the story of mankind-第77节

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God；''　have　been　exposed　as　manifestations　of　our　own　ignorance

and　neglect。　Every　child　nowadays　knows　that　he　can

keep　from　getting　typhoid　fever　by　a　little　care　in　the　choice　of

his　drinking　water。　But　it　took　years　and　years　of　hard

work　before　the　doctors　could　convince　the　people　of　this　fact。

Few　of　us　now　fear　the　dentist　chair。　A　study　of　the　microbes

that　live　in　our　mouth　has　made　it　possible　to　keep　our

teeth　from　decay。　Must　perchance　a　tooth　be　pulled；　then　we

take　a　sniff　of　gas；　and　go　our　way　rejoicing。　When　the　newspapers

of　the　year　1846　brought　the　story　of　the　‘‘painless

operation''　which　had　been　performed　in　America　with　the　help

of　ether；　the　good　people　of　Europe　shook　their　heads。　To

them　it　seemed　against　the　will　of　God　that　man　should　escape

the　pain　which　was　the　share　of　all　mortals；　and　it　took　a　long

time　before　the　practice　of　taking　ether　and　chloroform　for

operations　became　general。



But　the　battle　of　progress　had　been　won。　The　breach　in　the

old　walls　of　prejudice　was　growing　larger　and　larger；　and　as

time　went　by；　the　ancient　stones　of　ignorance　came　crumbling

down。　The　eager　crusaders　of　a　new　and　happier　social　order

rushed　forward。　Suddenly　they　found　themselves　facing　a　new

obstacle。　Out　of　the　ruins　of　a　long…gone　past；　another　citadel

of　reaction　had　been　erected；　and　millions　of　men　had　to　give

their　lives　before　this　last　bulwark　was　destroyed。







ART



A　CHAPTER　OF　ART





WHEN　a　baby　is　perfectly　healthy　and　has　had　enough　to　eat

and　has　slept　all　it　wants；　then　it　hums　a　little　tune　to　show　how

happy　it　is。　To　grown…ups　this　humming　means　nothing。　It

sounds　like　‘‘goo…zum；　goo…zum；　goo…o…o…o…o；''　but　to　the　baby

it　is　perfect　music。　It　is　his　first　contribution　to　art。



As　soon　as　he　（or　she）　gets　a　little　older　and　is　able　to　sit

up；　the　period　of　mud…pie　making　begins。　These　mud…pies　do

not　interest　the　outside　world。　There　are　too　many　million

babies；　making　too　many　million　mud…pies　at　the　same　time。

But　to　the　small　infant　they　represent　another　expedition　into

the　pleasant　realm　of　art。　The　baby　is　now　a　sculptor。



At　the　age　of　three　or　four；　when　the　hands　begin　to　obey

the　brain；　the　child　becomes　a　painter。　His　fond　mother　gives

him　a　box　of　coloured　chalks　and　every　loose　bit　of　paper　is

rapidly　covered　with　strange　pothooks　and　scrawls　which　represent

houses　and　horses　and　terrible　naval　battles。



Soon　however　this　happiness　of　just　‘‘making　things''

comes　to　an　end。　School　begins　and　the　greater　part　of　the

day　is　filled　up　with　work。　The　business　of　living；　or　rather

the　business　of　‘‘making　a　living；''　becomes　the　most　important

event　in　the　life　of　every　boy　and　girl。　There　is　little　time　left

for　‘‘art''　between　learning　the　tables　of　multiplication　and　the

past　participles　of　the　irregular　French　verbs。　And　unless

the　desire　for　making　certain　things　for　the　mere　pleasure　of

creating　them　without　any　hope　of　a　practical　return　be　very

strong；　the　child　grows　into　manhood　and　forgets　that　the

first　five　years　of　his　life　were　mainly　devoted　to　art。



Nations　are　not　different　from　children。　As　soon　as　the

cave…man　had　escaped　the　threatening　dangers　of　the　long　and

shivering　ice…period；　and　had　put　his　house　in　order；　he　began

to　make　certain　things　which　he　thought　beautiful；　although

they　were　of　no　earthly　use　to　him　in　his　fight　with　the　wild

animals　of　the　jungle。　He　covered　the　walls　of　his　grotto　with

pictures　of　the　elephants　and　the　deer　which　he　hunted；　and

out　of　a　piece　of　stone；　he　hacked　the　rough　figures　of　those

women　he　thought　most　attractive。



As　soon　as　the　Egyptians　and　the　Babylonians　and　the

Persians　and　all　the　other　people　of　the　east　had　founded

their　little　countries　along　the　Nile　and　the　Euphrates；　they

began　to　build　magnificent　palaces　for　their　kings；　invented

bright　pieces　of　jewellery　for　their　women　and　planted　gardens

which　sang　happy　songs　of　colour　with　their　many　bright　flowers。



Our　own　ancestors；　the　wandering　nomads　from　the　distant

Asiatic　prairies；　enjoying　a　free　and　easy　existence　as

fighters　and　hunters；　composed　songs　which　celebrated　the

mighty　deeds　of　their　great　leaders　and　invented　a　form　of

poetry　which　has　survived　until　our　own　day。　A　thousand　years

later；　when　they　had　established　themselves　on　the　Greek　mainland；

and　had　built　their　‘‘city…states；''　they　expressed　their

joy　（and　their　sorrows）　in　magnificent　temples；　in　statues；　in

comedies　and　in　tragedies；　and　in　every　conceivable　form　of

art。



The　Romans；　like　their　Carthaginian　rivals；　were　too　busy

administering　other　people　and　making　money　to　have　much

love　for　‘‘useless　and　unprofitable''　adventures　of　the　spirit。

They　conquered　the　world　and　built　roads　and　bridges　but　they

borrowed　their　art　wholesale　from　the　Greeks。　They　invented

certain　practical　forms　of　architecture　which　answered　the

demands　of　their　day　and　age。　But　their　statues　and　their　histories

and　their　mosaics　and　their　poems　were　mere　Latin　imi…

tations　of　Greek　originals。　Without　that　vague　and　hard…to…

define　something　which　the　world　calls　‘‘personality；''　there　can

be　no　art　and　the　Roman　world　distrusted　that　particular　sort

of　personality。　The　Empire　needed　efficient　soldiers　and

tradesmen。　The　business　of　writing　poetry　or　making　pictures

was　left　to　foreigners。



Then　came　the　Dark　Ages。　The　barbarian　was　the　proverbial

bull　in　the　china…shop　of　western　Europe。　He　had　no　use

for　what　he　did　not　understand。　Speaking　in　terms　of　the　year

1921；　he　liked　the　magazine　covers　of　pretty　ladies；　but　threw

the　Rembrandt　etchings　which　he　had　inherited　into　the　ash…

can。　Soon　he　came　to　learn　better。　Then　he　tried　to　undo　the

damage　which　he　had　created　a　few　years　before。　But　the　ash…

cans　were　gone　and　so　were　the　pictures。



But　by　this　time；　his　own　art；　which　he　had　brought　with

him　from　the　east；　had　developed　into　something　very　beautiful

and　he　made　up　for　his　past　neglect　and　indifference　by　the　so…

called　‘‘art　of　the　Middle　Ages''　which　as　far　as　northern　Europe

is　concerned　was　a　product　of　the　Germanic　mind　and　had

borrowed　but　little　from　the　Greeks　and　the　Latins　and　nothing

at　all　from　the　older　forms　of　art　of　Egypt　and　Assyria；　not

to　speak　of　India　and　China；　which　simply　did　not　exist；　as　far

as　the　people　of　that　time　were　concerned。　Indeed；　so　little

had　the　northern　races　been　influenced　by　their　southern　neighbours

that　their　own　architectural　products　were　completely

misunderstood　by　the　people　of　Italy　and　were　treated　by

them　with　downright　and　unmitigated　contempt。



You　have　all　heard　the　word　Gothic。　You　probably　associate

it　with　the　picture　of　a　lovely　old　cathedral；　lifting　its　slender

spires　towards　high　heaven。　But　what　does　the　word　really

mean？



It　means　something　‘‘uncouth''　and　‘‘barbaric''something

which　one　might　expect　from　an　‘‘uncivilised　Goth；''　a　rough

backwoods…man　who　had　no　respect　for　the　established　rules　of

classical　art　and　who　built　his　‘‘modern　horrors''　to　please　his

own　low　tastes　without　a　decent　regard　for　the　examples　of

the　Forum　and　the　Acropolis。



And　yet　for　several　centuries　this　form　of　Gothic　architecture

was　the　highest　expression　of　the　sincere　feeling　for　art

which　inspired　the　whole　northern　continent。　From　a　previous

chapter；　you　will　remember　how　the　people　of　the　late　Middle

Ages　lived。　Unless　they　were　peasants　and　dwelt　in　villages；

they　were　citizens　of　a　‘‘city''　or　‘‘civitas；''　the　old　Latin　name

for　a　tribe。　And　indeed；　behind　their　high　walls　and　their　deep

moats；　these　good　burghers　were　true　tribesmen　who　shared

the　common　dangers　and　enjoyed　the　common　safety　and　prosperity

which　they　derived　from　their　system　of　mutual　protection。



In　the　old　Greek　and　Roman　cities　the　market…place；　where

the　temple　stood；　had　been　the　centre　of　civic　life。　During

the　Middle　Ages；　the　Church；　the　House　of　God；　became　such　a

centre。　We　modern　Protestant　people；　who　go　to　our　church

only　once　a　week；　and　then　for　a　few　hours　only；　hardly　know

what　a　mediaeval　church　meant　to　the　community。　Then；　before

you　were　a　week　old；　you　were　taken　to　the　Church　to　be

baptised。　As　a　child；　you　visited　the　Church　to　learn　the　holy

stories　of　the　Scriptures。　Later　on　you　became　a　member

of　the　congregation；　and　if　you　were　rich　enough　you　built

yourself　a　separate　little　chapel　sacred　to　the　memory　of　the

Patron　Saint　of　your　own　family。　As　for　the　sacred　edifice；

it　was　open　at　all　hours　of　the　day　and　many　of　the　night。　In

a　certain　sense　it　resembled　a　modern　club；　dedicated　to　all　the

inhabitants　of　the　town。　In　the　church　you　very　likely　caught

a　first　glimpse　of　the　girl　who　was　to　become　your　bride　at　a

great　ceremony　before　the　High　Altar。　And　finally；　when　the

end　of　the　journey　had　come；　you　were　buried　beneath　the

stones　of　this　fami