IffilDDLE AGES. 464 MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE. During this period the Xormans (q.v.) conquered Enjiland. Southern Italy, and Sicily, and strong monarchies began to develop in England, Fnince, and Spain. Ever since the early part of the eightli century Christendom had been waging a fierce warfare against the Moliammcdan ])ower in the West. At the close of the elcvciitli cen- tury began a great onslaught of Western Europe upon the Mohammedan power in the East, known as the Crusades. The broadening of the horizon, the resultant skepticism, and the enrichment of Europe, which resulted from the Crusades, caused the progress in many lines to be more rapid. The twelfth and thirteenth centuries were periods of great intellectual activity, marked by the foimda- tion of universities, the prevalence of heresy, the development of vernacular literature, the rise of the cities, the growth of national feeling. The following centuries are generally designated the period of the Renaissance (q.v.). It is difficult to describe the Middle Ages as a whole, because there was a constant evolution for over 1000 years. The characteristics which contrast most sharply with those of the classical world are these: In the Middle Ages the civiliza- tion as a whole was much ruder and mixed with barbaric elements; the individual was of greater importance than the State: men were dominated by a militant, vital religion. If contrasted with the modern period which followed: In the ^Middle Ages the human intellect was restricted bj- a deference to the authority of tradition in every phase of life, which was wliidly at variance with the critical and skeptical attitude of thought. Again, the physical world, the world of investi- gation, the world of action, were very limited for the media-val num. The discoveries at the close of the fifteenth Centura- which disclosed new con- tinents were coincident with the development of the printing press, the revolution in warfare due to the introduction of gunpowder, and the dis- coveries in the various .scii'nces which opened new worlds of thought and activity. The im- portant artistic activity of the ^fiddle Ages falls into three distinct epochs, the Early Christian (see Christian Art), Romanesque, and (iothic. under which titles the art of the period is treated. Of general works dealing with the Middle Ages the following may be noted: Lavisse and Rambaud. IJi.iloirr q{-n{-rnlr, vols, i.-ii., with helpful bibliographies (Paris. I80.'?-04) ; fJib- bon. Dcrlhir uiid Fall. ed. Bury (London. ISOfi- 1(100) : Hryce. Ilohi h'onuin Empire (ib., l.'^T.'?) : Poole. lUuslrationx of the llintori/ of Mrrlidrnl Thouf/hl (ib., 1884) ; Milnian. Latin rhrintianilii (ib., 1883) : Assman, Grxi-hichle den Mittilnllrrn (Rrunswick. 18r,."?-fi2) ; Ilodgkin. Jtahi and Tier Iiiiddrr.i (Oxford. 1880) ; Bury. Later Jioman Kmpire (London. 1880) : Oregorovius, Tlixtorii of the fit)/ of Itome in the Middle .tf/rs (ib,, 1804- 1000) : Lacroix, The Arts in the Middle Apes (ill.. 1S80) : id., ffcienee and Literature in the Middle Apen (ib.. 1880) : Lecky. Tlisloni of Eu- riipean Morals ( ib., ]S7.t); .dams. Cirili::iilion Durimj the Middle Af/es (New York. 1S8.'?) ; Enierton. Introduction to the Middle Af/e.i (Bos- ton. 189fi) : id.. Medirrval Europe (ib.. 1800): Oman. European History, 'itdftlH (London. 1803) : Tout. The Empire and the Papaei/. fllS- J27S (ib.. 1808) : Cunningham. Wenlern Cirili:a- tion (Mediaval and Modern Tinies) (Cambridge. England, 1000). .S'e articles on the various nations and the separate biographies of rulers and important men. MID'DLEBORO. A town, inchiding several villages, in Plymouth Countv, ilass., 35 miles south by east of Boston; on the Xemasket River, and on four branches of the Xew York. New Haven and Hartford Railroa<l (Map: Massa- chusetts, F 4). It has a public library, is an attractive .summer resort on account of the picturesqueness of its scenery, and is noted as an industrial centre. Its manufacturing in- terests, which are promoted by the valuable water-power derived from three falls, are rep- resented by several large shoe factories, wool- en mills, jmrhu'-grate works, iron foundries, saw and planing mills, marble works, and varnish and stove polish factories. The government is administered bv town meetings. Population, in 1800. GO().t: in 1000. 688.5. Settled about 1002 on the site of an old Indian village. Xemasket, iliddleboro was incorporated in 10(50. Consult Barber, Historical Collections of Massachusetts (Worcester, 1840). MID'DLEBURY. A village and the county- scat of Addison County, Vt. : 50 miles south- west of the State capital. Montpclier, on the Rutland Railroad (ilap: Vermont. B .5). The village is situated in the Otter Creek Valley, near the Green Mountains, in a region of pic- tiresque scenery. It is the seat of Middlcbury College (q.v.), and has the Sheldon Art Museum and Library, a ladies' library, and a fine coirt- house and opera house; also attractive fair grounds. The industries are represented by agri- cultural interests and by several marble quar- ries, nuirble mills, iron foundry, lime kilns, and Hour, saw, door, sash, and pulp mills. The village possesses valuable water power. L'nder a revised charter of 1877. Middlcbury is gov- erned by a board of trustees, chosen annually, who elect subordinate administrative officers. Population, in ISOO. 171)2; in 1000. 1807. Mid- dlcl)ury was founded in 1773. but. owing to threatened attacks from the English and the Indians, was almost completely deserted during the Revolutionary' War. In 1813 it was incor- porated as the borough, and in 1832 as the village of Jliddlebury. Consult Swift. History of the Tou-n of Midd'lrbtiry (Middlcbury. 1859). MIDDLEBXJRY COLLEGE. A college es- tal.Ji-licd at Middhbury. 'l.. in 1800. under no denominational contnd. although its allilia- tions are Congregatiimal. It is a purely colle- giate institution, with a curriculum, partially elective, leading to the degrees of B... and B.S. The de[)artments of instruction are mental and moral science. (Jreek. Latin. English, mod- ern languages, history and political science, physics and mathematics, chemistry and nat- ural history. In 1002 it had 11 instructors. 118 students, a library of 2fl.l.">4 volinnes, an endow- ment of $400.000. 'and an income of .■?24.non. The campus, presented to the corporation by Col. Seth Storrs in ISIO. is a beautiful iiark of 30 acres. It contains five buildings; Painter Hall (1814), Starr Hall (18liO), the Chapel (1880), the Egbert Starr Library (1000). and the Warner Science Hall (1001). Middlcbury has been co- educational since 1883. luit in 1002 a charter was granted by the Legislature, authorizing the es- tablishment by the corp<iraf ii>n of a separate col- lege for wonu>n. The centennial of the college
