The Cairo evening bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1868-1870, 1869-03-04
The Middle or Dark Ages.
'FRONT.' the HON" rirrl"I

The perod, most commonly DISTINGUISHED
asthc dark agcs. extends from about y. y.
$50 10 1850 though It might not be incorrect
40 continue 4 fifty years later. At the begin
ming OF the Christian Era. Rome was in It's
glory. That was the period Of H. greatest
prosperity. Its character for literature was
then also the highest. For several ages lis
citizens had been familiar with the learning
of Greece. and had drank deep ut liellcnistc
fountains. But after the Nandal inroads oi
the harharous nations from the north, IN the
nth and sixth centuries, they became degcn-
crate in manlness of character and literary
Attachments And this lamentable declension
was flong duration. Even the pure and ra.
iional religion of Christianity, In the hands
Of an illterate and dcbased people, became
in n great measure IA shelter for superstition,
and an apology for immortality. Neither the
laitv nor the clergy possessed its spirit
nor observed It's preccp,s. Religion degener.
ated into merely external worship; and
the Christian world was distinguished in
little more than name from pagans and idola.
tors. Learning felt the whitening influence
Of the times; Il was considered unnecessary.
The Pope and his priests claimed 10 he In.
fallible teacher. and guides The people
were discouraged from becoming learned !;
and for the clergy, even, u WAS enough to
dictate in all matters of religion, without be.
my NJ the 1rDlUc III tADIdlNluE tnelr UOC-
trines and commands, or proving them agree
able to the gospel Of Christ or the instruc-
tions OF his inspired apostles Instead Of
making advances in literature and science,
the inhabitants OF Europe were thus made
TO retrogade, for a long period Of nearly n
thousand years There were nothing like
public schools f,r the lower classes: and
very few even OF the nobility could write
their name, or read chapter in the sacred
volume. This, indeed. was n sealed book
the laity were not required. nor even per-
mitted TO examine. The husbandmcn and
the mechanics We're ignorant Of everything
hut what was necessary Ia enable them to
perform the labor Of their vocation. And
tins they did from habit and custom. as the
OK trod the iurrow or the horse moved round
in mill The people could work without
learning, and they knew little more than the
horse or the ass which they drove In the path
or the field And those of nOblcr birth di-
rectcd ali their energies 10 learn the art of
war. and tn prepare themselves Ia kill and
destroy their ielow.mcn. The clergy had
all the manuscripts and books of other ages
i'm their possession; hu' the key 10 unlock
these stores they neither allowed others 10
take, nor often used II themselves for the
purposes OF gaining knowledge to Doc commu.
nicatcd 90 others.
These were ages of thic' and gross dark.
Hess. lNt l-Ul az INNlUll- NUN''tN long
and almost total eclipse. No intellectual
,tlort, were put forth 10 break through the
clouds which hrouGcd over The world oi
mind. Brute force governed society; and
animal passions unrc>tiaucd, corrupted the
whole body oi the scoplc. But at length the
abuses and CorruptonS were 50 numerous
and 80 irrational That IN the beginning o
The sixteenth century. Erasmus and Luther
asserted the rights 81 human nature, An,
oncned an avenue for the light of truth e
sninc once more upon the hcnightod region
Of continental Europe 7, was indeed a fee
hlc light ~ first, Int the dawn was soon fol
lowed ~, brighter day Al little carie
period, in the fifteenth century, the art O
printing had been discovered which PROVED
an incalculable advantage to the interests o
learning; and the mariners compass wa
also invented, which served To extend com
mercial enterprises whose influence wa
alike ausplcious To civilization and litera
ture,
In the darkest periods of ignorance an,
hgotry, there were, however, some "lessc
lights In part OF the hemisphere, which
prevented universal darkness and corruption