CHAP. I.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

9

by one of whom it was probably brought by arare exception. When that style became generalan age or two later, whether it came through Spainor Italy, or round by the German woods, resem-bling the intersection of the top branches of treesin a Druidic avenue, or if it originated in the East atall, or in what part of it, are questions that remainas undetermined as ever. Why further painfuldetails ? The sense of severe depression is apparent.The humane spirit of Christianity, the religion oflove and kindness, had indeed struggled long withthe manners and maxims of the world; and as farback as the thick night of the sixth century, St.Gregory had told them that nature had made allmen free; and that the yoke of servitude, intro-duced by what was called the law of nations, wasutterly repugnant to the law of Christ.

But what the poor peasant beheld was in awfulcontradiction to such consoling doctrines ; thatbreathed of pure republican liberty, or St. Simonismof the eighteenth century, or even Socialism, with-out the dangerous, sanguinary, most illogical con-sequences drawn from it by insanity, ignorance, orwickedness. A vague tradition—if it existed—ofsome past legislation, only increased discontent.So what conclude, but that the sole resource wasto turn to the priest, and follow his advice blindly ?