The Irish standard., 1915-05-22
SIXTY HISTORICAL "DONTS''

BY James J. Walsh, N. D., Phi. D., In
1.-THE Catholic Mind"
As the discerning reader Of the daily
papers and of periodical literature is
doubtless aware ignorance of Catholic
history is still quite dense and wide.
spread. Even we'll meaning writer's
and speakers, when the church is
their theme, fall into grave errors,
largely because their knowledge Of
history is not "up-to.date." These men
do not realize what remarkable ad-
vances have been made i'm the science
of history within the past few years.
AS the editors of the Cambridge Mod
ern History" declare in the preface to
that monumental work:
1.-The long conspiration against the
revelation of the truth has gradually
given way. And competing historians
all over the civilized world have been
Jealous to take advantage Of the
change. In view of this it has become
impossible for an historical writer of
the present age to trust without re-
serve even to the most respected Sec
ondary authorities. The honest stu
dent finds himself continually desert
ed, retarded, misled, by the classics
of historical literature and
has to hew his own way in order to
reach the truth"
So it has seemed to the writer that
possibly little historical guide in the
shape of series of "Don'ts." warning
editors and writer's about certain pop
ular historical fallacies, so often re-
peated that they seem to represent
accepted truth, would be useful. Some
years ago these handy 'Don'ts" manu-
ais used to be popular, notwithstand-
ing the fact that human nature would
much rather be told what to do than
what not to do. Though couched in
the imperative form, the following
'Don'ts" are meant to warn even edu.
Gated people, who may not be very
familiar with recent historical re.
search, from falling into absurd er.
rors.
Don't write about 'the long right
of the Dark Ages" John Fiske speaks
of "All the work big with promises
of the future that went on in those
centuries which modern writer's in
their ignorance used once to set apart
and stigmatize as the Dark Ages
You do not want to be classed with
the modern writer's" whom John
Fiske thinks Ignorant"
Don't compare the Middle Ages
with pagan antiquity to the great dis
advantage Of the medieval period, fol
John Fiske said that There is a sense
in which the most brilliant achieve
ments of pagan antiquity are dwarfeG
in comparison with what was accom-
plished in the middle ages"
Don't accept the ordinary opinions
about the Middle Ages unless you arr
sure you know great deal about tina
period. John Fiske gives high praise
to medieval times in the introduction
to his work on 1.-The Beginnings O
New England, or the Puritan Theoc
racy in its Relations to Civil and Re
ligious Liberty If he said it Their,
you can be sure that he must hav,
had absolutely compelling evidenc,
for it.
Don't talk about the Catholi,
Church "hampering education" In tn,
Thirteenth century, when the Catholic
Church was most powerful, when thu
Popes, for good reasons, were able t.
put kings down from their thrones
there were more students at the uni
versities of Europe, in proportion t.
the population, than there are now
Read any serious history of the uni
versities and see.
Don't proclaim confidently tina
there was no study of science unit
our time The medieval universitie
were scientific universities, studyinl
everything from the scientific aspect.
Don't write that all the universit.
education before our time was founde,
on the classics. The classics cam
into education at the Renaissance. Be
fore that the university curriculum
consisted of physical and ethical sci
ence and philosophy.
Don't think that the medieval uni
versity study of science was trivial
Professor Huxley declared in his ad
dress as rector of Aberdeen univer
sity, Il doubt If the curriculum of an.
modern university shows so clear an,
generous comprehension of what il
meant by culture as this old triviun
and quadrivium, the medieval uni
versity curriculum Does"
Don't talk about medieval ignorance
for If you turn to any history of tn
universities you will find that at the en'
of the Thirteenth century there wer'
more students at the universities o