New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-24

literary gift. and while at times she repeats his
|une fault q tendency to writing perhaps a
llshade too fine" her style is usually vigorous
land correct as it is picturesque. The fitness OF
he, collaboration we must appraise favorably.
)shce the book is homogeneous and moves
Through the troubled chapters OF Pcrugian his
ltD with uniform clarity and s"if,noss. as
though one hand had written it. Finally Miss
James has produced FOR the book some illustra-
lions which make a creditablc appearance. in
(0te OF the small scale. II succeeding volumes
II Oils series are written and Illustrated as well
las Is this one the general reader Will have occa-
sion 10 rejoice
D By the general reader we mean the tourist in
! general the traveller who goes to Italy with a
slender preparation for the things he Ands there
and then bewa.ls the fact that no books are &C
eessible which would tell him just what ne
wants 10 know or course. there Is Bacdck"r.
Dot the Ubiquitous German has never pretended
provide the public with anything more than a
guide book Symonds himself wrote some de-
hghiul Italian sketches and one Of the best OF
them deals with Perugia but his pages are too
biet. Hence the present authors have come TO
q clear field and. after jud.cous glcanings
through the solid authorities. from Matarazzo 70
Rsmondi, from the minor chroniclcrs In the
-Archiv0 StOrico' TO the scattered notes or
modern travellers they have put within their
modest limits remarkably comprehensive body
81 Information. II will deepen the pleasure OF
many who feel. perhaps. that the charms OF Pc
Suga are too potent to need much buttressing
q history or art criticism Just as II stands
o. town is enchanting Lying north OF Rome
tn no
liaw from it mys,eriously something OF its pc
eolar grandeur. II Is reared above the tmbrian
plain like some great eyric OF uncivilizcd war
nors. In the near distance lie Spcllo and AS
ss and Folieno not far to the north is Arczzo
ahc all about one is aware Of towns Ike Cubic
md Tern. Citta di Castillo and Cortona. Chi
us and Spoloto. whose very names mean
wonder world Of natural and artistic beauties.
WIN the thread OF All amazing history running
through their Obscurcst annals. The thread is
o. profound significance at Pcrugia Tracing its
nStCry far back into Etruscan dimncss. this
natural stronghold has linked its name win the
Foman Empire. with the bloody traditions Of
he Italian frccbooters and cOndottcri. with
'he equally sanguinary history Of the Popcs,
shd with the fugitive but no less imposing rec
o'us OF those dcspots who sprang now from
'"e nobility aud now from the burghcr class Of
'"e town Itself As Il type Of fcrocity and in
"'sue In tho days when those traits had IRE"
''ay IN The south. Pcrugia is unrivallcd. As the
.0u'ce OF one - the g"nticst and most lyrical
"spHauons in the history Of art. ii Is as con
'p"uous This complex and even ambiguous
-Np'ess'on upon the physiognomy Of the town ~
compelling harm. Her two salient character
''"'s may be- cOntrastcd by reference 10 two
NoaDe facts m her history.
Inc hrst has 10 do with the experience Of one
D'0'do MichelottO, who secured control Of Pc
'sa ~ the closing years Of the fourteenth cen
- ana ruled dcspotically but well. He mar
''u oeitoida, daughter Of the great house OF