Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/427

 (New York, The Macmillan Company, 1906, pp. xi, 669.) In this book Mr. Beard tries to solve a problem very real to teachers of large history classes — the twofold problem of introducing each member of the class "to a number of great authorities on special periods and topics" at the same time, and of securing a critical examination of the material in the class-room. His work differs from the well-known source-books in that it consists of excerpts from the secondary sources only : e. g., Maitland, Freeman, and Stubbs. Thirty-six authors are represented and a larger number of works. The difficulty of making a wise selection from abundant materials is recognized and fairly met. Each chapter is prefaced by a brief explanatory statement concerning the citation, which is divided into sections with topical headings. These form a brief, clear analysis. It must be a dull or negligent student who, with these aids, cannot see the bearing of the passage on the topics under discussion. A short bibliographical note concludes each chapter, and an index at the end of the volume gives easy access to the material. When the treatment of the subject by a well-known authority is specially open to criticism, the fact is stated and comparison with other writers recommended ; for example, Professor Freeman's treatment of the Anglo-Saxon royal council, or Witan, as compared with Mr. Chadwick's in his Anglo-Saxon Institutions; or Dr. McKechnie's careful commentary on the true nature of Magna Carta, and the mass of tradition which grew up about it from re-reading the charter " in the light of the interests of succeeding ages". Probably no one will criticize the author for devoting half his space to the last three centuries. The present tendency seems to be to emphasize modern history. A glance at the table of contents suggests an interesting book, which is confirmed by a more careful examination. For example, part ., "Mediaeval Institutions", deals with "The Growth of an English Manor" (Maitland), "The Medieval Gilds" (Ashley). "Town Life in the Middle Ages" (Green), "The Church in the Middle Ages" (Stubbs), and "John Wycliffe and the Church " (Trevelyan).

A collection of this kind is open Jo two serious objections: (i) the subject-matter is in a sense " predigested ", and the student fails to get the discipline which comes from finding the material and analyzing it for himself; (2) the personality of the authors becomes blurred. The book seems to be the work of one man, not of thirty-six. There is a value in handling the original work, a temptation to go beyond the immediate assignment and to become intimate with the author. This is not likely to result from reading a collection of excerpts. To meet this danger, Mr. Beard would require the student to supplement the readings by independent critical work in the library. This plan, if faithfully adhered to, will almost certainly give the students, as a class, a deeper insight into history than they would secure otherwise.

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