New-York tribune., 1901-12-15
\ \ PIES.
A GOOD BOOK ABOUT THE CITY Az J III
NEIGHBORHOOD.

NAPLES, PAST AND PRESENT. BY Arthur II;
Norway. With "a Photogravure Illmstrations ana
32 Ensravings in Half Tone. In Two Volumes
Octave PIP. 295, $50. Frederick A. Stokes Com
pany
The two volumes before written in a
vein of sincere devotion to the subject whereof
they treat, and with small capacity for lit
erary expression. Here at once, is a specimen
passage, to show how engrossing and pict-
uresque is the matter and how able is the
writer
l left CastelIamare on an uncertain morning
Large gray clouds had sunk far down over the
green slopes of Monte Faito: the wooded
cone of Monte Coppola had caught a wreath of
Vapor which lay drifting across the trees with
menace of rain and mist. But here and there a
CLEAN quivered on the woods. and presently far
distant 1scha was all a-glimmer, while the
dark sea in between flashed into tender shades
of blue. Then came the sunlight, warm and
soft, casting sharp shadows in the gloomy town,
WhlIe out on the low road beyond the arsenal
the color of the waves glorious and all the
long beaches of the curving shore shOne like
silver. n heavy shower in the night had cOgged
the level road with white mud. out of the quar-
ry, half mile beyond the town, came five men
pushing cart of stones through the sIush-
| swarthy rufians clad in blue trousers with col
ored handkerChefS tnGtted on their heads And
there, descending by a rocky path from the
monastery of POZZano, a solitary monk
win tapping hat, a gray old man, with a
| bieached, sunken face, the very opposite of the
bright, lusty day.
| The author has not confined his observations
|
| excursion just referred to was made along the
coast road which skirts the outline of the penin-
sula dividing the Bay of Naples from the Gulf
! of Salerno Straight out from the point of this
| peninsula lies the lovely island of Capri than
the description of which there is nothing of bet
ter value in Mr.. Norway's book. An admirable
| Photographers illustration shows panorama of
Capri Throughout both volumes the excellent
plan is manifested of pictorial pages in exactly
| the right place. In many illustrated books of
| travel or biography. and of fiction too one
| finds the pictures all inserted at random-any
| picture in any place. But here in Naples Pas,
! and Present. whenever YOU picture just
opposite. there YOU have your text that tells You
about it. That is a really satisfying condition
/ for the reading Of Illustrated book
All Capri is a gem" is the enthusiastic dIaIi-
! fcation bestowed by Air. Norway on the Iitt!-
island whose inhabitants still speak Of the mis-
! deeds Of Tbcrius the Tyrant. The ruins Of his
| villa stand a rocky summit, and insuIar
/ tradition has it that he, ''rimberio." in tha
bowels Of the earth below. sits astride his horse.
steed and rider both of bronze, with diamond
eyes. \ secret passage, tradition continues, eS-
tablished communication between the villa and
/ the sea. OF the precipce from which the fiend-
/ sh emperor had many victim cast down there
| are several versions, each Solcnnly authenti-
Gated by local prevarication Mr.. Norway found
! the people of the island, the especially
/ frank. pleasant. good tempered and charmingly
gracious. They accost a stranger" says he
from the outset as kindly friend. who must
mean WELL and whom they are disposed to like
. The children up you cross the
| piazza, say buon Giorno, and run away smiling
out of pure delight" Such attractive manners,
| the author might have added, to be met