Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-05-18

That there was Tor long IIue III Lu-
ropeno definite language.
Latin, which had been the spoken
language during the empire, gradually
disappeared, even from Italy, before
the barbarous dialects Of the north.
In the eighth and ninth centuries it
had become an unintelligible language
throughout Europe, and new languag
es were forming by the mixture OF
Latin and the barbarous tongnes. Out
of this came the French, Castillian,
Italian and German languages. We
are not so far from that crude period
to-day but We can recognize traces of
the rude languages in the various patio
is, of which there are some thirty IN
Italy and nearly as many in France.
If there had been men of poetic gen
Jus, there. could have been no poetry
while language was so incapable of ex-
pressing delicate shades of meaning.
Anaeher cause of the mental pros
tration during this period was the in
fluence Of the church. If in all hui
man history there has been an instance
where an institution has tyranized over
human minds, it was from the fifth to
the tenth century, when all Christen-
dom was in the chains of religious fam
aticism am aware there is much
difference of opinion regarding the ef-
feet of the church upon the literary
character of the age. Some writer's
assert that we owe the preservation Of
all ancient learning, even of the Latin
and Greek languages, to the church.
1t is true the entire learning in Europe
for several centuries was confined to
the monasteries, and the clergy, in
their devotion to the Latin liturgy Of
their church and to the Vulgate Scrip
lures, preserved pure Latin when it
seemed in danger of being lost.
1t is true that In some Inonasterles,
especially in those Of the Benedictine
order, classic manuscripts were copied
and preserved. But on the other hand
most orders of monks prohibited all
secular learning, and destroyed quanti-
ties of Latin and Greek manuscripts
from hate of Pagan literature. 1t is
recorded that Gregory the Great or
dered the destruction of the entire Pa
latine library, probably the most val
liable collection Of books in Europe at
that time. 1t is well to bear in mind,
when We speak of the libraries and
the literature Of those times, that every
book, every scrap of literature in Eu-
rope-in the world had been copied
letter by letter by the hand that the
preservation of all the knowledge and
inspiration Of the past depended upon
the preservation Of these manuscripts,
that the destruction of even one might
be great loss to the world. What
quantities ofthis wealth must have been
swept away during these ages to satisfy
fanatical hate What quantities of
manuscript rich with the genius of the
Greek, were scraped to make room for
ecclesiastical rubbish" Could those
monks have dreamed Of the maledic-
tions which future ages would pro-
nounce upon them, their hands must
have been stayed in this sacrilegious
work.
Aside from the resistance to secular
learning and the destruction of manu-
scripts, the religious fanaticism of
those middle ages, intensified by the
power of the priesthood, distorted in
tellectual taste, crippled and enslaved
it. Freedom Of thought and genius
were strangled in their very birth. 1t
is not exaggeration to say that the
power of the Romish church was for
centuries disastrous in the extreme to
both civil liberty and the progress of
learning. Never till the human mind
had, by slow inherent power of growth
gained strength enough to break a few
OF the fetters, was there heard in all
Europe whisper of human rights or
the voice of awakening genius.
During this period of darkness in
Europe there was a glow of light
among the Saracens. Literature, art
and science fourished among them to
a considerable degree. During the
reign of Harounal-Raschid, Bagdad
was a center for scholarly men, and
Cordova in Spain rivaled her brilliant
sister in the east.
Europe owes something to the Sara
Gems. It learDed from them many of
the refnements of life by contact
during the centuries of the Crusaders,
1t owes to them the Arabic numerals,
which were introduced from Spain
during the thirteenth century and it
derived from them the models of it's
Troubadour literature.
From those centuries of darkness,
when races were blending and lam
guages forming and barbarism soften
ing, Europe gradually emerged. One
of the first symptoms of the revival
of learning was the springing up of
schools in the principal cities of Eu
rope.