power of the period? That her spirit is essentially democratic? How is she still civilizing Europe? What reason is there in the events of this period for its small amount of literary and artistic production? What race produces the warriors and conquerors of the epoch? What race produces the scientific men? What historic reason can you give for this latter fact? What reason can you give for the former? What can you prove one great source of Moorish civilization to have been? What influences do you see embodied in St. Mark's? In the ducal palace? What do you find beautiful, and what characteristic or original, in each of these buildings?

4. Extracts and Stories Illustrative of European Life of the Period.

a. The Pope and the King of Bulgaria.

In the ninth century, Bulgaria was converted, through the influence of a Christian princess, whose husband wanted her God on his side in war. His subjects, however, revolted in favor of the old religion, and the king took cruel vengeance on them; thereupon, the pope writes him that he is now under the rule of a more merciful God, to whom such widespread slaughter is not pleasing." Apostates from the faith are to receive no toleration, but God is to judge those who are without the Church. The pope commands him no longer to use the old national sign of the horsetail, but the cross, when he goes forth to battle; and instead of using enchantments, songs, and auguries before a fight, his soldiers are to go to church, confess, perform good acts, such as opening prisons, giving to the poor, and freeing slaves. He forbids polygamy, and advises that the king allow his wife to eat with him.

b. Byrhtnoth's Death in a Battle of the English against the Danes (991).

On the

Byrhtnoth, the Saxon, brought his force into battle-array, and dismounting, took his place among his thanes. opposite shore of the river stood the herald of the Viking-Danes, who spoke with strong and threatening voice: "Active sea

men send me to thee; they bid me say to thee, that thou must quickly send rings for safety; and it is better for you that ye buy off this spear-rush with tribute than that we share such hard fight. If thou who art the richest here dost decide that thou wilt redeem thy people, wilt give the seamen money at their own prizing, in exchange for peace, then we will enter our ships with the treasures, go afloat, and keep peace with you.' Byrhtnoth held fast his shield, swung his slender ash aloft, and answered with scorn and derision: Hearest thou, seafarer, what this folk saith? They will give you spears for tribute, the poisonous lance-point, and the old sword, war-trappings that are not good for you in battle. Messenger of the watermen, announce again, say to thy people warlike words: A noble earl stands here with his band, who will protect this inheritance, Æthelred's my prince's country, folk and lands.' . . . Then the time was come when those consecrated to death should fall; . . . spears flew from the hands; the bow was busy; the shield received the point; bitter was the rage of battle; warriors fell. On both sides lay the young fighters." Byrhtnoth himself was sorely wounded. "But the gray battle-hero still cheered on the youths; his feet refused to serve him; he looked toward heaven and said: 'I thank Thee, Ruler of Peoples, for all the joys that I have had in the world. Now, mild Creator, I have most need that thou grant my spirit good, that my soul. . . may pass with peace into thy power.' . . . Then the heathen struck him down.

Ethelred's earl, the people's prince, had fallen; all of his kindred saw that their lord lay slain. The proud warriors rushed up, willed either to avenge the dear one or to yield their lives. Elfric's son . . . exhorted them. He said: 'Never shall the thanes reproach me among the people, that I would desert this host, and seek my country, now that my prince lies slain in battle. That is my greatest grief: he was both my kinsman and my lord.' Then he strode forward, thinking of blood-vengeance. . . . Swinging his lance, he bade all heroes avenge. . . Byrhtnoth: to avenge his lord in the

Never may he hesitate who thinketh people, nor care for his life.'. . .

The kinsmen began a hard fight; they prayed God it might be granted them to avenge their kin and chief, and to work slaughter among their enemies. . . . Byrhtwold, the aged comrade, spoke as he grasped fast his shield and shook his ash: . . . 'Courage should be the greater, the more our forces lessen; here lieth our prince cut down, the brave one, slain in the dust. I am old in days; I will not go away, but I think to lie by my lord's side; I will lie by such a beloved warrior.'"

...

c. From Anselm.

"Whether that is true which the universal Church believes with the heart and confesses with the mouth, no Christian can be permitted to place in question; but, while holding fast to it without doubting, and loving and living for this faith, he may and should search in humility for the grounds of its truth. If he is able to add to this faith, intelligence, let him thank God; if not, let him not turn against his faith, but bow his head and worship."

d. From John Scotus, or Erigena.

"Authority is derived from reason, and not reason from authority, and authority which is not acknowledged by reason seems valueless. . . . We should not allege the opinions of the holy fathers, . . . unless it be necessary thereby to strengthen arguments in the eyes of men, who, unskilful in reasoning, yield rather to authority than to reason. . . . I am not so fearful of authority, and I do not so dread the rage of minds of small intelligence as to hesitate to proclaim aloud the things which reason clearly unfolds."

"What, then, is the object of philosophy, but to set forth the rules of true religion, whereby we rationally seek and humbly adore God, the first cause and sovereign of all things? From thence it follows that true philosophy is true religion, and conversely, that true religion is true philosophy."

e. Letter from the Pope to the French King concerning Scotus Erigena.

...

"It has been reported to our apostleship that a certain John, of Scotch origin, has lately translated into Latin the work which the blessed Dionysius wrote in the Greek language. . . . This book ought to have been sent to us according to custom, and approved by our judgment; the more so, that this John . . . has not always, it is everywhere said, been sound in his views upon certain subjects. We recommend, therefore, very strongly, that you cause the said John to appear before our apostleship, or, at least, that you do not permit him any longer to reside at Paris in the school of which he is stated for a long time to have been the chief, in order that he may no longer mingle his tares with the wheat of the holy word; giving poison to those who seek for bread."

f. From Ordericus Vitalis, on the State of Normandy, A.D. 1094.

"At this time, sharp hostilities took place between William de Breteuil and Ascelin Goël [two powerful Norman barons]; . . . there was a great feud between them, and each tried to injure the other.

...

...

"In the month of February, Ascelin called to his aid Richard de Montfort and the retainers of King Philip, and engaging in battle with William . . . defeated him and made him a captive. Elated with the victory, he became exceedingly arrogant, and cruelly tormented . . . his captives. He kept them in close confinement in his castle, . . . and often, in the severest weather, . . exposed them in their shirts, well soaked in water, at a window in the highest stage of the tower to the blasts of the north or south winds, until their only covering was frozen into a sheet of ice around their bodies. At length, by the interference of friends, peace was concluded, and William was let out of prison; . . . but the peace was of short duration.

"The year following, William . . . renewed his hostilities, and established a garrison in the convent of monks, which

Robert d'Ivri had founded in honor of the Virgin Mary. Upon this, Goël, who held the castle, led a body of troops to the convent. . . . William de Breteuil made his escape with more difficulty, and . . . at length engaged to pay Philip, king of France, seven hundred livres, as well as large sums to Robert, duke of Normandy, . . . if they would faithfully succor him.

...

"In consequence, during Lent, the king of France and the duke of Normandy laid siege to Breval. . . . The priests and their parishioners brought their banners, and the abbots, assembling their vassals, joined the besieging army.... Goël was a most desperate freebooter, daring and crafty, and a violater of churches . . . who till that time had been used to laugh at kings and dukes in his secure retreat. . . . He had noble and brave kinsmen, by whose aid he had fortified the castle of Breteuil ... and with their courage and succour he had manfully sustained the burden of such frequent hostilities. But now finding that so many great and valiant princes were firmly leagued against him, he sued for peace."

STUDY ON 4.

What changes in the direction of civilization does Christianity encourage in Bulgaria? What is evidently the aim of Danish invasion as shown in b? What does this fact indicate incidentally of the comparative prosperity of England just before the invasion? What spirit shown by Byrhtnoth's answer to the Danes? What feeling or sentiment? What do we know of Byrhtnoth's religious belief? Of his religious feeling? What sentiment shown by his followers? What barbarian organization appears in this battle? What spirit shown by Byrhtwold? Make a list of the English virtues displayed in this story.

What seems to be the aim of Erigena? What his spirit? What difference between his attitude and that of Anselm? What resemblance? What right does the pope claim in regard to the thought of Europe? What harm can heresy do to the Church? What conclusions previously made in regard to the feudal system are confirmed by the chronicle of Ordericus Vitalis?