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— 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.
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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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