The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-24
LETTERS TO EDITOR
THE MIDDLE AGES
Were They Dark or Were Hhey Ages
 of Light and Learning?

To the Editor of The Age-Her
 In. the Sunday Age Herald I read the
 letter of the Rev. James E. Coyle. in
 which he takes exception to a statement
 by the Rev. Barnwell in his recent ser
 mon that the ghastly pauperism of the
 middle ages was due largely to the pro-
 nsscuous charity of the monasteries.
 With this controversy of the reverend
 gentlemen, l have nothing to do. The
 Rev. MT. Barnwell follows Protestant
 writers, while the Rev. Father Coyle fol-
 lows Catholic historians, and there you
 are. The appalling poverty of the middle
 ages is not denied by the Rev. Coyle and
 l think he is nearly right when he says
 the whole population was pauperized by
 grasping, corrupt and cruel officials. Be-
 ing somewhat familiar with the history of
 my native land, Germany, l would say
 that the people were pauperized by their rulers, the princes. priests and nobles. The people were poor, while the princes, the monasteries and the nobles were rich. And this appalling poverty was coupled, if l read history right, with the densest ignorance and superstition of the great masses of the people. Yet the learned Rev. Coyle says modern historical re- search has proved at this late day that the middle ages were really ages of light and learning. We'll l might content my self by quoting the Rev. Coyle and say: "Quod fratis asseritur gratis negatur, | rego." But, fiat lux would like to know the truth and would like to be shown if Fl and almost all readers of history are wrong in regarding the middle ages as dark. They surly were dark in the holy Roman empire. I will admit that they had some great schools. taught by priests, m. n e.. . that the lamp of learning was kept burn ing at some courts and in some great monasteries, but this light did not pene- trate to the great masses of the people. They, the people, were kept in ignorance
 and were thus an easier prey to their op- pressors. It is true they also had some | monastc schools, but only the children of the great and rich and those intended | for the priesthood were educated there. The church had the light, but the masses were in darkness; they were the sheep l shorn to keep their masters and shep- | herds in affluence. No one would call l landscape sunlit if only the mountain l peaks caught the morning light, while l the great valleys slumbered in darkness; no one would call Russia an enlightened 1 country because Tolstoi lived in It. nor
 would I call the middle ages with the ap- 1 palling poverty and ignorance of the com | mon people enlightened.
 Of course, there are different ways of reading history. and this reminds me of some ways of historical teaching that are in vogue even today. In Russia, for instance. schoolbooks are depicting Ma poleon as a Russian general, who had dis obeyed the Czar, was shorn of his honors and sent into exile without a pension. And the same kind of teaching is shown by an incident which, according to the
 Literary Digest, occurred about three
 months ago. The young King Alphonso of Spain. accompanied by one of his cabinet 1 ministers, was inspecting an art gallery when he stopped before the painting of the death of Heny " of France. Henry of Navarro. The King looked surprised and exclaimed. why, he is dying a vio- lent death!' Yes, replied the minister,
 and he in turn looked surprised, he was killed by the monk. Ravaillac. "Q said the King if the slayer was monk, then that is perhaps the reason that I have not been told"
 Dear MT. Editor. let me ask your in-
 dulgence by saying. like the Rev. Coyles that only my love of historical truth has i impelled me to write this communication. H. SCHOEL. Birmingham, July 22 1914.