New-York daily tribune., 1844-04-11
ezItmpsas at Europe.
Nrne,n SXyUl lBrA TRAVELLING NEw-YoaKER
Foreign Correspondence OF The New-Ysrk 1'ribune.

soniacation and embodiment of the power Of the
Republic. There was the seat OF her authority,
there were deposited the commemorative paint
ings of her triumphs there her Doges reigned
while they were successful, and there, when unfor-
tunate, they were imprisoned and beheaded. The
Palace, which is unlike any thing else in eXis
tence, rests upon a range OF massive columns
connected by arches, above which runs another
open arcade, the Gothic arches of which are SUI
mounted by the rich Oriental ornaments and
Arabesquc tracery, adorned with sculptures in
nch exuberance, which characterize most Of the
| Palaces here, and make OF Venetian architecture
s,rikngy peculiar and beautiful species. En-
tcring by gorgeous portal, which might have
been translated from the Alhambra Of Spain, you
find yoursefin an inner court, surrounded by rich
arcadcs and galleries, with the mosque-likc cupo-
las of San Marco peering above the palace.
The Eastern aspect of the scene is increascdby
the two cisterns in the court, covered with richly
sculptu,cd bronze mouths and surrounded by
| crowds of women filling with water their brazen
pitchers, and carrying them off on their heads, as
we sec represented in pictures OF Palestine. Wa
ter is here precious commodity, for it can be OBJ
tanned only from the cistens supplied by the
rains, or from The main land and it is sold about
the streets bE the glass, either simply iced or
sprinkcd with essence. The vcndcr has his llt-
tie cask slung behind him. and his tray Of essences
and cordials in front, and his unvarying cry OF
'Acqua' is heard in every corner at all hours
From the Court you ascend by. broad stair
case. the marble steps of which are inlaid with
bronze, and which is crowned by two colossal
statues of Mars and Neptune, whence it has de-
rived its popular name of Scala del Gigdnti. AT
its top still remain the sockets which supported
the scaffod where state criminals were behcadcd
and according to the poetic tradition, down this
giants staircase rolled the head of the Doge
Marno Faliero. Unhappily some cropping antigua
rians have since discovered that at the time of his
decaptation this staircase was not built but they
might better have spared their Disseminating re-
searches, remembering that III the romance Of his
tory Ii very often the hight OF folly to be wise.
From the gallery to which you have now ar
rived you ascend by the Scala d Orc to & colri-
dor in which are the terrible Lions mouths. In
themselves they are mere sits in the wall, like the
opennce Of letter. box and III these days they
are harmless, but in former times they received
the anonymous denWucations which any one
might there throw III against ns enemy The
secretary of the Inquisl,on received them upon
the inside aud laid them before that terrible body
who r;an9 a5less ,he accused and try, and pe,-
haps, condemn him upon these charges without his
seeing his accuser or scarcely known. what was
his offence II must be confessed that among
tho many changes for the worse III Venice, the
shuttn" of the fatal Lions mouths Is an alter
| alton for the better.
The Hall Of the Council of leu is the first
, ono you enter Here sa; the secret Tribunal and
their seats remain Just they left them, the cusl.
, IONS well worn by use When we remember how
much intense misery their dcspotic sentences have
caused we may be well content 10 sec their hall
more showroom, in which the citizens OF a free
country may iclicitatc themselves, that although
they do not possess tho romance, poetry or arl
OF Venice they arc exempt from her arbitrary ty'
ranny. The ceiling of this room, like all the rest
: is magniGccntly decorated with cmbematic paint
ings The Hall of the four doors and the
Guard room are also hung with pictures by II.
tian, Paolo Veroncsc, Tintorctto, and other great
painters, mostly emblematic of the power of Ven
ice, or commcmorating some of her trlumphs by
land and sea, or immortalizing the features OF the
Doges, whose reigns have been prosperous. In
the Guard.room' is one Of the master pieces of
paolo Veronese, his Rape Of Europa of which a
duplicate exists in the Capital at Rome, and
which is unsurpassed for the soltness, richness
and splondor of its color, composition and cvpres-
sion. The Presence Chamber also contains
some fine paintings by the same artist, but is par
ticularly curious as possessing door which was
originally in the mosque of St. Sophia at Con-
stantinoplc. 1t was brought thence in the year
1904 and the cedar of Lebanon and ebony of Ii
girls ofwhch it's made arc as fresh as if just fellcd
and shaped.
The 8 Hall of the Senate is the most impress
ivc of ALL Around It's sides are ranged the richly
carved seats of its three hundred and ten Sena-
tors. The Doges throne is al its head, aud in the
middle of one side stands the Tribune from which
the speeches were delivered, and which has often
resounded with words, whose influence on the de-
cisions of the Senate has decided the fate large
portion of the world. Over the door hangs a pic
ture representing Venice, single handed, ovcrcom-
ing the six great powers Of the League a( Cam
bra;. They arc emblemed by their arms embla-
zoncd on shield where appear the Pope, Austria,
France, Spain, Naples and Lomtardy, and all
their united powers arc repulscd by the Dogc Lo-
redano with the Lion OF St. Mark by his side
Such was once the power and pride of the Repub-
lie of Venice; now none SO poor TO do her re-
vercnce.'
The Hall OF the Greater Council is mag
nificcnt room so feet long, 20 feet wide, and 40
feet high though deiormed BY the Museum and
| ihrary which have been put into II BY the bad