The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-02-19

which contains, In tho same degree as the
Bible. and In . poetioal form so concise. all the
phases OF human thought All natural phe-
nomena are explained in this book, all the
primitive relations Of msn-family, society,
religion-appear In this book for the first time.
Irepeat. my conviction. deduced, perhaps, from
an exclusive experiment, is that, without the
Bible in our society as without Homer In Greek
society, the development Of the chlld and Of
the man is impossible. The Bible Is the only
elementary book Of reading for children"
LEAFS History Of the InsuIsitisn.
We outlined on q former occasion the plan
OF tho elaborate and useful work-A History of
the hnQuisiion Of the Middle Aoes. by HENRY
CHARLES LEA tHarpersl As the title Of the
book implies. IT Is not the authors purpose to
discuss in its political and religious bearings
the Spanish inquisition which took form under
Ferdinand and Isabella, and which reached its
acme Of authority under Philip II. In the
three volumes. OF which the second is now
published. he confines himself to recount
ing the origin and history Of the
Holy Once up to the latter part Of the If
teenth century. The conditions which, to the
mind Of Catholic Europe. seemed to Justify the
forging OF q potent engine Of purRation-snd
especially the spread of the Catharan heresy In
Languedoc aboutthe beginningofthe thirteenth
century-were exhaustivsly examined In the
Introductory volume. There. too. were ex-
hibited the results Of the crusade against the
AlbiRonses les the believers In tho Catharan
doctrines were called In France) as well as Of
analogous movements undertaken for tho ex-
tirpaHon OF the followers Of Peter Waldo. On
the other hand, the special object OF the vol
ume before us IL to show the workings Of the
Incubation after It had been organized in
Langusdoc. in France. in Italy. in part OF tho
Spanish peninsula, In Germany. and in b.
hsmia. Ostsnsfbiy, the field covered by
the second installment Of the work ex-
tends to the formation OF the Spanish
inaulsition BY Ferdinand tho Catholic: but
some interesting topics, such as the sup
preston OF the Templars In the reign OF Philip
tho Fair. are reserved for the third and con-
Guiding volume.
In tho preliminary chapters OF the second
volume, which now lies before US. Mr.. Lea
brings out distinctly the social and political ef-
feet Of the work done by the Crusaders and tho
inquisitors on the south Of France. Let us look
first at its bearing on civilization. Not only
was the social evolution OF Europe retarded by
more than two centuries, but its focus OF devel-
opment was moved from Provencal- speakingt to
It~alian-speaking peoples. 1t 1s certain. for
example. that but for that crusade Dante would
have written the Divine Comedy in the tongue
used by 6ordello. We quote a paragraph
in which the author sums up the product
oflrssearehss set forth In a hundred pages: I'm
the twelfth century the south Of France had
been the most civilized land OF Europe. There
commerce. industry. art, science had been far
in advance of the age. The cities had won viz
tual self-government, were proud OF their
wealth and strength. jealous of their lib
critics, and self-ssorincing In their patriot
ism. The mobiles. for the most part, were
cultivated men. poets themselves or patrons OF
poetry. who had learned that their prosperity
depended on the prosperity OF their subjects,
and that municipal liberties were a safeguard
rather than . menace to q wise ruler. The
crusaders came. and their unfinished work was
taken up and executed TO the bitter end by the
fnqutsitton. 1t left Q ruined and Impoverished
country. with shattered industry and failing |
commerce. The native mobiles were broken by |
connscation and replaced by strangers, who oc-
cupted the soil. introducing the harsh customs
OF Northern feudalism. or the despottc princi-
pies OF the Roman law In the extensive domains
acquired By the crown. A people OF rare nat
ural gifts were tortured. decimated, humiI-
tatsd' dsspotled for a century and more. The
preoocious civilization which had promised to
led Europe In the path of culture was gone,
snd to Italy was transferred tho honor Of the
In return for this was unity of
laith and . Church which had been hardened
viustsd and seoularized in the strife"
On thsiothsr hand, to France. considered Is
Shols. the political consequences OF the blight
which fell on Languedoc were useful. A pow
'rful impulse was communicated to the power
the rown. which was to be for csuturies the
nainstay against ~disintegrating forces, the
inkle pledge OF national unity. Mr.. Lea shows
the inauisition indirectly and uncon-
ciously helped to consolidate the kingdom.
In the very triumph OF the inQuisitioa was
he assurance Of It's decline. Supported by the
tste. 1t had earned and repaid the royal favor
" tho endless stream Of conascations which
j poured into the royal golfers. Perhaps moth
nc contributed moro to the consolidation OF
he royal supremacy than ~ths'change Of owner
hip which threw into new hands so large q
OF the lands Of the south The royal
Metals srasped everything OF which they
,ould lay their hands. whether ON the excuse
4 treason or Of hsrssy. with little regard to
rights; M although the integrity Of
.ouis TX. caused an inquest to be held
n 1862. which restored a vast amount OF prop
rty Illegally held. this was but q small fraction
the whole. 1t was not only the ac-
hsretics and their descendants who were
the land had been so deeply tho
ured with heresy that there were few indeed
whose sAosstors could not b shown BY the
scords Of the inauisitionito have incurred tho
atsl faint Of sssscisting with them. The rich
'ourgeoisie Of the cities were dsspoiled on the
'sAs pretsxts. sss In this respect the In
was building better than 1t knew. In
.hus aiding to establish the royal power over
he Q w acquired provinces. IL was contribut-
lng to erect an authority which was destined
tho end to reduce 1t TO comparative insignia-
,ancs. With the disappearance OF Cstharism
LAn0usdoo becomes e. much o part of the
monarchy - the Isls do France. and the career