THE PRINCIPLES OF ENGLISH CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY.
The Principles of English Constitutional History. By Lucy Dale. (Longmans and Co. 6s.)—Mrs. Dale has here produced an extremely careful and well-written history of England from the earliest times to the Reform Act of 1832, with special reference to constitutional developments. The book is interesting, not only on account of its very real merit, but as evidence of the high training that Oxford is giving to the women to whom it refuses the crown- big honour of a degree. We must criticise Mrs. Dale's work in two particulars. • We think that a volume that purports to deal somewhat fully with the principles of English constitutional history should contain a chapter on the growth of the Common Law. In our opinion, it is quite impossible to realise the full meaning of English constitutional development without carefully tracing the evolution of that remarkable body of legal and constitutional principles known as the Common Law of England. With respect to the form of the book, we feel that the authoress would have been better advised had she quoted authorities and sources at every stage of her work. This book is intended to be used, and probably will be used, by students "as a preliminary to more exact and detailed work." To such students, however, the sources drawn upon will not be familiar, and should have been given, for the young mind ought to investigate for itself as far as possible the authorities and methods used by modern scientific historians in arriving at results. The "source method," if used with dis- cretion, is the proper basis of all historical teaching. We make this criticism in no fault-finding spirit, but rather throw it out as a suggestion to Mrs. Dale in any future work she may under- take.
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