13 NOVEMBER 1897, Page 26

Greek Oligarchies : their Character and Organisation. By Leonard Whibley.

(Methuen and Co.)—Democracy in its modern sense was unknown to the Greek States. In those where political privilege was most widely extended it was still reserved to a class. But the differences were of great import- ance, and were differences, not of detail or administration, but of principle. Mr. Whibley works out from materials scanty and not very definite the varying conditions upon which power was exercised in the Greek States. It is a book of considerable learning. To examine it in detail would take us into techni- calities out of place here ; but the book may be generally commended to the student of history.