2 NOVEMBER 1895, Page 12

The Age of the Condottieri. By Oscar Browning, M.A. (Methuen.)

—Mr. Oscar Browning has followed up his valuable book, " Guelphs and Ghibellines," with another work which will take a not less important place of its own. It is a " Short History of Italy from 1409-1530," beginning with a convenient summary of the fortunes of the five chief Italian States,—Milan, Florence, Venice, Rome, and Naples. It is interesting to compare Mr. Browning's plain-spoken judgments with the very guarded utter- ances of Bishop Creighton when he is dealing with the same incidents and persons. Italian history in mediaeval times is a tangled affair, but it is made as plain as the possibilities of the case permit in Mr. Browning's hands.