Stubbs’’ConstitutionalHistory，’embracingasitdoesthewholeoftheMiddleAges，isnotdesignedtotraceoutsomeoneideaforthesakeofitsbeingnewortotakeupquestionswhichhadremainedunheededbyearlierscholars。Solidlearning，criticalcautionandaccuracyarethegreatrequirementsofsuchanundertaking，andeveryonewhohashadanythingtodowiththeBishopofOxford’spublicationsknowstowhatextenthisworkisdistinguishedbythesequalities。IfonemayspeakofamainideainsuchabookastheConstitutionalHistoryofapeople，Stubbs’
mainideaseemstobe，thattheEnglishConstitutionistheresultofadministrativeconcentrationintheageoftheNormansoflocalself-governmentformedintheageoftheSaxons。ThisconclusionisforeshadowedinPalgrave’swork，butwhatappearsthereasamerehypothesisandinconfusionwithallkindsofheterogeneouselements，comesoutinthelaterworkwiththeoverwhelmingforceofcarefulandimpartialinduction。Stubbs’
pointofviewisaGermanistone。ThebookbeginswithanestimateofTeutonicinfluenceinthedifferentcountriesofEurope，andEnglandistakeninonesenseasthemostperfectmanifestationoftheTeutonichistoricaltendency。TheinfluxofFrenchmenandFrenchideasunderWilliamtheConquerorandafterhimhadimportanteffectsinrousingnationalenergy，contributingtonationalunification，settlingtheformsofadministrationandjustice，butatbottomthereremainedtheTeutoniccharacterofthenation。The’ConstitutionalHistory’
approachesthequestionofthevillagecommunity，butitsobjectisstrictlylimitedtothebearingoftheproblemongeneralhistoryandtothetestimonyofdirectauthority。ItstartsfromthecommunityinlandasdescribedbyCaesarandTacitus，andnoticesthatSaxontimespresentonlyafewscatteredreferencestocommunalownership。Mostofthearablelandwasheldseparately，butthewoods，meadow，andpasturestillremainedintheownershipofvillagegroups。Thetownshipwithitsrightsanddutiesastopolice，justice，andhusbandrywasmodifiedbutnotdestroyedbyfeudalism。Thechangefrompersonalrelationstoterritorial，andfromthefreedomofthemassestotheirdependency，isalreadyverynoticeableintheSaxonperiod。TheNormanepochcompletedtheprocessbysubstitutingproprietaryrightsintheplaceofpersonalsubordinationandpoliticalsubjection。Stillevenafterconquestandlegaltheoryhadbeenovertheground，thecompactself-governmentofthetownshipiseasilydiscernibleunderthecrustofthemanorialsystem，andtheconditionofmedievalvillainspresentsmanytracesoforiginalfreedom。
Gneist’sworkissomewhatdifferentincolouringandcloselyconnectedwithadefinitepoliticaltheory，TocquevilleinFrancehasdonemosttodrawattentiontothevitalimportanceoflocalself-governmentinthedevelopmentofliberalinstitutions；andStubbs’historygoesfartodemonstrateTocqueville’sgeneralviewbyamasterlystatementastotheoriginsofEnglishinstitutions。InGneist’shandsthedoctrineofdecentralisationassumesaparticularshapebythefactthatitisconstructedonasocialfoundation；theGermanthinkerhasbeentryingallalongtoshowthattheEnglishinfluenceisnotoneofself-governmentonly，butofaristocraticalself-government。ThepartplayedbythegentryinlocalandcentralaffairsisthegreatpointofhistoricalinterestinGneist’seyes。EvenintheSaxonperiodhelaysstresschieflyontheearlyriseofgreatproperty，andthegreatimportanceof’Hlafords’insocialorganisation。Hepaysnoattentiontothevillagecommunity，andchieflycaresforthelandlord。ButstillevenGneistadmitstheoriginalpersonalfreedomofthegreatmassofthepeople，andhisanalysisoftheEnglishconditionisbasedontheassumption，thatitrepresentsonevariationofTeutonicdevelopment：thisgivesGneistaplaceamongtheGermanists，althoughhisviewsonparticularsubjectsdifferfromthoseofotherscholarsofthesameschool。