Verona. By Alethea WieL Illustrated by Nelly Erichsen and Helen
M. James. (J. M. Dent and Co. 4e. 6d. net.)—Chaps. 1-5 give the history of Verona, its flourishing period being from 1240 to 1387, including the reign of Ezzelino da Romano and the dynasty of De La Scala, commonly known as the Sealigers (with whom, it will be remembered, the first of the two scholars of that name claimed an apocryphal kindred). At the extinction of the Scaliger line the city fell into the hands first of the Milanese, then of Venice. The literary history of the city occupies part of chap. 6. It boasted two great names in antiquity, Catullus and Cornelius Nepos. Mrs. Wiel gives a list of more recent authors, but with the exception of the Scaligers aforesaid, they are but little known outside the borders of Italy. Its art is more famous, though some of the great men of the Veronese school were not natives of the city. The greatest of her native-born artists, Paolo, surnamed Veronese, did his work elsewhere. These subjects occupy the first half of the volume ; the second is given to a description of what the Verona of to-day has to show to its visitors. The classical period of the history would have been improved by a little revision. " Transpadene" is incorrect ; such an historical name as " Pompeio Strabone" in the fourth century sounds strange. Who was " the feeble Emperor Flaminius " whom the partisans of Vespasian sought to expel from power? These errors are comparatively trifling, but it is a pity that they should have been allowed to disfigure an excellent volume.
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