SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

Tritest& Itinilblea in Germany and Italy, in 1840, 1892, and 1843. By Mrs. Shelley. In two volumes Miscar.csnscus trrEttArtnur, Historic Fancies. By the Hon. George Sydney Smythe, M.P. Second edition.

Freviost, Cslbwa. The Young Widow ; a Novel. By the Author of .• The Seottish Heiress,- fee. lu three volumes Newby. ARCH/M.00Y.

New Illustrations of the Life, Studies, and Writings of Shakespeare. By the Rev.

Joseph Hunter, F.S.A. Parts Fust and Second Nichols and Soo.

MRS. SHELLEY'S RAMBLES IN GERMANY AND ITALY. THE611 volumes are the result of two separate Continental ex- cursions made by Mrs. SHELLEY in 1840, '42, and '43, in company with her son and some friends. The first tour was through Paris ; and thence by the Moselle, the Rhine, and Switzerland, to Lake Como, where they remained for the summer ; returning in the autumn by way of Milan and Lyons. The second excursion was more extensive ; embracing the regular Rhine tour, some of the Bavarian spas and German capitals—Berlin, Dresden, and Prague, with a journey through the Tyrol to Italy, and a sojourn at Venice, Florence, Rome, and Sorrento. The form of the work is that of letters to an intimate friend ; and it contains the =rises usual description of scenery, with passing remarks on the persons and incidents encountered. There is, however, this kind of distinctive character in the Rambles in Germany and Italy—it is less the mere narrative of a tour than impressions produced by travelling ; and these impressions are greatly influenced by the individual character of the author. Besides Mrs. SHELLEY'S qualities as an animated writer and a quick observer, she was acquainted with many of the places she now visited, long years ago, and under other circumstances—for instance, the Rhine before steam was applied to overcome its current. She was also familiar with the people in times of yore, and in her late journies she remained much longer in particular places than the mass of tourists : so that she is better qualified than they are to pronounce a judgment upon the Italian character ; and she is both more tolerant and more cautious in giving her opinion.

The form of the work also permits the introduction of more personal feeling than would be proper in a regular narrative. The reader puts himself into the position of the friend addressed, and can sympathize with Mrs. SHELLEY'S recollections of other scenes—with her anxiety and almost morbid dread of her son's love of sailing. This privilege is, however, sometimes pushed a little too far. We have rather too much of " body and estate,"— how hot, how cold, how tired, how ill, Mrs. SHELLEY felt upon particular occasions ; bow her companions left their purses upon their bedroom-table without locking their door, and lost their money ; how she squabbled with drivers and persons of similar stamp, about trifles that were not worth contending for, or at least recording; how often, for so old a traveller, she obviously mis- managed matters, as it seems to us ; and how sometimes she attempts the pathos of STERNE'S sentiment without the success which alone can justify it.

Of the Italian character Mrs. SHELLEY speaks well ; and she appears to estimate the Italian position rightly. She says there is a growing feeling in the mind of Italy, that provincial distinc- tions should be cast aside, and " Italian " be at once the bond of union and the term of distinction. In despite of the efforts of native literature and the aspirations of the rising generation, this is an object of difficult accomplishment ; nor, as we gather from what only seems a deduced opinion on her part, do the better- informed Italians themselves expect to accomplish it, till a general war shall give them a chance of liberation, and for which they seem to be holding themselves prepared, or rather on the look-out for a turn-up. Without some great political convulsion, the liberation and nationality of Italy can never be achieved ; and, though an European war is an event to be shunned for any certain, much less for any uncertain object, still it is not amiss for the British mind to be familiarized with the contemplation of such a possibility as the restoration of Italy. Political rivalry with that country and England could scarcely take place, for our political interests would lie wide apart ; a large commercial intercourse would eventually be open to both countries ; and Italy independent and prosperous would be a much better balance of power than Italy in its present state. France, in fact, would be placed between two tame elephants : with an independent state on the other side of the Alps, she would be more cautious or less mischievous than at present. Of French liberation, or French protection, Mrs. SHELLEY seems to think that the Italians have had enough. Of the Germans our rambler speaks unfavourably, not only as compared with the Italians, but positively : dirt and discomfort in the houses, grease and coarseness in the food, sullenness in the poorer people, (but she did not understand German, which may partly explain this charge,) and a general disposition to cheat or impose, which is done without the grace and good-nature of the Southern nations. The reader of Mr. HOWITT'S German Experiences will recognize this charge, even where Mrs. SHELLEY does not directly make it, but only grumbles or suspects. For example, she bears strong testimony to the accuracy and utility of MURRAY'S Handbooks, except in the statement of the right charges for conveyances and so forth in Germany ; and she is more inclined to think they are systematically wrong, because she once or twice got a native friend to bargain for her. She will rectify this opinion, we think, in a second edition, if she reads the result of the HOWITTS' residence in Germany, and the slender reliance to be placed upon German friendship in assisting the stranger against the native.

In a literary point of view, Mrs. SHELLEY'S Rambles is Germany and Italy far surpasses the majority of books of travels. Her style is buoyant, lively, and agreeable ; and her own spirit is sustained through every line, if she does not always, from the choice of her subjects, sustain that of the reader. The staple narratives of the traveller are well varied by criticisms on art and literature, as well as by observations on the higher subject of national character; and even the expression of her personal feelings and her occasional reveries could scarcely be removed without in some degree impair- ing the raciness of the book.

Amid the variety of topics in the work, we shall chiefly confine our extracts to what the authoress puts forward as the principal object of her book, national character—to delineate the people of the countries she visited ; and we take some traits of each.

CRIMES OF ITALY COMPARED.

Assassination is of frequent occurrence in Italy: these are perpetrated chiefly from jealousy. There are crimes frequent with us and the French of which they are never guilty. Brutal murders committed for "filthy lucre" do not occur among them. We never hear of hospitality violated, or love used as a cloak that the murderers may possess themselves of some trifle more or less of property. Their acts of violence are, indeed, assassinations, committed in the heat of the moment—never cold-blooded. Even the history of their banditti was full of redeeming traits, as long as they only acted for themselves and

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were not employed by Government. There is plenty of cheating in Italy— not more, perhaps, than elsewhere, only the system is more artfully arranged ; but there is no domestic robbery. I lived four years in Tuscany : I was told that the servant who managed my expenditure cheated me dreadfully, and had reason to know that during that time she saved nearly a hundred crowns: but 1 never at any time, when stationary or travelling, was robbed of the smallest coin or the most trifling article of property. On the contrary, instances of scrupulous honesty are familiar to all travellers in Italy, as practised among the poorest peasantry.

THE GERMAN EYE.

The Germans do not address each other with the plural you, as is our cus- tom: thou denotes affection and familiarity. The common mode of speaking to friends, acquaintances, servants, shopkeepers—to everybody, indeed—is the third person plural, sie, they : your own dog you treat with the du, thou ; the dog of your enemy with er, or he. The Germans have a habit of staring, quite inconceivable : I speak, ("course, of the people one chances to meet travelling as we do. For instance, in the common room of an hotel, if a man or woman there have nothing else to do, they will fix their eyes on you, and never take them off for an hour or more. There is nothing rude in their gaze, nothing particularly inquiring, though you suppose it must result from curiosity: per- haps it does ; but their eyes follow you with pertinacity, without any change of expression. At Rabenan, and other country places, the little urchins would congregate from the neighbouring cottages, follow us about up the hills and beside the waterfall, form a ring, and stare. A magic word to get rid of them is very desirable—here it is: ask one of them, " Was will er?' " What does he want ? " The er is irresistible—the little wretches feel the insult to their very back-bone, and make off at once.

MODERN FRENCH MANNERS.

By this time I became aware of a truth which had dawned on me before, that the French common people have lost much of that grace of manner which once distinguished them above all other people. More courteous than the Italians they could not he ; but, while their manners were more artificial, they were more playful and winning. All this has changed. I did not remark the alteration so much with regard to myself, as in their mode of speaking to one another. The " Madame and " Monsieur " with which stable-boys and old beggar-women used to address each other, with the deference of courtiers, has vanished. No trace is to be found of it in France. A shadow faintly exists among Parisian shopkeepers, when speaking to their customers ; but only there is the traditional phraseology still used : the courteous accent, the soft manner, erst so charming, exists no longer. I speak of a thing known and acknow- ledged by the French themselves. They want to be powerful; they believe money must obtain power; they wish to imitate the English, whose influence they attribute to their money-making propensities: but now and then they go a step beyond, and remind one of Mrs. Trollope's description of the Americans. Their phraseology, once so delicately, and even, to us more straightforward people, amusingly deferential, (not to superiors only, but toward one another,) is become blunt, and almost rude. * * Perhaps more than any people, as I see them now, the French require the restraint of good manners. They are desirous of pleasing, it is true; but their amour Fropre is so sensitive, and their tempers so quick, that they are easily betrayed into anger and vehemence. * * On board these long narrow river-steamers I found the same de- fects—the air, most agreeable to a traveller, of neatness and civility, was absent. There is, however, no real fault to be found, and I should not mention this were it not a change; and I sincerely wish the French would return to what they once were, and give us all lessons of pleasing manners, instead of imitating and exaggerating our faults, and adding to them an impress all their own—a sort of fierceness when displeased, which is more startling than our sullenness. As I said, this has no reference to any act towards myself; but the winning tone and manner that had pleased me of old no longer appeared,

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and it was in the phraseology used among each other that the change was most remarkable.

ITALIAN NOBLES.

At present many of the most illustrious families of Venice and Lombardy have lost their titles. Thus it happened. On Napoleon's downfall, when Venice and her territories and other parts of Northern Italy were ceded to Austria, the kingdom Lombardo-Veneto was formed; and all those persons who wished to become nobles of the new state were ordered to prove their titles by producing the diplomas and documents establishing the same. The Venetians could easily have complied, since the names of the nobility were, under the Republic, inscribed in the libro d'oro; for although the original of this book was burnt by the (French) Republicans in 1797, several copies ex- isted; and the Venetian nobles were informed, that on presenting a petition to request leave, and paying the tax or fees, they might retain the titles of their forefathers. Many who were descended from families which had given Doges to the state refused to petition. " What is the house of Hapsberg," they said, " that it should pretend to ennoble the offspring of old Rome ? " Nor would. they deign to request honours from the invaders of their country, who carried their insolence so far as to demand proof of noble origin from those who for centuries had illustrated the pages of history with their names.

The nobility of Lombardy were also called upon to ask for the confirmation of the titles which they already possessed, by producing the documents that proved them. Very few were able to comply, us the Jacobins had destroyed their papers when they seized on all public and private archives, and buthed them.

CLOTH OF GLASS : MILAN.

Among other lions we went to a silk manufacture, where many looms were at work on rich silks and velvets. We saw here specimens of cloth of glass; which, hereafter, I should think, will be much used for hangings. It is dear now—as dear as silk, because the supply of the material is slight ; but spun glass must, in itself, be much cheaper than silk. The fault of this cloth is, that it is apt to chip as it were, and get injured : it will, therefore, never serve any of the purposes of dress; but it is admirably fitted for curtains and hang- ings. 'What I saw was all bright yellow and white, resembling gold and silver tissue. Of course, the glass would take other colours : it would not fade as anon as silk, and would clean without losing its gloss or the texture bring de- teriorated.