Conditions and Terms of Use TABLE OF CONTENTS Copyright © Heritage History 2010 Some rights reserved THE TWO SWORDS—PAPACY AND EMPIRE ..................................... 3 This text was produced and distributed by Heritage History, an organization dedicated to the preservation of classical juvenile history DANTE—THE DIVINE POET .............................................................. 7 books, and to the promotion of the works of traditional history authors. LORENZO THE MAGNIFICENT......................................................... 13 The books which Heritage History republishes are in the public domain and are no longer protected by the original copyright. They may SAVONAROLA—THE PRIOR OF SAN MARCO ................................. 17 therefore be reproduced within the United States without paying a royalty to the author. 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This text is intended to be a faithful and complete copy of the original GARIBALDI—"FOR ITALY AND VICTOR EMMANUEL!" ................ 85 document. However, typos, omissions, and other errors may have occurred during preparation, and Heritage History does not guarantee a THE THIRD NAPOLEON ................................................................... 91 perfectly reliable reproduction. TOLSTOY—THE REFORMER OF THE EAST .................................... 95 Permission to use Heritage History documents or images for THE HERO IN HISTORY ................................................................. 100 commercial purposes, or more information about our collection of traditional history resources can be obtained by contacting us at [email protected] Original Copyright 1913 by Alice Birkhead. 2 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 Outwardly, Europe of the Middle Ages presented a sad CHAPTER I contrast to the magnificence of an Empire which was fading to remoteness year by year. The ugly towns did not attempt to hide their squalor, when dirt was such a natural condition of THE TWO SWORDS—PAPACY AND EMPIRE life that a knight would dwell boastfully upon his contempt for In the fourth century after Christ began that decay of cleanliness, and a beauty display hands innocent of all proper the Roman Empire which had been the pride of the then tending. The dress of the people was ill-made and scanty, civilized world. Warriors of Teutonic race invaded its splendid lacking the severe grace of the Roman toga. Furniture was cities, destroyed without remorse the costliest and most rudely hewn from wood and placed on floors which were beautiful of its antique treasures. Temples and images of the generally uneven and covered with straw instead of being gods fell before barbarians whose only fear was lest they paved with tessellated marble. should die "upon the straw," while marble fountains and Yet the inward life of Europe was purer since it sought luxurious bath-houses were despoiled as signs of a most to follow the teaching of Christ, and preached universal love inglorious state of civilization. Theatres perished and, with and a toleration that placed on the same level a mighty ruler them, the plays of Greek dramatists, who have found no true and the lowest in his realm. Fierce spirits, unfortunately, successors. Pictures and statues and buildings were defaced sometimes forgot the truth and gave themselves up to a cruel where they were not utterly destroyed. The Latin race lust for persecution which was at variance with their creed, but survived, forlornly conscious of its vanished culture. the holiest now condemned warfare and praised the virtues of The Teutons had hardly begun to impose upon the obedience and self-sacrifice. Empire the rude customs of their own race when Saracens, Whereas pagan Greek and Rome had searched for bent upon spreading the religion of Mahomet, bore down upon beauty upon earth, it was the dreary belief of the Middle Ages Italy, where resistance from watchtowers and castles was that the world was a place where only misery could be the powerless to check their cruel depredations. Norman pirates portion of mankind, who were bidden to look to another life plundered the shores of the Mediterranean and sailed up the for happiness and pleasure. Sinners hurried from temptation River Seine, always winning easy victories. Magyars, a into monasteries, which were founded for the purpose of strange, wandering race, came from the East and wrought enabling men to prepare for eternity. Family life was broken much evil among the newly-settled Germans. up and all the pleasant intercourse of social habits. Marriage From the third to the tenth century there were was a snare, and even the love of parents might prove incredible changes among the European nations. Gone were dangerous to the devoted monk. Strange was the isolation of the gleaming cities of the South and the worship of art and the hermit who refused to cleanse himself or change his science and the exquisite refinements of the life of scholarly clothes, desiring above all other things to attain to that blessed leisure. Gone were the flourishing manufactures since the state when his soul should be oblivious of his body. warrior had no time to devote to trading. Gone was the love of Women also despised the claims of kindred and retired letters and the philosopher's prestige now that men looked to to convents where the elect were granted visions after long the battle-field alone to give them the awards of glory. prayer and fasting. The nun knelt on the bare stone floor of her cell, awaiting the ecstasy that would descend on her. When it Original Copyright 1913 by Alice Birkhead. 3 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 had gone again she was nigh to death, faint and weary, yet The widowed and desolate were not comforted by the compelled to struggle onward till her earthly life came to an knowledge which the returned Crusader delighted to impart. end. They had been sacrificed to the pride which led husbands and The Crusades, or Wars of the Cross, had roused Europe fathers to sell their estates and squander vast sums of money, from a state of most distressful bondage. Ignorance and that they might equip a band of followers to lead in triumph to barbarism were shot with gleams of spiritual light even after the Holy Wars. The complaints of starving women led to the the vast armies were sent forth to wrest the possession of collection of much gold and silver by Lambert Le Begue, "the Jerusalem from the infidels. Shameful stories of the treatment stammering priest." He built a number of small houses to be of pilgrims to the Holy Sepulchre had moved the hearts of inhabited by the Order of Beguines, a new sisterhood who did kings and princes to a passionate indignation. Valour became not sever themselves entirely from the world, but lived in the highest, and all men were eager to be ranked with peaceful retirement, occupied by spinning and weaving all day Crusaders—those soldiers of heroic courage whose cause was long. Christianity and its defence. At the close of the tenth century The Beghards, or Weaving Brothers, took pattern by there were innumerable pilgrims travelling toward the Holy this busy guild of workers and followed the same rules of Land, for it had been prophesied that in the year A.D. 1000 the simple piety. They were fond of religious discussion, and were end of the world would come, when it would be well for those mystics. They enjoyed the approval of Rome until the new within Jerusalem, the City of the Saviour. The inhuman orders were established of Saint Francis and Saint Dominic. conduct of the Turk was resented violently, because it would In the twelfth century religion was drawing nearer to keep many a sinner from salvation; and