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399 CHAPTER. XIX DISPERSION OF GREEK SCHOLARS, AND THEIR INFLUENCE UPON REVIVAL OF LEARNING ; GREEK A BOND OF UNION AMONG PEOPLES OF EMPIRE J DISAPPEARANCE OF BOOKS AFTER LATIN CONQUEST ; DEPARTURE OF SCHOLARS TO ITALY BEGINS AFTER 1204 ; THEIR PRESENCE STIMULATES REVIVAL OF LEARNING; ENTHUSIASM AROUSED IN ITALY FOR STUDY OF GREEK; STUDENTS FROM CONSTANTINOPLE EVERYWHERE WELCOMED ; INCREASED NUMBERS LEAVE AFTER MOSLEM CONQUEST ; RENAISSANCE LARGELY AIDED BY GREEK STUDIES ; MOVEMENT PASSES INTO NORTHERN EUROPE ; MSS. TAKEN FROM CONSTANTINOPLE. Against the manifold evils resulting from the destruction of the empire by the Turks must be set off the dispersion of Greek scholars throughout Italy and the consequent spread of a knowledge of Greek literature throughout Europe. The Greeks of Athens and others belonging to the influence Hellenic race continued during the whole period of the lenism existence of the empire to exercise a powerful influence empire, upon the thought of the empire, upon its government, and upon the Church. At all times there were two influences striving against each other for leadership, one Asiatic and the other Hellenic. Without entering upon the interesting question how far these different and often hostile tendencies left their trace upon the Church and government, it is sufficient for my present purpose to note that the Greek influence prevailed for centuries and, aided by the commercial spirit of the Greek race, which had given them the leading part in the trade of the empire and hellenised every port on the Aegean and the Marmora, succeeded in causing Greek