return too; everywhere the litigious crowd murmurs round; and follows
him at evening, when he goes to supper, or gets its matters settled
by the officers of the court, who have to stay there till bed-time.
At supper, though there are but rarely 'mimici sales,' which I cannot
translate--some sort of jesting: but biting and cruel insults
(common at the feasts of the Roman Emperors) are never allowed. His
taste in music is severe. No water-organs, flute-player, lyrist,
cymbal or harp-playing woman is allowed. All he delights in is the
old Teutonic music, whose virtue (says the bishop) soothes the soul
no less than does its sound the ear. When he rises from table the
guards for the night are set, and armed men stand at all the doors,
to watch him through the first hours of sleep.



LECTURE IV.--THE GOTHIC CIVILIZER



Let us follow the fortunes of Italy and of Rome. They are not only a
type of the fortunes of the whole western world, but the fortunes of
that world, as you will see, depend on Rome.

You must recollect, meanwhile, that by the middle of the fifth
century, the Western Empire had ceased to exist. The Angles and
Saxons were fighting their way into Britain. The Franks were settled
in north France and the lower Rhineland. South of them, the centre
of Gaul still remained Roman, governed by Counts of cities, who were
all but independent sovereigns, while they confessed a nominal
allegiance to the Emperor of Constantinople. Their power was