The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-09-11
THIRp ARTICLE.


commercial revolution, in fact during
the entire period Of feudalism, htera-
ture was but hymn to goodness. In
the middle ages religion and wisdom
were synonymous. The main writer's
were priests. In fact, very few others
than priests could write. The Roman
catholic church was the inspiration of
the age. Thinkers fed upon its doc
trine for ideas and conceptions.
Occasionally there were rebels like
Frederick II who opposed the church.
believed religion an imposture, and
struggled for a freedom of thought
that was execrably radical in that day.
Frederick IL, who was known as the
Stupor Mundi, or the miracle of the
world, in the thirteenth century, is a
very interesting type Of medieval
rebel. Refusing to project a crusade
at the behest of three popes, he de-
nounced the catholic church, advo-
Gated a confscation Of its property,
introduced Jewish and Moslemic phil
Osophsrs to his courts, and in a score
of other ways endeavored to combat
the influence OF the christian religion.
In addition, he founded the University
of Naples in 1924, enlarged the medi-
cal school at Salerno, and constructed
a geological garden-all daring and
novel at that period.
We must remember, however, that
Frederick II was almost like lone
meteor in a starless armament. He
was an infidel in an age Of faith-an
age that forbade dissection of the
human body for fear that the resource
Trombone would be destroyed, and
burned Giordano Bruno at the stake
for maintaining that the earth went
around the sun. In literature it was
not the Italian poems Of Frederick II
that fiourished, but the prose of the
churchmen.
The modern drama grew out Of the
church. The first dramas were de-
voted to christian themes. The birth
of Christ and his resurrection afforded
the background and motif of these
early plays. These plays, which are
known as the Miracle plays, were, of
course, thoroly religious in tone and
sentiment. At first they were put on
by the churches, but later, as they
became more elaborate and drew
larger audiences, they were staged by
the labor guilds. Out Of these miracle
plays sprang the morality plays and
interludes, and then the Elizabethan
drama of which Shakespeare was the
highest expression.
With the denunciation of the pope,
the confscation Of church property,
and the severance Of church and
state, Henry VIII in England weak
ened the influence of the church upon
the drama. The artists of the later
aristocracies fought free of religious
dogma. EIizabethan and restoration
dramas were unreligious in spirit.
1t was with the puritanic bour-
geoisie that religion in literature was
revived. Religion in literature now
instead of emphasizing God had
stressed virtue-the virtues Of the
bourgeoisie. Literature became looked
upon as a vehicle for moral instruc-
ton. This moral instruction, Of
course, was definitely associated with
christianity. Samuel Johnson in his
magazine, The Rambler, for instance,
according to one critic attempted ito
instruct mankind; to teach the happi
ness OF virtue and religion; to display
the horrors Of vice and piety; to in
culcate proper subordinate OF the
passions; and to arm the mind against
the vicissitudes of life" Johnson him
self. who was the most important
critic OF the 18th century, declared his
purpose to be "the increase of virtue
rather than of learning" and in an
other place added. with sincerity and
fervor, "there are few ways in which
a man can be more innocently en-
ployed than in getting money" This
was the characteristic of the virtue
of the bourgeoisfe, which the literau