Reprinted from Macmillan's Magazine for September, 1862.

It has become almost a truism to observe that the progress of a nation in civilization must, in a considerable measure, depend on the condition of its women. At the present moment, therefore, when universal attention is directed towards Italy, as the regenerated land arising to take once more its place among the kingdoms of the earth, it becomes a matter of interest to observe the position held by Italian Women, and the promises held out of the performance on their part of their proper share in the work of national restoration. In venturing to throw together a few facts and reflections on this subject, I must deprecate all claim to an adequate treatment of it; which would demand far greater experience than that afforded me by four limited periods of residence in different parts of Italy. The social relations between English and Italian ladies are usually so slight, and our connexion with the humbler classes so limited and transitory, that, at the best of times, our impressions are liable to be extremely erroneous, and we are bound to put them forward with diffidence. Nothing seems harder than to attain a comprehension of the inner life of our fellow-creatures who have passed their years in an atmosphere morally and mentally different from our own; and, in failing to appreciate this inner life, we necessarily fall into a thousand errors as regards the outer manners; and misinterpret the few facts presented to us.