the story of mankind-第24节

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of　Rome。　They　were　called　the　Franks。　One　of　their　earliest

kings；　called　Merovech；　had　helped　the　Romans　in　the　battle　of

the　Catalaunian　fields　in　the　year　451　when　they　defeated　the

Huns。　His　descendants；　the　Merovingians；　had　continued　to

take　little　bits　of　imperial　territory　until　the　year　486　when

king　Clovis　（the　old　French　word　for　‘‘Louis''）　felt　himself

strong　enough　to　beat　the　Romans　in　the　open。　But　his

descendants　were　weak　men　who　left　the　affairs　of　state　to

their　Prime　minister；　the　‘‘Major　Domus''　or　Master　of　the

Palace。



Pepin　the　Short；　the　son　of　the　famous　Charles　Martel；

who　succeeded　his　father　as　Master　of　the　Palace；　hardly

knew　how　to　handle　the　situation。　His　royal　master　was　a

devout　theologian；　without　any　interest　in　politics。　Pepin

asked　the　Pope　for　advice。　The　Pope　who　was　a　practical

person　answered　that　the　‘‘power　in　the　state　belonged　to　him

who　was　actually　possessed　of　it。''　Pepin　took　the　hint。　He

persuaded　Childeric；　the　last　of　the　Merovingians　to　become

a　monk　and　then　made　himself　king　with　the　approval　of　the

other　Germanic　chieftains。　But　this　did　not　satisfy　the　shrewd

Pepin。　He　wanted　to　be　something　more　than　a　barbarian

chieftain。　He　staged　an　elaborate　ceremony　at　which　Boniface；

the　great　missionary　of　the　European　northwest；　anointed

him　and　made　him　a　‘‘King　by　the　grace　of　God。''　It　was

easy　to　slip　those　words；　‘‘Del　gratia；''　into　the　coronation

service。　It　took　almost　fifteen　hundred　years　to　get　them　out

again。



Pepin　was　sincerely　grateful　for　this　kindness　on　the　part

of　the　church。　He　made　two　expeditions　to　Italy　to　defend

the　Pope　against　his　enemies。　He　took　Ravenna　and　several

other　cities　away　from　the　Longobards　and　presented　them

to　His　Holiness；　who　incorporated　these　new　domains　into

the　so…called　Papal　State；　which　remained　an　independent

country　until　half　a　century　ago。



After　Pepin's　death；　the　relations　between　Rome　and　Aix…

la…Chapelle　or　Nymwegen　or　Ingelheim；　（the　Frankish　Kings

did　not　have　one　official　residence；　but　travelled　from　place　to

place　with　all　their　ministers　and　court　officers；）　became　more

and　more　cordial。　Finally　the　Pope　and　the　King　took　a　step

which　was　to　influence　the　history　of　Europe　in　a　most　profound

way。



Charles；　commonly　known　as　Carolus　Magnus　or　Char…

lemagne；　succeeded　Pepin　in　the　year　768。　He　had　conquered

the　land　of　the　Saxons　in　eastern　Germany　and　had

built　towns　and　monasteries　all　over　the　greater　part　of　northern

Europe。　At　the　request　of　certain　enemies　of　Abd…ar…

Rahman；　he　had　invaded　Spain　to　fight　the　Moors。　But　in

the　Pyrenees　he　had　been　attacked　by　the　wild　Basques　and

had　been　forced　to　retire。　It　was　upon　this　occasion　that　Roland；

the　great　Margrave　of　Breton；　showed　what　a　Frankish

chieftain　of　those　early　days　meant　when　he　promised　to　be

faithful　to　his　King；　and　gave　his　life　and　that　of　his　trusted

followers　to　safeguard　the　retreat　of　the　royal　army。



During　the　last　ten　years　of　the　eighth　century；　however；

Charles　was　obliged　to　devote　himself　exclusively　to　affairs　of

the　South。　The　Pope；　Leo　III；　had　been　attacked　by　a　band

of　Roman　rowdies　and　had　been　left　for　dead　in　the　street。

Some　kind　people　had　bandaged　his　wounds　and　had　helped

him　to　escape　to　the　camp　of　Charles；　where　he　asked　for

help。　An　army　of　Franks　soon　restored　quiet　and　carried　Leo

back　to　the　Lateran　Palace　which　ever　since　the　days　of　Constantine；

had　been　the　home　of　the　Pope。　That　was　in　December

of　the　year　799。　On　Christmas　day　of　the　next　year；

Charlemagne；　who　was　staying　in　Rome；　attended　the　service

in　the　ancient　church　of　St。　Peter。　When　he　arose　from　prayer；

the　Pope　placed　a　crown　upon　his　head；　called　him　Emperor　of

the　Romans　and　hailed　him　once　more　with　the　title　of　‘‘Augustus''

which　had　not　been　heard　for　hundreds　of　years。



Once　more　Northern　Europe　was　part　of　a　Roman　Empire；

but　the　dignity　was　held　by　a　German　chieftain　who　could

read　just　a　little　and　never　learned　to　write。　But　he　could

fight　and　for　a　short　while　there　was　order　and　even　the　rival

emperor　in　Constantinople　sent　a　letter　of　approval　to　his

‘‘dear　Brother。''



Unfortunately　this　splendid　old　man　died　in　the　year　814。

His　sons　and　his　grandsons　at　once　began　to　fight　for　the

largest　share　of　the　imperial　inheritance。　Twice　the　Carolingian

lands　were　divided；　by　the　treaties　of　Verdun　in　the

year　843　and　by　the　treaty　of　Mersen…on…the…Meuse　in　the

year　870。　The　latter　treaty　divided　the　entire　Frankish　Kingdom

into　two　parts。　Charles　the　Bold　received　the　western

half。　It　contained　the　old　Roman　province　called　Gaul　where

the　language　of　the　people　had　become　thoroughly　romanized。

The　Franks　soon　learned　to　speak　this　language　and　this

accounts　for　the　strange　fact　that　a　purely　Germanic　land

like　France　should　speak　a　Latin　tongue。



The　other　grandson　got　the　eastern　part；　the　land　which

the　Romans　had　called　Germania。　Those　inhospitable　regions

had　never　been　part　of　the　old　Empire。　Augustus　had

tried　to　conquer　this　‘‘far　east；''　but　his　legions　had　been

annihilated　in　the　Teutoburg　Wood　in　the　year　9　and　the　people　had

never　been　influenced　by　the　higher　Roman　civilisation。　They

spoke　the　popular　Germanic　tongue。　The　Teuton　word　for

‘‘people''　was　‘‘thiot。''　The　Christian　missionaries　therefore

called　the　German　language　the　‘‘lingua　theotisca''　or　the

‘‘lingua　teutisca；''　the　‘‘popular　dialect''　and　this　word

‘‘teutisca''　was　changed　into　‘‘Deutsch''　which　accounts　for　the　name

‘‘Deutschland。''



As　for　the　famous　Imperial　Crown；　it　very　soon　slipped

off　the　heads　of　the　Carolingian　successors　and　rolled　back　onto

the　Italian　plain；　where　it　became　a　sort　of　plaything　of　a

number　of　little　potentates　who　stole　the　crown　from　each　other

amidst　much　bloodshed　and　wore　it　（with　or　without　the　permission

of　the　Pope）　until　it　was　the　turn　of　some　more　ambitious

neighbour。　The　Pope；　once　more　sorely　beset　by　his

enemies；　sent　north　for　help。　He　did　not　appeal　to　the　ruler

of　the　west…Frankish　kingdom；　this　time。　His　messengers

crossed　the　Alps　and　addressed　themselves　to　Otto；　a　Saxon

Prince　who　was　recognised　as　the　greatest　chieftain　of　the

different　Germanic　tribes。



Otto；　who　shared　his　people's　affection　for　the　blue　skies

and　the　gay　and　beautiful　people　of　the　Italian　peninsula；

hastened　to　the　rescue。　In　return　for　his　services；　the　Pope；

Leo　VIII；　made　Otto　‘‘Emperor；''　and　the　eastern　half　of

Charles'　old　kingdom　was　henceforth　known　as　the　‘‘Holy

Roman　Empire　of　the　German　Nation。''



This　strange　political　creation　managed　to　live　to　the　ripe

old　age　of　eight　hundred　and　thirty…nine　years。　In　the　year

1801；　（during　the　presidency　of　Thomas　Jefferson；）　it　was

most　unceremoniously　relegated　to　the　historical　scrapheap。

The　brutal　fellow　who　destroyed　the　old　Germanic　Empire　was

the　son　of　a　Corsican　notary…public　who　had　made　a　brilliant

career　in　the　service　of　the　French　Republic。　He　was　ruler

of　Europe　by　the　grace　of　his　famous　Guard　Regiments；　but

he　desired　to　be　something　more。　He　sent　to　Rome　for　the

Pope　and　the　Pope　came　and　stood　by　while　General　Napoleon

placed　the　imperial　crown　upon　his　own　head　and　proclaimed

himself　heir　to　the　tradition　of　Charlemagne。　For　history　is

like　life。　The　more　things　change；　the　more　they　remain

the　same。







THE　NORSEMEN



WHY　THE　PEOPLE　OF　THE　TENTH　CENTURY

PRAYED　THE　LORD　TO　PROTECT　THEM

FROM　THE　FURY　OF　THE　NORSEMEN





IN　the　third　and　fourth　centuries；　the　Germanic　tribes　of

central　Europe　had　broken　through　the　defences　of　the　Empire

that　they　might　plunder　Rome　and　live　on　the　fat　of　the

land。　In　the　eighth　century　it　became　the　turn　of　the　Germans

to　be　the　‘‘plundered…ones。''　They　did　not　like　this　at　all；　even

if　their　enemies　were　their　first　cousins；　the　Norsemen；　who

lived　in　Denmark　and　Sweden　and　Norway。



What　forced　these　hardy　sailors　to　turn　pirate　we　do　not

know；　but　once　they　had　discovered　the　advantages　and　pleasures

of　a　buccaneering　career　there　was　no　one　who　could　stop

them。　They　would　suddenly　descend　upon　a　peaceful　Frankish

or　Frisian　village；　situated　on　the　mouth　of　a　river。　They

would　kill　all　the　men　and　steal　all　the　women。　Then　they

would　sail　away　in　their　fast…sailing　ships　and　when　the　soldiers

of　the　king　or　emperor　arrived　upon　the　scene；　the　robbers

were　gone　and　nothing　remained　but　a　few　smouldering

ruins。



During　the　days　of　disorder　which　followed　the　death　of

Charlemagne；　the　Northmen　developed　great　activity。　Their

fleets　made　raids　upon　every　country　and　their　sailors　established

small　independent　kingdoms　along　the　coast　of　Holland

and　France　and　England　and　Germany；　and　they　even　found

their　way　into　Italy。　The　Northmen　were　very　intelligent

They　soon　learned　to　speak　the　language　of　their　subjects　and

gave　up　the　unci