Ethics in Service. By William Howard Taft. (Humphrey Milford. 4s.
6d. net.)—Five addresses given by Mr. Taft in the Page Lecture Series, 1914, before the Senior Class of the Sheffield Scientific School. Yale University. The first is a short history of the profession of law, in which he gives many quotations showing in what low esteem the lawyer has been held in all generations. He includes Milton'.
words :— "Most men are allured to the trade of law, grounding their purposes not on the prudent and heavenly contemplation of justice and equity, which was never taught them, but on the promising and pleasing thoughts of litigious terms, fat contentions and flowing fees."
But though Mr. Taft admits the faults of the legal profession, he makes a vigorous defence of it, and claims, among other things, that "most of the progress toward individual liberty in English history was made through the successful struggle of the lawyers against the assertion of the divine right of Kings and through the defence of privilege." Two other interesting papers are those on " Legal Ethics "and " The Executive Power." In the latter Mr. Taft contends that more power might advantageously be given to the President in the matter of legislation.
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