Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-06-30
mlsCELLANEOCS.
From the Washington union,l
,,pn..-EyE VIEW OF EUROPE.

pIRO'S-EYE VIEW OF EChofE'
nv r JEFFERSON SMITH.
NIL .o.d.r here we are in Fepice-no matter
C, cot here II you travel with me you mus
he content that it costs you nothing 'or no tali
lila n costs considerable for mine. neeG uo .o
you because your ge9eraPnets a e,y built upon nu
.sso.. ANAL laeunes and that, consequently 49,.
ne nae roads to enable US to traSei -, ssor, 70 ca
ar stresf to another, they are io ooa If carriages
naa and sondoIas supply the pace " ,ba n;,S and
ISS, eae RIM through the whole OF inc c"t Snu
a.r,y avery house in the town opens On ue al ,h
10 .omenss very unpleasant 10 the s'ne ~, 90 hnrs
av ~ ,ha cty ia emptied into them. ne houses
hltn OF .o Gvs sx and seven stories high. that no
nm avery penetrates to the watery way. .a, .dnrn
.;abt to behold the splendid palaces ,, nI "a
ed this at one time magnificent si h ibs corpse of
10 r;s. and fall the great-as well empires as
a:n In going in our g"ndola to our hotel We .au
- n..s under the "Brdge OF Signs WIN ne
on .s long as those crossing canal in Wash
;.e,"n shortly after my arrival. my curiosity soon
- me 10 seek out the Plaza st. Marco or 81: Ma,h
plaza. The Ventans may be proud oil tn's sp,e ~,
nh souare. 1t covers about twenty acres auu w
three aides of il are magnificent high marble coohsuo
hnildngs the houses in each row correspondents :,
that combined they resemble some large pa'a.rG
pisxza extending some distance IN 'front.' auu III
mo excellent shelter to those beneath runs 'he nv"
,snoth of ,he buildings The lower parts VI tne. .
buiIdnes are occupied as shops. ne o,net pow"
Ara the residences Of the "upper ten OF Nen,re. 80.
In most parts of Italy the seepes' or; as lney pr
han. miobt more appropriately be Called the oeres
ef tbe churches stand in front Of aud are d.acneu
s.,m the churches This is the case with the one
fronting the Cathedral in St. Marks place. II was
from the top of this be!fry Calico was III inc naoo
.nsL;ny his astronomical observations. Contiguous
TO- and facing the grand canal, Is the palace OF ine
Doee and next to this, and connected oy ms hr,ase
of Siehs comes the gloomy prison. Inc s'oe Oh tne
square facing the canal Is lett unouit upon, except
by the two Asatic columns, on the top OF one oil
which ia the winged lion, the Nenltlsn arms ana on
the other stands erect holding guard over the city
the patron saint of Venice. This city. should not
think, was very desirable residence LOT any one
much more an invalid. 1t is cold damp. and foggy;
and the frequent winds from the adjacent mountains
on Wbose tops is perpetual snow, are very bleak ana
cold Lord Byron, however, resided here three years
To man OF his poetical genius and eccentric charac
tar Venice might present Inducements not cisfose'a
BILE BY others. Among the wealthy, night mere is
turned into day, and day into night After tne oPera
they generally resort TO the cafes, ladies as well as
aentsmen, where they spend most OF the nign1' Inc
Inhabitants. generally Of all classes, appear UerS
on their numerous fete days. On these occasions
they have pretty habit Of decking their persons ano
the church doors With chaplets Of the most oeaulu
flowers which they seem to have here IN great aoGm
dance; where they come from know not. Venice
being, "a before said, built upon iagunes-'hat IS
mud Hats mostly under water-of course there Is II,
drinking water to be had except such Us they e'c1
and preserve in csterns from the ram. -,
There are still in Venice some few palaces, in'
Msnredi contains q large gallery OF pictures ny .h'
dFst artists such as Guido, Ratele, keuoehs' d.
Dyck, Titan and Cara Rosa: also tine specimens u
oonchology and mlnersogy II now nf,om ~ ,h
MARQUIS Manfredi, and ID opened graiutousiy 10 'h
visitation Of all strangers The picture e"Helas.e
the best in the collection is Rroo>L:'on az eroce,
by Tiziana Vecello. Bonaparte offered Tue owne
an incredible for it, but II was refused hii %hc
u rather astonishing, Italian marquses III sehlc
have not generally very heavy purses AIS you pas
down The grad, canal, on either side you see tn
once Beautiful marble palaces now tum6ing {
pieces the glasses of the windows broken, ana ooarc
substtuted for the paues: the lower parts OF many
Them az used ne butchers stalls groceries, Nc. III
most celebrated of these palaces are thoss oil tn
family Pisaveri, Corneilsa, Manu. Sse'nai,' Mm ,
sepego In the latter Byron resided three years TN
church Scalze attracts the attention OF all strangers
twas built by seven families OF Venice The s'auar.
In it 10 by the best masters, ss are also the paintings
or course my curiosity led Inc TO pay HI early Wal
70 the Rialto which, in ancient times, Shakespeare
talls IA was the scene of Monsieur Shylo opera
tions. In going to the Riao you cross bridge {,
the same name, and land in small square about hal
the six5 of the one the Eas; front OF the Capitol
Washington. This was the ancient Rialto,or exchange
Of the Vspitian merchants. On side of ii Is tn
6ryt church built by Venice, called ). Clio Nansi d
Ralto. 1t contains one Of Iitians best pcinT.s-St
Marco distributing aims. l confess was much dis
appointed in this celebrated Riaito expected Il
ses what my youthful imagination had made It from
reading Shakspeare-a grand building, or at least
larger public square Reader, Imagine my disa9poh'
not by any means very clean or pleasant one
that.
Wa left the Ralto and strolled again into the Pac
st. Marco. When Bonaparte invaded Venice 6ri
he took many ftheir valuable pic.ures,a aux
also the four splendid Cornthian bronze horses ant
the liou mounting the pedestal in front OF st. Mark
church, which, however, he was compelled oy IN
allied powers to restore Ihere IL no place IN Ne,e
mora Interesting to the stranger than the Ducai Ia
lacA Tho history connected with 1t carries us bncl
TO scenes of the most exciting character 1t It hat
bean only residence for the ancient Doges OF We
nice, ito story would have Lacked much OF s n,erest
Nut here we're its courts-shall say of justice-no
fear not. Its courts for TRIALS, which trials wer'
sometimes, and very often, mere mockeries. In th'
palace were the celebrated secret council chambers
three and of From it 10 the prison tue Bridge
of Siebs." POLITICALLY called, over which criminsl
passed to what was denominsted their trial, but II
ruth to their condemnation. The doom room II
which they were taken to 20 through the pretenc'
Of trial was painted black. Three judges sat upoi
the bench and NO prisoner who ever entered lived
twenty-iour hours thereafter. They were led to
dungeon, and being placed upon chair made o
stone, with their backs to grated window whot
opened upon the entry, cord was put around thei
necks, which. by machine outside, was twisted sl
to chosk the criminal to DEATH On the walls OF IN,
dunxeon were plainly to be seen marks of blood
which bad IN the progress OF strangus!tlon. beer
through a secret passage beneath the palace, they
were thrown into the canal, and that was the Inst
the poor creatures. Beneath the palace ara hume
- to punish the unfortunate inmate with the mos
exquisite torture. Some of them had water from TIT
canals In them kneedeep all the time. in which tn
prisoner was compelled to stand In others the floor
Were % built 10 angles that the victim could nehe
stand up, lie down, nor cit in comfort. When Bona
pAste entered Venice he caused all the prisoners con
haed 10 be released and had most Of these horr
.rsyes for living bodies closed up. The entrance L
tie palace is by long flight Of stairs called tn
Giants stairway On the piazza al the head Of thes
stairs the doges were usually orowued And there
too, vss behesded Mariana Faliero. On this piazz
vsra sl.o placed the celebrated lions mouths, o
apertures In which secret accusations of persons
spiring against the government were dropped. Ii
tie grand council chamber OF the palace is picur
Of Paradise said to be the largest picture Of any not
In the would it 10 by Tintoret There are also her
piciurss Of Titan Paul Veronese, Bel!on,, Monttgn
Palma Veachio, and several other disinguishe
ARTISTS Around one Of the departments are the IKE
nssses Of the different doges who have reigned
Venice, excepting that OF Mariana fallisIo' "noS
spsos has painted it, instead OF his likeness,
black curtain with bis name on it. The ceiling OF tn
chamber Of the council Of three is covered with nm
painting. representing ST. Mark Furnishing the var
Of Paul Veronsse. In the Academy of Fine Arts 1
. marble urn made by Connovs, in which is pre-
served bis right hand here also is the last chise
Used BY him, articles much venersted by the Feni
tisns. Tho best painting in the collection of tn,
ACADEMY TIE Assumption by Titan. 1t was re
moved there trom tho church Fra,i. In front o
The srssnal arc TO be seen two large marble ons tht
boSBWt PAooS VI s."seJ !" VIC WY tiley We're con
Qusrsd from the Greeks.
THE RETORT OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES I'D wa
It q rout In France where Votsire WAS one O
the guests. Chesterfield seemed gazing about III,
brilliant circle ofladies, Votaire accosted him. an
Lord, know you ars judge: which are the mos
besutiful the English or the French ladesl" "Upoi
nv word" replied Chesterfield, with his usual pre-
ssncs Of MUD II am no judge Of paintings" Som
time afterwards, Voltaire being in lIond'p, happene
to be at noblemsn's party with Chesterfield; lad
in tho company, prodigiously rouged. directed he
whole discoarss to voltaire, and engrossed his Who'll
oonvssstion. Chesterfield came up. tapped him o
the Siosder and SAID: -"Sir. take care that you ar
net sapiyatsd." ANY Lord" replied the trenc
wit Nf seosu to ha kan nv Epylieh craft und6