The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-10-29
SoMB NEW BOOKS.
sp..esr,s Descriptive Sociology.

with q volume relating to France, the COM
citation Of social phenomena prepared under
the supervision OF Mr.. HEnDEnr srrNcER. and
published in this country by the Appetons. is
brought TO an untimely close. This work in
tended TO constitute Q cyclopedia OF social
facts. which might supply an adequate basis
for a science Of sociology. is by no means COM
peted. but 1t has entailed on the protector an
expenditure out Of all proportion to the re-
ccipts. Tho returns. indeed. 30 far from prom
sing to repay the cost OF the publication In
course OF time. have not even yielded. we are
told 1--WE per cont. interest on the capital sunk.
Mr.. Spencer Is accordingly compelled to forego
the further execution Of his plan-how regret
fully 10 disclosed in the Anal words Of the pre-
fatory note announcing the cessation OF a Sc
rios whose utility he hoped would be moro
widely recognized. Should the day" he says.
" ever como when the love for the personalities
OF history IL less and the desire for its instruc-
tive facts greater. those who occupy them-
selves in picking out the gold from the dross
will perhaps DO able to publish theiF,results
without INJECTING on themselves losses too
grievous TO DO borne-nay. may possibly receive
some thanks for their pains
Tho principles upon which the instructive
facts derivable from the history OF France
have boen distracted and classified. are, OF
course. identical with those which have bcen
followed In the seven preceding numbers OF the
series. Tho tabulated compilations and d.
eests Of materials thus brought together are
intended to supply the student OF social sci
ence with data standing toward his conclusions
In relation like that in which accounts Of the
structures and functions Of different typos OF
animals stand to the conclusions OF the biolo
gist. In his general preface to the series. Mr..
Spencer reminds Us that until there had been
such systematic descriptions Of different kinds
OF ORGANISING as made 1t possible to compare
the connections. and forms. and actions. and
modes Of origin Of their parts. the science Of
life could make no progress. 1t is insisted by
the protector Of this work that in like manner
before there can be reached In sociology gen.
civilizations having a certainty making them
worthy to DO called scientific. there must be
definite accounts OF the institutions and ac-
lions OF societies OF various types. and in
various stages OF evolution. so arranged as
to furnish the means OF readily ascertaining
what social phenomena are habitually associ-
nted. The present volume. which. by the way.
Is nearly double the size Of its companions is
an exhaustive repertorv OF facts relating to the
development OF civilization in France. from the
earliest tmos OF which any record is preserved
to US down to our own day. The bulk OF tho
statements has been taken from histories Of
particular classes of facts. some OF them in
German, most Of them In French. q few trans
lated from German into English. Great use
has been made Of the monographs on special
epochs or phases in French history. in which
French literature is uoticeably rich. The work
ofinvestiGation and abstraction Of which we see
the outcome In this volume. has exacted inde-
fatigable industry. and has occupied many
years. Tho result Is mine Of information
which no one interested in the political
and social condition Of France. whether his
point Of Wow be that OF tho historian. the
statesman, or the social reformer can afford
hereafter 10 neglect.
We can best indicate the value OF Mr.. Spen-
cer's compilation by showing what light it
throws upon question which is but one OF
many. but which is clothed at the present time
with peculiar interest-the regulation Of labor.
Let US. with Mr.. Spencer's aid. mark the more
salient facts relating to this cardinal feature OF
the social economy. from the rude arrange
ments discoverable in the traditions OF the IN.
cient Gauls down to the systematic reforms Of
the republican era.
Caesar tells us. in his Commentaries. that null
titudes OF slaves existed in Gaul At the epoch
OF the Conquest. but no is believed by modern
students to have mistaken the relation Of clan
ship for that OF servitude. The prevailing opin-
ion now is that in ancient Gaul. as in primitive
Germany. property was collective and he
longed to tribes and families. The Gallo
clientele described by Caesar is believed to have
been in the nain identical with the Celtic elan.
In which the chiefs had personal prop
erty that belonged to them absolutely but only
exercised patronage over thu land which he
longsd collectively to the members OF the sept
1t would seem that after the Roman conquest
social revolution took place similar to that
which proved so hurtful to the majority OF the
inhabitants OF Ireland after the English occu-
patton of that country-that is to say. the heads
Of clans acquired the absolute ownership of the
lands previously held in common, while the
clansmen sank into tenants. or occupants Mt
will. That the fate which in recent times has
oyertaken the county OF Sutherland In the
Scottish Highlands is a counterpart OF that
which much OF Gaul experienced under its Ro-
man masters Is indicated by Il statement OF
Pliny. to the effect that In the hrst century the
greater part OF provincial as well as Italian
soil was occupied by Latifunda or huge
farms. owned by rich propretors. and till
ed by numerous cooni. Even toward the close
however. of the Roman epoch the laws sane
toned certain customs which are only explca-
BILE as survivRls or "reminiscences OF collective
family property. Thus. at the date OF
Inc SUCCESSFUL GERMAN INVASION. not only the
villages but the towns of Gaul seem to have
possessed common lands. and in many cases a
free peasant could only sell his land to an in.
habitant OF the same village. Slaves are
thought to have been much less numerous In
Gaul than in Italy; the bulk OF the population
consisted OF coioni. or bond lnborers whose
condition under the Roman law differed essen
TALLY from that Of servitude. They were bound
to the soil. but they could contract legal mar
riages. serve in tho armies, and hold property
Their rent was almost always paid In kind. and
Its amount was fixed by ancient custom. indie
pendent Of the will of the proprietor. No mat
ter how infinitely lands might be- subdivided. a
bond laborer's family could not be separated,
but must remain the property Of one and the
same possessor.
In Gaul. during the Roman epoch, trades
werc divided into three groups-State manufac-
lures. occupations necessary for the subsis-
tenco OF the people, and free handicrafts. The
State owned and worked the greater part OF the
mines ouarrles. and salt works. and carried
on various kinds Of manufactures. such as
those Of cloth and arms; bakers and butchers.
as we'll a. tho worSmen engaged in the convey
har