IN FEUDAL TIMES.*
THE merit of this book is that, in a space of 348 pages, it fur- Wishes the young reader with a mass of facts which conveys a sense of the multitude of conflicting ideas and customs existing in feudal times. The supply of interesting illustrations helps in the creation of this useful impression, while, from the school teacher's point of view, the good index makes the work useful as a source of detailed information. Exception might be taken to the arrangement of the chapters. For instance, a sketch of the underlying principle of the feudal system is not attempted until chapter 6, with the result that those preceding are rather inconsequent. In fact, the method of chapter construction interferes with the build of the book as a whole. Each chapter is rather a self-contained pamphlet on a particular aspect of the times, e.g., town life, pilgrimages and crusades, tournaments, and not enough advantage is taken of the opportunity afforded by the material to show how, through the interaction of these manifold and changing elements, the feudal system rose, flourished, and decayed. The style in which the book is written is not good. With an eye on his young readers, the author may have aimed at a simple, direct manner, but he has succeeded only in presenting his facts in a dull, unrhythmical way.
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