SCHOLASTIC PRELUDE TO MODERN SCIENCE. 735 



record of centuries as having escaped the influence of great or fre- 

 quent immigrations, while the short-lived nations of the West have 

 been repeatedly changed or destroyed by the admixture of foreign 

 elements. The laws which have controlled the destinies of nations in 

 the past are still in operation ; as the Preacher has said, " That which 

 has been done is that which will be done, and there is no new thing 

 under the sun." 



THE SCHOLASTIC PRELUDE TO MODERN SCIENCE.* 



By HENET DUNCAN MACLEOD, M. A. 



'j 



IN the latter half of the sixteenth century a wondrous change came 

 over the spirit of the nation which then held the foremost place 

 in culture and civilization. 



After twelve centuries of existence, the Niobe of nations had ful- 

 filled her destiny. By the middle of the fifth century her empire, 

 which had extended from the Euphrates to the Tagus, and from the 

 Forth to the cataracts of the Nile, had seen province after province 

 rent away from her, and had shrunk within the limits of Italy. Rome, 

 which had not seen a foreign foe for seven centuries, had been four 

 times sacked by the barbarians. The free yeomen of the bright days 

 of the republic had perished in the civil wars. The land was parceled 

 out among a small number of gigantic proprietors, and cultivated ex- 

 clusively by slaves. Tillage had nearly ceased, and all the supplies of 

 corn came from the provinces. With the loss of these the supplies 

 failed, and the population was reduced to the lowest depths of misery. 

 War, pestilence, and famine desolated whole provinces. The army 

 was a host of mercenary barbarians. In 476 they peremptorily de- 

 manded that one third of the lands of Italy should be divided among 

 them. The youthful Emperor had the spirit to refuse this demand, 

 and took refuge in Pavia, where he was immediately besieged : the 

 town was captured and pillaged : and the Emperor laid down his un- 

 easy crown. The Senate ignominiously surrendered the vacant author- 

 ity to the Emperor of the East ; and Odoacer, the military commander, 

 reigned in Italy. One third of the lands was immediately confiscated 

 and divided among the successful mutineers. 



Sixteen years afterward, a new swarm of barbarians under Theodo- 

 ric conquered the country and effected new confiscations and settle- 

 ments ; and for thirty years the land enjoyed peace and prosperity 

 under the reign of the wise Theodoric. But in 568, Alboin, King of 

 the Lombards, introduced a new host, and founded a dynasty which 



* Abstracted from Macleod's " Elements of Economics," Book I, " History of Eco- 

 nomics." D. Appleton & Co. 



