life　agreeable；　the　other　sanctifies　it　with　her

‘‘tears。

‘‘The　Irony　which　I　invoke　is　no　cruel　Deity。　She　mocks

‘‘neither　love　nor　beauty。　She　is　gentle　and　kindly　disposed。

‘‘Her　mirth　disarms　and　it　is　she　who　teaches　us　to　laugh　at

‘‘rogues　and　fools；　whom　but　for　her　we　might　be　so　weak　as

‘‘to　despise　and　hate。''



And　with　these　wise　words　of　a　very　great　Frenchman　I

bid　you　farewell。

8　Barrow　Street；　New　York。

Saturday；　June　26；　xxi。





AN　ANIMATED　CHRONOLOGY；

500；000　B。C。A。D。　1922





THE　END







CONCERNING　THE　PICTURES



CONCERNING　THE　PICTURES　OF　THIS　BOOK　AND　A　FEW

WORDS　ABOUT　THE　BIBLIOGRAPHY。





The　day　of　the　historical　textbook　without　illustrations　has　gone。

Pictures　and　photographs　of　famous　personages　and　equally　famous

occurrences　cover　the　pages　of　Breasted　and　Robinson　and　Beard。　In

this　volume　the　photographs　have　been　omitted　to　make　room　for　a

series　of　home…made　drawings　which　represent　ideas　rather　than　events。



While　the　author　lays　no　claim　to　great　artistic　excellence　（being

possessed　of　a　decided　leaning　towards　drawing　as　a　child；　he　was

taught　to　play　the　violin　as　a　matter　of　discipline；）　he　prefers　to

make　his　own　maps　and　sketches　because　he　knows　exactly　what　he

wants　to　say　and　cannot　possibly　explain　this　meaning　to　his　more

proficient　brethren　in　the　field　of　art。　Besides；　the　pictures　were　all

drawn　for　children　and　their　ideas　of　art　are　very　different　from　those

of　their　parents。



To　all　teachers　the　author　would　give　this　advicelet　your　boys　and

girls　draw　their　history　after　their　own　desire　just　as　often　as　you　have

a　chance。　You　can　show　a　class　a　photograph　of　a　Greek　temple　or　a

mediaeval　castle　and　the　class　will　dutifully　say；　‘‘Yes；　Ma'am；''　and

proceed　to　forget　all　about　it。　But　make　the　Greek　temple　or　the

Roman　castle　the　centre　of　an　event；　tell　the　boys　to　make　their　own

picture　of　‘‘the　building　of　a　temple；''　or　‘‘the　storming　of　the　castle；''

and　they　will　stay　after　school…hours　to　finish　the　job。　Most　children；

before　they　are　taught　how　to　draw　from　plaster　casts；　can　draw　after

a　fashion；　and　often　they　can　draw　remarkably　well。　The　product　of

their　pencil　may　look　a　bit　prehistoric。　It　may　even　resemble　the

work　of　certain　native　tribes　from　the　upper　Congo。　But　the　child　is

quite　frequently　prehistoric　or　upper…Congoish　in　his　or　her　own　tastes；

and　expresses　these　primitive　instincts　with　a　most　astonishing　accuracy。



The　main　thing　in　teaching　history；　is　that　the　pupil　shall　remember

certain　events　‘‘in　their　proper　sequence。''　The　experiments　of

many　years　in　the　Children's　School　of　New　York　has　convinced　the

author　that　few　children　will　ever　forget　what　they　have　drawn；　while

very　few　will　ever　remember　what　they　have　merely　read。



It　is　the　same　with　the　maps。　Give　the　child　an　ordinary　conventional

map　with　dots　and　lines　and　green　seas　and　tell　him　to　revaluate

that　geographic　scene　in　his　or　her　own　terms。　The　mountains　will　be

a　bit　out　of　gear　and　the　cities　will　look　astonishingly　mediaeval。　The

outlines　will　be　often　very　imperfect；　but　the　general　effect　will　be

quite　as　truthful　as　that　of　our　conventional　maps；　which　ever　since

the　days　of　good　Gerardus　Mercator　have　told　a　strangely　erroneous

story。　Most　important　of　all；　it　will　give　the　child　a　feeling　of　intimacy

with　historical　and　geographic　facts　which　cannot　be　obtained　in　any

other　way。



Neither　the　publishers　nor　the　author　claim　that　‘‘The　Story　of　Mankind''

is　the　last　word　to　be　said　upon　the　subject　of　history　for　children。

It　is　an　appetizer。　The　book　tries　to　present　the　subject　in　such

a　fashion　that　the　average　child　shall　get　a　taste　for　History　and　shall

ask　for　more。



To　facilitate　the　work　of　both　parents　and　teachers；　the　publishers

have　asked　Miss　Leonore　St。　John　Power　（who　knows　more　upon　this

particular　subject　than　any　one　else　they　could　discover）　to　compile　a

list　of　readable　and　instructive　books。



The　list　was　made　and　was　duly　printed。



The　parents　who　live　near　our　big　cities　will　experience　no　difficulty

in　ordering　these　volumes　from　their　booksellers。　Those　who

for　the　sake　of　fresh　air　and