Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-12-23

D'UY AMERICA WAS NOT COLO-
WIEN IN THE ELEVENTH CENT
URP.
The state of Europe at that time was |
not one which afforded surplus energy |
for distant enterprise. In the year loOo'
when white men first wintered in Mas
sachusetts, the Dane, Swegen Fork
beard, was wrestling the lordship OF En-
gland from the feeble grasp OF Ethelred
the Unrea3y. Robert the Debonair,
unwarlike son of the sagacious and val
liant Hugh Capet, King of the french In
name, but in reality master ofyery little
territory beyond the immediate neigh.
borhood of Paris, was waging doubtful
struggle with junruly vassals, some OF
whom surpassed the crown in wealth
and power. The youthful Otto Ill,
tile "wonder of the world" had Just
made his weird visit to the tomb OF his
mighty predecessor ut Aaehen before
starting on that. last journey to Rome
which in less than two years was to cost
him his life. 'Gerbert, most erudite Of
P6pes-too learned not to have had
dealings with the dgI -Gerbert, elect
ed through Otto's Influence to the head
ship of the church, was but beginning to
raise the papacy out of the abyss Of IN
fanny into which the preceding age had
seen it sink, and SO to prepare the i%hy
for the far-reaching reforms OF Hide
brand. In this year Stephen, first
Christian King of the Hungariaans, be
gan to reign, and the power Of heretical
Bulgaria, which had threatened t. over
whelm the Eastern empire, was broker
by the attack OF the Macedonian
Basil. In this year Olaf Tryggvesso1
was overthrow, and the kingdom o
Norway divided for q time between
Swedes and Danes. In this year the
Christians of Spain met defeat at tn
hands of Almansur, and the Mohamme
dan dominion there still seemed destine,
to endure. From end to end Europ
> WAS n scene Of dire confusion an
= though to us, looking back upon it, tn
: time seem, not devoid of promise, ther
: was no cheering outlook then. Nowher
>. we're the outline, of kingdoms or III
d ownership of crowns definitely settled
4 Private war was both universal and ii
"a cessant even the Truce of God had ne
/. vet been proclaimed. AS for the con
d mon people, their hnrdships were vel
nigh incredible. There was no con
h merce worthy of mention, and but hit
IL tilling of the soil, except in serfage, al
AZ famines were frequent and terrible,
h to-day in India. In the chronicles
" the time we find many reports OF ca
nibalism, and even OF ghoulism, I'll
10 hoard Accomplishments of season
n starvation. Amid all this anarchy al
,ir misery, at the close of the thousand
a. year from the birth of Christ, the bell
was general throughout Europe that
v. Day of Judgment was at hand-th
,al the world, grown old in wickedness. "
Il, at length ripe for destruction.
,t. A period like this was not fitted
to colonial enterprise, because all the vi
Nh energy in Europe was consumed in
M. forts for the adjustment of Europe
,e. affairs. Before people can found co
| a MES. it must have solved the problem
To political life at home, at least so far
its to secure stability Of trade. 1t is
YER mercantile spirit which has supr Oh
row modern colonization, aided by the sp
all of romantic adventure. and the spirit
for intellectual curiosity. In the clever
yht century there was nointellectual curlos
outside of the monastery walls ; nor
ore this feeling become anywhere enlisted
ike the service Of commerce. Romantic
RS. venture, such as there was, consis
tai, most y in brutal buccaneering. III
the was no such thing as commercial
the rine, and on land the career OF
ing trader was restrained by the rob
the Baron. In those days the fashions
one method of compromising with your CT
it'll ors was, not to offer them 80 cents
81, but to inveigle them into your CO
Ldy. md broil them over q slow fire.
The per's Magazine.