The Press.
London, England, 1855-07-28 00:00:00

greater tribute can be paid to the historian
than the fact that even at this day the forty-
fourth chapter of the " Decline and Fall " is
received as the text-book on civil law in some
of the foreign universities. Of recent juridical
writers, Mr. Justice Story and the late lamented
John William Smith (author of the "Leading
Cases ") most approach the luminous conden-
sation of Gibbon ; but they want his mastery
over language, though their merits as legal
writers must ever be held in grateful recol-
lection.
We are glad to see that the dissertation on
the civil law has been specially regarded in
the present edition. Dean Milman has most
ably supported the text with additional notes
of such value that our law libraries would
not be considered perfect if this edition of
" Gibbon were not upon their shelves. The
value of the new notes on this part of the
" Decline and Fall " can be best judged by the
following citation from Dean Milman

I have consulted, I. The newly.discovered Institutes of
Gaius (Gaii Institutiones, ed. Ooeschen, Berlin, 1824),
with some other fragments of the Roman law (Codicis
Theodosiani Fragennta inedita, ab Amadeo Peyron,
Turin, 1824). 11. The History of the Roman Lew, by
Professcr Hugo, in the French translation of M. Jourdan,
Paris, 1825. 111. Savigny, lieschichte des Romischen
Rechts im Mittel&lter, 8 vols., Heidelberg, 1813 (2nd ed.,
1834.1851). IV. Walther, Geschichte des Rdmischen
Rechts, Bonn, 1834 (2nd ed., 2 vols., 1845.48). But lam
particularly indebted to an edition of the French transla•
ion of this chapter, with additional notes, by one of the
most learned civilians of Europe, Professor Warnkimig,
published at Liege, 1821. These notes are distinguished
by the letter W.
And certainly the illustrations by Professor
Warnkiinig are of great use. Dr. Smith also
has paid special attention to this important
chapter; and we venture to suggest its publi-
cation in a separate form, as it forms a treatise
in itself.
The conscientious care with which this
edition has been brought out demands our
highest praise. It is the best and most highly
finished of all "hurray's British Classics"
yet published. It has an admirable index of
nearly one hundred and fifty pages, which is
of the greatest utility; and the construction
of this index must have cost no small pains.
The typography and paper are excellent; and,
whether for the library of the mansion or the
shelf of the cottage, this edition, from its
united elegance and genuine cheapness, is an
equally welcome acquisition. In the matter
added by the new notes lawyers, ethnologists,
philologists, and divines will find special
knowledge of great value to their respective
pursuits.
We trust that " Hume's History of Eng-
land " (announced in " Murray's British Clas.
sics ") will receive as much attention from its
editors as the great work of Gibbon presented
to us here with so much taste, knowledge, and
editorial care.

Commentaries on the Productive Forces of Russia.
By M. L. de Tegoborski, Privy Councillor
and Member of the Council of the Russian
Empire. Translated from the Original.
Two Vols.—Vol. I. Loudon: Longinans.

AN authentic work upon the productive forces
of Russia is the more welcome from the slight
knowledge which we possess in this country
of the resources of that vast portion of the globe.
Perhaps much of this ignorance is due, as
M. Tegoboraki asserts, to want of familarity
with the language—for as regards her native
tongue Russia is not yet included in the
family of European nations—and to an indis-
position to study the various works which
from time to time have been published on the
Continent upon Russia and her resources
(Von Reden's " Das Kaiser-Reich Russland,"
and " Russland, Kraft-Elemente and Einfluss-
Mittel," for instance); and also to an imper-
fect comprehension of the extent of those
surveys which the Russian Government have
perseveringly continued during the present
century, tho statistical returns of which
have from time to time been published by the
various Ministries of the Government.
In such a vast and anomalous empire, pos-
sessing so many varied conditions of soil and
climate, and so scattered a population, the
difficulty of procuring accurate returns must
necessarily be great; hence little more than