The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-29
SOME NEW BOOKs.
A view nI.torr OF ,he Middle Ages.


The history Of particular countries or Of GER
tain cpOchs has boon treated with insight and
authority but no account Of the whole Chris
;.an world throughout this entire period has
been accessible to our young students In n
form at once succinct and accurate. or course.
10 is impossible TO present I'm small compass n
record 80 comprehensive without omissions
which 60 many may seem OF grave importance;
nor can We expect all positive errors Of fact to
be wecdad out by the most expert and patient
hand from SO wide IA field. On tho whole. how
ever. tho manual adapted from the French Of
tho Roy. 7. f. GA2EAU. and printed by the Cath
Ollie Publication Society. deserves decided COM
mcndaton. Tho spirit OF the book is 80 tenn
perato aud equitable. and the matter cvincos so
much Acquaintance with the latest results Of
research and criticism. that the volume will DO
useful and welcome to Protestant as vol as
Catholic readers. II L. because this History ~
ne Mute 1gcs seems likely TO receive wide
distribution that We would draw attention to
some ol the striking features by which il Is
happily distinguished from most school man
uns. and at the same indicate certain slips and
deficiencies which may call for revision in a
future edition.
Nothing diTcrontlates more sharply this
treatise from the mass Of school books which
purport to deal with.the same theme than its
explanation OF the social change consummaied
IN Western Europe during the anh and sixth
centuries. The very terms which the author
uses are pregnant with right suggestion. We
hear very little about conquest or invasion. but
a great deal about collapse and disintcgration.
There Is no trace here OF the old notion that the
Roman empire in the West succumbod 10 pres
sure from wthoutthat It yielded 10 assaults
no lercer than those which Marius and Cor
manicus and Trajan had rcpclled TheEruth
is that the splendid Victories Of stilicho oyor
Anric and Radagasus and the decisive triumph
Of Aetiue at Chalons-sur Marno were no whit
inferior IN lustre or In magnitude of results to
the earlier successes OF the Roman lcgions. In
deed. it cannot be said that civilization and bur-
barlsm over stood face to face in tho critical
18th century. that the lines between them were
at any moment distinctly drawn. except on tho
last mentioned field. when the Monpol hordes
OF Attila were confronted AMI hurled aside
No doubt these victories wero barren as re-
garded the maintenance Of the Imperial au-
thority but each one Of them was triumph for
the existing order. and helped to determine or
confirm the process Of fusion and absorption
by whichthe Teutonic tribes were INCORPORATED
with an OLD and elaborate society. The battles
won BY Stlicho and Aetus. aud those gained
by Beisarius and Narscs in the next century
were fought. not by Roman citizens. but
by men OF German lineage. who had accepted
the faith. and. e. a considerable extent.
the laws and customs Of their employers. Tho
empire OF the West came to an end. not by vo-
lent fracture. hut by gradual dissolution. Tho
men who had saved It claimed 10 rule n. The
frank ana Visgoth who hal worstcd Aiilla at
Chalons and the Hcru who had shielded Italy.
gradually and quietly assumed the nnsigns Of
an authority which had long boon theirs In fact.
In a word. they were the saviors OF society. and
they deserved to be- Its soyercigns.
Here two interesting questions suggest them
selves. which the authors obvious familiarity
with the studies of Gui1)t and Sismondi has
enabled him to answer How did 1t happen
that the forces Of the empire. at n iuncture
when the precious accumulaIons OF ages were
exposed 10 imminent peril. could no longer DO
recruited from Roman citizens. and tina, the ma
tlonal defence deyolved on mercenary arms
For upward OF a century the Roman citizen had
bad nothing 10 fight Tor. and everything 10 hope
for from political and fiscal change. Tho title
which had once carried SO much Of dignity and
privilege was transi under a scheme Of
taxation the most thorough. Intricate. and ex-
tortionate that the world has known into bur
den and curse. As Guzot has demonstrated
from the record OF towns In the south Of Gaul.
men fed into the woods and caves 10 escape tho
crushing rospons ibilities OF municipal office.
and laid hold OF every prcteXt to forswear the
ancestors had sought with SO much ayidity.
Throughout the productive and industrial
population patriotism had been starved 10 death /.
nor can We wonder that "a summons 10 fight for
the tax glthercr should have been greeted with
dersion. The Introduction OF Germans into
the legions n process which began a, least two
centuries before the fall oftho western Empire
was simply indispensable. and to this stroke OF
policy. which superficial observers sometimes
pronounced a bunder. we are really indebted
Tor the superb Inheritance Of Roman thought
and Roman law. If not for the transmission of
the Christian religion. In word. Roman So
cioty WAS saved, not shattered by the Germans.
There Is No doubt that civilization was threat
ened with frightful catastrophe. but the dan
ger lay in the westward immigratons OF Slav
and Hun. against which steal'ast dyke was
opposed by Nislgoth and OstrcgOth by Frank.
Burgundign. and uerulian-all branches vi the
German trunk
Another pertinent inquiry to which no answer
is forthcoming IN the ordinary school histories
hut on which considerable light is thrown H.
this voiumo, relates 10 the political, social. and
economical conditions under which the adjust
ment OF the German ellen ent 10 the old Roman
framework was effected. The first point to be held
in view il. that from the beginning Of the inh
century M 10 the coronation Of ChGriemagnc
ms Emperor a tho West. 4. ID. 800. the legal
ana nominal supremacy OF tho Roman and
later oi the Greek Emperor as the foun-
tain oil law and head Of tho State was
never disputed in theory. and was repeatedly
recognized In fact b. tho Teutonic Princes OF
Western Christendom. So long as a representa-
tive Of tho CAESARS was Lett at Raycnna. TO him
that species Discrepancy was accorded through
ont the West and after the deposition Of BoDu-
Jus Augu-tulus. IN 47G tho partition made by
Theodosus WIS deemed 70 be rescindod, and
tho rights belonging to Imperial suzerainty
were now held to have lapsed to tho En-
Dsror at Constantinople. That this was
the principle. and no other. 10 which
more or loss rudoly all political translor-
nations were adapted there Is abundant
testimony It Is safe 70 affirm that from tho
foundation Of the Niaigothic power in Southern
Gaul and Spain "a. d. 40 up 10 the roeonstrue-
ton OF Western Empire by Charles The Great,
there was no such thing US a Christian State on
the Continent 81 Europe which esteemed itself
IL theory absolutely independent. 1t may be