212 THE PATH OF DEGENERATIVE EVOLUTION 



larity of circumstances between those for whom 

 they were severally fashioned came to resemble 

 the primitive law of England. 



6. Degenerative evolution of the corporations of 

 Western Flanders. In a treatise published by one 

 of our number in May 1892, entitled V Evolution 

 regressive des corporations de la West-Flandre?- it 

 was shown that among these associations, the insti- 

 tutions the first to degenerate were those most 

 recently established. 



The twelve corporations which still exist, though 

 in more or less degenerate conditions in Bruges, 

 Furnes, Eeghem, and Iseghem, were formerly con- 

 structed on similar principles and fulfilled the 

 following functions : 



1. The furtherance of sociability (i.e. the holding 



of banquets and fetes). 



2. The encouragement of religious feeling (i.e. 



frequent celebrations of the mass and the 

 building of new churches). 



3. Mutual assistance (i.e. insurance against loss 



of work through illness, or against funeral 

 expenses). 



4. Mutual protection of professional interests. 



5. The furtherance of certain political and mili- 



tary interests. 



These various functions were established riot 

 simultaneously but in succession. The Flemish 

 corporation of the fourteenth or fifteenth century 



1 La SocUtt nouvelle, Mai 1892, Bruxelles, Monnom. 



