History of Civilisation - William Alexander Mackinnon - Google 圖書

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CONTENTS.

Civilisation and Public Opinion depend on each other.

Definition of the several Classes of Society.-Upper, Middle,

and Lower Class. - Popular Clamour. - Public Opinion. -

Middle Class the most important in a Civilised State. - In-

creased by the Use of Machinery. — Machinery increases

Civilisation. Enumeration of the several Stages of Society

as they advance towards Civilisation.- Savage Tribes.-Pas-

toral Tribes.-Agricultural Population.-Feudal System.-

Arbitrary Power. Increase of Happiness in the People

caused by Civilisation. Ancient States have decayed from

a deficiency in Moral Principle

STATE OF CIVILISATION AMONG THE

CIVILISATION IN ANCIENT EGYPT.

Obscurity of Egyptian Records. — Inaccuracy of Herodotus and

Diodorus. — Early Arts and Sciences. - Population divided

into Castes. Priestly Surveyors of Land.—Privilege of the

Priesthood, as demonstrated in Genesis. Stupendous Designs

of Egyptian Monarchs, executed by a slavish Population.

The Pyramids. — Ignorance and Idolatry of the Egyptians.

-

-Prophetic Denunciation against Egypt. Its Fall. - Co-

lossal Statue of Ozymandias. Civilisation, as defined, not

known in ancient Egypt

ANCIENT GREECE.

Remote Connexion of the Inhabitants of Egypt, India, Greece,

and Italy. The Ancient Greeks deficient in the Requisites

for Public Opinion.—Greek Barbarism and Absence of Moral

Principle. Licentiousness of Greek Females and Prevalence

of Infanticide. Commerce in the Grecian Republics ex-

tremely limited. - Extent of Slavery in these States.-Mid-

Slaves, or Helots. Reasons for the Absence

Fabulous Narrations of

of Commerce and Manufactures.

Greek Historians and Philosophers.

Violence. - Downfall of the Grecian States

Our Ignorance of the early History of the Roman Common-

wealth. Senators, Equites, and Mass of the People.

Decline of Virtue, Patriotism, and Discipline under the

Empire. Government of conquered Provinces harsh and

oppressive. Prevalence of absolute Power. Consolida-

tion of the Roman Conquests destructive of the early moral

and poetical Interest of her History.-Influence of the upper

and middle Classes destroyed by the Admission of the Rabble

to vote in Elections. The excessively luxurious Habits

of the Romans, and their Desire for the Possession of vast

Numbers of Slaves, gradually rooted out the middle Classes.

-Shocking Depravity and Licentiousness prevalent among

all Classes during the Decadence of the Empire. - Easy

Conquest by Barbarians of the degenerate Romans. — The

Emperor Constantine's Adoption of Christianity. — Christi-

anity the surest Means of civilising Nations. - Consequence

of the Degeneracy and Immorality of the Romans

62

The Heptarchy a confused State. - Conquest of England by the

Duke of Normandy the last territorial Conquest in Western

Europe. A Step gained towards Civilisation by the Re-

sults of the Conquest.

Social State of England after that

Event. Slavery under which the English People were held

Magna Charta of little Service at the Time it was granted.

Useful in Theory but not in Practice. Immorality of the

Feudal Barons. Degraded and ignorant Lower Class.

No Constitutional Form of Government in existence 101

WARS OF THE ROSES.

The Factions of York and Lancaster. Great Part of the Eng-

lish Barons perished in these Wars. - Policy of Henry VII.

Legal Sanction given to the Feudal Chiefs to alienate their

Lands.— Great Advantage to the Cause of Civilisation.

Absolute Power of the Monarchs of England

THE REFORMATION.

Its Origin. Selfish Motives of Henry VIII. — His Persecution

of Protestants. The Bloody Statute.-National System of

Belief dictated by the King,— Luther and Leo the Tenth.-

Cruelty and Folly of Henry VIII. - Slow Progress of Civi-

lisation. Wickliffe's Failure and Luther's Success. - The

Reformation forwarded by the Art of Printing. - Commercial

State of England under Henry VIII. — Augmentation of the

State of the Nation. - Undefined Power of the Crown incom-

patible with the Growth and Increase of the Middle Class.-

Absolute Power of James I. — Policy of placing Persons of

Property in possession of political Influence. - Mistakes

committed by Charles I. - Great Property of the third Par-

The Nation adverse from proceeding to Extremities against their

Sovereign.-A Change required by Public Opinion.-Crom-

well's Government more despotic even than that of Charles.

Puritan Sentiments prevalent.—Middle Class not trusted

by the Government of Charles

RESTORATION OF CHARLES II. AND ABDICATION OF JAMES II.

Reaction in favour of Charles II. Oversight of the two

Branches of the Legislature in not making Conditions on the

Monarch's Return. Moral Character of Charles not in his

favour. Ballads of the Day. Increase of Public Opinion.

James II. - His Conduct not in accordance with Public

Sentiment. James's Unpopularity much increased by his

conduct towards the Church of England. —James's private

Character not unamiable

ACCESSION OF THE PRINCE OF ORANGE.

Little Liberty in England previously to the Revolution in 1688.

-The greatest Instance of the Influence of Public Opinion

that had hitherto been manifested in the civilised Part of the

World. William not popular in his Manners, and a Jealousy

of Foreigners entertained. The Prince of Orange supported

by nearly all Classes, even the Officials of James. William's

Desire to become absolute. - He is frustrated by Public

Opinion. Jealousy of the French King entertained by the

Nation in consequence of his Acknowledgment of the Pre-

tender as King of England

Constitutional Speech of Queen Anne.

Queen Anne. - Bishop

State of Affairs pre-

Public Spirit of the English People. Peace of Utrecht.

Letter from the States General to

Burnet's Interview with the Queen.

viously to the Peace. Political Animosities. - Jacobite

Conspiracy in Anne's Court. -Lord Bolingbroke. - Public

Opinion in favour of the House of Hanover. The Queen

herself desirous of her Brother's Succession. - Jacobite Docu-

ments. Hope entertained by the Pretender's Party on the

GEORGE I. AND GEORGE II.

House of Brunswick support the free Constitution of Great

Britain. Apprehension of the People of England from the

Power and Ambition of the Monarch of France. George I.

not popular in his Manners. Dread of the Return of the

Stuarts. All the populous and manufacturing Towns in

Great Britain declare for the Hanoverian Succession. The

ignorant Part of the remote Districts the only Population in

favour of the Pretender

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of this Reign.-General Warrants

- Letters of Junius. - Fate of the

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