THE HISTORY OF INSTITUTIONS. 129 



the ideas, as well as by the trade, of many nations. 

 Even the Roman Church, whilst boasting its 

 unity and its permanence, has learnt much and 

 gained much from conflict with its Protestant 

 rivals. 



When we explain a " variation " by referring 

 it simply to race, we are not explaining it at all; 

 and it is well to have this pointed out. To 

 explain Roman institutions by the national 

 character of the Romans is, as Dr. Reich says 

 (p. 17), just like explaining phenomena by 

 means of " occult qualities." People in general 

 are far too ready to refer the differences they 

 find between nations to race-characteristics, in- 

 stead of takinof the trouble to look for other 

 explanations first, in geographical conditions, 

 institutions, past history and other external in- 

 fluences. Only when we have eliminated what 

 is due to any or all of these causes (if we ever 

 can do this), are we entitled to ascribe the resi- 

 dual phenomena solely to race-characteristics. 

 English people have been very apt to explain 

 all Irish discontents by saying that they result 

 from the Irish, or, to make it look more scien- 

 tific, from the "Celtic" character; this is more 

 convenient than to read some very unpleasant 



d.p. K 



