Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-28
LITE RARY TOPICS.
John Edward Courtenay Bodley's
Work on Modern France.
a Study Like Byce's American Com
onwealth"-Pasteur AS a Scientist t.
An Illustrated Monograph on the
Painter Rubens.

n poOk, France, compare ble tC
Bryce's American Commonwealth, >
has just appeared from the pen of an
English author, John Edward Courte.
nay Bodley. 1t deals with modern
France, but is not a history-rather a
study of political and social conditions in
a most interesting country since the
time Of the great Napoleon. The au-
thor points out that Napoleons chief
claim to the remembrance of posterity
lies not so much in his career as a con-
| queror, but in his ccomplishments az
the man who displayed the most colos-
sal gifts of government and organiza-
ton ever possessed by a human being -
Napoleon, in word, created a new ma
ton; he made modern France. which is
m every respect of constitution, laws
and society, wholly different from the
ante-revolutionary France. These Napo-
leonic institutions, which exist today
practically as they were created, and
Which, as the history of the century has
shown, have resisted all attempts at
. monarchical revival but which, ON the
other hand, have lent themselves equal
ly well to republican and imperial
regimes, therefore, form the basis Of
| Mr.. Bodley's highly interesting study.
The author, while not given to useless
philosophizing, reasons very successful
| ly from cause to effect. 1t is safe to say
that no more judicial or less prejudieed
| book on French institutions of the pres
ent time than this has appeared from an
English pen. Mr.. Bodley lived, Travelled,
observed and worked for seven conse-
cutive years in France in the prepara-
tion of mis- really monumental work.
| His intimate acquaintance with the
geography, history. customs and mental
| attitude of the French is evidenced on
| every page; and while some of his con-
| clusions may not commend themselves
to radical thinkers or to Frenchmen, all
who read the two compact volumes VIII
! be greatly impressed by their able quail
ties. The style is strong and charming
and gives the work at once a. rank as a
first-class literary production.
! Mr.. Bodley points out that the two
races of the world, whose institutions
and political and social experiments
''are of surprising interest to students,
statesmen and philosophers" are the
! Anglo-Saxon and the French; and this
! despite the fact that France has not
! grown and spread her material influ-
| ence during this century like the Eng
! disappearing lands. and despite the fact
| that Germany has passed France COM
mercially and in some other respects.
I But has France has beyond any other
nation except England, since 1900 pre-
served her racial and national individu-
ality, her constitution and laws and has
made progress in literature and art es-
pecially, as no other land except Eng
land.
After an interesting introduction in
which the reader gets clear idea of the
authors attitude toward his subject
comes a series of chapters dealing with
the general aspects of the revolution and
modern France. Next the constitution
and the chief OF The state are cogently
treated in two luminous chapters. The
remainder of the work-the second vol
ume--is taken UP with discussion OF
the parliamentary systems and the po-
litical parties. The chapters on the po-
litical parties of the day form, perhaps
the most enlightening and interesting
portion of the work.
I Mr.. Bodley deals with the economic
and social questions as dependent upon
the political conditions; and this he may
more readily do with regard to the high
ly centralized government under con-
sideration than is possible in the cases
of some other countries. Social aspects
receive some attention, bur there is nc
attempt to deal with the history of lit
erary, artistic and scientific progress
That would form a subject IN itself, and
would be out of place in a work devot-
ed to government and politics.
The general reader will find some of
his ideas about modern France over
thrown by Mr.. Bodley, who, on the 9TH
er hand, points out very plainly what he
considers some popular misrepresenta-
tions.
1 1t may be said that the author sets
down in a logical arrangement the re-
suits of his studies and observations,
and from these facts draws brief con-
clusionS that he does not employ an ex-
tended argumentative method. This in
sures clearness- of perception and, in
deed, luminosity IS everywhere appar-
ent. Mr.. Bodley Is not at all pessi-
mist in his views, and while he shows
himself at times a severe critic, he ev-
erywhere acknowledges himself a firm
believer in the future Of France, in spite
of radical defects in the constitution and
laws, which do not meet contemporary
requirements. This is one or the works
which enables nations to understand
nations.
Published by the Macmillan Co., New
York.
LOUIS PASTEUR.
A sketch Of Pasteur's life, which is
both complete so far as the achieve
ments of one of the greatest scientific
benefactors of mankind of the present
century is concerned, and thoroughly in
teresting despite it's comparative brew
ity, has just been written for English
and American readers by Percy Frank
land Phi. D., B. Sc, F. r. s., and Mrs,
Percy Frankland. 1t is not so much
biography as a story OF what Pasteur
accomplished in the realms OF medicine
and chemistry, and it is one of the Cen
tury Science Series, edited by Sir Henry
e. Roscoe. The narrative of Pasteur's
discoveries and works for the relief of
distressed humanity, Is a nineteenth
century fairy tale-much better than an
old-time fairy tale in that it is all Won
derful truth, and truth attained by ap-
parently simple methods; which, how
ever, required continuous hard study
and patient research for their triumph
ant development.
Pasteur's discoveries in fermentation,
his treatment for the improvement Of
various liquids, his discovery of anthrax
vaccine, his cure for rabies, and other
great accomplishments, are now fami-
liar to all scientists Some Of his work
has since been improved upon; but 1t is
safe to say that no one scientist has
accomplished more for medicine and
chemistry in this century than Louis
Pasteur, whose brilliant memory the
Pasteur Institute in Paris will ever keep
fresh in the minds of people Of all lands.
The once obscure and patient worker
in a laboratory will be remembered
when many political and financial cell
ebrity of today is either forgotten or
4 held up to execration by future genera
tions, as one who toiled for his fellow
beings not for his own glory Fortu-
nately he lived to enjoy both personal
renown and material well-being. There
are two portraits in this volume, one
| representing Pasteur in youth, the
! ofbar T., r,t1J1a lffa