Roman Provincial Administration. By W. T. Arnold. Revised by Dr.
E. S. Shuckburgh. (B. H. Blackwell, Oxford. 6s. net.)— Mr. Arnold won the Arnold Prize with this essay in 1879. For the seventeen years following that date he was employed on the staff of the Manchester Guardian, during the greater part of the time in a position of very special responsibility. He never relinquished the idea of putting forth a more complete edition of his book, and continued to collect materials for it. But the intention was never carried out. The ill-health which unhappily compelled him to retire from journalistic work still incapacitated him. But he left many notes and references at his untimely and deeply lamented death in 1904, and these have been worked into the book by Dr. Shuckburgh. The editor had just completed his revision, and had even written the preface describing his method of procedure, when he suddenly passed away. The result is that the book remains substantially the same in form as in the first edition. The fervid language of the young writer, for instance, is to be seen. The mature historian does not call the personages who appear in his pages " scoundrels " and the like, or dismiss a grave claim of Cicero on behalf of his countrymen as " nonsense." As a whole, however, the book is anything but crude. It is the outcome of much study and thought, and may be trusted as a fair repre- sentation of facts. The most interesting of the many questions discussed is the condition of the provinces under the Roman rule. It is a matter that touches us closely to-day ; it is only too clear that abuses in the conduct of a ruling race among subject people Dome into existence with terrible rapidity and flourish most Ittxutiantly. After reading about the Congo State and German Africa, we are constrained to moderate our condemnation of the Roman Proconsuls and procurators. One thing comes out with
abundant elearness,—viz., that the establishment of the .Empire wrought a great change for the better in provincial adminiatra- tion. Modern experience, on the other hand, goes to prove that a popular. Assembly is the best guardian of provincial interests. Notwithstanding '°cranks " and spiteful or interested politicians, the free discussion of a popular Chamber makes for good.
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