THE SEQUOIA 



and then followed the establishment of the Mohammedan re- 

 ligion, which, during the next one hundred and fifty years, 

 reached the zenith of its power and threatened to overrun the 

 whole world. This Saracenic invasion was checked at the battle 

 of Tours (732), in which the Franks under Charles Martel 

 overwhelmingly defeated the Mohammedans. The beginning of 

 the next century was marked with the crowning of Charlemagne 

 on Christmas day, 800. This monarch made a noble effort to 

 educate his people by establishing a school at his court and in- 

 viting thither the few learned men of his time. 



The climatic conditions in California during a.d. 800 and the 

 year preceding must have been very favorable for the growth of 

 our tree, which had already attained the size of a large elm. Its 

 growth during these two years, indicated by the large rings, was 

 phenomenal. 



During this century occurred also the effort of King Alfred to 

 establish schools in England. The hardy Norsemen began their 

 bold voyages in quest of treasure and adventure, colonized Ice- 

 land in 874, discovered Greenland (981), and pushing farther west- 

 ward probably sailed down along the eastern shore of America. 



The Crusades, begun in 1096 and continuing for almost 200 

 years, brought the various European peoples into intercourse, 

 which resulted in exchange of ideas and helped prepare the popu- 

 lar mind for the discoveries which were soon to follow. 



The first half of the thirteenth century saw the founding of 

 the universities. First, the University of Paris (1200), which 

 became the center of theology ; a few years later were founded 

 the University of Bologna, famous for law, and the University 

 of Padua, which attracted the greatest students in medicine. 

 In England, Oxford University was founded in 1249. 



The fifteenth century brought those marvelous discoveries 

 which were of so much importance in the advancement of civil- 

 ization, and which contributed to the growth of science. Print- 

 ing with wooden block type was introduced by John Gutenberg 

 in 1438, and his invention was followed in 1450 with the use of 

 metal type, making the general dissemination of knowledge 

 possible. 



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