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THAT THEY SPOKE OF A RENAISSANCE
OR RE…BIRTH OF CIVILISATION
THE Renaissance was not a political or religious movement。
It was a state of mind。
The men of the Renaissance continued to be the obedient
sons of the mother church。 They were subjects of kings and
emperors and dukes and murmured not。
But their outlook upon life was changed。 They began to
wear different clothesto speak a different languageto live
different lives in different houses。
They no longer concentrated all their thoughts and their
efforts upon the blessed existence that awaited them in Heaven。
They tried to establish their Paradise upon this planet； and；
truth to tell； they succeeded in a remarkable degree。
I have quite often warned you against the danger that
lies in historical dates。 People take them too literally。 They
think of the Middle Ages as a period of darkness and ignor…
ance。 ‘‘Click；'' says the clock； and the Renaissance begins and
cities and palaces are flooded with the bright sunlight of an
eager intellectual curiosity。
As a matter of fact； it is quite impossible to draw such
sharp lines。 The thirteenth century belonged most decidedly
to the Middle Ages。 All historians agree upon that。 But was
it a time of darkness and stagnation merely？ By no means。
People were tremendously alive。 Great states were being
founded。 Large centres of commerce were being developed。
High above the turretted towers of the castle and the peaked
roof of the town…hall； rose the slender spire of the newly built
Gothic cathedral。 Everywhere the world was in motion。 The
high and mighty gentlemen of the city…hall； who had just become
conscious of their own strength （by way of their recently
acquired riches） were struggling for more power with their
feudal masters。 The members of the guilds who had just become
aware of the important fact that ‘‘numbers count'' were
fighting the high and mighty gentlemen of the city…hall。 The
king and his shrewd advisers went fishing in these troubled
waters and caught many a shining bass of profit which they
proceeded to cook and eat before the noses of the surprised and
disappointed councillors and guild brethren。
To enliven the scenery during the long hours of evening
when the badly lighted streets did not invite further political
and economic dispute； the Troubadours and Minnesingers told
their stories and sang their songs of romance and adventure
and heroism and loyalty to all fair women。 Meanwhile youth；
impatient of the slowness of progress； flocked to the universities；
and thereby hangs a story。
The Middle Ages were ‘‘internationally minded。'' That
sounds difficult； but wait until I explain it to you。 We modern
people are ‘‘nationally minded。'' We are Americans or Englishmen
or Frenchmen or Italians and speak English or French
or Italian and go to English and French and Italian universities；
unless we want to specialise in some particular branch
of learning which is only taught elsewhere； and then we learn
another language and go to Munich or Madrid or Moscow。
But the people of the thirteenth or fourteenth century rarely
talked of themselves as Englishmen or Frenchmen or Italians。
They said； ‘‘I am a citizen of Sheffield or Bordeaux or Genoa。''
Because they all belonged to one and the same church they felt
a certain bond of brotherhood。 And as all educated men could
speak Latin； they possessed an international language which
removed the stupid language barriers which have grown up
in modern Europe and which place the small nations at such
an enormous disadvantage。 Just as an example； take the case
of Erasmus； the great preacher of tolerance and laughter； who
wrote his books in the sixteenth century。 He was the native
of a small Dutch village。 He wrote in Latin and all the world
was his audience。 If he were alive to…day； he would write in
Dutch。 Then only five or six million people would be able to
read him。 To be understood by the rest of Europe and America；
his publishers would be obliged to translate his books into
twenty different languages。 That would cost a lot of money
and most likely the publishers would never take the trouble
or the risk。
Six hundred years ago that could not happen。 The greater
part of the people were still very ignorant and could not read
or write at all。 But those who had mastered the difficult art
of handling the goose…quill belonged to an international republic
of letters which spread across the entire continent and which
knew of no boundaries and respected no limitations of language
or nationality。 The universities were the strongholds of
this republic。 Unlike modern fortifications； they did not follow
the frontier。 They were to be found wherever a teacher
and a few pupils happened to find themselves together。 There
again the Middle Ages and the Renaissance differed from our
own time。 Nowadays； when a new university is built； the
process （almost invariably） is as follows： Some rich man
wants to do something for the community in which he lives or
a particular religious sect wants to build a school to keep its
faithful children under decent supervision； or a state needs doc…
tors and lawyers and teachers。 The university begins as a
large sum of money which is deposited in a bank。 This money
is then used to construct buildings and laboratories and dormitories。
Finally professional teachers are hired； entrance examinations
are held and the university is on the way。
But in the Middle Ages things were done differently。 A wise man
said to himself； ‘‘I have discovered a great truth。 I must impart my
knowledge to others。'' And he began to preach his wisdom
wherever and whenever he could get a few people to listen to him；
like a modern soap…box orator。 If he was an interesting speaker； the
crowd came and stayed。 If he was dull； they shrugged their shoulders
and continued their way。
By and by certain young men began to come regularly to hear
the words of wisdom of this great teacher。 They brought copybooks
with them and a little bottle of ink and a goose quill and
wrote down what seemed to be important。 One day it rained。
The teacher and his pupils retired to an empty basement or
the room of the ‘‘Professor。'' The learned man sat in his chair
and the boys sat on the floor。 That was the beginning of the
University； the ‘‘universitas；'' a corporation of professors and
students during the Middle Ages； when the ‘‘teacher'' counted
for everything and the building in which he taught counted for
very little。
As an example； let me tell you of something that happened
in the ninth century。 In the town of Salerno near Naples there
were a number of excellent physicians。 They attracted people
desirous of learning the medical profession and for almost a
thousand years （until 1817） there was a university of Salerno
which taught the wisdom of Hippocrates； the great Greek doctor
who had practiced his art in ancient Hellas in the fifth