the ancien regime-第4章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



many　centuriesat　first　represented　a　fact。　　These　castes　were；　at

first；　actually　superior　to　the　peoples　over　whom　they　ruled。　　I

cannot；　as　long　as　my　eyes　are　open；　yield　to　the　modern　theory　of

the　equalityindeed　of　the　non…existenceof　races。　　Holding；　as　I

do；　the　primaeval　unity　of　the　human　race；　I　see　in　that　race　the

same　inclination　to　sport　into　fresh　varieties；　the　same　competition

of　species　between　those　varieties；　which　Mr。　Darwin　has　pointed　out

among　plants　and　mere　animals。　　A　distinguished　man　arises；　from　him

a　distinguished　family；　from　it　a　distinguished　tribe；　stronger；

cunninger　than　those　around。　　It　asserts　its　supremacy　over　its

neighbours　at　first　exactly　as　a　plant　or　animal　would　do；　by

destroying；　and；　where　possible；　eating　them；　next；　having　grown

more　prudent；　by　enslaving　them；　next；　having　gained　a　little

morality　in　addition　to　its　prudence；　by　civilising　them；　raising

them　more　or　less　toward　its　own　standard。　　And　thus；　in　every　land；

civilisation　and　national　life　has　arisen　out　of　the　patriarchal

state；　and　the　Eastern　scheik；　with　his　wives；　free　and　slave；　and

his　hundreds　of　fighting　men　born　in　his　house；　is　the　type　of　all

primaeval　rulers。　　He　is　the　best　man　of　his　hordein　every　sense

of　the　word　best；　and　whether　he　have　a　right　to　rule　them　or　not；

they　consider　that　he　has；　and　are　the　better　men　for　his　guidance。



Whether　this　ought　to　have　been　the　history　of　primaeval

civilisation；　is　a　question　not　to　be　determined　here。　　That　it　is

the　history　thereof；　is　surely　patent　to　anyone　who　will　imagine　to

himself　what　must　have　been。　　In　the　first　place；　the　strongest　and

cunningest　savage　must　have　had　the　chance　of　producing　children

more　strong　and　cunning　than　the　average；　he　would　havethe

strongest　savage　has　stillthe　power　of　obtaining　a　wife；　or　wives；

superior　in　beauty　and　in　household　skill；　which　involves

superiority　of　intellect；　and　therefore　his　children　wouldsome　of

them　at　leastbe　superior　to　the　average；　both　from　the　father's

and　the　mother's　capacities。　　They　again　would　marry　select　wives；

and　their　children　again　would　do　the　same；　till；　in　a　very　few

generations；　a　family　would　have　established　itself；　considerably

superior　to　the　rest　of　the　tribe　in　body　and　mind；　and　become

assuredly　its　ruling　race。



Again；　if　one　of　that　race　invented　a　new　weapon；　a　new　mode　of

tillage；　or　aught　else　which　gave　him　power；　that　would　add　to　the

superiority　of　his　whole　family。　　For　the　invention　would　be

jealously　kept　among　them　as　a　mystery；　a　hereditary　secret。　　To

this　simple　cause；　surely；　is　to　be　referred　the　system　of

hereditary　caste　occupations；　whether　in　Egypt　or　Hindoostan。　　To

this；　too；　the　fact　that　alike　in　Greek　and　in　Teutonic　legend　the

chief　so　often　appears；　not　merely　as　the　best　warrior　and　best

minstrel；　but　as　the　best　smith；　armourer；　and　handicraftsman　of　his

tribe。　　If；　however；　the　inventor　happened　to　be　a　low…born　genius；

its　advantages　would　still　accrue　to　the　ruling　race。　　For　nothing

could　be　more　natural　or　more　easyas　more　than　one　legend

intimatesthan　that　the　king　should　extort　the　new　secret　from　his

subject；　and　then　put　him　to　death　to　prevent　any　further　publicity。



Two　great　inventive　geniuses　we　may　see　dimly　through　the　abysses　of

the　past；　both　of　whom　must　have　become　in　their　time　great　chiefs；

founders　of　mighty　aristocraciesit　may　be；　worshipped　after　their

death　as　gods。



The　first；　who　seems　to　have　existed　after　the　age　in　which　the

black　race　colonised　Australia；　must　have　been　surely　a　man　worthy

to　hold　rank　with　our　Brindleys；　Watts；　and　Stephensons。　　For　he

invented　（and　mind；　one　man　must　have　invented　the　thing　first；　and

by　the　very　nature　of　it；　invented　it　all　at　once）　an　instrument　so

singular；　unexpected；　unlike　anything　to　be　seen　in　nature；　that　I

wonder　it　has　not　been　called；　like　the　plough；　the　olive；　or　the

vine；　a　gift　of　the　immortal　gods：　　and　yet　an　instrument　so　simple；

so　easy；　and　so　perfect；　that　it　spread　over　all　races　in　Europe　and

America；　and　no　substitute　could　be　found　for　it　till　the　latter

part　of　the　fifteenth　century。　　Yes；　a　great　genius　was　he；　and　the

consequent　founder　of　a　great　aristocracy　and　conquering　race；　who

first　invented　for　himself　and　his　children　after　him　abow　and

arrow。



The　nextwhether　before　or　after　the　first　in　time；　it　suits　me　to

speak　of　him　in　second　placewas　the　man　who　was　the　potential

ancestor　of　the　whole　Ritterschaft；　Chivalry；　and　knightly　caste　of

Europe；　the　man　who　first；　finding　a　foal　upon　the　steppe；　deserted

by　its　dam；　brought　it　home；　and　reared　it；　and　then　bethought　him

of　the　happy　notion　of　making　it　drawpresumably　by　its　taila

fashion　which　endured　long　in　Ireland；　and　had　to　be　forbidden　by

law；　I　think　as　late　as　the　sixteenth　century。　　A　great　aristocrat

must　that　man　have　become。　　A　greater　still　he　who　first　substituted

the　bit　for　the　halter。　　A　greater　still　he　who　first　thought　of

wheels。　　A　greater　still　he　who　conceived　the　yoke　and　pole　for

bearing　up　his　chariot；　for　that　same　yoke；　and　pole；　and　chariot；

became　the　peculiar　instrument　of　conquerors　like　him　who　mightily

oppressed　the　children　of　Israel；　for　he　had　nine　hundred　chariots

of　iron。　　Egyptians；　Syrians；　Assyrians；　Greeks；　Romansnone　of

them　improved　on　the　form　of　the　conquering　biga；　till　it　was　given

up　by　a　race　who　preferred　a　pair　of　shafts　to　their　carts；　and　who

had　learnt　to　ride　instead　of　drive。　　A　great　aristocrat；　again；

must　he　have　been　among　those　latter　races　who　first　conceived　the

notion　of　getting　on　his　horse's　back；　accommodating　his　motions　to

the　beast's；　and　becoming　a　centaur；　half…man；　half…horse。　　That

invention　must　have　tended；　in　the　first　instance；　as　surely　toward

democracy　as　did　the　invention　of　firearms。　　A　tribe　of　riders　must

have　been　always；　more　or　less；　equal　and　free。　　Equal　because　a　man

on　a　horse　would　feel　himself　a　man　indeed；　because　the　art　of

riding　called　out　an　independence；　a　self…help；　a　skill；　a

consciousness　of　power；　a　personal　pride　and　vanity；　which　would

defy　slavery。　　Free；　because　a　tribe　of　riders　might　be　defeated；

exterminated；　but　never　enchained。　　They　could　never　become　gleboe

adscripti；　bound　to　the　soil；　as　long　as　they　could　take　horse　and

saddle；　and　away。　　History　gives　us　more　than　one　glimpse　of　such

tribesthe　scourge　and　terror　of　the　non…riding　races　with　whom

they　came　in　contact。　　Some；　doubtless；　remember　how　in　the　wars

between　Alfred　and　the　Danes；　〃the　army〃　（the　Scandinavian　invaders）

again　and　again　horse　themselves；　steal　away　by　night　from　the　Saxon

infantry；　and　ride　over　the　land　（whether　in　England　or　in　France）；

〃doing　unspeakable　evil。〃　　To　that　special　instinct　of　horsemanship；

which　still　distinguishes　their　descendants；　we　may　attribute　mainly

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