LITERARY NOTICES. 



413 



and then passes to an estimate of the strength 

 and weakness of democratic government as 

 it exists in the United States, and a com- 

 parison of the facts with European specula- 

 tion about democracy in general. Part VI 

 is of a somewhat different character from 

 the preceding portions of the work, dealing 

 with the social institutions of the United 

 States, but these, as the author says, " count 

 for so much in the total life of the country, 

 in the total impression which it makes and 

 the hopes for the future which it raises, that 

 they can not be left unnoticed." In foot- 

 notes and appendixes to both volumes much 

 matter illustrative of the text is supplied. 

 Among these materials are an account of 

 " the lobby," and a newspaper description of 

 a scene in a presidential nominating conven- 

 tion. Mr. Bryce is not inclined to credit 

 so much influence to democracy in making 

 America what it is as preceding writers 

 have done, or as Americans are fond of 

 doing. "A close analysis of social and 

 political phenomena," he says, " often shows 

 us that causes are more complex than had 

 at first appeared." He finds many things to 

 condemn in our political system, as any 

 honest critic must, but he is not pessimistic 

 in regard to our future. He is convinced of 

 " the existence in the American people of a 

 reserve of force and patriotism more than 

 sufficient to sweep away all the evils which 

 are now tolerated, and to make the politics 

 of the country worthy of its material 

 grandeur and of the private virtues of its 

 inhabitants. America excites an admiration 

 which must be felt upon the spot to be un- 

 derstood. The hopefulness of her people 

 communicates itself to one who moves among 

 them, and makes him perceive that the 

 graver faults of politics maybe far less dan- 

 gerous there than they would be in Europe. 

 A hundred times in writing this book have I 

 been disheartened by the facts I was stating ; 

 a hundred times has the recollection of the 

 abounding strength and vitality of the nation 

 chased away these tremors." If there is not 

 much in these volumes that the well-in- 

 formed American is not aware of, there is a 

 great deal in them that Americans do not 

 sufficiently think of, while to the English 

 reader it furnishes a broad, truthful, appre- 

 ciative view of the great republic of the New 

 World. 



The History of Ancient Civilization. Ed- 

 ited by Rev. J. Verschoyle. New York : 

 D. Appleton & Co. Pp.295. Price, $1.75. 



This hand-book is intended to give a com- 

 prehensive view of ancient civilization in 

 Egypt, Mesopotamia, and other quarters of 

 "the East," as well as in Greece and Rome, 

 in order to bring them out in their relations 

 with one another and show the chain of de- 

 pendence, without an understanding of which 

 their succession and development can not be 

 adequately comprehended. The civilization 

 of Rome, " which was the outcome of corpo- 

 rate action," was most largely influenced by 

 that of Greece, which was " the outcome of 

 individual thought," and this runs back into 

 the various civilizations of the East. The 

 precise nature and extent of the influence of 

 these civilizations upon Grecian development 

 have not been defined, but are at this moment 

 more than ever before the subject of active 

 study. The author does not attempt to meas- 

 ure them, but gives comprehensive though 

 succinct descriptions of the civilizations so far 

 as they have been made out, beginning with 

 " the beginnings of civilization," and bring- 

 ing under review in succession, " The Monu- 

 ments and Art of Egypt," " The Babylonians 

 and Assyrians," "The Religion and Social 

 State of the Jews," " Phoenician Commerce," 

 and "The Civilization of the Aryans, Hindoos, 

 and Persians." Greek civilization is treated 

 under the heads of " Religion," " Politics," 

 " Literature and Art," and " The Diffusion of 

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 of Rome — Transformation of the Republic," 

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 " Latin Literature and Art." The work is 

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 lation was made by an experienced hand, it 

 can not, in its present form, be called a trans- 

 lation, for a large part of it has been re- 

 written. 



How to study Geography. By Francis 

 W. Parker. International Education 

 Series, Vol. X. New York : D. Apple- 

 ton & Co. Pp. 400. Price, $1.50. 

 The equipment of the teacher must in- 

 clude both an understanding of educational 

 theory and an acquaintance with educational 

 practice. The present volume, as indicated 

 by its title, is designed to contribute to the 



