Vallombrosa. By W. W. Story. (Blackwood and Sons.)—Mr. Story's little
book has two aspects. In the one, he gives, with genuine artistic feeling, his impressions of the beautiful scenery of Vallombrosa ; in the other, he teaches on the religions and social questions which are connected with the policy of the Italian Govern. meat. There is also an interesting sketch of the monastery, which, after flourishing for more than eight centuries, has now been changed into a Government school of forestry. It had suffered much at the hands of the French under Napoleon, who robbed it as mercilessly as they robbed every other place where they planted their feet, but its rain came from the hands of compatriots. Mr. Story feels, it is evident, very strongly about this. He makes out a formidable case against the Government, which now seems to receive less from the whole income of the monastic estates than the monks used to pay in taxes. The poor, too, seem to be much worse off than they were. Still, the question is much too large to be essentially affected by such facts as these. It is probable that in this country the dissolution of the Monasteries was effected with a cruelty and a wastefulness and fol- lowed by a suffering to which Italy affords no parallel ; yet who doubts, now-a-days, that the dissolution has, on the whole, worked well for this country P
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