Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from With Illustrative d104s From Masterpiece of Egyptian, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Modern European and American Literature Fully Illustrated, Vol. 6
While the men of the Middle Ages studied and admired, as we have seen, the masterpieces of Latin literature, they read to a great extent for the purpose of deriving moral benefit rather than for literary enjoyment. In education as in re ligion, emphasis was laid on the future life; the actual, present life in this world was regarded as corrupt, and not worthy of consideration except as a preparation for Heaven. So in interpreting literature, the literal meaning of the words was secondary in importance, being merely a veil which hid the allegorical, or true meaning. These characteristics prevailed over all civilized Europe. Indeed, one striking thing about the Middle Ages is the uniformity of all countries. Even the most learned writers had no idea of criticism or of historical perspective; any statement was accepted as true, so that knowledge became a matter of tra dition. Submission to intellectual and religious authority was absolute and unquestioning. Society was organized under the feudal system. It was a time of unbounded enthusiasm for ideals, of faith in the unseen. The Middle Ages culminate in the thirteenth century with St. Thomas Aquinas the scho lastic theologian, St. Francis of Assisi the friend of the poor, St. Dominic the preacher, and Dante the poet of justice, love and righteousness.
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