none of the volumes will offer more difficulty than this, dealing as it does with a neglected transitionary epoch which has been looked upon as too modern for the student of mediæval, and, most unwisely, as too remote for those dealing with modern history. France occupies a third of the volume, a long chapter being devoted to French civilization, prepared by such distinguished writers as Petit de Julleville, E. Müntz and Levasseur. A very weak chapter follows upon the church and the Papacy. The writer, M. Ém. Chénon, seems to have no conception of the importance of his task, giving us the most commonplace description of this great crisis in the history of the mediæval church. The German affairs are briefly dealt with by G. Blondel. Professor Rambaud gives us a chapter of seventy-six pages on the end of the Eastern Empire, while Italy and the Renaissance is treated within a compass of less than ninety pages. The bibliographies appear to be carefully compiled, and form a most useful feature of the work.

SENATOR LODGE IS always sure of a reading public, because his writings, whatever their faults, never lack vigor and originality. Two of the eight essays in the volume of "Historical and Political Essays appear in print for the first time. The essay on William H. Seward is a corrective of the too common impression, based upon a single circumstance in 1861, that the bold foreign policy of Lincoln's Secretary of State ever degenerated into rashness. The chapter on Gouverneur Morris, together with Roosevelt's admirable biography in the American Statesman series, gives the only satisfactory character sketch in existence of a man whose services to the infant republic have never, until recently, been either known or appreciated. The best of the historical essays is a successful effort to make James Madison less lonely in our political history.

The political essays of the volume, if less convincing, are no less interesting and original. The chapter on the distribution of intellectual ability in the United States, based on the best of our biographical cyclopædias, will not be accepted as a final word by those who understand the conditions under which, in America, such volumes are prepared. Of parliamentary obstruction and parliamentary minorities in the United States, the essayist writes, of course, as a partisan; but after the record of the latest Congress, few will take issue with him. The essay on party allegiance, first given as an address before the Harvard University students, is the apologia pro vita sua of a man who stood by his party when older and more *Historical and Political Essays. By HENRY CABOT LODGE. Pp. 213. Price, $1.25. Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1892.

eminent men were deserting. Never before, perhaps, has Senator Lodge let so much of his best self at his best moments shine forth. The Mugwump reader of this last chapter in the volume, and of Theodore Roosevelt's recent article in Harper's Weekly concerning the essayist, may continue to question the wisdom of party adherence through thick and thin.

IN THE "Englishman at Home," * the author describes, in a popular manner, the principal political and the social institutions of England. He keeps constantly before the reader the English citizen's relations to these various organizations, his part in them and their influence upon him. The first chapter he devotes to municipal government, describing briefly the various local bodies. He gives a short history of their development and explains their present functions. In the second, third and fourth chapters he treats in like manner "The Poor Law and its Administration," "National Elementary Education" and "The Administration of Justice," respectively. Chapter five gives an exceedingly brief account of "Imperial Taxation" as it exists to-day. He wisely avoids any attempt at an historical treatment. Chapter six deals with "Parliament and the Constituencies." Commencing with a short historical account of the extension of the suffrage, the author follows this with a very good description of "Local Political Organizations, Nomination of Candidates, Elections, etc." Under the heading, “Parliament at Work," chapter seven gives a description of the organization of the two Houses, their attitude toward each other and their reception of the speech from the throne. He follows this by an account of the course of legislation from the introduction of a bill until it receives the royal sanction. These two chapters on Parliament are the most completely and satisfactorily treated of any in the book. The author shows intimate acquaintance with this phase of English life. In the remaining six chapters are treated respectively, "The State Departments," "The Church of England and Non-Conformity," "The Military, Naval and Civil Services," "Labor Legislation," The Land and its Owners" and "The Daily Press." These subjects are all treated concisely and discuss chiefly present conditions. At the end of the volume are placed fourteen appendices, giving in tabular form the cost of local government and other useful information.

The book adds nothing new to what had been previously published. The same ground had been well covered by "The English Citizen " series and also by Dr. Todd's excellent work.

* The Englishman at Home, His Responsibilities and Privileges. By EDWARD PORRITT. Pp. 355. Price, $1.75. New York: T. Y. Crowell & Co.

STUDENTS OF AMERICAN political institutions will find an interesting bit of history in Mr. Shambaugh's account of the "Claim Association of Johnson County, Iowa."* The settlers of this county having entered upon their claims before the land was offered for sale were for several years without the pale of civil institutions. They organized a "Claim Association" which lasted from 1839 till 1843, when the lands were opened for sale. The Claim Association was, thus, a temporary government established by frontiersmen to meet their peculiar needs. The student of sociology as well as political science may well consult Mr. Shambaugh's reprint of the "Constitution and Records" of this association of Iowa's early settlers.

PROFESSOR GOLDWIN SMITH has revised and enlarged his "Essays on Questions of the Day." There are no changes of opinion to be found. The essays have been brought up to date; new illustrations and in several instances new arguments based on late events have been added. The preface is interesting for the attention given to our recent industrial disturbances such as Coxeyism and the Pullman strike. He commends the stand taken by President Cleveland. One sentiment in his preface deserves quotation. "We must not forget the origin of these troubles. Dishonesty in the high places of commerce, illicit speculation, watering of stocks, want of integrity in the management of railways, the derangment of currency for a political purpose were sources of the financial crisis from which industrial disturbances flowed, and are as much to blame as the malignant ambition of the labor demagogues who gave the word for the strike." The opening essay of the first edition "Industrial and Social Revolution" has been divided. The part treating Bellamy's book has been given the title "Utopian Visions." "Woman Suffrage" has been strengthened. The actual enlargement by count of this edition over the first is thirtytwo pages of additional matter.

A SECOND REVISED edition of Villari's "Niccolò Machiavelli ei suoi Tempi" is being published. The first volume, embracing that

* Constitution and Records of the Claim Association of Johnson County, Iowa. With Introduction and Notes. By BENJAMIN F. SHAMBAUGH, A. M. Pp. 196. Published by the State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 1894.

+ Essays on Questions of the Day, Political and Social. BY GOLDWIN SMITH, D. C. L. Second edition, revised. Pp. xv, 384. Price, $2.25. New York and London: Macmillan & Co., 1894.

↑ Milano: Hoepli.

portion of the work contained in the first two volumes of the English translation of the first edition, has appeared. The second and third volumes are in press. No essential changes appear to have been made beyond corrections and the addition of two of Machiavelli's letters to those in the appendix of documents.

IN HIS STUDY of "The Inheritance Tax,"* Dr. Max West gives a summary statement of all the inheritance taxes that have been levied between the imposition by the Emperor Augustus in the year 6, A. D., of what is supposed to have been the first one, and the California inheritance tax law of 1893. He shows that nearly every European country has this form of taxation, the differences between the laws of various countries being mainly in rates. Twelve States in this country levy such a tax, the rate varying from two and a half to five per cent. In the latter part of the book the various theories of taxation are very well treated, the legal theory, the economic theory, etc., and the author shows how these various theories of taxation are all well met by the inheritance tax.

One excellent feature of the book is the extensive bibliography. This could have been very much improved by a discriminating between the essential and non-essential works and giving a brief statement of what each of the chief works on the subject contained. A bibliography made in this manner is of great value to the beginner in the study of public finance.

"THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF NATURAL LAW"† is an amusing and curious instance of the outcropping of an old idea. An idea that the student of the history of economic thought would have supposed long since dead. Natural law, the author thinks, rules the universe, in accord with the immutable decrees of God. Man's will is free only to his own undoing. The book has one redeeming feature, an air of comfortable optimism. Mr. Wood seeks to show that the workings of natural law in the realm of economic life are in the main beneficent. He seeks everywhere for proofs of this beneficent action. "All human infelicity, whether physical, social, economic, moral or spiritual, comes from a disregard or violation of the established order.”

* The Inheritance Tax. By MAX WEST, Ph. D. Columbian College Studies, vol. iv, No. 2. Pp. 140. Price, 75 cents. New York: 1893.

The Political Economy of Natural Law. By HENRY WOOD. Pp. 305. Price, $1.25. Boston: Lee & Shepard, 1894.

"Political economy is the outward expression of the play of natural forces of the mind," and these forces of the mind when not disturbed by "artificial forces" work of necessity in accord with beneficent natural law.

The DepartmENT OF History of the University of Pennsylvania has begun the publication of "Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of European History." The editors of the reprints have undertaken the work because they feel the need of making a larger use of the primary sources of history than has thus far beer. customary. They hope to improve the methods of teaching history by enabling students to use the materials of history in their original form." This will enable every student of history to "learn to work for himself," and by methods similar to those employed in the study of the natural sciences. Five of the six numbers which constitute the first series of reprints have appeared. They comprise: I. “The Early Reformation in England. Wolsey, Henry VIII. and Sir Thomas More," edited by Edward P. Cheyney; II. “Urban and the Crusaders," by Dana Carleton Munro; III. "The Restoration and European Policy of Metternich," by James Harvey Robinson; IV. "Letters of the Crusaders," by Dana Carleton Munro, and V. "The French Revolution, 1789-1791," by James Harvey Robinson.

The pamphlets are published in an attractive and usable form with stout flexible paper covers. Single numbers, sixteen to twenty-two pages in length, sell for fifteen cents; double numbers of thirty-two pages for twenty-five cents; special reductions being made in the case of large orders. This brings the valuable publications within the easy reach of students.

A CONTINUALLY INCREASING number of college trained men are making a profession of the administration of charities and corrections, especially in connection with the work of the charity organization societies. Several graduates of the University of Wisconsin have recently entered upon such work, George S. Wilson as General Secretary at Toledo, Henry S. Yonker as Assistant Secretary at Terre Haute, Paul Tyner as General Secretary at Des Moines, and C. M. Hubbard as Assistant Secretary at Cincinnati.

AT THE LAST session of the Kansas Legislature, Senator James Shearer introduced a resolution providing for submitting to the people