Professor Vinogradoff's Lecture

Professor Paul Vinogradoff, of the University of Oxford, delivered the fourth of his series of lectures on the "Elements of Ancient Law" in the North Lecture Room of Austin Hall last night. The subject of the lecture was "Compromise." Tonight he will lecture on "Religious Authority" in the same room at 8 o'clock.

Professor Vinogradoff traced the evolution of compromise from self-help, and mentioned its advantages over self-help. He said that compromise comes when revenge is put aside. In cases of compromise, one has to deal with larger forces than the individual. Compromise is obtained by means of the trial, which may be conducted according to the laws of combat, by oath, or by arbitration. In a trial by combat, the opponents settle their differences in the court room. If they happen to be of different sexes, the man is hampered by bonds. In a trial by oaths, the oaths were made to be very difficult, a mere slip of the tongue in stating them being enough to convict the swearer. Not only veracity, but the strength of the oath was taken into account; for instance, a parson's oath was worth twice as much as a deacon's. In trials by arbitration, the judge is the mediating power. In closing, Professor Vinogradoff said that every country has been through the period of customary law, proceeding from downright struggle to compromise, and that this advance was the greatest curb to war.