the story of mankind-第35章

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the　honest　chronicler　to　give　a　true　account　of　all　the　good　and

bad　sides　of　every　historical　event。　It　is　very　difficult　to　do

this　because　we　all　have　our　personal　likes　and　dislikes。　But

we　ought　to　try　and　be　as　fair　as　we　can　be；　and　must　not　allow

our　prejudices　to　influence　us　too　much。



Take　my　own　case　as　an　example。　I　grew　up　in　the　very

Protestant　centre　of　a　very　Protestant　country。　I　never　saw

any　Catholics　until　I　was　about　twelve　years　old。　Then　I　felt

very　uncomfortable　when　I　met　them。　I　was　a　little　bit　afraid。

I　knew　the　story　of　the　many　thousand　people　who　had　been

burned　and　hanged　and　quartered　by　the　Spanish　Inquisition

when　the　Duke　of　Alba　tried　to　cure　the　Dutch　people　of　their

Lutheran　and　Calvinistic　heresies。　All　that　was　very　real

to　me。　It　seemed　to　have　happened　only　the　day　before。　It

might　occur　again。　There　might　be　another　Saint　Bartholomew's

night；　and　poor　little　me　would　be　slaughtered　in　my

nightie　and　my　body　would　be　thrown　out　of　the　window；　as

had　happened　to　the　noble　Admiral　de　Coligny。



Much　later　I　went　to　live　for　a　number　of　years　in　a　Catholic

country。　I　found　the　people　much　pleasanter　and　much

more　tolerant　and　quite　as　intelligent　as　my　former　countrymen。

To　my　great　surprise；　I　began　to　discover　that　there

was　a　Catholic　side　to　the　Reformation；　quite　as　much　as　a

Protestant。



Of　course　the　good　people　of　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth

centuries；　who　actually　lived　through　the　Reformation；　did

not　see　things　that　way。　They　were　always　right　and　their

enemy　was　always　wrong。　It　was　a　question　of　hang　or　be

hanged；　and　both　sides　preferred　to　do　the　hanging。　Which

was　no　more　than　human　and　for　which　they　deserve　no　blame。



When　we　look　at　the　world　as　it　appeared　in　the　year　1500；

an　easy　date　to　remember；　and　the　year　in　which　the　Emperor

Charles　V　was　born；　this　is　what　we　see。　The　feudal　disorder

of　the　Middle　Ages　has　given　way　before　the　order　of　a　number

of　highly　centralised　kingdoms。　The　most　powerful　of

all　sovereigns　is　the　great　Charles；　then　a　baby　in　a　cradle。

He　is　the　grandson　of　Ferdinand　and　Isabella　and　of　Maxi…

milian　of　Habsburg；　the　last　of　the　mediaeval　knights；　and　of

his　wife　Mary；　the　daughter　of　Charles　the　Bold；　the　ambitious

Burgundian　duke　who　had　made　successful　war　upon　France

but　had　been　killed　by　the　independent　Swiss　peasants。　The

child　Charles；　therefore；　has　fallen　heir　to　the　greater　part　of

the　map；　to　all　the　lands　of　his　parents；　grandparents；　uncles；

cousins　and　aunts　in　Germany；　in　Austria；　in　Holland；　in

Belgium；　in　Italy；　and　in　Spain；　together　with　all　their　colonies

in　Asia；　Africa　and　America。　By　a　strange　irony　of　fate；　he

has　been　born　in　Ghent；　in　that　same　castle　of　the　counts　of

Flanders；　which　the　Germans　used　as　a　prison　during　their

recent　occupation　of　Belgium；　and　although　a　Spanish　king

and　a　German　emperor；　he　receives　the　training　of　a　Fleming。



As　his　father　is　dead　（poisoned；　so　people　say；　but　this　is

never　proved）；　and　his　mother　has　lost　her　mind　（she　is　travelling

through　her　domains　with　the　coffin　containing　the　body

of　her　departed　husband）；　the　child　is　left　to　the　strict

discipline　of　his　Aunt　Margaret。　Forced　to　rule　Germans　and

Italians　and　Spaniards　and　a　hundred　strange　races；　Charles

grows　up　a　Fleming；　a　faithful　son　of　the　Catholic　Church；

but　quite　averse　to　religious　intolerance。　He　is　rather　lazy；

both　as　a　boy　and　as　a　man。　But　fate　condemns　him　to　rule

the　world　when　the　world　is　in　a　turmoil　of　religious　fervour。

Forever　he　is　speeding　from　Madrid　to　Innsbruck　and　from

Bruges　to　Vienna。　He　loves　peace　and　quiet　and　he　is　always

at　war。　At　the　age　of　fifty…five；　we　see　him　turn　his　back　upon

the　human　race　in　utter　disgust　at　so　much　hate　and　so　much

stupidity。　Three　years　later　he　dies；　a　very　tired　and　disappointed

man。



So　much　for　Charles　the　Emperor。　How　about　the　Church；

the　second　great　power　in　the　world？　The　Church　has　changed

greatly　since　the　early　days　of　the　Middle　Ages；　when　it　started

out　to　conquer　the　heathen　and　show　them　the　advantages　of

a　pious　and　righteous　life。　In　the　first　place；　the　Church　has

grown　too　rich。　The　Pope　is　no　longer　the　shepherd　of　a　flock

of　humble　Christians。　He　lives　in　a　vast　palace　and　surrounds

himself　with　artists　and　musicians　and　famous　literary　men。

His　churches　and　chapels　are　covered　with　new　pictures　in

which　the　saints　look　more　like　Greek　Gods　than　is　strictly

necessary。　He　divides　his　time　unevenly　between　affairs　of

state　and　art。　The　affairs　of　state　take　ten　percent　of　his　time。

The　other　ninety　percent　goes　to　an　active　interest　in　Roman

statues；　recently　discovered　Greek　vases；　plans　for　a　new　summer

home；　the　rehearsal　of　a　new　play。　The　Archbishops　and

the　Cardinals　follow　the　example　of　their　Pope。　The　Bishops

try　to　imitate　the　Archbishops。　The　village　priests；　however；

have　remained　faithful　to　their　duties。　They　keep　themselves

aloof　from　the　wicked　world　and　the　heathenish　love　of　beauty

and　pleasure。　They　stay　away　from　the　monasteries　where

the　monks　seem　to　have　forgotten　their　ancient　vows　of　simplicity

and　poverty　and　live　as　happily　as　they　dare　without

causing　too　much　of　a　public　scandal。



Finally；　there　are　the　common　people。　They　are　much

better　off　than　they　have　ever　been　before。　They　are　more

prosperous；　they　live　in　better　houses；　their　children　go　to　better

schools；　their　cities　are　more　beautiful　than　before；　their

firearms　have　made　them　the　equal　of　their　old　enemies；　the

robber…barons；　who　for　centuries　have　levied　such　heavy　taxes

upon　their　trade。　So　much　for　the　chief　actors　in　the

Reformation。



Now　let　us　see　what　the　Renaissance　has　done　to　Europe；

and　then　you　will　understand　how　the　revival　of　learning　and

art　was　bound　to　be　followed　by　a　revival　of　religious　interests。

The　Renaissance　began　in　Italy。　From　there　it　spread

to　France。　It　was　not　quite　successful　in　Spain；　where

five　hundred　years　of　warfare　with　the　Moors　had　made　the

people　very　narrow　minded　and　very　fanatical　in　all　religious

matters。　The　circle　had　grown　wider　and　wider；　but　once　the

Alps　had　been　crossed；　the　Renaissance　had　suffered　a　change。



The　people　of　northern　Europe；　living　in　a　very　different

climate；　had　an　outlook　upon　life　which　contrasted　strangely

with　that　of　their　southern　neighbours。　The　Italians　lived　out

in　the　open；　under　a　sunny　sky。　It　was　easy　for　them　to　laugh

and　to　sing　and　to　be　happy。　The　Germans；　the　Dutch；　the

English；　the　Swedes；　spent　most　of　their　time　indoors；　listening

to　the　rain　beating　on　the　closed　windows　of　their　comfortable

little　houses。　They　did　not　laugh　quite　so　much。　They

took　everything　more　seriously。　They　were　forever　conscious

of　their　immortal　souls　and　they　did　not　like　to　be　funny　about

matters　which　they　considered　holy　and　sacred。　The　‘‘humanistic''

part　of　the　Renaissance；　the　books；　the　studies　of　ancient

authors；　the　grammar　and　the　text…books；　interested　them

greatly。　But　the　general　return　to　the　old　pagan　civilisation

of　Greece　and　Rome；　which　was　one　of　the　chief　results　of　the

Renaissance　in　Italy；　filled　their　hearts　with　horror。



But　the　Papacy　and　the　College　of　Cardinals　was　almost

entirely　composed　of　Italians　and　they　had　turned　the　Church

into　a　pleasant　club　where　people　discussed　art　and　music　and

the　theatre；　but　rarely　mentioned　religion。　Hence　the　split

between　the　serious　north　and　the　more　civilised　but　easy…going

and　indifferent　south　was　growing　wider　and　wider　all　the

time　and　nobody　seemed　to　be　aware　of　the　danger　that　threatened

the　Church。



There　were　a　few　minor　reasons　which　will　explain　why　the

Reformation　took　place　in　Germany　rather　than　in　Sweden

or　England。　The　Germans　bore　an　ancient　grudge　against

Rome。　The　endless　quarrels　between　Emperor　and　Pope　had

caused　much　mutual　bitterness。　In　the　other　European　countries

where　the　government　rested　in　the　hands　of　a　strong

king；　the　ruler　had　often　been　able　to　protect　his　subjects

against　the　greed　of　the　priests。　In　Germany；　where　a　shadowy

emperor　ruled　a　turbulent　crowd　of　little　princelings；　the　good

burghers　were　more　directly　at　the　mercy　of　their　bishops　and

prelates。　These　dignitaries　were　trying　to　collect　large　sums

of　money　for　the　benefit　of　those　enormous　churches　which

were　a　hobby　of　the　Popes　of　the　Renaissance。　The　Germans

felt　that　they　were　being　mulcted　and　quite　naturally　they　did

not　like　it。



And　then　there　is　the　rarely　mentioned　fact　that　Germany

was　the　home　of　the　printing　press。　In　northern　Europe　books

were　cheap　and　the　Bible　was　no　longer　a　mysterious　manu…

script　owned　and　explained　by　the　priest。　It　was　a　household

book　of　many　families　where　Latin　was　understood　by　the

father　and　by　the　children。　Whole　families　began　to　read　it；

which　was　against　the　law　of　the　Church。　They　discovered　that

the　priests　were　telling　them　many　things　which；　according　to

the　original　text　of　the　Holy　Scriptures；　were　somewhat　different。

This　caused　doubt。　People　began　to　ask　questions。　And

questions；　when　they　cannot　be　answered；　often　cause　a　great

deal　of　trouble。



The　attack　began　when　the　humanists　of　the　North　opened

fire　upon　the　monks。　In　their　heart　of　hearts　they　still　had

too　much　respect　and　reverence　for　the　Pope　to　direct　their

sallies　against　his　Most　Holy　Person。　But　the　lazy；　ignorant

monks；　living　behind　the　sheltering　walls　of　their　rich　monasteries；

offered　rare　sport。



The　leader　in　this　warfare；　curiously　enough；　was　a　very

faithful　son　of　the　church　Gerard　Gerardzoon；　or　Desiderius

Erasmus；　as　he　is　usually　called；　was　a　poor　boy；　born　in

Rotterdam　in　Holland；　and　educated　at　the　same　Latin　school

of　Deventer　from　which　Thomas　a　Kempis　had　graduated。

He　had　become　a　priest　and　for　a　time　he　had　lived　in　a　monastery。

He　had　travelled　a　great　deal　and　knew　whereof　he　wrote；

When　he　began　his　career　as　a　public　pamphleteer　（he　would

have　been　called　an　editorial　writer　in　our　day）　the　world　was

greatly　amused　at　an　anonymous　series　of　letters　which　had

just　appeared　under　the　title　of　‘‘Letters　of　Obscure　Men。''

In　these　letters；　the　general　stupidity　and　arrogance　of　the

monks　of　the　late　Middle　Ages　was　exposed　in　a　strange

German…Latin　doggerel　which　reminds　one　of　our　modern

limericks。　Erasmus　himself　was　a　very　learned　and　serious

scholar；　who　knew　both　Latin　and　Greek　and　gave　us　the　first

reliable　version　of　the　New　Testament；　which　he　translated

into　Latin　together　with　a　corrected　edition　of　the　original

Greek　text。　But　he　believed　with　Sallust；　the　Roman　poet；

that　nothing　prevents　us　from　‘‘stating　the　truth　with　a　smile

upon　our　lips。''



In　the　year　1500；　while　visiting　Sir　Thomas　More　in　Eng…

land；　he　took　a　few　weeks　off　and　wrote　a　funny　little　book；

called　the　‘‘Praise