Blackstone’sworkisacompilation，anditwouldbeoutofthequestiontoreduceitsstatementstoanythinglikeconsistency。Therationalisticmodeofthoughtwhichhasleftsuchapeculiarstampontheeighteenthcentury，appearsinallitsgloryinthelayingoutofthewisemilitarypolityoffeudalism。ButscarcelyhasourauthorhadtimetoshowtherapidprogressofthisplanallroundEurope，whenhestartsonanentirelynewtacksuggestedbyhiswishtointroduceahistoricaljustificationofConstitutionalMonarchy。FeudalpolityisoflateintroductioninEngland，andappearsasacompactbetweensovereignandsubjects；originalfreedomwasnotdestroyedbythiscompact，andlaterinfringementsofcontractualrightsbykingsultimatelyledtoarestorationanddevelopmentofancientliberties。InthepartsofthetreatisewhichconcernPrivateLawthekeynoteisgiventhroughoutbythatveryNormanjurisprudenceonwhichsuchseverecondemnationispassedwithregardtoPublicLaw。TheConquestisthusmadetoappearalternatelyasasourceofdanger，struggle，andhardshipfromonepointofview，andastheoriginofsteadyimprovementinsocialconditionfromanother。InanycasethearistocraticcastofEnglishlifeisdeducedfromitsmostancientorigins，andalltherightsofthelowerordersaretakenastheresultsofgood-humouredconcessiononthepartofthelordsofthesoilandofquietencroachmentagainstthem。
　　StatementsandargumentsinBlackstone’sstylecouldholdwateronlybeforethatgreatcrisisinhistoryandhistoricalliteraturebywhichthenineteenthcenturywasusheredintotheworld。TheFrenchRevolution，andthereactionagainstit，laidopenandputtothetesttheworkingofallthechiefforcesengagedinhistoricallife。Governmentandsocialorder，nationalityandreligion，economicconditionsandmodesofthought，werethrownintothefurnacetobeconsumedorremoulded。Ideasandinstitutionswhichhadtoweredovercenturieswentdowntogether，andtheirfallnotonlybroughthomethetransitorycharacterofhumanarrangements，butalsolaidbarethegroundworkofsociety，whichhoweverheldgoodinspiteoftheconvulsionsonitssurface。Thegenerationthatwitnessedthesestormswastaughttoframeitspoliticsandtounderstandhistoryinanewfashion。ThedisorderlyscepticismoftheeighteenthcenturywastransformedbyNiebuhrintoascientificmethodthatpavedthewaybycriticismtopositiveresults。Ontheotherhand，theUtopiandoctrinesofpoliticalrationalismwereshatteredbySavigny’steachingonthefundamentalimportanceoftraditionandtheunconsciousorganicgrowthofnations。InhispolemicwithThibaut，thefounderofthehistoricalschooloflawentersamightyprotestagainstwantonreformonthegroundofacontinuityofinstitutionsnotlessrealthanthecontinuityoflanguage，andhis：HistoryofRomanLawduringtheMiddleAges，demonstratedthatevensuchaconvulsionastheBarbarianInvasionwasnotsufficienttosweepawaythefoundationsoflawandsocialorderslowlyformedinthepast。Eichhorn’s’HistoryofGermanPublicandPrivateLaw’gavedetailedexpressiontoanideawhichoccursalsoinsomeofSavigny’sminorworks——totheidea，namely，thattheGermannationshavehadtorunthroughtheirhistorywithanengrainedtendencyintheircharactertowardspoliticaldismembermentandsocialinequality。Thisrathercrudeattemptatgeneralisingoutsomeparticularmodernfeaturesandsanctioningthembythepastisofhistoricalinterest，becauseitcorrespondstothegeneralproblempropoundedtohistorybytheRomanticschool：viz。todiscoverinthevariousmanifestationsofthelifeofanationitspermanentcharacterandtheleadingideasitiscalledtoembodyinhistory。
　　ThecomparativesoundnessoftheEnglishsystemhadarrayeditfromtheverybeginningonthesideofConservatismagainstRevolution，andBurkewasthefirsttosoundtheblastofacrusadeagainstsubversivetheories。NowonderthehistoricaldiscoveriesontheContinentfoundaresponsiveechoinEnglishscholarship。AllentookupthedemonstrationthattheRoyalpowerinEnglandhaddevelopedfromtheconceptionsoftheRomanEmpire。PalgravegaveanentirelynewconstructionofAnglo-Saxonhistory，whichcouldnotbutexerciseapowerfulinfluenceonthestudyofsubsequentperiods。Hisbookiscertainlythefirstattempttotreattheproblemsofmedievalsocialhistoryonalargescaleandbynewmethods。Itdeservesspecialattention。
　　TheauthorsatdowntohisworkbeforetheRevolutionof1830，althoughhistwovolumeswerepublishedin1832。HesharestheconvictionsofverymoderateLiberalism，declaresinfavourofthegradualintroductionofreforms，andagainstanyreformnotframedasacompromisebetweenactualclaims。CustomandtraditiondidnotexcludechangeanddevelopmentinEngland，andforthisreasonthemovementtowardsprogressdidnottearthatpeoplefromtheinheritanceoftheirancestors，didnotdisregardthemightyagencyofhistoricaleducation。InordertostudytherelativeforceoftheelementsofprogressandconservatisminEnglishhistory，Palgravegoesbehindtheexternalplayofinstitutions，andtriestoconnectthemwiththeinternalgrowthoflegalprinciples。Itisagreat，thoughusual，mistaketobeginwithpoliticalevents，toproceedfromthemtothestudyofinstitutions，andonlyquiteattheendtotakeuplaw。Thetruesequenceistheinverseone。AndinEnglandinparticulartheConstitution，withallitsshowyandfamousqualities，wasformedunderthedirectinfluenceofjudicialandlegalinstitutions。InaccordancewiththisleadingviewPalgrave’sworkbeginsbyadisquisitiononclasses，formsofprocedureandjudicialorganisation，followedupbyanestimateoftheeffectsofthedifferentConquests，andultimatelybyanexpositionofthehistoryofgovernment。Weneednotfeelboundbythatorder，andmaystartfromtheconclusionwhichgivesthekeytoPalgrave’swholesystem。
　　ThelimitedmonarchyofEnglandisaresultoftheactionoftwodistinctelements，equallynecessaryforitscomposition。ItisamanifestationofthemonarchicalpowerdescendedbothinprincipleandinparticularattributesfromtheRomanEmpire。IfthispoliticalideahadnotbeenatworktheKingdomsofthebarbarianswouldhavepresentedonlylooseaggregatesofseparateandself-sufficientpoliticalbodies；ontheotherhand，ifthispoliticalideahadbeensupreme，medievalKingswouldhavebeenabsolute。TheprinciplesofTeutonicandofRomanpolityhadtoworktogether，andtheresultwasthemedievalStatewithanabsoluteKingforitscentre，andagreatindependenceoflocalparts。TheEnglishsystemdifferedfromthecontinentalinthisway，thatinEnglandthefreejudicialinstitutionsofthelocalitiesreactedonthecentralpower，andsurroundeditbyconstitutionallimitations，whiletheContinenthadtocontentitselfwithestatesofaverydoubtfulstandingandfuture。ItiseasytoseeinthisconnexionhowgreatanimportancewemustassigntotheconstitutionoflocalCourts：theshires，hundreds，andtownshipsarenotmereadministrativedivisions，butpoliticalbodies。ThattheKingdomformeditselfontheirbasis，notasanabsolutebutasaparliamentarymonarchy，mustbeexplainedinagreatmeasurebytheinfluenceoftheNormanConquest，whichledtoacloserunionoftheisolatedparts，andtoaconcentrationoflocallibertyinparliament。
　　ButsuchisPalgrave’sviewtheimportanceofConquestshasbeengreatlyoverratedinhistory。Thebarbarianinvasiondidnoteffectanythinglikeasuddenorcompletesubversionofthings；
　　itleftinforceandactionmostofthefactorsoftheprecedingperiod。ThepassagefromoneruletoanotherwasparticularlyeasyinEngland，asmosttribeswhichoccupiedtheislandwerecloselyrelatedtoeachother。PalgraveholdsthattheBritons，Anglo-Saxons，Danes，andNormansallbelongtooneandthesameTeutonicrace。Therewere，ofcourseheallows，CelticelementsamongtheBritons，butthegreaterpartconsistedofBelgianKymrys，whoseneighboursandkinaretobefoundontheContinentasSaxonsandFrisians。TheconquestoftheislandbybandsofseafaringSaxonsdidnotleadbyanymeanstothewholesaledestructionanddepopulationwhichthelegendaryaccountsofthechroniclesreport。ThelanguageoftheBritonshasnotbeenpreserved，butthennomorehastheCelticlanguageinGaul。TheDanishandNormaninvasionshadevenlessinfluenceonsocialconditionthantheSaxon。ItisonlytheRomanoccupationthatsucceededinintroducingintothelifeofthisislandimportantandindestructibletraits。
　　Ifwelookattheresultsofallthesemigrationsandethnographicalmixtures，wehavefirsttonoticethestratificationsofEnglishsocietyaccordingtorank。ItissettleddefinitelyenoughintheSaxonperiodonanaristocraticbasis。Inthemain，societyconsistsofeorlsandceorls，noblemenandserfs。Thedifferencedoesnotconsistmerelyinadiversityoflegalvalue，socialinfluenceandoccupation，butalsointhefactthattheceorlmayeconomicallyandlegallybedependentontheeorl，andafterwardsonthethane。Howdidthisaristocraticconstitutionarise？Socialdistinctionsofthiskindmaysometimesoriginateintheoppressionoftheweakbythestrong，andinvoluntarysubjection，but，asarule，theygobacktoconquest。ThereiseveryreasontobelievethattheAnglo-Saxonconquerors，whowereveryfewinnumber，becametheprivilegedclassofthenewStates，andreducedtheBritonstoserfdom；acorroborationofthisassumptionmaybefoundinthefactthattheservicesofCelticandSaxonpeasantryareextremelyalike。
　　Itismoredifficulttotracetheinfluenceofdifferentracesintheagrariansystem，ofwhichthetownshipormanoristheunit。Itisbycomparingitwiththeformsinitsimmediateneighbourhoodthatonegetstounderstanditsorigin。TheRomanorganisationofhusbandryandownershiponthebasisofindividualismistoowellknowntobedescribed。InmarkedcontrastwithitstandstheCelticcommunity，ofwhichsurvivalswerelingeringforalongtimeinIrelandandWales。Herethelandisintheownershipoftribalgroups：rightsofindividualsandfamiliesexpandandcollapseaccordingtotherequirementsanddecisionsoftheentiretribe；thereisnohereditarysuccession，buteverygrown-upclansmanhasaclaimtobeendowedwithaplotofland，andasaconsequenceofthis，alllandinseparatepossessionisconstantlyliabletobedividedbythetribalcommunity。TheAnglo-SaxonsystemisanintermediatestagebetweenRomanindividualismandCelticcommunalism。NowonderthattheSaxons，whoathomefollowedasystemcloselyresemblingtheCeltic，modifieditwhentheygotacquaintedwithRomanformsandenteredintotheirRomaninheritanceinGreatBritain。Themixedorganisationofthetownshipwastheresultoftheassimilation。
　　SuchareinthemainthoseconclusionsofPalgravewhichhaveadirectbearingonthequestionsbeforeus。Itiseasytoperceivethattheyarepermeatedbycertainverygeneralhistoricalconceptions。Heisgreatlyimpressedbythe’Visinertiae’ofsocialcondition，andbythecontinuityofhistoricaldevelopmentarisingfromit。AndsoinhisworktheBritishpopulationdoesnotdisappearwithoutleavinganytracesofitsexistence；theRomandominionexercisesamostconspicuousinfluenceonimportantaspectsoflatercondition——oncentralpower，feudalism，andagrarianorganisation：themostrecentoftheConquests——theNormaninvasion——isreducedtoacomparativelysecondaryshareintheframingofsociety。ThecloseconnexionbetweenPalgrave’sideasandthecurrentsofthoughtontheContinentisnotlessnotableinhisattemptstodeterminethepeculiaritiesofnationalcharacterasmanifestedinunconsciousleaningstowardscertaininstitutions。TheTeutonicsystemischaracterisedbyatendencytowardsfederalisminpoliticsandanaristocraticarrangementofsociety。TheonetendencyexplainsthegrowthoftheConstitutionasaconcentrationoflocalself-government，theotherleadsfromtheoriginalandfundamentaldistinctionbetweenaprivilegedclassandaservilepeasantrytotheoriginalorganisationofthetownshipunderalord。
　　TherecanbenoquestionastotheremarkablepowerdisplayedinPalgrave’swork，orastothevalueofhisresults。Hehadanenormousandvariedstoreoferuditionathiscommand，andthekeenesteyeforobservation。Nowonderthatmanyofhistheoriesonparticularsubjectshavebeeneagerlytakenupandworkedoutbylaterscholars。Butapartfromsuchsuccessfulsolutionsofquestions，hiswholeconceptionofdevelopmentwasundoubtedlyverynovelandfruitful。OneofPalgrave’smainpositions——theintimateconnexionbetweentheexternalhistoryoftheConstitutionandtheworkingofprivatelawinthecourts——
　　openedawhollynewperspectiveforthestudyofsocialhistory。
　　Butnaturallyenoughthefirstcastturnedoutratherroughanddistorted。Palgraveisasconspicuousforhisarbitraryandfancifultreatmentofhismatter，asforhislearningandingenuity。Hedoesnottrytogethisdataintoorderorcompleteness，andhasnonotionofthemethodsofsystematicwork。ComparisonsofEnglishfactswithallkindsofphenomenainthehistoryofkindredanddistantpeoplessometimesgiverisetosuggestivecombinations，but，inmostcases，outofthismedleyofincongruousthingstheyleadonlytoconfusionofthought。Inconsequenceofallthesedrawbacks，Palgrave’sattemptonlystartedtheinquiryinmostdirections，butcouldnotexhaustitinany。
　　ThetwogreatelementsofWesterncivilisation——RomantraditionandTeutonictendencies——weremoreorlesspeacefullybroughttogetherinthebooksofSavigny，Eichhorn，andPalgrave。