30 NOVEMBER 1895, Page 15

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sra,—In connection with your

suggestive paper on "Magni- ficence" in the Spectator of November 9th, it may be of interest to remind your readers of the fact that it has long been the custom in Italy to celebrate weddings by the publica- tion, at the expense of the wedded couple or their families, of some learned work. Any student of Italian art or literature will easily recall a number of treatises of great importance to his studies that have thus been enabled to see the light. Two instances occur to my mind at the moment,—" I Precettori d'Isabella d'Este," published in 1887, "per nozze Renier- Campostrini," and " Ricordi di Alessio Baldovinetti," published in 1868 at Lucca "per nozze Bongi-Ranalli."—e I am, Sir, Sce.,