Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-03-10

SMITHSONIAN LEcTURBs.-Bishop Spald,ng's
second Lecture Literature and Art Tn the 'sDark
Ages We have seen In the first lecture how Il e
masses OF northern barbarism were gradually
humanized, chiefly through the influence Of the
christian church; how the ferocity of the North
men was softened, their passions controlled, and
their thoughts and feelings turned heavenward |
will now endeavor TO show how their minds were
enlightened, ard how literature and art were
gradually developed among them; for take 1t to
lie an admitted principle that there is no solid or
permanent civilization without the element Of
knowledge more or less generally diffused among
the masses.
The current theory is that darkness almost total
brooded over Europe from the fifth to the III.
seenth century, and that We owe but little to this
period in the department of literature, art and
invention. / propose to examine this theory-first
condition of Europe during these thousand wears,
and, secondly, by attempting to answer the ques-
ton what do we owe to these ages,n
l. do not deny that there existed comparatively
very great literary darkness, particularly during
the first half Of the period in question. NV ONLY
wonder Is, that all learning did not wholly dis
appear from the face of the earth the social
chaos induced by the successive barbarian fnva-
sions. III this unhappy result averted We
owe the fortunate circumstance chiefly to the in
huence of the Church; as Intelligent men of all
shades of opinion have freely admitted. 1T NAV
be said, in general, that literature continued to
decline from the fifth to the tenth century, and
that then the reaction came, and there a
steady improvement up to the middle of the IF
teenth century when that great revival Of letters
occurred which eliminated in the second Angus
tan age OF Pope Leo Y 1t is 4 mOOted point
whether the seventh or the tenth century consti-
tuted the nadir of media val literature; all admit
that its zenith was reached before the beginning
of the sixteenth century. In the march of i'm
proyement and in bringing about the revival of
period Italy was far in advance Of the other
nations Of Europe To establish this fact the
lecturer quoted appropriate and strong passages
from the article In the North American Review,
reviewing Hallam's Middle Ages and from
Hanam's Introduction to Literature.
According to Edmund Burke, three peculiar
institutions of the Church greatly contributed to
preserve ancient pagan learning, and to give an
Impulse to the new and much sOunder Christian
literature These Were, the preservation of the
Latin language in the public service or liturgy,
which made it necessary for the clergy, at least,
TO keep up knowledge of this classical Ian
guage; the mOnastic institute. which amidst the
wilderness of medieval desolation est lished nu-
merous rich and inviting Gases, where learning
was cultivated; and finally, the practice of pill
grimages, chiefly to Rome and jerusalem which
originating in religious motives turned to the
benett Of learning, by bringing the masses into
more frequent contact, and by rejecting literary
light from their great centres in the West and in
the East on the great masses dwelling far away in
tHe interior of Europe. The pilgrimages to Jeru-
salem led to the Crusades, which contributed
more perhaps than any other single agency to-
wards eliciting intellectual activity and hasten
n the revival Of learning. In fact, the whole
lt-rary aspect of Europe changes rapidly precise
ly from the epoch Of the Crusldes. This idea was
somewhat developed by the lecturer, after which
be proceeded to the second department of his
subject:
=. What do We owe to ''the dark ages,n
might almost answer this question in what is
said to be the method adopted by some Of our
Northeastern friends, by asking another:-NVhat is
there that we do not owe at least In its origin and
germ, to these - dark ages 20 / hold i'm INV hand
a her yyhi oh
those very-iittle-understood ages have conferred
upon literature, art. and social improvement,
many Of which are Of vast and almost paramount
Importance In the brief compass Of one lecture,
can do little more than to enumerate these great
Improvements and inventions We owe to those
ages the preservation of all ancient classical liter
allure, which would have been probably lost but
for the enlig htened and patient industry of the
monks; we owe to them all our modern LANGUAGES
the English included; We owe to them all our
modern poetry, with the Introduction of rythmic
measure; we owe to them the paper on which we
write, and the beautiful illumi nations which are
the models Of our modern illustrated works; we
owe to them the invention Of musical notes
which rendered music a science; We owe to them
the first law and the first medical schools in
modern times, well the first universities
which became the models of those which are
more recent we are indebted to them for the first
idea Of general post office; we owe to them the
Introduction into Europe of the Arabic arithmeti-
cal numbers and Of algebraic science, the general
use OF glass in houses, with the beautiful art of
staining glass, the invention of clocks and watches
the discovery and employment of stone coal in
manufactures, and the introduction of silk and
siken tissues into Europe; we owe to them the
origin and perfection Of two new and beautiful
styles OF architecture, the Byzantine and the
Gothic, the specimens of which that still remain
surpass everything which modern science and
skill can accomplish.
But there are four inventions Of the "dark ages,
which have probably exercised as great an in
huence on modern In provement as any other with
which We are acquainted, IL not greater in
Il rpfp N finn NJ
of concaye and convex lenses, Of the mariners
compass, and of the art of printing. These have
changed the face Of society-have essentially mod
lied warfare; have opened the heavens to the Den
Grating eye OF the astronomer have made the wide
ocean no longer impossible, knitting together the
most distant countries In the bonds of commerce;
and have dffused over the world on the wings
OF the press the productions Of genius and the con-
illusions of science.
The lecturer elaborated these various points,
and then concluded by general summary The
lecture was listened to with great interest through
out.
His third and last lecture will be delivered on
next Monday evening on a very interesting SUBJ
Ject-Clvll Liberty; its origin and early history"
DONE OF THE CAPIroL.-In relation to the re-
cent Senate resolutions concerning the dome cf
the Capitol, &c., Captain franklin the engineer
In charge, reports that the weight Of the dome
will be thirty hundren tons that this weip hit
Is only one tifysixth Of what Is necessary to crush
10 necessary to crush the wall Of the rotundo upon
which the dome rests. There has been no delay
In construction-some six hundred tons Of iron
having been used per annum upon it. There has
been no material change in its plan since the lead
ing appropriation for the object The present cost
Of iron is an average of about the same as previ-
ously paid, and the entire cost of the dome will
be JUS, about nine hundred thousand dollars From
hve to seven years will be required to supply one
hundred monoithic columns Of American mar BILE
for the Porticoes as now required by law. Each
column will cost about 81 500.
WATER, WArER.-Wa shington 10 now as well
provided Tor In respect to pure water as any city
of the Union Previous to the introduction of the
Potomac water, the supply-though excellent in
quality, but insufficient at times In ouantity-was
obtained from the fine springs In the city, and by
means OF pumps and hydrants. Now, in addition
10 these, We have the advantage Of the Potomac
water, for the distribution Of which ample ar
engagements are making The wooden pumps in
the city are 439 In number distributed as follows.
First Ward. LOG; Second Ward. So. Third Ward
60; Fourth Ward, 81; Fifth w ard 70; Sixth w ard
So; Seventh Ward, "a. In addition To these. there
are numerous iron pumps and hydrants IL is to
be hoped that particular pains will be taken bv
the Corporation to keep all these In repair as re-
source in case Of accident to the Potomac supply
HaNNAck's (rids the advertisement of Ham