the story of mankind-第31部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



dumb；　and　the　cities；　of　whose　growth　and　development　I　have

told　you　in　my　last　chapter；　offered　a　safe　shelter　to　these

brave　pioneers　who　dared　to　leave　the　very　narrow　domain

of　the　established　order　of　things。



They　set　to　work。　They　opened　the　windows　of　their

cloistered　and　studious　cells。　A　flood　of　sunlight　entered　the

dusty　rooms　and　showed　them　the　cobwebs　which　had　gathered

during　the　long　period　of　semi…darkness。



They　began　to　clean　house。　Next　they　cleaned　their　gardens。



Then　they　went　out　into　the　open　fields；　outside　the　crumbling

town　walls；　and　said；　‘‘This　is　a　good　world。　We　are

glad　that　we　live　in　it。''



At　that　moment；　the　Middle　Ages　came　to　an　end　and　a　new

world　began。







THE　RENAISSANCE



PEOPLE　ONCE　MORE　DARED　TO　BE　HAPPY

JUST　BECAUSE　THEY　WERE　ALIVE。　THEY

TRIED　TO　SAVE　THE　REMAINS　OF　THE

OLDER　AND　MORE　AGREEABLE　CIVILISATION

OF　ROME　AND　GREECE　AND　THEY

WERE　SO　PROUD　OF　THEIR　ACHIEVEMENTS

THAT　THEY　SPOKE　OF　A　RENAISSANCE

OR　RE…BIRTH　OF　CIVILISATION





THE　Renaissance　was　not　a　political　or　religious　movement。

It　was　a　state　of　mind。



The　men　of　the　Renaissance　continued　to　be　the　obedient

sons　of　the　mother　church。　They　were　subjects　of　kings　and

emperors　and　dukes　and　murmured　not。



But　their　outlook　upon　life　was　changed。　They　began　to

wear　different　clothesto　speak　a　different　languageto　live

different　lives　in　different　houses。



They　no　longer　concentrated　all　their　thoughts　and　their

efforts　upon　the　blessed　existence　that　awaited　them　in　Heaven。

They　tried　to　establish　their　Paradise　upon　this　planet；　and；

truth　to　tell；　they　succeeded　in　a　remarkable　degree。



I　have　quite　often　warned　you　against　the　danger　that

lies　in　historical　dates。　People　take　them　too　literally。　They

think　of　the　Middle　Ages　as　a　period　of　darkness　and　ignor…

ance。　‘‘Click；''　says　the　clock；　and　the　Renaissance　begins　and

cities　and　palaces　are　flooded　with　the　bright　sunlight　of　an

eager　intellectual　curiosity。



As　a　matter　of　fact；　it　is　quite　impossible　to　draw　such

sharp　lines。　The　thirteenth　century　belonged　most　decidedly

to　the　Middle　Ages。　All　historians　agree　upon　that。　But　was

it　a　time　of　darkness　and　stagnation　merely？　By　no　means。

People　were　tremendously　alive。　Great　states　were　being

founded。　Large　centres　of　commerce　were　being　developed。

High　above　the　turretted　towers　of　the　castle　and　the　peaked

roof　of　the　town…hall；　rose　the　slender　spire　of　the　newly　built

Gothic　cathedral。　Everywhere　the　world　was　in　motion。　The

high　and　mighty　gentlemen　of　the　city…hall；　who　had　just　become

conscious　of　their　own　strength　（by　way　of　their　recently

acquired　riches）　were　struggling　for　more　power　with　their

feudal　masters。　The　members　of　the　guilds　who　had　just　become

aware　of　the　important　fact　that　‘‘numbers　count''　were

fighting　the　high　and　mighty　gentlemen　of　the　city…hall。　The

king　and　his　shrewd　advisers　went　fishing　in　these　troubled

waters　and　caught　many　a　shining　bass　of　profit　which　they

proceeded　to　cook　and　eat　before　the　noses　of　the　surprised　and

disappointed　councillors　and　guild　brethren。



To　enliven　the　scenery　during　the　long　hours　of　evening

when　the　badly　lighted　streets　did　not　invite　further　political

and　economic　dispute；　the　Troubadours　and　Minnesingers　told

their　stories　and　sang　their　songs　of　romance　and　adventure

and　heroism　and　loyalty　to　all　fair　women。　Meanwhile　youth；

impatient　of　the　slowness　of　progress；　flocked　to　the　universities；

and　thereby　hangs　a　story。



The　Middle　Ages　were　‘‘internationally　minded。''　That

sounds　difficult；　but　wait　until　I　explain　it　to　you。　We　modern

people　are　‘‘nationally　minded。''　We　are　Americans　or　Englishmen

or　Frenchmen　or　Italians　and　speak　English　or　French

or　Italian　and　go　to　English　and　French　and　Italian　universities；

unless　we　want　to　specialise　in　some　particular　branch

of　learning　which　is　only　taught　elsewhere；　and　then　we　learn

another　language　and　go　to　Munich　or　Madrid　or　Moscow。

But　the　people　of　the　thirteenth　or　fourteenth　century　rarely

talked　of　themselves　as　Englishmen　or　Frenchmen　or　Italians。

They　said；　‘‘I　am　a　citizen　of　Sheffield　or　Bordeaux　or　Genoa。''

Because　they　all　belonged　to　one　and　the　same　church　they　felt

a　certain　bond　of　brotherhood。　And　as　all　educated　men　could

speak　Latin；　they　possessed　an　international　language　which

removed　the　stupid　language　barriers　which　have　grown　up

in　modern　Europe　and　which　place　the　small　nations　at　such

an　enormous　disadvantage。　Just　as　an　example；　take　the　case

of　Erasmus；　the　great　preacher　of　tolerance　and　laughter；　who

wrote　his　books　in　the　sixteenth　century。　He　was　the　native

of　a　small　Dutch　village。　He　wrote　in　Latin　and　all　the　world

was　his　audience。　If　he　were　alive　to…day；　he　would　write　in

Dutch。　Then　only　five　or　six　million　people　would　be　able　to

read　him。　To　be　understood　by　the　rest　of　Europe　and　America；

his　publishers　would　be　obliged　to　translate　his　books　into

twenty　different　languages。　That　would　cost　a　lot　of　money

and　most　likely　the　publishers　would　never　take　the　trouble

or　the　risk。



Six　hundred　years　ago　that　could　not　happen。　The　greater

part　of　the　people　were　still　very　ignorant　and　could　not　read

or　write　at　all。　But　those　who　had　mastered　the　difficult　art

of　handling　the　goose…quill　belonged　to　an　international　republic

of　letters　which　spread　across　the　entire　continent　and　which

knew　of　no　boundaries　and　respected　no　limitations　of　language

or　nationality。　The　universities　were　the　strongholds　of

this　republic。　Unlike　modern　fortifications；　they　did　not　follow

the　frontier。　They　were　to　be　found　wherever　a　teacher

and　a　few　pupils　happened　to　find　themselves　together。　There

again　the　Middle　Ages　and　the　Renaissance　differed　from　our

own　time。　Nowadays；　when　a　new　university　is　built；　the

process　（almost　invariably）　is　as　follows：　Some　rich　man

wants　to　do　something　for　the　community　in　which　he　lives　or

a　particular　religious　sect　wants　to　build　a　school　to　keep　its

faithful　children　under　decent　supervision；　or　a　state　needs　doc…

tors　and　lawyers　and　teachers。　The　university　begins　as　a

large　sum　of　money　which　is　deposited　in　a　bank。　This　money

is　then　used　to　construct　buildings　and　laboratories　and　dormitories。

Finally　professional　teachers　are　hired；　entrance　examinations

are　held　and　the　university　is　on　the　way。



But　in　the　Middle　Ages　things　were　done　differently。　A　wise　man

said　to　himself；　‘‘I　have　discovered　a　great　truth。　I　must　impart　my

knowledge　to　others。''　And　he　began　to　preach　his　wisdom

wherever　and　whenever　he　could　get　a　few　people　to　listen　to　him；

like　a　modern　soap…box　orator。　If　he　was　an　interesting　speaker；　the

crowd　came　and　stayed。　If　he　was　dull；　they　shrugged　their　shoulders

and　continued　their　way。



By　and　by　certain　young　men　began　to　come　regularly　to　hear

the　words　of　wisdom　of　this　great　teacher。　They　brought　copybooks

with　them　and　a　little　bottle　of　ink　and　a　goose　quill　and

wrote　down　what　seemed　to　be　important。　One　day　it　rained。

The　teacher　and　his　pupils　retired　to　an　empty　basement　or

the　room　of　the　‘‘Professor。''　The　learned　man　sat　in　his　chair

and　the　boys　sat　on　the　floor。　That　was　the　beginning　of　the

University；　the　‘‘universitas；''　a　corporation　of　professors　and

students　during　the　Middle　Ages；　when　the　‘‘teacher''　counted

for　everything　and　the　building　in　which　he　taught　counted　for

very　little。



As　an　example；　let　me　tell　you　of　something　that　happened

in　the　ninth　century。　In　the　town　of　Salerno　near　Naples　there

were　a　number　of　excellent　physicians。　They　attracted　people

desirous　of　learning　the　medical　profession　and　for　almost　a

thousand　years　（until　1817）　there　was　a　university　of　Salerno

which　taught　the　wisdom　of　Hippocrates；　the　great　Greek　doctor

who　had　practiced　his　art　in　ancient　Hellas　in　the　fifth

century　before　the　birth　of　Christ。



Then　there　was　Abelard；　the　young　priest　from　Brittany；

who　early　in　the　twelfth　century　began　to　lecture　on　theology

and　logic　in　Paris。　Thousands　of　eager　young　men　flocked

to　the　French　city　to　hear　him。　Other　priests　who　disagreed

with　him　stepped　forward　to　explain　their　point　of　view。　Paris

was　soon　filled　with　a　clamouring　multitude　of　Englishmen　and

Germans　and　Italians　and　students　from　Sweden　and　Hungary

and　around　the　old　cathedral　which　stood　on　a　little　island　in

the　Seine　there　grew　the　famous　University　of　Paris。

In　Bologna　in　Italy；　a　monk　by　the　name　of　Gratian　had

compiled　a　text…book　for　those　whose　business　it　was　to　know

the　laws　of　the　church。　Young　priests　and　many　laymen　then

came　from　all　over　Europe　to　hear　Gratian　explain　his　ideas。

To　protect　themselves　against　the　landlords　and　the　innkeepers

and　the　boarding…house　ladies　of　the　city；　they　formed　a　corporation

（or　University）　and　behold　the　beginning　of　the　university

of　Bologna。



Next　there　was　a　quarrel　in　the　University　of　Paris。　We　do

not　know　what　caused　it；　but　a　number　of　disgruntled　teachers

together　with　their　pupils　crossed　the　channel　and　found　a

hospitable　home　in　n　little　village　on　the　Thames　called　Oxford；

and　in　this　way　the　famous　University　of　Oxford　came　into

being。　In　the　same　way；　in　the　year　1222；　there　had　been　a　split

in　the　University　of　Bologna。　The　discontented　teachers　（again

followed　by　their　pupils）　had　moved　to　Padua　and　their　proud　city

thenceforward　boasted　of　a　university　of　its　own。　And　so　it　went

from　Valladolid　in　Spain　to　Cracow　in　distant　Poland　and　from

Poitiers　in　France　to　Rostock　in　Germany。



It　is　quite　true　that　much　of　the　teaching　done　by　these

early　professors　would　sound　absurd　to　our　ears；　trained　to

listen　to　logarithms　and　geometrical　theorems。　The　point

however；　which　I　want　to　make　is　thisthe　Middle　Ages　and

especially　the　thirteenth　century　we