The New York herald., 1851-08-15

bequest, amounting to 10000 Austrian livres each
year. should 90 to the poor Of Milan. The bequest
was, of course, received, and the conditions have
been faithfully complied with, far the govern
ment has permitted-for the privileges Of royalty
are not to be inhinged on, even in the matter Of
masses. even by the wealthiest commoner, even in
his grave. To describe all the splendors in this
pageant in the gorgeous old church Of San
Marco, or even to attempt to convey idea Of the
magnificent oratorio on the occasion, would de-
mand ten times the space which your columns az
ford me; and 80 dismiss the event with this simple
mention of its occurrence.
The feast Of the Raewtore L. of religious nature,
and peculiar to Venice. Il owes its origin to the
citizens and to vow of Moncenigo, the Doge,
after solemn mass In st. Marks, to found aud dedi-
cate, in the name of the republic, church in honor
ofthe hedeemer; to endow 1t sumptu0usly, and to
perform yearly pilgrimage TO it on the annual re-
turn of the day when Venice should be redeemed
from her awful scourge. From that hour the plague
began to cease; and before the year closed, Palsdo
was engaged to erect, on the island of Giudecoa,
the splendid church Of the Redeore, the pilgrimage
to which has every year, ever since, been observed
| on the appointed day For the convenience Of pill
grims to this shrine, atemporary bridge Of boats
annually connects the two banks of the Grand Ca
nal, and also those Of the Giudecca; and from the
of the 18th of July to the Of the 2lst these
bridges literally swarm with passengers. But, al
though the festival still retains pretence of
lgion, its only warrant to that claim is pompous
mass in the church of the Redentore. The
pleasure loving Venetans have made it one
Of the gayest and most splendid of their
fefes To give sketch of it would epgross
too much space: win only say, them that the
ming of the 18th, when the vast multitude which
had been listening to the exquisite melodies of the
Austrian bands in St. Marks Place, poured itself
out into gondolas at the Molo, and accom- panied
by usic and illumina lions, moved off in proces.
sion up the broad Giudecca under roar Of artil-
lery from all the batteries Of gunboats in the port
deafening. The gondolas, decked with innu nera-
BILE colored lanthorns, Of every possible COLOR and
arranged to form every possible shape, presented
an aspect perfectly fairyiike. The weather-as it
and at about 10 o'clock, to add to the
splendor of the scene rose the full moon.
Opposite the church Of the Redonore the spectacle
was indsscribably beautiful. AT midnight, the
gondoas landed, and their occupants repaired to
the spenddly illuminated gardens, where the good
Catholic broke his twenty-four hours fast, by in
dulging to repletion in the richest vands of the
season and, when dawn wa, beginning to break,
and not before, the orge ceased.
The free port Of Venice ceased to exist when
che was blockaded, and besieged by the Austrians,
after her revolution Of 4S and, indeed, since the
insurrecton in March, of that year, she hardly
be said to have known its privileges. The effect Of
this deprivation has, of course, been serious her
commerce and business, and the joy attending the
restoration by imperial decree, promised by the
young Emperor, when here, this spring, is proper
tionate.
the apparent value of the privilege thus restored;
and in fact the rejoicings Of the 10th, in honor of
the occasion, were chiefly those of the rulers
their own assumed gener osity to the ruled; for all
authorities. The day was most favorable, and, at
sunrise, all the shipping in port, and all the bat
teries, and the masts Of st. Mark were gorgeousy
of visiters from the provinces and Trieste tre
mendous. One train of cars alone brought in 1000 |
persons, and the lowest estimate ofthe whole num-
ka. okpo IN h. cskv A all
events, the whole city swarmed with men and
women, from the very dawn. The obsequie and |
funeral mass of Soldini, at st. Marks, with
' SS Or
streamers, was launched at noon; various public |
dinners occupied the afternoon, and at six in the
evening the whole population was aAoat, in at
least 1000 gondOlas, on the broad bright surface
of the Giudecca. Such scene no spot in the |
whole world but this could have exhibited and its
effect to the stranger was so dream-like and bewil-
of the delightful vision for instant, only to as.
sure himself that he was indeed awake.
At nine O'clock the vast multitude was packed as
closely it could stand in St. Marks Place; while
the ten thousand windows, galleries, balconies, |
roofs, and towers, around, were thronged; and |
over the wto.e poured perest deuge Of
illumination from ten thousand lights. At the
lowest estimate, fifty thousand people were in that
magnificent square. The windows and galleries |
were hung with tapestry, rich carpetiog andaags; |
exquisite music from martial bands filled up the
drawing Of lottery for the benefit of the poor, for
which tickets had been sold for several days. To
describe the mode Of conducting this affair, or to
give an idea Of the excitement which, for four full
hours, it caused, we're vain within the limits of
letter, If at all The prizes were but four, ranging
from 800 up to $500, and the first was drawn BY q
drawing ceased and th en- commenceda perfect thun-
der of cannonadng from all the guns 10 the
batteries and vessels, accompanied by hour or
two Of fireworks and illuminations perfectly gor
ha AZ ,tpda tbap 10 th.t
perfect order which had characterized 1t through
outthe whole day; and, before the dawn, thousands
were seeking their homes in the cars, or by the
steamers TO Trieste. The old veteran Gorzkowsky
had not forgotten that he governed a disaffected
city, yet under martial law; and his troops had
been so disposed at every post, as instantly to ar
rest disorder The very gun boats aud batteries
command, have laid the town in ruins at the
slightest symptom of insurrection among the
immense throng. The occasion warranted the
crescent around the port, and at the same time
they insured quetude. But all this precsuton was
needless. There is no danger! These people hug
their chains. They are lulled into complete sub
mission by the smusements afforded by their des-
pots. The only wonder is they ever resisted. They
never would have succeeded, had not panic seized
ther opPressors Their fate is now sealed-ther
cause Is hopeless-nothing can goad them into
resistance. IL IL could, an event which occurred
only three days since, would have done it. 1t was
this.
In my last, / mentioned that the steamers Of the
Austrian Lloyds, refused take the remains Of the
late Consul at this port to Trieste to embark there
in the Independence, for the United States and that
steamer Of the Gopaevich line, running in oppos
tion, consented to receive them event which
caused some bitterness. Last Thursday, this COM
pany started new boat from Trieste for Venice,
and she left full OF passengers and freight and with
regular papers and passengers; but, on reaching
Lido, what the astonishment, at the Ter that
not soul on board should be allowed to land An
order from Vienna, by telegraph, to orskowsky,
commanded oaa |
the rival boat should be stopped-the i'm perial
Lloyds should have no competitor! Fortunately,
smong the passengers was Colonel Of the Sardi-
mar army, who, in the late war, had ade prisoner
Of Gorsko wskys secretsy, and who, after aifordng
him most lenient treatment, had released him For
his sake, and in reply to letter from him, the pas,