and Demoersey in the Great English Wovelation. "By "Eduard Translated "by Steaming. Geo mn Uni The title of this book is repellent except to those who are ready to pardon a competent translator in his desire to introduce to the British public the historical studies of an intelligent German socialist. That Oliver Cromwell was confronted with a communist revolt in his Levellers is a theory which can only be accepted by arnest elastic interpretation of terminology. does not, however, detract from the interest of Herr Bernstein's thoughtful analysis of the exact significance of the work of men like Lilburne and John Bellers. In regard to Lilburne, this essay should be warmly welcomed, if only be cause it helps to do justice to a1 Englishman who has suffered much at the hands of historians in the past. Even to-day, a reference to the ordinary standard works wil show that Litbarne.is dis usually as a mere agitator. But Herr Bernstein gives a truer pice ture of this man of "county stock," who thought far ahead of his times and was as fearless in his advocacy of what he believed to be right as he was physically brave on the tickd cof battle. The distinction between Cromwell and the Levellers. may roughly lo found in the fact that Cromwell stood more for the ical aspect of the against despotic monarery than the broader issues of democratic freedom. Lilburne and Bellers could not be brought into Tine with the requirements of the England of the 17th century, as Cromwell found after their driving force had been used to bring about the change of government which he required. That does not mean that they lived or worked in vain. And in these days, when the nations are en-to find reinforcement tried doctrines of de-government, the study of the processes of thought whereby these pioneers attemptd to contribute to the knowledge of their age is stimulating and valuable. That reaction ensued in the 18th century is a matter of history, with the result that much of the merit of the Commonwealth writers came to be obscured. But this must be:|counted to them as their definite achievement: They were the first to put on record the theory that the should not b> the organ of dominant interest, but an instrament for promoting the welfare of all, That theory has to-day still far to go before it approaches practice, but it stands firmly entrenched as an ideal to which all, whether just or unjust, hav to pay
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.