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Article ON THE MANNERS OF ANCIENT TIMES. ← Page 2 of 2
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On The Manners Of Ancient Times.
In the eighth , and beginning of the ninth century , Rome , no longer the capital of the masters of the universe , attempted to exercise her authority as before , in deposing or making Kings . Deprived of inhabitants or soldiers , by dint of opinions and religious tenets alone she aspired to universal monarchy . By her management , princes were excited to take up arms against each other ; people against their kings , and kings against their people . All merit
consisted in making war , and all virtue in obeying the Church . The dignity of monarchs was degraded by the claims of Rome , which inspired a contempt for Princes , without exciting a love for liberty . Liberty was then comprised in a few absurd romances , and some melancholy tales , the offspring of cloistered indolence . This contributed to cherish that dejection of spirit , that propensity to the marvellous , -so favourable to the interests of superstition . Public affiiirs were greatly affected b y two different people , one from the north , and the other from the south , the disciples of Woden and of
Mahomet . - . ' Charlemagne subdued one of these nations , and maintained his ground against the other . Pie was desirous of engaging the Saxons and Normans to change that religion , which helped to make them so terrible , for another which would dispose them to obedience . Pie -was obliged to wade through seas of blood , and the cross was erected upon heaps of slain . He was less successful against the Arabs ,
conquerors of great part of Asia , Africa and Spain ; nor could he maintain a footing beyond the Pyrenean mountains . The weak and unmanly weapons of scholastic logic , and the controversial armous of Monks , who had such an ascendant that the Emperor used to ask pardon of God for the time he employed in affairs of State , were not weapons to oppose the heroic and daring enthusiasm and valour of the
Arabs . Constantinople , the capital of the degraded Empire , was engaged at this time in the material dispute , if images ought or ought not to be worshipped . The nobility of Europe acquired a' tincture of the manners of the Greeks and Arabs , in their ridiculous expeditions of the Crusades . They became acquainted with their arts and luxury , Which were afterwards held as necessary to happiness . The
Venetians had a more extensive demand for goods they , brought from the East , and the Arabs carried some into France , England , and Germany . These countries had then neither ships nor manufactures to carry on commerce : they laid restraints on it , and the character of merchant was held in contempt . This useful set of men were never respected among the Romans .
The northern nations confirmed this , and other prejudices , which sprung from a barbarous pride , and to which also was owing their absurd contempt for useful labour . The only persons esteemed , were lords of manors , and the military . The nobles weresJ many petty tyrants , who abused their own power , and opposed that of the monarch . The Barons were fond of an ostentatious parade , capricious and poor . Every imposition was laid on commerce by duties , tolls , and every other oppresion or exaction such despotic powers could think of .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Manners Of Ancient Times.
In the eighth , and beginning of the ninth century , Rome , no longer the capital of the masters of the universe , attempted to exercise her authority as before , in deposing or making Kings . Deprived of inhabitants or soldiers , by dint of opinions and religious tenets alone she aspired to universal monarchy . By her management , princes were excited to take up arms against each other ; people against their kings , and kings against their people . All merit
consisted in making war , and all virtue in obeying the Church . The dignity of monarchs was degraded by the claims of Rome , which inspired a contempt for Princes , without exciting a love for liberty . Liberty was then comprised in a few absurd romances , and some melancholy tales , the offspring of cloistered indolence . This contributed to cherish that dejection of spirit , that propensity to the marvellous , -so favourable to the interests of superstition . Public affiiirs were greatly affected b y two different people , one from the north , and the other from the south , the disciples of Woden and of
Mahomet . - . ' Charlemagne subdued one of these nations , and maintained his ground against the other . Pie was desirous of engaging the Saxons and Normans to change that religion , which helped to make them so terrible , for another which would dispose them to obedience . Pie -was obliged to wade through seas of blood , and the cross was erected upon heaps of slain . He was less successful against the Arabs ,
conquerors of great part of Asia , Africa and Spain ; nor could he maintain a footing beyond the Pyrenean mountains . The weak and unmanly weapons of scholastic logic , and the controversial armous of Monks , who had such an ascendant that the Emperor used to ask pardon of God for the time he employed in affairs of State , were not weapons to oppose the heroic and daring enthusiasm and valour of the
Arabs . Constantinople , the capital of the degraded Empire , was engaged at this time in the material dispute , if images ought or ought not to be worshipped . The nobility of Europe acquired a' tincture of the manners of the Greeks and Arabs , in their ridiculous expeditions of the Crusades . They became acquainted with their arts and luxury , Which were afterwards held as necessary to happiness . The
Venetians had a more extensive demand for goods they , brought from the East , and the Arabs carried some into France , England , and Germany . These countries had then neither ships nor manufactures to carry on commerce : they laid restraints on it , and the character of merchant was held in contempt . This useful set of men were never respected among the Romans .
The northern nations confirmed this , and other prejudices , which sprung from a barbarous pride , and to which also was owing their absurd contempt for useful labour . The only persons esteemed , were lords of manors , and the military . The nobles weresJ many petty tyrants , who abused their own power , and opposed that of the monarch . The Barons were fond of an ostentatious parade , capricious and poor . Every imposition was laid on commerce by duties , tolls , and every other oppresion or exaction such despotic powers could think of .