The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-06-21
from our Special Correspondent
SUNDAYS ABROAD.
VENICE.

Venice, the bride of the sen?h All
seemed 80 unreal. No sonndOi wheels
or tramp OF horses feet. The g0ndolaS
shook the sparkling drops from their
oars that dipped silently into the blue
waters. One after another they gllded
by, looking like wlerd funeral pro-
ccssion In some fantastic dream. But
II was no dream, no funeral train. Out
there lay the morning boat just IN
from Trieste, and many of these g0n-
doas were going for or returning with
passengers. Others were Omnibuses
coming from the railroad depot, laden
with baggage and tourists. II was IN
truth very active, practical reality
that we saw before us, but In 50 strange
u form, and mingled with 50 many re-
membranes of song aud romance,
that II was difficult to separate the real
from the imaginary, or TO feel sure
TINT we were not In n trance. Az we
saw the groups of passengers on the
deck OF the steamer we iancied our
selves one of their number aud en-
joyed over again the novelty Of enter
| Ing Venice for the first time. That
giant, oriental looking building that
first greets our eager eyes, Is the dogo's
palace; and there are the two columns,
one surrounded by the winged lion Of
st. Marks, the other by ST. Somebody
riding on crocodile. Once more we
experienced the delightful sensation
of first ride in gondola, hummlng
the -elrain of an old and nearly for
cotton song.
"Iiow softly here, my gondoler."
doubt If any other boat riding can
equal riding In gondola, but Condo
la anywhere else nut on the "Grand
Cana, !" on winding through the laby-
rinths Of Venice, would be deprived of
half Its charms and be but little better
than an ordinary boat.
Tie hour was yet early for Venice,
and so we dreamed and lancied aslong
as we chose, breakfasted leisurelN and
at 10 o'clock all went out TO visit the
cathedral and square of st. Marks
IL Is no use-I can't describe II.
might tell you how many feet long
and broad and high everything is, aud
after all you would have no idea of
that unique scene. The cathedral pre-
sents II picturesque aud even fantastic
appearance, reminding one of pictures
of oriental temples, with It's gliding
and mosaics, and its three domes
Over the grand portal are four horses
In gilded bronze, which are supposed to
hive II history, and rs no one knows II
for II certainty, every one Is az liberty
to give free reign TO his imagination in
regard to IL. So some fancy them Of
Greek origin others that they date
from tho time of Nero, and having es-
tablished that fact in their minds, they
proceed to use them to adorn the tri-
umphpl arch of Nero, and atterward
that of Trojan. They feel sure that Con-
stantine carriedthem away to C0nstan-
tinople, because one of the dogcs
brought them from there to Venice.
Those who adhere to the Greek story
no doubt know that they once SUR
mounted the Parthenon, the triumphal
arch of Adrian, or the temple Of Vie
tory Aptera. am rather inclined to
the Greek story, because Greece is nearer
Constantinople than Rome Is, and
therefore 1t does not require so great
an effort to transport them TO that city.
However, | am not particular which
theory you adopt, but here steps in
fact, pretty stubborn one, that Europe
still remembers rs u ruthless destroyer
Of fancies. referto Napoleon |. The
square Compatible or belt tower
stands near the cathedral, and Is as
cended on the interior by winding,
inclined plane, Napoleon demonstra-
nd H..
Venice, by riding his horse up to the
top of this tower and down again.
After the demonstration, with u heart
lessness without parallel even in his
heartless career, he proceeded to take
from Venice her only equine posses.
sions, and transported them to Paris to
adorn his triumphal arch
But the Emperor Francis, who ought
to be called the restorer brought them
back to Venice, together with many
Other trophies that Napoleon had taken
away.
While we were going through the
doge's palace, our guide so frequently
pointed to something which Napoleon
had "stolen" and the Emperor Francis
had restored that it finally became
quite comical. AT last ho paused be-
fore u pair of magnificent doors of
ebony, mahogany and cedar, which he
said We're from Constantinople, and
which, said he, with u roguish twinkle
of the eye, "The Venitians annexed"
SO now the four horses, which Vent
tians found at Constantinople and
ANNEXED" and which Napoleon
''stole," again rest above the grand en-
trance to st. Marks, and are, as the
guide books say "rhe sole specimen
of an ancient Quadrige which has de-
scended to posterity uninjured by the
ravages of time"
The interior of the cathedral is gau.
Oily decorated with bronze and gliding
and mosaics. The marble pavement
has settled in many places, and be-
come quite uneven. In the high al.
tar a service was being performed. On
each side sat number of priests wear.
ing large fur capes, each with his book