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babies； making too many million mud…pies at the same time。
But to the small infant they represent another expedition into
the pleasant realm of art。 The baby is now a sculptor。
At the age of three or four； when the hands begin to obey
the brain； the child becomes a painter。 His fond mother gives
him a box of coloured chalks and every loose bit of paper is
rapidly covered with strange pothooks and scrawls which represent
houses and horses and terrible naval battles。
Soon however this happiness of just ‘‘making things''
comes to an end。 School begins and the greater part of the
day is filled up with work。 The business of living； or rather
the business of ‘‘making a living；'' becomes the most important
event in the life of every boy and girl。 There is little time left
for ‘‘art'' between learning the tables of multiplication and the
past participles of the irregular French verbs。 And unless
the desire for making certain things for the mere pleasure of
creating them without any hope of a practical return be very
strong； the child grows into manhood and forgets that the
first five years of his life were mainly devoted to art。
Nations are not different from children。 As soon as the
cave…man had escaped the threatening dangers of the long and
shivering ice…period； and had put his house in order； he began
to make certain things which he thought beautiful； although
they were of no earthly use to him in his fight with the wild
animals of the jungle。 He covered the walls of his grotto with
pictures of the elephants and the deer which he hunted； and
out of a piece of stone； he hacked the rough figures of those
women he thought most attractive。
As soon as the Egyptians and the Babylonians and the
Persians and all the other people of the east had founded
their little countries along the Nile and the Euphrates； they
began to build magnificent palaces for their kings； invented
bright pieces of jewellery for their women and planted gardens
which sang happy songs of colour with their many bright flowers。
Our own ancestors； the wandering nomads from the distant
Asiatic prairies； enjoying a free and easy existence as
fighters and hunters； composed songs which celebrated the
mighty deeds of their great leaders and invented a form of
poetry which has survived until our own day。 A thousand years
later； when they had established themselves on the Greek mainland；
and had built their ‘‘city…states；'' they expressed their
joy （and their sorrows） in magnificent temples； in statues； in
comedies and in tragedies； and in every conceivable form of
art。
The Romans； like their Carthaginian rivals； were too busy
administering other people and making money to have much
love for ‘‘useless and unprofitable'' adventures of the spirit。
They conquered the world and built roads and bridges but they
borrowed their art wholesale from the Greeks。 They invented
certain practical forms of architecture which answered the
demands of their day and age。 But their statues and their histories
and their mosaics and their poems were mere Latin imi…
tations of Greek originals。 Without that vague and hard…to…
define something which the world calls ‘‘personality；'' there can
be no art and the Roman world distrusted that particular sort
of personality。 The Empire needed efficient soldiers and
tradesmen。 The business of writing poetry or making pictures
was left to foreigners。
Then came the Dark Ages。 The barbarian was the proverbial
bull in the china…shop of western Europe。 He had no use
for what he did not understand。 Speaking in terms of the year
1921； he liked the magazine covers of pretty ladies； but threw
the Rembrandt etchings which he had inherited into the ash…
can。 Soon he came to learn better。 Then he tried to undo the
damage which he had created a few years before。 But the ash…
cans were gone and so were the pictures。
But by this time； his own art； which he had brought with
him from the east； had developed into something very beautiful
and he made up for his past neglect and indifference by the so…
called ‘‘art of the Middle Ages'' which as far as northern Europe
is concerned was a product of the Germanic mind and had
borrowed but little from the Greeks and the Latins and nothing
at all from the older forms of art of Egypt and Assyria； not
to speak of India and China； which simply did not exist； as far
as the people of that time were concerned。 Indeed； so little
had the northern races been influenced by their southern neighbours
that their own architectural products were completely
misunderstood by the people of Italy and were treated by
them with downright and unmitigated contempt。
You have all heard the word Gothic。 You probably associate
it with the picture of a lovely old cathedral； lifting its slender
spires towards high heaven。 But what does the word really
mean？
It means something ‘‘uncouth'' and ‘‘barbaric''something
which one might expect from an ‘‘uncivilised Goth；'' a rough
backwoods…man who had no respect for the established rules of
classical art and who built his ‘‘modern horrors'' to please his
own low tastes without a decent regard for the examples of
the Forum and the Acropolis。
And yet for several centuries this form of Gothic architecture
was the highest expression of the sincere feeling for art
which inspired the whole northern continent。 From a previous
chapter； you will remember how the people of the late Middle
Ages lived。 Unless they were peasants and dwelt in villages；
they were citizens of a ‘‘city'' or ‘‘civitas；'' the old Latin name
for a tribe。 And indeed； behind their high walls and their deep
moats； these good burghers were true tribesmen who shared
the common dangers and enjoyed the common safety and prosperity
which they derived from their system of mutual protection。
In the old Greek and Roman cities the market…place； where
the temple stood； had been the centre of civic life。 During
the Middle Ages； the Church； the House of God； became such a
centre。 We modern Protestant people； who go to our church
only once a week； and then for a few hours only； hardly know
what a mediaeval church meant to the community。 Then； before
you were a week old； you were taken to the Church to be
baptised。 As a child； you visited the Church to learn the holy
stories of the Scriptures。 Later on you became a member
of the congregation； and if you were rich enough you built
yourself a separate little chapel sacred to the memory of the
Patron Saint of your own family。 As for the sacred edifice；
it was open at all hours of the day and many of the night。 In
a certain sense it resembled a modern club； dedicated to all the
inhabitants of the town。 In the church you very likely caught
a first glimpse of the girl who was to become your bride at a
great ceremony before the High Altar。 And finally； when the
end of the journey had come； you were buried beneath the
stones of this familia