the story of mankind-第21部分

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！



Allah；　the　Ruler　of　the　World；　the　Merciful　and　Compassionate。

They　must　honour　and　obey　their　parents。　They

were　warned　against　dishonesty　in　dealing　with　their　neighbours

and　were　admonished　to　be　humble　and　charitable；　to　the

poor　and　to　the　sick。　Finally　they　were　ordered　to　abstain

from　strong　drink　and　to　be　very　frugal　in　what　they　ate。　That

was　all。　There　were　no　priests；　who　acted　as　shepherds　of

their　flocks　and　asked　that　they　be　supported　at　the　common

expense。　The　Mohammedan　churches　or　mosques　were　merely

large　stone　halls　without　benches　or　pictures；　where　the　faithful

could　gather　（if　they　felt　so　inclined）　to　read　and　discuss

chapters　from　the　Koran；　the　Holy　Book。　But　the　average

Mohammedan　carried　his　religion　with　him　and　never　felt

himself　hemmed　in　by　the　restrictions　and　regulations　of　an

established　church。　Five　times　a　day　he　turned　his　face　towards

Mecca；　the　Holy　City；　and　said　a　simple　prayer。　For　the

rest　of　the　time　he　let　Allah　rule　the　world　as　he　saw　fit　and

accepted　whatever　fate　brought　him　with　patient　resignation。



Of　course　such　an　attitude　towards　life　did　not　encourage

the　Faithful　to　go　forth　and　invent　electrical　machinery　or

bother　about　railroads　and　steamship　lines。　But　it　gave　every

Mohammedan　a　certain　amount　of　contentment。　It　bade

him　be　at　peace　with　himself　and　with　the　world　in　which　he

lived　and　that　was　a　very　good　thing。



The　second　reason　which　explains　the　success　of　the　Moslems

in　their　warfare　upon　the　Christians；　had　to　do　with　the

conduct　of　those　Mohammedan　soldiers　who　went　forth　to　do

battle　for　the　true　faith。　The　Prophet　promised　that　those

who　fell；　facing　the　enemy；　would　go　directly　to　Heaven。

This　made　sudden　death　in　the　field　preferable　to　a　long　but

dreary　existence　upon　this　earth。　It　gave　the　Mohammedans

an　enormous　advantage　over　the　Crusaders　who　were　in　constant

dread　of　a　dark　hereafter；　and　who　stuck　to　the　good

things　of　this　world　as　long　as　they　possibly　could。　Incidentally

it　explains　why　even　to…day　Moslem　soldiers　will　charge

into　the　fire　of　European　machine　guns　quite　indifferent　to

the　fate　that　awaits　them　and　why　they　are　such　dangerous

and　persistent　enemies。



Having　put　his　religious　house　in　order；　Mohammed　now

began　to　enjoy　his　power　as　the　undisputed　ruler　of　a　large

number　of　Arab　tribes。　But　success　has　been　the　undoing　of

a　large　number　of　men　who　were　great　in　the　days　of　adversity。

He　tried　to　gain　the　good　will　of　the　rich　people　by　a　number

of　regulations　which　could　appeal　to　those　of　wealth。

He　allowed　the　Faithful　to　have　four　wives。　As　one　wife

was　a　costly　investment　in　those　olden　days　when　brides　were

bought　directly　from　the　parents；　four　wives　became　a　positive

luxury　except　to　those　who　possessed　camels　and　dromedaries

and　date　orchards　beyond　the　dreams　of　avarice。　A　religion

which　at　first　had　been　meant　for　the　hardy　hunters　of　the

high　skied　desert　was　gradually　transformed　to　suit　the　needs

of　the　smug　merchants　who　lived　in　the　bazaars　of　the　cities。

It　was　a　regrettable　change　from　the　original　program　and　it

did　very　little　good　to　the　cause　of　Mohammedanism。　As　for

the　prophet　himself；　he　went　on　preaching　the　truth　of　Allah

and　proclaiming　new　rules　of　conduct　until　he　died；　quite

suddenly；　of　a　fever　on　June　the　seventh　of　the　year　632。



His　successor　as　Caliph　（or　leader）　of　the　Moslems　was

his　father…in…law；　Abu…Bekr；　who　had　shared　the　early　dangers

of　the　prophet's　life。　Two　years　later；　Abu…Bekr　died　and

Omar　ibn　Al…Khattab　followed　him。　In　less　than　ten　years

he　conquered　Egypt；　Persia；　Phoenicia；　Syria　and　Palestine

and　made　Damascus　the　capital　of　the　first　Mohammedan　world

empire。



Omar　was　succeeded　by　Ali；　the　husband　of　Mohammed's

daughter；　Fatima；　but　a　quarrel　broke　out　upon　a　point　of

Moslem　doctrine　and　Ali　was　murdered。　After　his　death；

the　caliphate　was　made　hereditary　and　the　leaders　of　the　faithful

who　had　begun　their　career　as　the　spiritual　head　of　a　religious

sect　became　the　rulers　of　a　vast　empire。　They　built

a　new　city　on　the　shores　of　the　Euphrates；　near　the　ruins　of

Babylon　and　called　it　Bagdad；　and　organising　the　Arab　horsemen

into　regiments　of　cavalry；　they　set　forth　to　bring　the

happiness　of　their　Moslem　faith　to　all　unbelievers。　In　the

year　700　A。D。　a　Mohammedan　general　by　the　name　of　Tarik

crossed　the　old　gates　of　Hercules　and　reached　the　high　rock

on　the　European　side　which　he　called　the　Gibel…al…tarik；　the

Hill　of　Tarik　or　Gibraltar。



Eleven　years　later　in　the　battle　of　Xeres　de　la　Frontera；

he　defeated　the　king　of　the　Visigoths　and　then　the　Moslem

army　moved　northward　and　following　the　route　of　Hannibal；

they　crossed　the　passes　of　the　Pyrenees。　They　defeated　the

Duke　of　Aquitania；　who　tried　to　halt　them　near　Bordeaux；

and　marched　upon　Paris。　But　in　the　year　732　（one

hundred　years　after　the　death　of　the　prophet；）　they　were

beaten　in　a　battle　between　Tours　and　Poitiers。　On　that

day；　Charles　Martel　（Charles　with　the　Hammer）　the　Frankish

chieftain；　saved　Europe　from　a　Mohammedan　con…

quest。　He　drove　the　Moslems　out　of　France；　but　they　maintained

themselves　in　Spain　where　Abd…ar…Rahman　founded　the

Caliphate　of　Cordova；　which　became　the　greatest　centre　of

science　and　art　of　mediaeval　Europe。



This　Moorish　kingdom；　so…called　because　the　people　came

from　Mauretania　in　Morocco；　lasted　seven　centuries。　It　was

only　after　the　capture　of　Granada；　the　last　Moslem　stronghold；

in　the　year　1492；　that　Columbus　received　the　royal　grant　which

allowed　him　to　go　upon　a　voyage　of　discovery。　The　Mohammedans

soon　regained　their　strength　in　the　new　conquests

which　they　made　in　Asia　and　Africa　and　to…day　there　are　as

many　followers　of　Mohammed　as　there　are　of　Christ。







CHARLEMAGNE



HOW　CHARLEMAGNE；　THE　KING　OF　THE

FRANKS；　CAME　TO　BEAR　THE　TITLE　OF

EMPEROR　AND　TRIED　TO　REVIVE　THE　OLD

IDEAL　OF　WORLD…EMPIRE





THE　battle　of　Poitiers　had　saved　Europe　from　the

Mohammedans。　But　the　enemy　withinthe　hopeless　disorder

which　had　followed　the　disappearance　of　the　Roman　police

officerthat　enemy　remained。　It　is　true　that　the　new　converts

of　the　Christian　faith　in　Northern　Europe　felt　a　deep　respect

for　the　mighty　Bishop　of　Rome。　But　that　poor　bishop　did

not　feel　any　too　safe　when　he　looked　toward　the　distant

mountains。　Heaven　knew　what　fresh　hordes　of　barbarians　were

ready　to　cross　the　Alps　and　begin　a　new　attack　on　Rome。　It

was　necessaryvery　necessaryfor　the　spiritual　head　of　the

world　to　find　an　ally　with　a　strong　sword　and　a　powerful

fist　who　was　willing　to　defend　His　Holiness　in　case　of　danger。



And　so　the　Popes；　who　were　not　only　very　holy　but

also　very　practical；　cast　about　for　a　friend；　and　presently

they　made　overtures　to　the　most　promising　of　the　Germanic

tribes　who　had　occupied　north…western　Europe　after　the　fall

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；