New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-01
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

MR.. HOMELESS NEW ITALIAN SKETCHES.
TUSCAN CITIES. BY WILLIAM d. HowgLLs. with
Illustrations from Drawings and Etchings by JOSEPH
PENNELL and others Square syo PIP. W. zoi'
Ticknor & Co.
To meet Mr.. Howelis again on his italian rambles
s like reoining old friend in the midst OF scenes
associated with the beginning of our friendship
We take UP this rich and picturesque voiuihe' III
which his recent contributions TO The Century maya
zine are handsomely reproduced with a grateful
recollection of the book which first gave him place
In onr standard literature. Much of the old charm
NJ ~ Venetian Life 10 certainly here The daring
disregard of conventionality the happy discovery
of aspects of life uDnoticed by previous travellers
the artistic and novel use of illustrative side lights
the quick insight into the characteristics OF places
the enforced flow of delicate humor, the fascina-
ton of style distinguished more by natural grace
than by laboriOus polish. and the genial under-
standing between the author and tie reader-ah
these qualities reappear in the new record OF travel
and if they seem less striking than they dd OF oiu
we must remember that Mr.. Howels himself is NJ
longer fresh sensation but familiar favorite.
Half the volume Is devoted to Florence under the
title of - Florentne Mosaics." Mr.. Howes gives us
something quite unlike the ordinary Impressions OF
n traveller. Here is neither set description u
scenery aud architecture, nor systematic STUDY "a
life and manners; but the author passes az VIII
from pictures of the streets aud squares anu
churches and palaces to brief comments upon 'uo
people. and glowing transcriptons OF dramatic
episodes IN Florentine HISTORY lie IS desuitory oy
fixed purpose; and the irregular but always intei
est,ne coursc of his easy talk rst fits the spirit OF
leiSurely and somewhat langnid content Ia ~hlch
the whole Journey is pursued. Sena is visited IN the
same temuer although we suspect that MI How
sls took his pleasure there with keener zest than
the welI-known sights of Florence were able 10
afford him and the tour took in Pisa, Lucca, fis
too p,ato and Fiesol. of which he writes much
more briefly than OF the more important cities
We have said that we find here great deal OF tue
charm of the authors earlier italian Journeys ana
vet we confess to a feeling OF disappointment also
Whether Mr.. Howes has changed or has taught US
IN he more critical we do not try to decide Prob
ably there is a glamour in the first experiences Oh
Italy winch affects us but once and Mr.. Howells
could NOT feel the uence of that land OF beauty OF
romance and of contradictions in mature middie
life exactly as he felt it in lis more receptive age
Moreover the analytical pursuits TO when ne mas
devoted himself of late while they have had some
splendid results are not favorable to the develop
ment of the Imagination. He has ACQUIRED SO mnch
dexterty and gfro,d in tlfe dissection OF MS nc
titous personages that beartiess habit OF turning
people inside ont has fastened itself upon hni ana
now. when he has no fictitious subject he cannot
onenee is that bis humor plays irreverently with
his emotious He is too often cynical examiner OF
his impressions. After charming us with bit OF
poetical description or of sensitive characterize
ton. he suddenly affects to be commonplace
traveller of that exasperatingly superior type which
we may call the Jaded Bostonan. who grumbles
at the draughty churches and is quite too enight-
ened to caro- much for anything in them. To tell
the truth there is strong tnge of Philistinism IN
this volume, which annoys us all the more because
we caunot think of it as belonging to the real How
ellis BY far the best parts of the work are the AMI
mated historical pages the force and vividness of
which deserve the warmest recognition. But for
the rest Mr. Howels does not appear as sent-
mental nor even as a sympathetic traveller lie
declares that he has avoided writing about pictures
because so mach has been written about them; yet
of necessity he has touched upon art sometimes
and we are sorry for it.