ing compensation, is left to the next-of-kin; but
with the growth of central power these things are entrusted to ministers
of the Government. Then revenge has undergone its full transformation
into punishment. Very likely the wrong itself will come to be treated as
having been done not to the kindred of the murdered man, but to the
State or the King, as in fact a "breach of the King's peace." This
happened in our own history.

(4) The Comparative Method assumes that human nature is approximately
the same in different countries and ages; but, of course,
'approximately' is an important word. Although there is often a striking
and significant resemblance between the beliefs and institutions of
widely separated peoples, we expect to draw the most instructive
parallels between those who are nearly related by descent, or
neighbourhood, or culture. To shed light upon our own manners, we turn
first to other Teutons, then to Slavonians and Kelts, or other Aryans,
and so on; and we prefer evidence from Europe to examples from Africa.

(5) As to national culture, that it exhibits certain 'stages' of
development is popularly recognised in the distinction drawn between
savages, barbarians and civilised folk. But the idea remains rather
vague; and there is not space here to define it. I refer, therefore, to
the classifications of stages of culture given by A. Sutherland,
(_Origin and Growth of Moral Instinct_, Vol. I, p. 103), and L.T.
Hobhouse (_Morals in Evolution_, c. 2). That in any 'state of Society,'
its factors--religion, government, science, etc.--are mutually
dependent, was a leading doctrine with Comte, adopted by Mill. There
must be some truth in it; but in some cases we do not understand social
influences sufficiently well to trace the connection of factors; and
whilst preferring to look for historical parallels between nations of
similar culture, we find many cases in which barbarous or savage customs
linger in a civilised country.

(6) It was another favourite doctrine with Comte, also adopted by
Mill--that the general state of culture is chiefly determined by the
prevailing intellectual condition of a people, especially by the
accepted ground of explanation--whether the will of supernatural beings,
or occult powers, or physical antecedents: the "law of three stages,"
Fetichism, Metaphysics, Positivism. And this also is, at least, so far
true, that it is useless to try to interpret the manners and
institutions of any