CENTURIES OF WAR AND WOE.

Convulsions of the Sixth Century.—​Corruption of the Church.—​The Rise of Monasteries.—​Rivalry between Rome and Constantinople.—​Mohammed and his Career.—​His Personal Appearance.—​His System of Religion.—​His Death.—​Military Expeditions of the Moslems.—​The Threatened Conquest of Europe.—​Capture of Alexandria.—​Burning of the Library.—​Rise of the Feudal System.—​Charlemagne.—​Barbarian Antagonism to Christianity.

[CHAPTER XXI.]

THE DARK AGES.

The Anticipated Second Coming of Christ.—​State of the World in the Tenth Century.—​Enduring Architecture.—​Power of the Papacy.—​Vitality of the Christian Religion.—​The Pope and the Patriarch.—​Intolerance of Hildebrand.—​Humiliation of the Emperor Henry IV.—​Farewell Letter of Monomaque.—​The Crusades.—​Vladimir of Russia.—​His Introduction of Christianity to his Realms.—​Marriage with the Christian Princess Anne.—​Extirpation of Paganism.—​The Baptism.—​The Spiritual Conversion of Vladimir.

[CHAPTER XXII.]

THE REFORMATION.

Two Aspects of Catholicism.—​Jubilee at Rome.—​Infamy of Philip of France.—​Banditti Bishops.—​Sale of Indulgences.—​Tetzel the Peddler.—​The Rise of Protestantism.—​Luther and the Diet at Worms.—​Intolerance of Charles V.—​Civil War and its Reverses.—​Perfidy of Charles V.—​Coalition against the Protestants.—​Abdication and Death.

[CHAPTER XXIII.]

THE MASSACRE OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW.