31 AUGUST 1889, Page 25

Introduction to the Middle Ager. By Ephraim Emerton. (Ginn and

Co., Boston, U.S.A.)—Mr. Emerton's introduction takes in European history from 375 to 815 A.D. He has given a sufficiently clear summary of the forces at work which led to the construction of the feudal system. Especially good is his account of the Germanic peoples and the Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties. A map of the lines of march of the Germans is one of several maps which go to make up a brief but decidedly instructive review of the great changes which occurred from the invasion of the Barbarians to the death of Charlemagne.