the story of mankind-第69部分

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first　of　all　had　proved　that　the　sun　was　the　centre　of　the　universe；

did　not　publish　his　work　until　the　day　of　his　death。　Galileo

spent　the　greater　part　of　his　life　under　the　supervision　of　the

clerical　authorities；　but　he　continued　to　use　his　telescope　and

provided　Isaac　Newton　with　a　mass　of　practical　observations；

which　greatly　helped　the　English　mathematician　when　he　dis…

covered　the　existence　of　that　interesting　habit　of　falling　objects

which　came　to　be　known　as　the　Law　of　Gravitation。



That；　for　the　moment　at　least；　exhausted　the　interest　in　the

Heavens；　and　man　began　to　study　the　earth。　The　invention

of　a　workable　microscope；　（a　strange　and　clumsy　little　thing；）

by　Anthony　van　Leeuwenhoek　during　the　last　half　of　the　17th

century；　gave　man　a　chance　to　study　the　‘‘microscopic''　creatures

who　are　responsible　for　so　many　of　his　ailments。　It　laid

the　foundations　of　the　science　of　‘‘bacteriology''　which　in　the

last　forty　years　has　delivered　the　world　from　a　great　number　of

diseases　by　discovering　the　tiny　organisms　which　cause　the

complaint。　It　also　allowed　the　geologists　to　make　a　more

careful　study　of　different　rocks　and　of　the　fossils　（the　petrified

prehistoric　plants）　which　they　found　deep　below　the　surface　of

the　earth。　These　investigations　convinced　them　that　the　earth

must　be　a　great　deal　older　than　was　stated　in　the　book　of

Genesis　and　in　the　year　1830；　Sir　Charles　Lyell　published　his

‘‘Principles　of　Geology''　which　denied　the　story　of　creation　as

related　in　the　Bible　and　gave　a　far　more　wonderful　description

of　slow　growth　and　gradual　development。



At　the　same　time；　the　Marquis　de　Laplace　was　working　on

a　new　theory　of　creation；　which　made　the　earth　a　little　blotch

in　the　nebulous　sea　out　of　which　the　planetary　system　had

been　formed　and　Bunsen　and　Kirchhoff；　by　the　use　of　the

spectroscope；　were　investigating　the　chemical　composition　of　the

stars　and　of　our　good　neighbour；　the　sun；　whose　curious　spots

had　first　been　noticed　by　Galileo。



Meanwhile　after　a　most　bitter　and　relentless　warfare　with

the　clerical　authorities　of　Catholic　and　Protestant　lands；　the

anatomists　and　physiologists　had　at　last　obtained　permission

to　dissect　bodies　and　to　substitute　a　positive　knowledge　of　our

organs　and　their　habits　for　the　guesswork　of　the　mediaeval

quack。



Within　a　single　generation　（between　1810　and　1840）　more

progress　was　made　in　every　branch　of　science　than　in　all　the

hundreds　of　thousands　of　years　that　had　passed　since　man　first

looked　at　the　stars　and　wondered　why　they　were　there。　It

must　have　been　a　very　sad　age　for　the　people　who　had　been

educated　under　the　old　system。　And　we　can　understand　their

feeling　of　hatred　for　such　men　as　Lamarck　and　Darwin；　who

did　not　exactly　tell　them　that　they　were　‘‘descended　from

monkeys；''　（an　accusation　which　our　grandfathers　seemed　to

regard　as　a　personal　insult；）　but　who　suggested　that　the　proud

human　race　had　evolved　from　a　long　series　of　ancestors　who

could　trace　the　family…tree　back　to　the　little　jelly…fishes　who

were　the　first　inhabitants　of　our　planet。



The　dignified　world　of　the　well…to…do　middle　class；　which

dominated　the　nineteenth　century；　was　willing　to　make　use

of　the　gas　or　the　electric　light；　of　all　the　many　practical　applications

of　the　great　scientific　discoveries；　but　the　mere　investigator；

the　man　of　the　‘‘scientific　theory''　without　whom　no

progress　would　be　possible；　continued　to　be　distrusted　until

very　recently。　Then；　at　last；　his　services　were　recognised。　Today

the　rich　people　who　in　past　ages　donated　their　wealth　for

the　building　of　a　cathedral；　construct　vast　laboratories　where

silent　men　do　battle　upon　the　hidden　enemies　of　mankind　and

often　sacrifice　their　lives　that　coming　generations　may　enjoy

greater　happiness　and　health。



Indeed　it　has　come　to　pass　that　many　of　the　ills　of　this

world；　which　our　ancestors　regarded　as　inevitable　‘‘acts　of

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