702 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



development, and showing how successive 

 forms grew out of those preceding, but with 

 showing that the present body of law con- 

 forms in its essential features to the funda- 

 mental requirements of the social state of 

 man. It is impossible to sum up in any 

 satisfactory way the theoretical reasons of 

 so comprehensive a work within the limits 

 of a book notice. We can only say that 

 the writer claims to occupy new ground, 

 and to place the subject of public law on 

 the same footing as the natural sciences. 

 Certainly no task is more important than to 

 show that the system of enactments by 

 which society is regulated and the conduct 

 of individuals controlled is not arbitrary, 

 irrational, and chaotic. But the chief value 

 of Judge Willard's book will no doubt be 

 found in its usefulness to the students of 

 law. He deals with a long series of specific 

 subjects presented in forty chapters, and 

 covering the whole comprehensive ground 

 of personal rights and social obligation. 

 The first chapter is on the origin of law, 

 and the next on the nature and origin of 

 rights, obligations, and powers. Chapter 

 X takes up the science of law, Chapter V 

 is devoted to the " proper subjects of con- 

 tracts," and the following chapters develop 

 the conditions of contracts in various aspects. 

 In succeeding chapters a great variety of 

 subjects are treated, throwing light upon 

 the legal position of the individual, and the 

 Litter portion of the work is much devoted 

 to what may be called the modern liberties, 

 or those higher prerogatives of the citizen 

 which it is the object of free governments 

 to secure. In the closing chapters, mar- 

 riage, the family, and communal associa- 

 tions are considered ; and the final discussion 

 treats of the liberty of judgment and the 

 liberty of self-gratification. Judge Willard 

 has not given us a book of formal erudi- 

 tion ; it contains no notes, and we have not 

 observed that it refers to any authorities. It 

 is rather an analytical work, occupied with 

 the development and application of princi- 

 ples. 



The First-Book of Knowledge. By Fred- 

 erick Guthrie, F. R. S. New York : G. 

 P. Putnam's Sons. Pp.130. Price, $1. 



Of this little book we can say emphati- 

 cally, Yes ! and No ! 



It is a most interesting and readable 



compend of information on all kinds of fa- 

 miliar objects, such as we find in and around 

 the house, and that everybody ought to 

 know about. The subjects are selected 

 with excellent judgment ; the knowledge is 

 important and trustworthy ; and it is simply 

 concisely, and agreeably presented. In all 

 these respects the volume is a model ; and, 

 when we add that there are questions at the 

 end of each chapter to help the teacher, and 

 that the teacher is exhorted to bring as 

 many of the objects into the school-room as 

 possible, for the inspection of the children, 

 and to add as many questions as may be 

 to those already given, it will naturally be 

 asked, What more can be required ? 



Certainly nothing more is required on 

 the accepted school-book standard ; but we 

 question the validity of the standard. The 

 book is made on the old theory of pouring 

 the facts into the little mental pitchers until 

 they are full. But that is not the true idea 

 of education ; and therefore, as a " First- 

 Book," it starts wrong. A book treating of 

 " objects " that does not provide, first of all, 

 and as the essential thing, for the active 

 effort of inquiry on the part of the pupil, 

 and that he shall find out the properties 

 of objects for himself, fails of its purpose 

 as a means of education. Such failure has, 

 of course, been the rule in our past school- 

 history; but it can be no longer excused, 

 and we confess to some astonishment that a 

 book of this quality should emanate from a 

 distinguished professor in a " normal school 

 of science." South Kensington is getting 

 behind the age if this is the best that its 

 " normal science " can do. 



Ecce Spiritus. A Statement of the Spirit- 

 ual Principle of Jesus as the Law of 

 Life. Boston: George H. Ellis. Pp. 

 238. Price, $1.25. 



This work has largely in view the dis- 

 crepancies between the theological and the 

 scientific thought of the age. The author 

 distinguishes three types of religious 

 thought. The first type is illustrated in 

 that class of persons " who ensconce them- 

 selves in a quiet corner of the church, away 

 from the din of the controversies which dis- 

 tract the age," and who are indifferent to 

 the vast changes that have come over the 

 modes of thought ; the second type in the 

 class who stand at the other extreme, ac- 



