雙語+MP3|美國學(xué)生世界歷史47 兩個帝國，兩個皇帝

47
Two Empires, Two Emperors
兩個帝國，兩個皇帝

     FEUROPE had been in the dark for three hundred years. You know what I mean. There were not enough educated people to make it bright.
     The Arabs were bright, but they were not in Europe.
     In 800 there was a man-a king-who by his might and power was able to join the pieces of Europe together once again to form a new Roman Empire. He was not a Roman, however, but a Frank. Franks, you remember, were one of the Germanic tribes that ruled Europe after the end of the Roman Empire. This king of the Franks was named Charles. He was a grandson of the Charles the Hammer who had stopped the Muslims at Tours, and he was called by the French name Charlemagne, which means Charles the Great.
     Charlemagne at first was king of France alone, but he was not satisfied to be king of that country only. He soon conquered the countries on each side of him, parts of Spain and Germany. He built his capital in a place in Germany called Aachen, or Aix-la-Chapelle in French. At Aix-la-Chapelle there were warm springs which made fine baths, and Charlemagne was very fond of bathing and was a fine swimmer.
     A large part of Italy was then ruled over by the pope. But the pope was having a good deal of trouble with some tribes in the north of Italy, and he asked Charlemagne if he wouldn't come down and conquer them. Charlemagne was quite ready and willing to help the pope, so he went over into Italy and easily settled those troublesome tribes. The pope was grateful to Charlemagne for this and wished to reward him.
     Now, Christians everywhere used to make trips to Rome in order to pray at the great Church of St. Peter, which had been built over the spot where St. Peter had been crucified. Well, at Christmas time in the Year 800 Charlemagne paid such a visit to Rome. On Christmas day he went to the Church of St. Peter and was praying at the altar when the pope came forward and put a crown on his head. The pope then hailed him Emperor, and as the pope at that time could make kings and emperors, Charlemagne became emperor of Italy added to the other countries over which he already ruled. Charlemagne's empire was now like a new but smaller Roman Empire, but with this big difference: it was ruled over not by a Roman, but by a Frank.
     In those days, few people had any education, and hardly anyone could read or write. Charlemagne wanted an education. He was so anxious to know everything there was to be known. He wanted to be able to do everything anyone could do, but there was no one in his own country who knew enough or was able to teach him. In England, however, there was a very learned monk named Alcuin. He knew more than anyone else in Northern Europe, so Charlemagne invited Alcuin to come over from England and teach him and his people. Alcuin taught both Christian literature and also some Latin and Greek writings that had survived the years of warfare in Europe.
     Charlemagne learned all these things very easily, but when it came to the simple matter of learning to write he found this very hard. He did learn to read, but he seemed unable to learn to write. It is said that he slept with his writing pad under his pillow and practiced whenever he awoke. Yet he never learned to write much more than his name. He did not begin to study until he was a grown man, but he kept on studying all the rest of his life. To make sure that others would have the opportunity he missed, Charlemagne ordered every monastery in his kingdom to open a school. He also opened a school right in his own palace. Why do you suppose he did that?
     In spite of the fact that Charlemagne's daughters were princesses, he had them taught how to weave and sew and make clothes and cook just as if they had to earn their own living. Although Charlemagne was such a rich and powerful monarch and could have everything he wanted, he preferred to eat plain food and dress in plain clothes. He did not like all the finery that those about him loved. One day, just to make his nobles see how ridiculously dressed they were in silks and satins, he took them out hunting in the woods while a storm was going on, so that he could laugh at them. You can imagine how their silk and satin robes looked after being soaked with rain, covered with mud, and torn by briers.
     Although his tastes were simple in matters of dress, he made his home a magnificent palace. He furnished it with gold and silver tables and chairs and other gorgeous furniture. He built in it swimming pools and a wonderful library and a theater and surrounded it with beautiful gardens.
     At this time and all through the Dark Ages people had a strange way of finding out whether a person had stolen or committed a murder or any other crime. The person suspected was not taken into court and tried before a judge and a jury to see whether he was telling the truth and had done the thing or not. Instead he was made to carry a redhot iron for ten steps, or to dip his arm into boiling water, or to walk over red-hot coals. If he were not guilty, it was thought no harm would come to him, or if he was burned, it was thought that the bum would heal right away. This was called trial by ordeal. It probably started from the story told in the Bible of Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego, who, you remember, in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, had walked through the fiery furnace unharmed because they had done no wrong. Though Charlemagne was so intelligent, he believed in the trial by ordeal. Today we have no such cruel and unfair way of finding out whether one is guilty or not. Yet we say of a person who has a lot of trouble that seems to be a test of his character, "He is going through an ordeal."
     While Charlemagne was living, there was a caliph in far-off Baghdad named Harun, which is the Arabic spelling of Aaron. You may have heard of him if you have read any of the Arabian Nights, for the stories of the Arabian Nights were written at this time, and Harun is described in them. Although Harun was a Muslim, not a Christian, and though he was ruler of an empire that fought the Christians, nevertheless he admired Charlemagne very much. To show how much he thought of him, he sent him valuable presents-among other things, a clock which struck the hours, which you remember, was an invention of the Arabs. This was a great curiosity, for there were then no clocks in Europe. People had to tell time by the shadow the sun cast on a sundial, or else by the amount of water or sand that dripped or ran out from one jar to another. He also sent Charlemagne an elephant, which was a great curiosity at the court of the Frankish king.
     Harun was a very wise and good ruler over the Muslims, and that is why he came to be called al-Rashid, which means the Just. Do you remember what Greek was also called the Just? Harun used to disguise himself as a workman and go about among his people. He would talk with those he met along the street and in the market place, trying to find out how they felt about his government and about things in general. He found they would talk freely to him when he was dressed in old clothes, for then they did not know who he was but thought him a fellow workman. In this way, Harun learned a great deal about his people's troubles and what they liked or didn't like about his rule. He then would go back to his palace and give orders to have rules and laws made to correct anything that seemed wrong or unjust.
     After Charlemagne died there was no one great enough or strong enough to hold the new Roman Empire together, and once again it broke up into small pieces; and, "All the king's horses and all the king's men could not put it together again."