Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-09-14
Rev. C. H. spurgeon in Venice

Christian WatcAman and Reflector
have dreamed in Venice. Ny visit
to that city in the sea has appeared more
like vision than a reality. Nothing has
ever caused me such emotion. Venice
is peerless, she sits a queen upon the
waters, and her many streams adorn her
as with chains of silver. What must
she have been in her glory, when her
palaces of marble were crowned with
beauty and overfowing with riches, when
argosies, loaded with gems and spices,
and all manner Of precious things, float
ed along her canals, and her flag waved
over three Of the fairest provinces under
heaven. She is SO lovely in the weeds
Of her widowhood that we can scarce i'm
agine her surprising beauty when she
sat in her glory, and her children were
round about her. Crumbling to decay
so fast, that the Venice Of twenty years
to come will be but the shadow of the
Venice Of to-day, she is, notwithstand-
ing, so full Of bewitching beauty that
the sea may still rejoice in its BRIDE
Bound with letters of iron, and heavily
oppressed by the hand Of the tyrant, her
captivity cannot rend from her fair coun-
tenance her veil of deepest blue, the
marriage gift OF her ocean spouse, nor
can the despot rob her of that illustrious
history which has elevated her to the
rank Of an imperial city.
To lay aside all romantic writing, and
speak plainly, l feel that next to the
cities OF the Holy Land, Venice has the
greatest charm for me. We stayed in
the Hotel de la Vile, which was an
GENTLY noble palace, and retains the
impress Of olden time. 1t was very
strange to walk down the steps and enter
the black gondola, to be rowed so gently
along the watery streets. One needs no
legs here. Walking is intolerable, be-
cause of the narrow passages, or rather
arches, through which you must wend
your way, in the midst of dirt and moi
some smells. None but mad people
would dream of perambulating a series
OF filthy tunnels when the open channel
is available at every turn. A gondola
for the whole day, with one rover, costs
a mere triAe, and for the poorer traveller
there is the omnibus, which will carry
him a very long distance for a few pence.
Let him not, however, look for a box
seat with the driver, or hope to take his
turn at the reins, for the omnibus is
large, covered boat, and is, in fact, only
a prize-fed gondoa. think have been
rowed along almost every stream in
Venice, broad and narrow, and in every
one there is something of interest. True,
the floating rottenness, the frequent
odors, the numerous sewers, the loath-
some insects on the walls, and above all,
the Austrian soldiery, all assist in de-
stroying every fine-spun sentiment, but
1t all the nuisances were increased ten
fold, until every stream became an Ach-
eron, think l could brave the horror
for the sake Of the real interest and
beauty which reward you at every pull
of the oar. l mentioned the Austrian
soldiers in conjunction with other dis
gusting objects, and feel ought to apol-
ogise for having hattered them too high
ly, for they are the real blight and curse
of this lovely city. Never did l see more
intense hatred between two races Of men
than between the Venetians and these
German intruders. A deep silence must
be maintained, for words are treason.
and conversation of five persons in the
street may be construed into onspiracy,
but the inhabitants have other means of
showing forth their feelings. l never
saw an officer of the Austrian army in
company with a civilian of Venice ;
however high their position, they are
shut out from all society, and are made
to feel that their presence is detestable.
For months, the square of St. Mark.
where the gentry have been in the habit
of spending the evening under the clear
Italian sky, has been deserted of all the
upper classes, who would sooner be soil
tary prisoners than live in splendor in
the company of the myrmidons of ty-
rants. l was present at the iete of Re-
demption, which last year was celebrated
by the illumination of 5000 goudolas.
and the presence of the great mass Of
the population, but on this occasion there
were scarcely a hundred boats, and the
people present were the scum of the
populaee. Ask any man in Venice the
reason for the falling of, and if he is
far enough from a brick wall to be
away from spies and eaves-droppers. he