The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-10-16

The Pickering lights cleaning from every quar-
ter OF the animated city, danced on the wide la
COON, and appeared like meteors amid the lumi-
naries of heaven. The hum Of busy popula-
ton, mingling with the sounds OF revelry, swept
athwaIt the bosom of the deep, and were echoed
by a vesper chime from the church OF San
Giorgio Maggiore, whose Corinthan columns
occupying the chief portion Of the islet on which
they are placed, stood out in bold and beautiful
relief Hundreds Of banks, whose prows of po
lished iron gittered in the moonlight and spark
led on the sea, skinned the surface of the wa
ter, while from the peopled piazetta, which pour
ed forth light that almost Knocked the moons
efulgence, there came the melting tones of the
military nofturno which though elsewhere
whistling repose to the world, only tells to the
Venetian that his hour Of life and pleasure has
arrived. IL was scene for poet TO dream Of
not for painter to depict
While revealing amid the wonders Of this
magnificent and fairy scene, the gondola touch
ed the quay. My Italian friend and stepped
on shore, and slowly sauntered on TO the Alder
go dmghit-terrd, while the light-hearted gon-
dolier regardless of the fearful obloquy of pass
ing between the two lofty columns of granite
which mark the entrance TO the piazettat hur-
ried forward TO throw himself into the arms Of
his doubtless impatient mistress.
On observing the gallant gondolier thus flying
away on the wings Of Cupid, and on hearing
the arch accentuaton which he gave 10 the
''miiie grdzie," offered as return for the still
archer '.teiicissima notte" of the Conte, | re-
marked TO my friend that national distress and
national degradation seemed to have wrought no
great change on Venetian manners or Venetian
hearts, since, from the noble to the gondolier,
they each appeared as gay, sprightly, thought
less, amorous, and intriguing, as they ever
could have been in the days of the Doge. 81
suppose" added |, 'that the Frank or the Hun,
in their wish TO rule paramount, have never at
tempted to interfere with the laws Of the Ridot-
to,S or the usages of the Cdssino?"N
''Not at all, not at all p replied the Conte;
''they are still the rendezvous of Venetian ton
still the mirror of the Venetian manners; the
temples Of Fortune and of Gree, and the
shrnes Of Apollo and Venus. Nay, they are
now, perhaps, even more frequented than they
were Of yore. There is now less restraint ex-
hbited in the Ridono than there was in the
days Of the State lnquisition, when every one
dreamed Of and dreaded the Canal Orfano,""
while the private Casino is at the present mo-
ment far oftener opened to the unmasked public
than it even Used to be to the secret call of the
thick-veiled lover, when Venetian husbands
could only trust to bolts and padlocks for their
wives chastity. Mes-aliidnces, perhaps, do
not now occur so frequently as they once did
among the proud and ambitious aristocracy of
Venice Women of that class, at least, are
now allowed sometimes to consult their hearts
in the choice of husband, and Heaven knows
that that was never the case when the proud
Lion of st, Mark ruled the ocean,"
"But are not young Venetian ladies of rank, "
said |, ''stl closely confined or well watched by
duenuas? Are there not still many lovely crea-
lures doomed to sigh within the dull walls Of a
convent, till their parents can ferret out hus-
| band for them 7"
"Why, doubtless" said the Conte, ''there are
still some but assuredy far fewer since the
time that Napoleon Bonaparte held court in
| Venice, or since his successor, Francis, sat as
Sovereign in the Ducal palace. Still, however,
marriage among the nobesse is frequently moth
ing but speculation on the part of parents and,
wha, is worse, their daughters are often con-
| tracted for by persons whom they probably have
never SEEN"
"Never seen m cried /, astonished, that is
individually an excellent key TO the necessity and
utility of Casino"
"Most assuredly it is So" said my friend.
Love must have temple somewhere. What
singular chronicle of human sympathies and
antipathes might have been made within the
walls Of those private apartments that surround
the piazza Of st. Marco, merely arising from
this popularity of manners! What a record il
would have been OF passion, OF pleasure, and
of wo BY the bye, pounced this morning on
a little volume just published, where is very
good instance given of the effects of this ma
lrimonial peculiarly, once so common among
the patrcian families of Venice. II is sketch
of the manners OF period well worthy the at
tention OF stranger"
On my arrival at the hotel, begged the Conte
to show me the volume. He instantly brought
it to me; and while he was absent making his
accustomed obeisance to the gay group who
nightly graced the boxes of the Fenice,f | sat
down and made the following translation of the
STORY OF LEONARDO.
In the beginning of the 18th century there re-
turned to Venice, from attending the Venitian
ambassador at Paris, young cavalier, of whose
family name the chronicles are silent, but whom
they simply designate by the baptismal appelIa-
ton of Leonardo 1t is stated, however, that he
belonged to one of the most noble and pow erful
families in the city. Endowed as he was with
honorable dispositions and elegant manners
surrounded, too, by numerous host of retain
ers, and withal eloquent, courageous, and hui
name, he soon became the object of popular adj
miration, the envypf the old aristocrats and the
model of all those noble youths who honored
him as their head. There was no Office of dis
tinction, dignity, however exalted, TO which
Leonardo, though scarcely thirty wears of age
could not have aspired. Though occupied with
the cares of Government, and dreams of ambi-
ton, he nevertheless led gay and happy life
and kept, according to the manners of the pc
Rod, a casino of his own, the sacred asylum Of
mystery and pleasure. 1t happened that one of
the dearest Of Leonardo's companions requested
the use of these apartments one evening for a
few hours, upon the plea of carrying thither
with greater secrecy young lady, whose en-
chanting picture he drew with all the eloquence
Of the most ardent lover. Leonardo consented,
but pleaded ineffectively TO know the name and
condition OF the fair maiden. Inslgated by Gu
rlosty, he thought of concealing himself in the
room through which the unknown must needs
pass, and in which, laying aside her zendado :.
he. might thus unobservedly have glimpse Of
her. and having had il. immed atelv retir.. and