The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-06
NEW BOOKS.
Continued rom lSerenth Pnoe.

are already on the Atlantic. while still more
are discussing the itineraries OF their summer
trips. Such persons as are unprovided with
friends and acuuaintances to advise them as TO
what they must see and whore they must 20
will find directions Of that sort In Mr.. Aliens
book. directions which they may determine
dutiiully to follow before starting. and NAV
neglect with an easy conscience as soon
as they find out what things they really
enjoy on reaching the other side. Mr.. Allen
thinks highly Of travel In Europe he thinks II
preferable to a year or two In college. In fact
to the whole of a college education. and asserts
that by wandering about for a year or eighteen
months through England. France. Germany.
Italy and Switzerland. q youth may " store his
mind with knowledge OF art. knowledge OF his
tory. knowledge OF geography. knowledge OF
human nature: and gain an insight into the
manner OF thought. OF speech. Of life and OF in
dustry among tho living peoples" as we'll as "a
living interest in the languages. the literatures.
the history OF Europe" This seems much TO
accomplish in a single year. and MIR. Allen ad-
mits that II has required In his own case a
residence Of over thirty years In Europe Ito
slowly learn how to appreciate its educational
advantages" His depreciation ~ the academic
system Of education is not due to prejudice. as
he takes care to explain:
I certainly am not opposed n It from sheer isno.
rance. TO guard against mishpprenensOn on TINS
score, I will even venture to add that I am an Oxford
graduate. . Hrstclass man in classics. and that I was
several Year, OF my life a classical master in English
public schools and q professor Of classics In . colo
mia college. Therefore. l hope l do not speak with
the mere jealousy Of the unlearned who think
slightinely Of arts they have not themselves acquired.
Unfortunately. Mr.. Allen does not explain his
system OF rapid and thorough education while
travelling. but devotes his book to a personally
-1-l,,atnl ..t rilr,,.a-o to- a, 49, ,rho hoa
six months. moro or less. to spend In Europe.
This requires the rigid exclusion OF anything
like nature. or sentiment or the observation OF
life. He Is very severe on a Young Pennsylva-
MAN he once knew who wished to eat pork pie
at q Liverpool railroad restaurant because
lone reads about them in Dickens" and has no
patience with people who want to visit the
Land OF Scott' or the Land ofBurns." A short
time only should be spent in England because
Americans knor il almost all Already and be-
cause England for the most part is horribly
modernized." That time should be devoted to
the country and not to London. Looking at
II In the lump. London is almost as
brand neo as ChicaRo; It contains little
or nothing Of historical and antiquarian
interest. and OF local origin. to delay the
tourist" 1t has one really good and local
thing In it-Westminster Abbey" Mr.. Aliens
tour Is England. Paris. Belgium. the Rhine to
Italy dbore all things" "Hnlv is the Key by
which you may unlock the secret OF Europe"
He is very free with the use OF italics. for pic
turesque effect on the printed page apparently.
rather than for emphasis. He prefers to have
the traveller land in England and not at Genoa,
as in that case he would come upon Italy sud
denly and unprepared. So he takes him
through the English country towns and rather
contemptuously through Scotland. He men.
lions with interest that Lord Warwick lives
at Warwick Castle and Mr.. Astor at Give
den. but Stratford- on Avon he dismisses
CURLY with its sweet spire and its Old World
air. only spoiled for the tourist by the per-
petual intrusion Of that ineflable bore. William
Shakespeare" The London collections. though
described. must be looked at only on the return
from Italy. On the other hand. according to
Mr.. Allen. lust as distinctly rs the country
ia England. Paris is France" We should
say here that Mr.. Allen has written a Guide
to Paris" which he recommends. Normandy
and Brittany. It Ia true. are full OF objects OF sec
ondary Observation-Disclosures. abbcys, churches.
castles. many OF which are closely connected
with the early history Of England. and there
fore also Of the American people. But they are
not for the hasty. six months visitor" who is
taken to the south OF France instead for his
health. The Riviera towns are purely modern.
though most OF them include an Old town. ="
But these old towns contain nothing in the
way OF architecture or painting 10 detain the
visitor: they are interesting merely in a dis
.tant view seen nearer. they become offensive
to more than one OF the senses From Paris
the traveller is taken to Belgium. Except
Italy there Is nothing in Europe so valuable.
so instructive as Belgium" after which Hot
land falls fiat" 1t should be said that Mr..
Allen has written a Guide to the Belgian
Cities which he recommends. but not to Hol-
land. He then goes up the Rhine. putting in n
week at Cologne. and leads his followers
through the st. Gothard to Italy. Switzerland
us a snare and a mislendpr." for it may tempt
the traveller to stay. 1t has tempted Mr.. Allen.
Thought to myself. Well, now At least. after
Carpaccio and Luini. mere hills and torrents will
seem tame to u.s. But when We got upon the hill
tops--oh. heavens. how I repented that sudden
blasphemy! The snow Elittered in the sun; the
lakes lay spread in sheets of blue below; the air was
scented with the mountain perfumes Of the sweet
scented daphne; and Italy faded like a dream be.
hind us. We were up among Gods mountains,
stretched on Coils fowery carpet. and mans works
were as naught in the dim plains to southwark.
That was a momentary lapse into something like
poetry! Forgive me! Let us return to our practical
duties a. guide. and esch.w the gentians.
Having selected the Gothard route. Mr..
Aliens first Italian city is Milan. He there
persuades the traveller to 20 to Florence be-
fore going to Venice. which would be more
convenient. but protests emphatically in large
capitals that he shall not go first to Rome.
This seems needless. for his traveller has
already had experience Of Italian railways.
and. unless he is anxious to get away from Mr..
Allen. would never dream OF going from Milan
10 Rome without breaking the journey. Mr..
Allen is enthusiastic about Florence. and gives
excellent reasons for his enthusiasm. We
need not say that he has written a Guide to
Florence" and recommends that it be used in
visiting the points of interest. Florence" he
says. burns itself into ones heart and ones
brain. The difficulty is. when once you have
seen it. TO live elsewhere. You will want to sell
all you have and take an apartment for the
rest OF your life on the western Lung-Lung,
Arno." We hardly believe that Mr.. Allen in
tended a nun here-it would be the sole at
tempt at levity in his hook-and il is equally
difficult to believe that his Italian is at
fault. Dlsregarding comfort and railroad fares.
he leads on from Florence to Venice he has
written a Guide to Nenicc"h. and from Venice
TO Rome, which is too big for a guide. After