the ancien regime-第6章

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the　Scandinavian　settlement　of　the　north　and　east　of　England。　　Some；

too；　may　recollect　the　sketch　of　the　primeval　Hun；　as　he　first

appeared　to　the　astonished　and　disgusted　old　Roman　soldier　Ammianus

Marcellinus；　the　visages　〃more　like　cakes　than　faces；〃　the　〃figures

like　those　which　are　hewn　out　with　an　axe　on　the　poles　at　bridge…

ends；〃　the　rat…skin　coats；　which　they　wore　till　they　rotted　off

their　limbs；　their　steaks　of　meat　cooked　between　the　saddle　and　the

thigh；　the　little　horses　on　which　〃they　eat　and　drink；　buy　and　sell；

and　sleep　lying　forward　along　his　narrow　neck；　and　indulging　in

every　variety　of　dream。〃　　And　over　and　above；　and　more　important

politically；　the　common　councils　〃held　on　horseback；　under　the

authority　of　no　king；　but　content　with　the　irregular　government　of

nobles；　under　whose　leading　they　force　their　way　through　all

obstacles。〃　　A　racelike　those　Cossacks　who　are　probably　their

lineal　descendantsto　be　feared；　to　be　hired；　to　be　petted；　but　not

to　be　conquered。



Instances　nearer　home　of　free　equestrian　races　we　have　in　our　own

English　borderers；　among　whom　（as　Mr。　Froude　says）　the　farmers　and

their　farm…servants　had　but　to　snatch　their　arms　and　spring　into

their　saddles　and　they　became　at　once　the　Northern　Horse；　famed　as

the　finest　light　cavalry　in　the　world。　　And　equal　to　themsuperior

even；　if　we　recollect　that　they　preserved　their　country's　freedom

for　centuries　against　the　superior　force　of　Englandwere　those

troops　of　Scots　who；　century　after　century；　swept　across　the　border

on　their　little　garrons；　their　bag　of　oatmeal　hanging　by　the　saddle；

with　the　iron　griddle　whereon　to　bake　it；　careless　of　weather　and　of

danger；　men　too　swift　to　be　exterminated；　too　independent　to　be

enslaved。



But　if　horsemanship　had；　in　these　cases；　a　levelling　tendency　it

would　have　the　very　opposite　when　a　riding　tribe　conquered　a　non…

riding　one。　　The　conquerors　would；　as　much　as　possible；　keep　the　art

and　mystery　of　horsemanship　hereditary　among　themselves；　and　become

a　Ritterschaft　or　chivalrous　caste。　　And　they　would　be　able　to　do

so：　　because　the　conquered　race　would　not　care　or　dare　to　learn　the

new　and　dangerous　art。　　There　are　persons；　even　in　England；　who　can

never　learn　to　ride。　　There　are　whole　populations　in　Europe；　even

now；　when　races　have　become　almost　indistinguishably　mixed；　who　seem

unable　to　learn。　　And　this　must　have　been　still　more　the　case　when

the　races　were　more　strongly　separated　in　blood　and　habits。　　So　the

Teutonic　chief；　with　his　gesitha；　comites；　or　select　band　of

knights；　who　had　received　from　him；　as　Tacitus　has　it；　the　war…horse

and　the　lance；　established　himself　as　the　natural　rulerand

oppressorof　the　non…riding　populations；　first　over　the　aborigines

of　Germany　proper；　tribes　who　seem　to　have　been　enslaved；　and　their

names　lost；　before　the　time　of　Tacitus；　and　then　over　the　non…riding

Romans　and　Gauls　to　the　South　and　West；　and　the　Wendish　and

Sclavonic　tribes　to　the　East。　　Very　few　in　numbers；　but　mighty　in

their　unequalled　capacity　of　body　and　mind；　and　in　their　terrible

horsemanship；　the　Teutonic　Ritterschaft　literally　rode　roughshod

over　the　old　world；　never　checked；　but　when　they　came　in　contact

with　the　free…riding　hordes　of　the　Eastern　steppes；　and　so

established　an　equestrian　caste；　of　which　the　＇Greek　text＇　of　Athens

and　the　Equites　of　Rome　had　been　only　hints　ending　in　failure　and

absorption。



Of　that　equestrian　caste　the　symbol　was　the　horse。　　The　favourite；

and　therefore　the　chosen　sacrifice　of　Odin；　their　ancestor　and　God；

the　horse's　flesh　was　eaten　at　the　sacrificial　meal；　the　horse's

head；　hung　on　the　ash　in　Odin's　wood；　gave　forth　oracular　responses。

As　Christianity　came　in；　and　the　eating　of　horse…flesh　was　forbidden

as　impiety　by　the　Church；　while　his　oracles　dwindled　down　to　such　as

that　which　Falada's　dead　head　gives　to　the　goose…girl　in　the　German

tale；　the　magic　power　of　the　horse　figured　only　in　ballads　and

legends：　　but　his　real　power　remained。



The　art　of　riding　became　an　hereditary　and　exclusive　scienceat

last　a　pedantry；　hampered　by　absurd　etiquettes；　and　worse　than

useless　traditions；　but　the　power　and　right　to　ride　remained　on　the

whole　the　mark　of　the　dominant　caste。　　Terribly　did　they　often　abuse

that　special　power。　　The　faculty　of　making　a　horse　carry　him　no　more

makes　a　man　a　good　man；　than　the　faculties　of　making　money；　making

speeches；　making　books；　or　making　a　noise　about　public　abuses。　　And

of　all　ruffians；　the　worst；　if　history　is　to　be　trusted；　is　the

ruffian　on　a　horse；　to　whose　brutality　of　mind　is　superadded　the

brute　power　of　his　beast。　　A　ruffian　on　a　horsewhat　is　there　that

he　will　not　ride　over；　and　ride　on；　careless　and　proud　of　his　own

shame？　　When　the　ancient　chivalry　of　France　descended　to　that　level；

or　rather　delegated　their　functions　to　mercenaries　of　that　level

when　the　knightly　hosts　who　fought　before　Jerusalem　allowed

themselves　to　be　superseded　by　the　dragoons　and　dragonnades　of　Louis

XIV。then　the　end　of　the　French　chivalry　was　at　hand；　and　came。

But　centuries　before　that　shameful　fall　there　had　come　in　with

Christianity　the　new　thought；　that　domination　meant　responsibility；

that　responsibility　demanded　virtue。　　The　words　which　denoted　rank；

came　to　denote　likewise　high　moral　excellencies。　　The　nobilis；　or

man　who　was　known；　and　therefore　subject　to　public　opinion；　was

bound　to　behave　nobly。　　The　gentlemangentile…manwho　respected

his　own　gens；　or　family　and　pedigree；　was　bound　to　be　gentle。　　The

courtier；　who　had　picked　up　at　court　some　touch　of　Roman

civilisation　from　Roman　ecclesiastics；　was　bound　to　be　courteous。

He　who　held　an　〃honour〃　or　〃edel〃　of　land　was　bound　to　be

honourable；　and　he　who　held　a　〃weorthig；〃　or　worthy；　thereof；　was

bound　himself　to　be　worthy。　　In　like　wise；　he　who　had　the　right　to

ride　a　horse；　was　expected　to　be　chivalrous　in　all　matters　befitting

the　hereditary　ruler；　who　owed　a　sacred　debt　to　a　long　line　of

forefathers；　as　well　as　to　the　state　in　which　he　dwelt；　all　dignity；

courtesy；　purity；　self…restraint；　devotionsuch　as　they　were

understood　in　those　rough　dayscentred　themselves　round　the　idea　of

the　rider　as　the　attributes　of　the　man　whose　supposed　duty；　as　well

as　his　supposed　right；　was　to　govern　his　fellow…men；　by　example；　as

well　as　by　law　and　force；attributes　which　gathered　themselves　up

into　that　one　wordChivalry：　　an　idea；　which；　perfect　or　imperfect；

God　forbid　that　mankind　should　ever　forget；　till　it　has　become　the

possessionas　it　is　the　God…given　rightof　the　poorest　slave　that

ever　trudged　on　foot；　and　every　collier…lad　shall　have　becomeas

some　of　those　Barnsley　men　proved　but　the　other　day　they　had　become

already：





A　very　gentle　perfect　knight；





Very　unfaithful　was　chivalry　to　its　idealas　all　men　are　to　all

ideals。　　But　bear　in　mind；　that　if　the　horse　was　the　symbol　of　the

ruling　caste；　it　was　not　at　first　its　only　strength。　　Unless　that

caste　had　had　at　first　spiritual；　as　well　as　physical　force　on　its

side；　it　would　have　been　soon　destroyednay；　it　would　have

destroyed　itselfby　internecine　civil　war。　　And　we　must　believe

that　those　Franks；　Goths；　Lombards；　and　Burgunds；　who　in　the　early

Middle　Age　leaped　on　the　backs　（to　use　Mr。　Carlyle's　expression）　of

the　Roman　nations；　were　actually；　in　all　senses　of　the　word；　better

men　than　those　whom　they　conquered。　　We　must　believe　it　from　reason；

for　if　not；　how　could　they；　numerically　few；　have　held　for　a　year；

much　more　for　centuries；　against　millions；　their　dangerous

elevation？　　We　must　believe　it；　unless　we　take　Tacitus's　〃Germania；〃

which　I　absolutely　refuse　to　do；　for　a　romance。　　We　must　believe

that　they　were　better　than　the　Romanised　nations　whom　they

conquered；　because　the　writers　of　those　nations；　Augustine；　Salvian；

and　Sidonius　Apollinaris；　for　example；　say　that　they　were　such；　and

give　proof　thereof。　　Not　good　men　according　to　our　higher　standard

far　fr