ers of the newspapers, the name of Mr. Moens is known as that
of the English gentleman who was taken by brigands in May of last year,
on his return from a little pleasure excursion to Paestum. He and his
party--consisting of his wife and the Rev. Mr. Aynsley and wife--had
trusted too implicitly in the notice given by their landlord that the
road from Salerno to the famous temples was free from brigands, and
guarded by troops. Near a little town called Battipaglia, the military
having been withdrawn temporarily to permit the families of some
captives to negotiate their ransom with the band of Giardullo, the band
of Manzo swooped down upon the unhappy tourists, and carried off both
the gentlemen of the party. The troops appeared almost immediately after
the capture, but the brigands escaped with their prisoners, one of whom
they released a few days later, that he might return to Naples, and
raise the ransom demanded for himself and his friend. The book, from
this point, is the relation of Mr. Moens's trials and adventures with
the bandits, and Mrs. Moens's hardly less terrible efforts and anxieties
for his release. It was decided by the band that their captive was a
Milord, and they demanded a ransom of $200,000 for him, subsequently
reducing the sum to $30,000, which was paid them in instalments, and
which having received in full, they released their prisoner after a
captivity of four months. All the negotiations for the ransom of Mr.
Moens had to be carried on in defiance of Italian law, and by indulgence
of its officers; for to supply the brigands with food or money is an
offence punishable with twenty years in the galleys. Generous English
friends at Naples interested themselves in the affair, and the aid which
Mrs. Moens received from Italians in private and official station was no
less cordial and constant. Indeed, the business of Mr. Moens's recapture
became of almost international importance. All the Italian troops in the
region were employed in pursuit of Manzo's band; and a British
man-of-war was sent to a certain point on the coast, in the hope that
the bandits could be induced to go on board by the promise of impunity,
and transfer to England.

In the mean time Mr. Moens remained with his captors, sharing all their
perils and privations, and making perforce the most faithful study ever
made of their life. It must be confessed that the picture has few
features attractive to people at peace with society. Most of