导 读

— 001 —

LECTURE THE FIRST

Object of the course — History of European civilization — Part taken

by France in the civilization of Europe — Civilization a fit subject

for narrative — it s the most general fact in history — The ordinary

and popular meaning of the word civilization — Two leading

facts constitute civilization: 1. The development of society; 2. The

development of the individual — Demonstration — These two facts

are necessarily connected the one with the other, and, sooner or later,

produce the one with the other — Is the destiny of man limited wholly

within his actual social condition? — The history of civilization may

be exhibited and considered under two points of view — Remarks on

the plan of the course — The present state of men’ minds, and

the prospects of civilization.

— 001 —

SECOND LECTURE

Purpose of the lecture — Unity of ancient civilization — Variety ofcentury — The clergy exercising municipal functions — Good and

evil influence of the church — The barbarians — They introduce

into the modern world the sentiments of personal independence, and

the devotion of man to man — Summary of the different elements of

civilization in the beginning of the fifth century.

— 026 —

THIRD LECTURE

Object of the lecture — All the various systems pretend to be

legitimate — What is political legitimacy? Co-existence of all systems

of government in the fifth century — Instability in the condition of

persons properties and institutions — There were two causes of this,

one material, the continuation of the invasion; the other moral, the

selfish sentiment of individuality peculiar to the barbarians — The

germs of civilization have been the necessity for order, the recollections

of the Roman empire, the Christian church, and the barbarians —

Attempts at organization by the barbarians, by the towns, by the church

of Spain, by Charlemagne, and Alfred — The German and Arabian

invasions cease — The feudal system begins.

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FOURTH LECTURE

Object of the lecture — Necessary alliance between facts and

doctrines — Preponderance of the country over the towns —

Organization of a small feudal society — Influence of feudalism upon

the character of the possessor of the fief, and upon the spirit of

family — Hatred of the people towards the feudal system — The priestFIFTH LECTURE

Object of the lecture — Religion is a principle of association —

Constraint is not of the essence of government — Conditions of the

most worthy; 2. The liberty of the governed must be respected — The

church being a corporation, and not a caste, fulfilled the first of these

conditions — Of the various methods of nomination and election

that existed therein — It wanted the other condition, on account of

the abusive employment of force — Movement and liberty of spirit

in the bosom of the church — Relations of the church with princes —

The independence of spiritual power laid down as a principle —

Pretensions and efforts of the church to usurp the temporal power.

— 105 —

SIXTH LECTURE

Object of the lecture — Separation of the governing and the governed

party in the church — Indirect influence of the laity upon the clergy —

The clergy recruited from all conditions of society — Influence of the

church upon the public order and upon legislation — The penitential

system — The development of the human mind is entirely theological — The

church usually ranges itself on the side of power — Not to be wondered

at; the aim of religions is to regulate human liberty — Different states

of the church, from the fifth to the twelfth century — 1st. The imperial

church — 2nd. The barbaric church; development of the separating

principle of the two powers; the monastic order — 3rd. The feudal

church; attempts at organization; want of reform; Gregory VII — The

theocratical church — Regeneration of the spirit of inquiry; Abailard —

Movement of the boroughs — No connexion between these two facts.question — 1st. The enfranchisement of the boroughs — State of

the towns from the fifth to the tenth century — Their decay and

regeneration — Communal insurrection — Charters — Social

and moral effects of the enfranchisement of the boroughs — 2nd.

Internal government of the boroughs — Assemblies of the people —

Magistrates — High and low burghership — Diversity of the state of

the boroughs in the different countries of Europe.

— 156 —

EIGHTH LECTURE

Object of the lecture — Glance at the general history of European

civilization — Its distinctive and fundamental character — Epoch

at which that character began to appear — State of Europe from the

twelfth to the sixteenth century — Character of the crusades — Their

moral and social causes — These causes no longer existed at the end of

the thirteenth century — Effects of the crusades upon civilization.

— 181 —

NINTH LECTURE

Object of the lecture — Important part taken by royalty in the history

of Europe, and in the history of the world — True causes of this

importance — Two-fold point of view under which the institution

of royalty should be considered — 1st. It is true and permanent

nature — It is the personification of the sovereignty of right — With

what limits — 2nd. Its flexibility and diversity — European royalty

seems to be the result of various kinds of royalty — Of barbarian

royalty Of imperial royalty — Of religious royalty — Of feudal

royalty — Of modern royalty, properly so called, and of its true

character.

— 202 —

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