<xsl:template match="title">
 <h1><xsl:apply-templates/></h1>
</xsl:template>

<xsl:template match="italics">
 <i><xsl:apply-templates/></i>
</xsl:template>

should work, this much (at least) has been stable since december.

David


 XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list