New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-11
FoREIGN LITERATURE.
PUBLICATIONS IN ENGLAND.

PUBLICATIONS IN ENGLAND.
an. HrRpKKr spESCERs DESCRIPTIVE SOCIOLOGY
MYSTERIES OF sHAKEsPEARE's LIFE SOLVED
NJ EDMOND ABOUT AS JoURNAIIsT-NEw
LITERARY REVIEW Mr.. PICKERNG's REPRINT
OF PARADISE LOST NOT A FAC-SIMILE
fFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIpUNE.l
LONDON Aug. GA first instalment has just APP
peared of a work winch Mr.. Herbert Spencer enti-
ties Descriptive Sociology" and which consists OF
groups of sociological facts which Mr.. Spencer has
classified and arranged. It is to be published also
IN America but will not appear there for some time
The work is dedicated ITO my American Friends,
an recognition of the encouragement have received
from their early-shown and longcontinued interest
in My Works" Nobody who knows Mr. Spencer ana
has heard him talk on such matters will doubt the
sincerity or the warmth Of the feeling he thus
gracefully expresses. ! think we may fairly take
pride in the fact that Mr. Spencers popularity in the
United States has been more extensive than IN
England. That be himself has been grati6ed by the
number of his readers across the Atlantic is abun-
dainty proved by the dedication have copied
above.
The present work grew out of Mr.. Spencer's needs
IN preparing his Principles of Sociology" He
wanted as he states in the Provisional Preface to
this part large accumulations of data as bases OF
induction, and some five years ago be commenced by
prpxy the collection and organization OF facts pre-
sented by societies Of different types past and pres
sat. After having brought the mode OF elasslh-
cation to a satisfactory FORM and having had some
of the tables filed up, he decided having the
work completed for publication. Leaving hypo-
theses and theories to be dealt with in his specula
tive treatises he designed this to be collection of
facts arranged for easy reference and convenient
study by all students of Social Science. The whole
work is to consist Of three large Divisions compre
bending three groups l. Uncivilized Societies 2
Civilized Societies Extinct or Decayed. 8. Civilized
Societies, Recent or Still Flourishing Under each
Division viii be given Tables of classified facts, to-
gether with quotations and abridged extracts other
wise classified. on which the statements contained
in the Tables are based In each Table succession
of Tables win thus be collected tho phenomena Of all
orders which each society presents and account of
its morphology. physiology, anddeyelOpment. Onthe
ether hand the extracts VIII be classified primarily
according 10 the kinds of phenomena TO which they
refer and secondarily Ording to the societies ex
hibting these phenomena; so that each kind OF
phenomenon as displayed in all societies, may be
separately studied
The first Division. that of Unciylized Societies is
substantially complete. thirty tables being already
stereotyped. and the remaining forty in manuscript,
and the extracts either ready for the press nearly
So The first installment of this division, including
TYPES of the Lowest Races the "Negritto Races"
and the "Maayo-Polynesian Races" viii be issued
early next year The work of compiling and alb
stracting has been done by Mr. David Duncan, now
Professor of Logic in Presidency College Madras
and has occupied FIVE years. OF the second Division
Civilized Societies, Extinct or Decayed the first
installment, including the four ancient American
Civilizations il almost finished. and its appearance
may be expected toward the close Of the year.
year and half have been devoted to il by DR.. Rich
ard Scheppig The first insallment of the third
~ Sill Elour
ishing is that now issued, and deals with English
Civilization, covering seven Tables and filling 20
pages with extracts Each Table occupies two very
large folio pages and at the bottom of the last is
given Scale of Progress. The Arrangement of the
whole clear that the least scientific student in
search of a fact will have difficulty in putting
his finger the thing he wants. The pages OF eX
tracts are Of the same folio size, cOmpactly and
clearly printed and distributed under titles such
as division of Labor" Regulation Of Labor
Domestic Laws" Laws Criminal Civil, and In
5ustrial.o General GOyerDmentR" Habits and Gus
TOMS" Religions Ideas and Superstitofsf- ~bnowl-
edge "Agnculture,v Weapons" Habitations"
and many Others. These extracts have been
made from 17O works, the titles Of which are given
Mt the end, and many others have been consulted.
OF the magnitude of the work when complete some
idea may be formed from Mr.. Spencer's statement
that the Uncivilized Societies will probably be
issned in five installments each containing dozen
or more Tables with their accompanying extracts;
that Extinct Civilized Societies will be treated each
in one nstalment several together, according as
much or little is known about their histories; while
Of Existing Civilized Societies each viii have an in
stallment to itself. The Tables are eventually to
form folio volume by themselves ut will be huge
one. while the classified extracts will be printed in
octave for convenience sake.
The work is a gigantic one its value when com
plete will be immeasurable It's actual influence on
the study of Sociology aud help to that study
Greater than perhaps any book yet published. 1t is
a CycIopedia of Social Science. but CyclOp@dia
edited by the greatest of SOciologists. have bor-
rowed and condensed, / hope with sufficient clear
ness 70 be ineligible Mr. Speucer's account OF his
plan. HIS American readers will probably be glad
10 zee also the more detailed specification Of his
objects and views and add the following paragraphs
fsom bis Preface:
In further explanation ! may say that the classified
fogetber under the title Descriptive Sociology,
tended supply the student Of social science with daa
standing toward his conclusions IN relation IKE thHt III
which accounts OF the structures and functions OF dcT
en types of animals stand 10 the conclusions OF the biol
opist Until there had been such systematic descrp-
tons different kinds OF organisms, made II possible
to compare tine connections and forms and actions and
MODES OF origin Of their parts the Science OF Life should
make no progress And ia like manner before there cen
be reached in Sociology CONGRATULATIONS having GER
tainty making them worthy 10 be called scenc there
must be definite OF the institutions and actions
societies OF various types and IN various stages OF
evolution arranged to furnish the means of readily
ascerainng what social phenomena are habualy assoc
cated Respecting the taDuaton devised for the pur
pose of exhibiting social phenomena In convenient
way nav explain that the primary aim has been so TO
present them that their relations OF simuitaney ana
suecesgiOn may be az view. As used for
delneating uncivilized societies. concerning which
have no records, the tabular form serves