第33节

  atpire,</p>

  buttheeastepart,beingofftheinrouteofthe</p>

  greatgrations,hadosurviveandfeeblyntinued</p>

  thetraditionsofrosaglory.</p>

  duringthedaysofdisorderhetrue</p>

  ``darkagesofhistory,thesixthahturiesofour</p>

  era,thegerntribeshadbeenpersuadedtoaeptthe</p>

  e</p>

  asthepopeorspiritualheadoftheheniury,</p>

  theanisinggeniusofcharlegnehadrevivedthe</p>

  roneireandhaduhegreaterpartofe</p>

  europeintoasie.durihturythis</p>

  eirehadgoopieces.theea</p>

  separatekingdofraheeastehalfhe</p>

  holyrohegernnation,andtherulersof</p>

  thisfederationofstatestheehattheyhe</p>

  direaesarandaugustus.</p>

  unfortuhepohekingsoffrancedidnot</p>

  stretoatoftheirroyalresidence,he</p>

  holyroneerorenlydefiedbyhispowerful</p>

  subjectssuitedtheirfancyortheirprofit.</p>

  toihepeople,the</p>

  triangleofeeuropelookatpage128,pleasewasforever</p>

  exposedtoattacksfrohreesides.ohlivedthe</p>

  everdangeroushaedans.theeastwasravaged</p>

  bythenorthefrontierdefenept</p>

  fortheshortstretountains</p>

  thercyofhordesofhuns,hungarians,slavsandtartars.</p>

  thepeaeotepast,adreabr></p>

  ofthe``goodolddaysthatwasa</p>

  questionof``fightordie,andquitenaturallypeoplepreferred</p>

  tofight.foreanard</p>

  dthereandfleadership.both</p>

  kingandeerorenand</p>

  stofeuropeintheyear1000usthelp</p>

  theelves.theyittedtotherepresentatives</p>

  ofthekingiheoutlyingdistricts,</p>

  providedtheyuldprotectthegainsttheirenees.</p>

  sooraleuropeallprincipalities,</p>

  eaeruledbyadukeorauntorabaronorabishop,as</p>

  thecaseghtbe,andanisedasafightingunit.these</p>

  dukesanduntsandbaronshadsobefaithfultothe</p>

  kingtheir``feuduenceourword</p>

  ``feudal,iufortheirloyalservidacertain</p>

  auntoftaxes.buttravelinthosedayshe</p>

  ansofnicationheroyal</p>

  orierialadnistratorsthereforeenjoyedgreatindependence,</p>

  andhintheboundariesoftheirohey</p>

  assudstoftherightsruthbeloheking.</p>

  butyouakeastakeifyousupposedthatthe</p>

  peopleoftheeleventhof</p>

  govent.theysupportedfeudalisecauseitwasavery</p>

  praaster</p>

  usuallylivedinabigstonehouseerectedoopofasteep</p>

  rockorbuiltbetoats,buthinsightofhis</p>

  subjeaseofdahesubjectsfouerbehind</p>

  thehebaronialstronghold.thatisheytried</p>

  toliveashecastleaspossibleanditatsforthe</p>

  nyeuropeancitiesheircareeraroundafeudal</p>

  fortress.</p>

  buttheknightoftheearlyddleagesuchre</p>

  thanaprofessionalsoldier.hehecivilservantofthat</p>

  day.henityandhehe</p>

  chiefofpoliaughtthehighenandprotected</p>

  theertsoftheeleventh</p>

  tury.helookedafterthedikessothattheuntryside</p>

  shouldnotbefloodedjustasthefirstnoblenhaddone</p>

  inthevalleyofthenilefourthousandyearsbefore.he</p>

  enuragedthetroubadoursplae</p>

  tellioriesoftheaheroesinthe</p>

  greatigrations.besides,heprotehurches</p>

  aerieshinhisterritory,andalthoughheuld</p>

  herreadnoranlytoknow</p>

  suberofpriestshis</p>

  atsandarriagesahsand</p>

  thedeathsains.</p>

  ieenthorebecastrong</p>

  enoughtoexercisethosepobecause</p>

  theyedofgod.thenthefeudalknightslost</p>

  theirforrindependenedtotherankofuntry</p>

  squires,theynolongerfilledaneedandsoontheybecaa</p>

  nuisaeuropehoutthe``feudal</p>

  systefthedarkages.thereanybadknights</p>

  astherearenybadpeopletoday.butgenerallyspeaking,</p>

  theroughfistedbaronsofthethandthirteeury</p>

  inistratorsostuseful</p>

  serviauseress.duringthaterathenoble</p>

  torchofleaingandartiheworldof</p>

  theegyptiansandthegreeksandtheronswasbuing</p>

  verylohouttheknightsandtheirgoodfriends,the</p>

  nks,civilisationinguishedentirely,and</p>

  thehunraceore</p>

  anhadleftoff.</p>

  chivalry</p>

  chivalry</p>

  itenof</p>

  theddleagesshouldtrytoestablishsosortanisation</p>

  fortheirtualbeandprote.outofthisneed</p>

  forclanisation,knighthoodorchivalrywasbo.</p>

  leabouttheinsofknighthood.but</p>

  asthesysteeveloped,itgavetheething</p>

  neededverybadlyadefiniteruleofndued</p>

  thebarbarousadeliferelivable</p>

  thanithadbeenduringthefivehundredyearsofthedark</p>

  ages.iten</p>

  ostoftheirtifightinghaedans</p>

  andhunsandnorsen.oftentheyyofbacksliding,</p>

  andhavingvoerd</p>

  charityintheing,theyurderalltheirprisoners</p>

  beforeevening.butprogressisevertheresultofslowand</p>

  ostunscrupulousofknights</p>

  oobeytherulesofhis``classorsufferthensequences.</p>

  theserulesinthevariouspartsofeurope,</p>

  buttheyalldechof``servid``loyaltytoduty.the</p>

  ddleagesregardedserviceassothingverynoblea</p>

  ...</p>

上一章目录+书签下一章