the story of mankind-第75部分

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decipher　the　next　cut…in。　It　is　not　different　in　human　life；

as　I　shall　now　show　you。



In　a　former　chapter　I　have　told　you　how　the　idea　of　the

Roman　Empire　continued　to　live　for　a　thousand　years　after

the　death　of　the　last　Roman　Emperor。　It　caused　the　establishment

of　a　large　number　of　‘‘imitation　empires。''　It　gave　the

Bishops　of　Rome　a　chance　to　make　themselves　the　head　of　the

entire　church；　because　they　represented　the　idea　of　Roman

world…supremacy。　It　drove　a　number　of　perfectly　harmless

barbarian　chieftains　into　a　career　of　crime　and　endless　warfare

because　they　were　for　ever　under　the　spell　of　this　magic

word　‘‘Rome。''　All　these　people；　Popes；　Emperors　and　plain

fighting　men　were　not　very　different　from　you　or　me。　But

they　lived　in　a　world　where　the　Roman　tradition　was　a　vital

issue　something　livingsomething　which　was　remembered

clearly　both　by　the　father　and　the　son　and　the　grandson。　And

so　they　struggled　and　sacrificed　themselves　for　a　cause　which

to…day　would　not　find　a　dozen　recruits。



In　still　another　chapter　I　have　told　you　how　the　great　religious

wars　took　place　more　than　a　century　after　the　first　open

act　of　the　Reformation　and　if　you　will　compare　the　chapter

on　the　Thirty　Years　War　with　that　on　Inventions；　you　will　see

that　this　ghastly　butchery　took　place　at　a　time　when　the　first

clumsy　steam　engines　were　already　puffing　in　the　laboratories

of　a　number　of　French　and　German　and　English　scientists。

But　the　world　at　large　took　no　interest　in　these　strange

contraptions；　and　went　on　with　a　grand　theological　discussion

which　to…day　causes　yawns；　but　no　anger。



And　so　it　goes。　A　thousand　years　from　now；　the　historian

will　use　the　same　words　about　Europe　of　the　out…going　nine…

teenth　century；　and　he　will　see　how　men　were　engaged　upon

terrific　nationalistic　struggles　while　the　laboratories　all　around

them　were　filled　with　serious　folk　who　cared　not　one　whit　for

politics　as　long　as　they　could　force　nature　to　surrender　a　few

more　of　her　million　secrets。



You　will　gradually　begin　to　understand　what　I　am　driving

at。　The　engineer　and　the　scientist　and　the　chemist；　within　a

single　generation；　filled　Europe　and　America　and　Asia　with

their　vast　machines；　with　their　telegraphs；　their　flying　machines；

their　coal…tar　products。　They　created　a　new　world　in　which

time　and　space　were　reduced　to　complete　insignificance。　They

invented　new　products　and　they　made　these　so　cheap　that　almost

every　one　could　buy　them。　I　have　told　you　all　this　before

but　it　certainly　will　bear　repeating。



To　keep　the　ever　increasing　number　of　factories　going；　the

owners；　who　had　also　become　the　rulers　of　the　land；　needed　raw

materials　and　coal。　Especially　coal。　Meanwhile　the　mass　of

the　people　were　still　thinking　in　terms　of　the　sixteenth　and

seventeenth　centuries　and　clinging　to　the　old　notions　of　the

state　as　a　dynastic　or　political　organisation。　This　clumsy　mediaeval

institution　was　then　suddenly　called　upon　to　handle　the

highly　modern　problems　of　a　mechanical　and　industrial　world。

It　did　its　best；　according　to　the　rules　of　the　game　which　had

been　laid　down　centuries　before。　The　different　states　created

enormous　armies　and　gigantic　navies　which　were　used　for　the

purpose　of　acquiring　new　possessions　in　distant　lands。　Whereever｛sic｝

there　was　a　tiny　bit　of　land　left；　there　arose　an　English　or

a　French　or　a　German　or　a　Russian　colony。　If　the　natives

objected；　they　were　killed。　In　most　cases　they　did　not　object；

and　were　allowed　to　live　peacefully；　provided　they　did　not

interfere　with　the　diamond　mines　or　the　coal　mines　or　the　oil

mines　or　the　gold　mines　or　the　rubber　plantations；　and　they

derived　many　benefits　from　the　foreign　occupation。



Sometimes　it　happened　that　two　states　in　search　of　raw

materials　wanted　the　same　piece　of　land　at　the　same　time。

Then　there　was　a　war。　This　occurred　fifteen　years　ago　when

Russia　and　Japan　fought　for　the　possession　of　certain　terri…

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