the story of mankind-第32章

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time。　They　liked　to　be　‘‘on　the　go。''　They　cut　down　the

forests　and　they　cut　each　other's　throats　with　equal　energy。

Few　of　them　wanted　to　live　in　cities。　They　insisted　upon　being

‘‘free；''　they　loved　to　feel　the　fresh　air　of　the　hillsides　fill　their

lungs　while　they　drove　their　herds　across　the　wind…swept　pastures。

When　they　no　longer　liked　their　old　homes；　they　pulled

up　stakes　and　went　away　in　search　of　fresh　adventures。



The　weaker　ones　died。　The　hardy　fighters　and　the　courageous

women　who　had　followed　their　men　into　the　wilderness

survived。　In　this　way　they　developed　a　strong　race　of

men。　They　cared　little　for　the　graces　of　life。　They　were　too

busy　to　play　the　fiddle　or　write　pieces　of　poetry。　They　had

little　love　for　discussions。　The　priest；　‘‘the　learned　man''　of　the

village　（and　before　the　middle　of　the　thirteenth　century；　a　layman

who　could　read　and　write　was　regarded　as　a　‘‘sissy''）　was

supposed　to　settle　all　questions　which　had　no　direct　practical

value。　Meanwhile　the　German　chieftain；　the　Frankish　Baron；

the　Northman　Duke　（or　whatever　their　names　and　titles）　occupied

their　share　of　the　territory　which　once　had　been　part　of

the　great　Roman　Empire　and　among　the　ruins　of　past　glory；

they　built　a　world　of　their　own　which　pleased　them　mightily

and　which　they　considered　quite　perfect。



They　managed　the　affairs　of　their　castle　and　the　surrounding

country　to　the　best　of　their　ability。　They　were　as　faithful

to　the　commandments　of　the　Church　as　any　weak　mortal　could

hope　to　be。　They　were　sufficiently　loyal　to　their　king　or　emperor

to　keep　on　good　terms　with　those　distant　but　always　dangerous

potentates。　In　short；　they　tried　to　do　right　and　to　be

fair　to　their　neighbours　without　being　exactly　unfair　to　their

own　interests。



It　was　not　an　ideal　world　in　which　they　found　themselves。

The　greater　part　of　the　people　were　serfs　or　‘‘villains；''　farm…

hands　who　were　as　much　a　part　of　the　soil　upon　which　they

lived　as　the　cows　and　sheep　whose　stables　they　shared。　Their

fate　was　not　particularly　happy　nor　was　it　particularly

unhappy。　But　what　was　one　to　do？　The　good　Lord　who　ruled

the　world　of　the　Middle　Ages　had　undoubtedly　ordered　everything

for　the　best。　If　He；　in　his　wisdom；　had　decided　that

there　must　be　both　knights　and　serfs；　it　was　not　the　duty　of

these　faithful　sons　of　the　church　to　question　the　arrangement。

The　serfs　therefore　did　not　complain　but　when　they　were　too

hard　driven；　they　would　die　off　like　cattle　which　are　not　fed

and　stabled　in　the　right　way；　and　then　something　would　be　hastily

done　to　better　their　condition。　But　if　the　progress　of　the

world　had　been　left　to　the　serf　and　his　feudal　master；　we　would

still　be　living　after　the　fashion　of　the　twelfth　century；　saying

‘‘abracadabra''　when　we　tried　to　stop　a　tooth…ache；　and　feeling

a　deep　contempt　and　hatred　for　the　dentist　who　offered　to　help

us　with　his　‘‘science；''　which　most　likely　was　of　Mohammedan

or　heathenish　origin　and　therefore　both　wicked　and　useless。



When　you　grow　up　you　will　discover　that　many　people　do

not　believe　in　‘‘progress''　and　they　will　prove　to　you　by　the

terrible　deeds　of　some　of　our　own　contemporaries　that　‘‘the

world　does　not　change。''　But　I　hope　that　you　will　not　pay

much　attention　to　such　talk。　You　see；　it　took　our　ancestors

almost　a　million　years　to　learn　how　to　walk　on　their　hind　legs。

Other　centuries　had　to　go　by　before　their　animal…like　grunts

developed　into　an　understandable　language。　Writingthe　art

of　preserving　our　ideas　for　the　benefit　of　future　generations；

without　which　no　progress　is　possible　was　invented　only　four

thousand　years　ago。　The　idea　of　turning　the　forces　of　nature

into　the　obedient　servants　of　man　was　quite　new　in　the　days　of

your　own　grandfather。　It　seems　to　me；　therefore；　that　we　are

making　progress　at　an　unheard…of　rate　of　speed。　Perhaps　we

have　paid　a　little　too　much　attention　to　the　mere　physical　comforts

of　life。　That　will　change　in　due　course　of　time　and　we

shall　then　attack　the　problems　which　are　not　related　to　health

and　to　wages　and　plumbing　and　machinery　in　general。



But　please　do　not　be　too　sentimental　about　the　‘‘good　old

days。''　Many　people　who　only　see　the　beautiful　churches　and

the　great　works　of　art　which　the　Middle　Ages　have　left　behind

grow　quite　eloquent　when　they　compare　our　own　ugly　civilisation

with　its　hurry　and　its　noise　and　the　evil　smells　of　backfiring

motor　trucks　with　the　cities　of　a　thousand　years　ago。

But　these　mediaeval　churches　were　invariably　surrounded　by

miserable　hovels　compared　to　which　a　modern　tenement　house

stands　forth　as　a　luxurious　palace。　It　is　true　that　the　noble

Lancelot　and　the　equally　noble　Parsifal；　the　pure　young　hero

who　went　in　search　of　the　Holy　Grail；　were　not　bothered　by

the　odor　of　gasoline。　But　there　were　other　smells　of　the　barnyard

varietyodors　of　decaying　refuse　which　had　been　thrown

into　the　streetof　pig…sties　surrounding　the　Bishop's　palace

of　unwashed　people　who　had　inherited　their　coats　and　hats

from　their　grandfathers　and　who　had　never　learned　the　blessing

of　soap。　I　do　not　want　to　paint　too　unpleasant　a　picture。

But　when　you　read　in　the　ancient　chronicles　that　the　King　of

France；　looking　out　of　the　windows　of　his　palace；　fainted　at

the　stench　caused　by　the　pigs　rooting　in　the　streets　of　Paris；

when　an　ancient　manuscript　recounts　a　few　details　of　an　epidemic

of　the　plague　or　of　small…pox；　then　you　begin　to　under…

stand　that　‘‘progress''　is　something　more　than　a　catchword　used

by　modern　advertising　men。



No；　the　progress　of　the　last　six　hundred　years　would　not

have　been　possible　without　the　existence　of　cities。　I　shall；

therefore；　have　to　make　this　chapter　a　little　longer　than　many

of　the　others。　It　is　too　important　to　be　reduced　to　three　or

four　pages；　devoted　to　mere　political　events。



The　ancient　world　of　Egypt　and　Babylonia　and　Assyria

had　been　a　world　of　cities。　Greece　had　been　a　country　of　City…

States。　The　history　of　Phoenicia　was　the　history　of　two　cities

called　Sidon　and　Tyre。　The　Roman　Empire　was　the　‘‘hinterland''

of　a　single　town。　Writing；　art；　science；　astronomy；　architecture；

literature；　the　theatrethe　list　is　endlesshave　all

been　products　of　the　city。



For　almost　four　thousand　years　the　wooden　bee…hive　which

we　call　a　town　had　been　the　workshop　of　the　world。　Then　came

the　great　migrations。　The　Roman　Empire　was　destroyed。

The　cities　were　burned　down　and　Europe　once　more　became　a

land　of　pastures　and　little　agricultural　villages。　During　the

Dark　Ages　the　fields　of　civilisation　had　lain　fallow。



The　Crusades　had　prepared　the　soil　for　a　new　crop。　It

was　time　for　the　harvest；　but　the　fruit　was　plucked　by　the

burghers　of　the　free　cities。



I　have　told　you　the　story　of　the　castles　and　the　monasteries；

with　their　heavy　stone　enclosuresthe　homes　of　the　knights

and　the　monks；　who　guarded　men's　bodies　and　their　souls。

You　have　seen　how　a　few　artisans　（butchers　and　bakers　and　an

occasional　candle…stick　maker）　came　to　live　near　the　castle

to　tend　to　the　wants　of　their　masters　and　to　find　protection

in　case　of　danger。　Sometimes　the　feudal　lord　allowed　these

people　to　surround　their　houses　with　a　stockade。　But　they

were　dependent　for　their　living　upon　the　good…will　of　the

mighty　Seigneur　of　the　castle。　When　he　went　about　they　knelt

before　him　and　kissed　his　hand。



Then　came　the　Crusades　and　many　things　changed。　The

migrations　had　driven　people　from　the　north…east　to　the　west。

The　Crusades　made　millions　of　people　travel　from　the　west　to

the　highly　civilised　regions　of　the　south…east。　They　discovered

that　the　world　was　not　bounded　by　the　four　walls　of　their　little

settlement。　They　came　to　appreciate　better　clothes；　more

comfortable　houses；　new　dishes；　products　of　the　mysterious　Orient。

After　their　return　to　their　old　homes；　they　insisted　that　they

be　supplied　with　those　articles。　The　peddler　with　his　pack

upon　his　backthe　only　merchant　of　t