37 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



to the French people of its future dwellings, 

 was too evidently a parade or a deception: in 

 such cases the question is tantamount to the 

 answer, and, besides, had this answer been un- 

 conditioned, France was scarcely more at lib- 

 erty to give it than I was ; ten million ignorant 

 men cannot constitute a wise one. A people on 

 being consulted may indeed tell the form of gov- 

 ernment they like, but not the form they need ; 

 this is possible only through experience; time 

 is required to ascertain if the political dwelling 

 is convenient, durable, proof against inclemen- 

 cies, suited to the occupant's habits, pursuits, 

 character, peculiarities, and caprices. Now, as 

 proof of this, we have never been content with 

 our own ; within eighty years we have pulled 

 it down thirteen times in order to rebuild it, 

 and this we have done in vain, npt having yet 

 found one that suits us. If other people have 

 been more fortunate, if in other countries many 

 political institutions are durable and last indefi- 

 nitely, it is because they have been organized 

 in a peculiar manner, around a primitive and 

 massive nucleus, supported on some old central 

 edifice, many times repaired, but always pre- 

 served, enlarged by degrees, adapted and modi- 

 fied, according to the wants of the inhabitants. 

 None of them were built at one stroke on a new 

 pattern, and according to the provisions of 

 reason alone. We must perhaps admit that 

 there is no other way of building permanently, 

 and that the sudden concoction of a new consti- 

 tution, suitable and durable, is an undertaking 

 surpassing the forces of the human mind. In 

 any event, I came to the conclusion that if we 

 should ever discover the one we need it will not 

 be by the means in practice. The point is to 

 discover it, if it exists, and not to put it to vote. 

 In this respect our preferences would be fruit- 

 less ; Nature and history have chosen for us in 

 advance ; it is for us to adapt ourselves to them 

 as it is certain they will accommodate them- 

 selves to us. The social and political mould in- 

 to which a nation may enter and remain is not 

 subject to its will, but determined by its charac- 

 ter and its past." 



From this point of view, M. Taine came 

 to the conclusion that his country needed, 

 first of all, to be studied systematically, and 

 the present work is the first of a series 

 which together are designed to constitute a 

 philosophic study of modern France. The 

 " Ancient Regime," the volume now pub- 

 lished, is devoted to the pre-Revolutionary 

 period, and is to be followed by a work on 

 the French Revolution, which will in turn 

 be preparatory to a third, on the "New Re- 

 gime," designed to interpret recent and con- 

 temporary France. The enterprise will be 

 executed with the undoubted ability that 

 distinguishes this brilliant and versatile au- 

 thor, and will permanently identify his name 

 with modern French history. At any rate, 



the present book is instructive and fasci- 

 nating to a remarkable degree. It is at the 

 same time a vivid and life-like picture of 

 French society anterior to the Revolution, 

 and a subtile and comprehensive analysis 

 of the forces at work in it, that issued 

 in the revolutionary outbreak. A marked 

 characteristic of the work is the freshness 

 of a large portion of its materials, resulting 

 from the author's indefatigable researches 

 among hitherto unexplored masses of origi- 

 nal correspondence, documents, and records. 



The Warfare of Science. By Andrew 

 Dickson White, LL. D. New York : 

 D. Appleton & Co. Pp. 151. Price, 

 cloth, 1 ; paper, 50 cents. 



The admirable lecture of President 

 White upon this subject, which was pub- 

 lished in The Popular Science Monthly 

 for February and March, is now issued in a 

 separate form, with important additions, 

 by the author. Although a small book, it 

 covers broad ground, and treats the subject 

 in a decisive way. The thesis maintained 

 is this : " In all modern history, interference 

 with science in the supposed interest of religion, 

 no matter how conscientious such interference 

 may have been, has resulted in the direst evils 

 both to religion and to science, and invariably. 

 And, on the other hand, all untrammeled 

 scientific investigation, no matter how dan- 

 gerous to religion some of its stages may have 

 seemed, for the time, to be, has invariably re- 

 sulted in the highest good of religion and of 

 science." In working out the proof of these 

 propositions, President White has traversed 

 an extensive field of historical resources, 

 dealing successively with the rise and 

 progress of geography, astronomy, chem- 

 istry and physics, anatomy and medicine, 

 geology, political economy, agriculture and 

 engineering, and scientific instruction. The 

 whole discussion has been carefully gone 

 over, and much amplified in its present 

 form. In his preface the author says : " I 

 have now given it careful revision, correct- 

 ing some errors, and extending it largely 

 by presenting new facts and developing va- 

 rious points of interest in the general dis- 

 cussion. Among the subjects added or re- 

 wrought are : in astronomy, the struggle of 

 Galileo and the retreat of the Church after 

 its victory ; in chemistry and physics, the 

 compromise between science and theology 



