Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-07-30

LETTERS FROM EUROPE.
no. XLNIIl
V ESicE,
Pndua-V Venice.

mia night, ana as the cars Tor venice were To
leave at half past 3 in tho morning, and the
city was lighted and the Grand Coffee house
(not hotel) near the Diligence Office was
brilliant with lights, and full of people sitting
and moving in its brilliant arcades, like a
fabulous temple offiry land in striking con-
tast with the quaint and obsolete look of
most of the streets of the faded old town,
we decided not to retire to rest but to sit
in the coffee house porch till our baggage
was fairly in the hands of a guide, who had
rendered his services before our feet struck
the pavement, and then with him and
porter we determined to relax our cramped
and weary limbs by walk to the rail road
depot, which took us the whole length of the
city, a long mile l should think, perhaps
more We started in the CLEAN of the lamps
which revealed the architecture of the old
cityand lighted up the arcade sidewalks, and
sent an angling and diminished ray into the
narrow side lanes and streets, and while this
lasted the walk was not only interesting but
agreeable--but soon light after light went
out and the streets became dim and shadowy,
and darker and darker and finally dark black,
dark How use doth breed habit IN man
In days bye gone, when | had only heard Of
Italy and its stilettos and robbers and assas-
sins, should have shuddered to think of this
unnecessary cropping with my wife, and
my baggage and, of course, some money. in
the depth Of Il dark night through an Italian
city, with every part Of which, and every
one of its inhabitants, I was totally unac
quuinted and hardly knowing enough of its
language to state inteliglbly who we were or
whittier we were bound. But we had no fear,
S, far and 50 variously and SO safely had we
travelled. We were, however, all the while
conscious that we are not afraid, which, per-
haps, is pretty strong proof that unconscious
ly we had a feeling Of danger All went
we'll with us, however, and once arrived at
the depot, we gathered our traps about us,
fell into II dozc and waited quietly for the
carly train from Verona for Venice.
There is much that is interesting in Padua-
the burial place Of Antcnor, ts founder the
birth and burial place Of Ivy. ! should have
been glad to look thro' its ancient University
and its other celebrities of art and genius. 1t
would be well to spend day there--two or
three, if one had leisure-half day would
have been somcthing-for the city has less
than 10000 inhabitants; but could not
tn Il h,, 40 IL,
',"s rirpuid not stay in Italy, if | stopped
to see every thing deliberately?
We took the cars at about half past three
in the morning and arrived at Venice as the
morning sun was just gancng on it's liquid
streets, and gliding the tops of its palaces and
temples. The cars approach the city in a
south-casterly direction, over causeway or
bridge across the lagoon. about two and
half miles long. This bridge is composed of
fine arches of brick and stone. tho foundation
for which is laid upon piles driven into the
the muddy bottom of the lagoon, in an aver
ago depth of about Is feet water. There are
222 arches, of about 32 feet span Tho arch
es are circular 1t took an average of 1000
MEN, laboring daily four and half years, to
build it. portion of it was badly shattered
by the Austrians in the siege of 1919
Daring the few moments that our train
occupied in running over this bridge our
eyes rested upon the waters of the lagoon on
either side, and we were forced to form from
the hurried fIncies Of the moment, Venice
ii city in the Sea--such AS maps and pict-
ures and stories and descriptions had COLI
structed in our minds, when we had no dream
of ever looking upon the world-rcnowned
reality. 1t is needless to say that We had
formed 10 correct idea of its appearance or
its characteristic peculiarties.
Our luggage and passports attended to at
tho Railway Station, we took gondola and
silently and softly gllded through the whole
length of the Grand Canal, which in the
serpentino form of the letter passes quite
through the heart of the city, and presents
succession of the most striking and beautiful
views full of Venetian peculiarities, Wewere
landed at the Piazza San Marco, and took our
lodgings at the excellent Alborgo (hotoD San
Marco-tronting on the public square, 50 cele-
brated as the centre of Venetian elegance and
public res Jrt-the Square of Saint Mark. We
took lodgings looking upon the square-our
floors are of beautiful marquetry aud our bed
steads flight and graceful polished brass and
other furniture to match. As it WAS still an
carly hour in the morni * We took an hour ur
two of sleep before our break fast that we IN sht
have freshness and vigor for the sights Of the
Silent City.
Not quite silcnt-but silent by conn arison;
to citizens OF New York nothing can seem
more silent than busy and thriving COM
mercial city, where no rattling omnibus-no
monotonous railroad car-no numbering
wagon-no loaded and Juggling drays or carts
no stylish cquipages-no fast men with
2 40 horses-not the rolling Of a wheel or
the foot fall of hoof, shall strike upon the
gar from morning till night-when the
nlen 60 to and fro to their business and the
ladies to make their visits and do their shop |
ing in boats Old as tho scene is-celebrated
for ages as Venice is, in the history of wealth,
of commerce. Of war, of art, familiar as we
are with her as she stands out in history
still TO every stranger, venice-a city without
horses or carriages-is a novelty of tho most
striking kind.
No wonder that
"From all days and olmes
She was the voyagers worship"
There are, indeed, narrow lanes and ALLEYS