Italy Revisited. By A. Gallenga. 2 vols. (Samuel Tinsley.)—Signor Gallonga
has watched and sometimes played a part in Italian history for the last forty years or more. He has written more than once on the subject of his country and his countrymen. Living, as we believe he does, in this country, he can observe and express himself with more freedom ; while, visiting his country at intervals, he has a special oppor- tunity of noting and estimating change. He knew the Italy of Charles Albert ; the "Subalpine" kingdom, with its hopes ; the Italy which had Florence for its capital, and now he comes back to "revisit" the Italy which has found the consummation of its hopes in the possession of Rome. To Rome he devotes his first volume,—to the city itself, that is, and to the political questions which particularly find a centre in it. The second he gives up to what we may call, if the word is not an offence, the "provinces." Throughout he is candid and plain-spoken. No patriot was ever less blind to the faults of his country- men, but he has a patriot's hopes for the future. The famous policy of " a free Church in a free State" does not altogether please him Be hints, at least, that more decided measures would have pleased him, and while we read his book, the action of the Italian Government in protecting the free election of priests by their parishioners partially confirms his views. His picture of the Church, indeed, is the darkest thing in the book. "The immense majority of Italian priests are mere sensualists." Yet he does not suppose for a moment that Protestantism will ever make its way. The Italians, he seems to say, must either be Roman Catholics or nothing. On the administration of justice, he fully bears out the censures lately passed on the misplaced leniency of the Italian Courts and the lamentable perversity of Italian opinion. A priest is robbed and murdered (many of our readers will remember the ease) by the brother of his paramour, an ex-nun; the jury, on the ground of his " tender age" (30 years!) give him but a year's imprison- ment; and the woman, though she held the candle at the door, was acquitted. "And the population of Alessandria was highly satisfied with the result of the trial," and rightly satisfied, think the leaders of public opinion. The two volumes abound in interesting matter, with vivid sketches of places and persons ; Florence, for instance, and the famous monastery of Monte Cassino (with which, by the way, S. Gallenga somewhat disenchants us) ; Garibaldi, whom he admires, but not with a blind admiration ; and Mazzini, whom, in a sketch that will certainly not please in some quarters, he describes as a man with not a few worshippers, but without friends. The personal reminiscences, too, of the author's bloodless campaign with Prince Napoleon in 1859 are notably interesting.
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