the story of mankind-第65章

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had　all　been　great　lovers　of　music。　They　had　even　combined

different　instruments　into　regular　orchestras。　But　the　Greeks

had　frowned　upon　this　barbaric　foreign　noise。　They　liked　to

hear　a　man　recite　the　stately　poetry　of　Homer　and　Pindar。

They　allowed　him　to　accompany　himself　upon　the　lyre　（the

poorest　of　all　stringed　instruments）。　That　was　as　far　as　any

one　could　go　without　incurring　the　risk　of　popular　disapproval。

The　Romans　on　the　other　hand　had　loved　orchestral　music　at

their　dinners　and　parties　and　they　had　invented　most　of　the

instruments　which　（in　VERY　modified　form）　we　use　to…day。

The　early　church　had　despised　this　music　which　smacked　too

much　of　the　wicked　pagan　world　which　had　just　been　destroyed。

A　few　songs　rendered　by　the　entire　congregation　were

all　the　bishops　of　the　third　and　fourth　centuries　would　tolerate。

As　the　congregation　was　apt　to　sing　dreadfully　out　of　key　without

the　guidance　of　an　instrument；　the　church　had　afterwards　allowed

the　use　of　an　organ；　an　invention　of　the　second　century　of　our　era

which　consisted　of　a　combination　of　the　old　pipes　of　Pan　and

a　pair　of　bellows。



Then　came　the　great　migrations。　The　last　of　the　Roman

musicians　were　either　killed　or　became　tramp…fiddlers　going

from　city　to　city　and　playing　in　the　street；　and　begging　for

pennies　like　the　harpist　on　a　modern　ferry…boat。



But　the　revival　of　a　more　worldly　civilisation　in　the　cities

of　the　late　Middle　Ages　had　created　a　new　demand　for　musicians。

Instruments　like　the　horn；　which　had　been　used　only

as　signal…instruments　for　hunting　and　fighting；　were　remodelled

until　they　could　reproduce　sounds　which　were　agreeable　in　the

dance…hall　and　in　the　banqueting　room。　A　bow　strung　with

horse…hair　was　used　to　play　the　old…fashioned　guitar　and　before

the　end　of　the　Middle　Ages　this　six…stringed　instrument

（the　most　ancient　of　all　string…instruments　which　dates　back

to　Egypt　and　Assyria）　had　grown　into　our　modern　four…

stringed　fiddle　which　Stradivarius　and　the　other　Italian　violin…

makers　of　the　eighteenth　century　brought　to　the　height　of　perfection。



And　finally　the　modern　piano　was　invented；　the　most　wide…

spread　of　all　musical　instruments；　which　has　followed　man　into

the　wilderness　of　the　jungle　and　the　ice…fields　of　Greenland。

The　organ　had　been　the　first　of　all　keyed　instruments　but　the

performer　always　depended　upon　the　co…operation　of　some　one

who　worked　the　bellows；　a　job　which　nowadays　is　done　by　electricity。

The　musicians　therefore　looked　for　a　handier　and　less

circumstantial　instrument　to　assist　them　in　training　the　pupils

of　the　many　church　choirs。　During　the　great　eleventh　century；

Guido；　a　Benedictine　monk　of　the　town　of　Arezzo　（the

birthplace　of　the　poet　Petrarch）　gave　us　our　modern　system

of　musical　annotation。　Some　time　during　that　century；　when

there　was　a　great　deal　of　popular　interest　in　music；　the　first

instrument　with　both　keys　and　strings　was　built。　It　must

have　sounded　as　tinkly　as　one　of　those　tiny　children's　pianos

which　you　can　buy　at　every　toy…shop。　In　the　city　of　Vienna；

the　town　where　the　strolling　musicians　of　the　Middle　Ages

（who　had　been　classed　with　jugglers　and　card　sharps）　had

formed　the　first　separate　Guild　of　Musicians　in　the　year　1288；

the　little　monochord　was　developed　into　something　which　we

can　recognise　as　the　direct　ancestor　of　our　modern　Steinway。

From　Austria　the　‘‘clavichord''　as　it　was　usually　called　in　those

days　（because　it　had　‘‘craves''　or　keys）　went　to　Italy。　There

it　was　perfected　into　the　‘‘spinet''　which　was　so　called　after

the　inventor；　Giovanni　Spinetti　of　Venice。　At　last　during

the　eighteenth　century；　some　time　between　1709　and　1720；

Bartolomeo　Cristofori　made　a　‘‘clavier''　which　allowed　the

performer　to　play　both　loudly　and　softly　or　as　it　was　said　in

Italian；　‘‘piano''　and　‘‘forte。''　This　instrument　with　certain

changes　became　our　‘‘pianoforte''　or　piano。



Then　for　the　first　time　the　world　possessed　an　easy　and　convenient

instrument　which　could　be　mastered　in　a　couple　of　years

and　did　not　need　the　eternal　tuning　of　harps　and　fiddles　and

was　much　pleasanter　to　the　ears　than　the　mediaeval　tubas；　clarinets；

trombones　and　oboes。　Just　as　the　phonograph　has　given

millions　of　modern　people　their　first　love　of　music　so　did　the

early　‘‘pianoforte''　carry　the　knowledge　of　music　into　much

wider　circles。　Music　became　part　of　the　education　of　every　well…

bred　man　and　woman。　Princes　and　rich　merchants　maintained

private　orchestras。　The　musician　ceased　to　be　a　wandering

‘‘jongleur''　and　became　a　highly　valued　member　of　the　community。

Music　was　added　to　the　dramatic　performances　of

the　theatre　and　out　of　this　practice；　grew　our　modern　Opera。

Originally　only　a　few　very　rich　princes　could　afford　the　expenses

of　an　‘‘opera　troupe。''　But　as　the　taste　for　this　sort　of

entertainment　grew；　many　cities　built　their　own　theatres　where

Italian　and　afterwards　German　operas　were　given　to　the　unlimited

joy　of　the　whole　community　with　the　exception　of　a　few

sects　of　very　strict　Christians　who　still　regarded　music　with

deep　suspicion　as　something　which　was　too　lovely　to　be　entirely

good　for　the　soul。



By　the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century　the　musical　life

of　Europe　was　in　full　swing。　Then　there　came　forward　a

man　who　was　greater　than　all　others；　a　simple　organist　of　the

Thomas　Church　of　Leipzig；　by　the　name　of　Johann　Sebastian

Bach。　In　his　compositions　for　every　known　instrument；　from

comic　songs　and　popular　dances　to　the　most　stately　of　sacred

hymns　and　oratorios；　he　laid　the　foundation　for　all　our　modern

music。　When　he　died　in　the　year　1750　he　was　succeeded　by

Mozart；　who　created　musical　fabrics　of　sheer　loveliness　which

remind　us　of　lace　that　has　been　woven　out　of　harmony　and

rhythm。　Then　came　Ludwig　van　Beethoven；　the　most　tragic

of　men；　who　gave　us　our　modern　orchestra；　yet　heard　none　of

his　greatest　compositions　because　he　was　deaf；　as　the　result　of　a

cold　contracted　during　his　years　of　poverty。



Beethoven　lived　through　the　period　of　the　great　French

Revolution。　Full　of　hope　for　a　new　and　glorious　day；　he　had

dedicated　one　of　his　symphonies　to　Napoleon。　But　he　lived

to　regret　the　hour。　When　he　died　in　the　year　1827；　Napoleon

was　gone　and　the　French　Revolution　was　gone；　but　the　steam

engine　had　come　and　was　filling　the　world　with　a　sound　that

had　nothing　in　common　with　the　dreams　of　the　Third　Symphony。



Indeed；　the　new　order　of　steam　and　iron　and　coal　and　large

factories　had　little　use　for　art；　for　painting　and　sculpture　and

poetry　and　music。　The　old　protectors　of　the　arts；　the　Church

and　the　princes　and　the　merchants　of　the　Middle　Ages　and　the

seventeenth　and　eighteenth　centuries　no　longer　existed。　The

leaders　of　the　new　industrial　world　were　too　busy　and　had　too

little　education　to　bother　about　etchings　and　sonatas　and　bits

of　carved　ivory；　not　to　speak　of　the　men　who　created　those

things；　and　who　were　of　no　practical　use　to　the　community　in

which　they　lived。　And　the　workmen　in　the　factories　listened

to　the　drone　of　their　engines　until　they　too　had　lost　all　taste

for　the　melody　of　the　flute　or　fiddle　of　their　peasant　ancestry。

The　arts　became　the　step…children　of　the　new　industrial　era。

Art　and　Life　became　entirely　separated。　Whatever　paintings

had　been　left；　were　dying　a　slow　death　in　the　museums。　And

music　became　a　monopoly　of　a　few　‘‘virtuosi''　who　took　the

music　away　from　the　home　and　carried　it　to　the　concert…hall。



But　steadily；　although　slowly；　the　arts　are　coming　back　into

their　own。　People　begin　to　understand　that　Rembrandt　and

Beethoven　and　Rodin　are　the　true　prophets　and　leaders　of

their　race　and　that　a　world　without　art　and　happiness　resembles

a　nursery　without　laughter。







COLONIAL　EXPANSION　AND　WAR



A　CHAPTER　WHICH　OUGHT　TO　GIVE　YOU　A

GREAT　DEAL　OF　POLITICAL　INFORMATION

ABOUT　THE　LAST　FIFTY　YEARS；　BUT

WHICH　REALLY　CONTAINS　SEVERAL　EXPLANATIONS

AND　A　FEW　APOLOGIES





IF　I　had　known　how　difficult　it　was　to　write　a　History　of

the　World；　I　should　never　have　undertaken　the　task。　Of　course；

any　one　possessed　of　enough　industry　to　lose　himself　for　half

a　dozen　years　in　the　musty　stacks　of　a　library；　can　compile　a

ponderous　tome　which　gives　an　account　of　the　events　in　every

land　during　every　century。　But　that　was　not　the　purpose　of

the　present　book。　The　publishers　wanted　to　print　a　history

that　should　have　rhythma　story　which　galloped　rather　than

walked。　And　now　that　I　have　almost　finished　I　discover　that

certain　chapters　gallop；　that　others　wade　slowly　through　the

dreary　sands　of　long　forgotten　agesthat　a　few　parts　do　not

make　any　progress　at　all；　while　still　others　indulge　in　a　veritable

jazz　of　action　and　romance。　I　did　not　like　this　and　I　suggested

that　we　destroy　the　whole　manuscript　and　begin　once

more　from　the　beginning。　This；　however；　the　publishers　would

not　allow。



As　the　next　best　solution　of　my　difficulties；　I　took　the　type…

written　pages　to　a　number　of　charitable　friends　and　asked　them

to　read　what　I　had　said；　and　give　me　the　benefit　of　their　advice。

The　experience　was　rather　disheartening。　Each　and　every

man　had　his　own　prejudices　and　his　own　hobbies　and　preferences。

They　all　wanted　to　know　why；　where　and　how　I　dared

to　omit　their　pet　nation；　their　pet　statesman；　or　even　their　most

beloved　criminal。　With　some　of　them；　Napoleon　and　Jenghiz

Khan　were　candidates　for　high　honours。　I　explained　that　I

had　tried　very　hard　to　be　fair　to　Napoleon；　but　that　in　my

estimation　he　was　greatly　inferior　to　such　men　as　George

Washington；　Gustavus　Wasa；　Augustus；　Hammurabi　or

Lincoln；　and　a　score　of　others　all　of　whom　were　obliged　to

content　themselves　with　a　few　paragraphs；　from　sheer　lack　of

space。　As　for　Jenghiz　Khan；　I　only　recognise　his　superior

ability　in　the　field　of　wholesale　murder　and　I　did　not　intend　to

give　him　any　more　publicity　than　I　could　help。



‘‘This　is　very　well　as　far　as　it　goes；''　said　the　next　critic；

‘‘but　how　about　the　Puritans？　We　are　celebrating　the　tercentenary

of　their　arrival　at　Plymouth。　They　ought　to　have

more　space。''　My　answer　was　that　if　I　were　writing　a　history

of　America；　the　Puritans　would　get　fully　one　half　of　the　first

twelve　chapters；　that　however　this　was　a　history　of　mankind

and　that　the　event　on　Plymouth　rock　was　not　a　matter　of　far…

reaching　international　importance　until　many　centuries　later；

that　the　United　States　had　been　founded　by　thirteen　colonies

and　not　by　a　single　one；　that　the　most　prominent　leaders　of　the

first　twenty　years　of　our　history　had　been　from　Virginia；　from

Pennsylvania；　and　from　the　island　of　Nevis；　rather　than　from

Massachusetts；　and　that　therefore　the　Puritans　ought　to　content

themselves　with　a　page　of　print　and　a　special　map。



Next　came　the　prehistoric　specialist。　Why　in　the　name　of

the　great　Tyrannosaur　had　I　not　devoted　more　space　to　the

wonderful　race　of　Cro…M