Page:The Classical Heritage of the Middle Ages.djvu/23

i] INTRODUCTION 5 to be carried over in theological, ethical, or historical writings or in more strictly literary compositions. For example, the pagan matter is apt to be allegorized or treated mystically or symbolically, and novel and more spiritual meaning is given to what is taken.^ More- over, the later and partially decadent pagan sources are usually employed. The fifth century concludes the course of the deca- dence of independent self-existent paganism. Chris- tianity was already showing itself a new power and inspiration in thought, letters, and art. Yet its spirit and its principles differed so essentially from those of the classical antique that some of its elements of strength corresponded with what were defects accord- ing to classical standards. Self-control, measure, limit, proportion, clarity, and definiteness were principles of the antique ; the Christian spirit broke through them all. Its profound spirituality, often turning to mysti- cism, had not the clarity of classic limitation. It did not recognize limit Its reach was infinite, and there- fore its expressions were often affected with indefinite- ness. Classic self-control meant measure, nothing in excess. Christian self-control soon came to mean the exclusion of a part of life ; it knew no measure ; of what it condemned it could not have too little, of what it approved it could not have enough. The higher paganism sought to weigh and proportion the elements of mortal life according to their intrinsic values and their relations to the economy of human happiness. Christianity scarcely regarded these mortal balancings. It had its own universal principle of proportion men t, 1 The myth of the Phoenix Is an example, Bwpost^ p. 279. ■i