The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1879-01-16

zBsrsUsun1Vluuuuys
ling settled. Around, the church
are mementoes from all parts OF the
world, aud notice ably large nun.
ber OF very 6ho representations in
bronze.
Beneath tho richly ornamented
high Altar are the relics aud remains
OF ST. Mark. Behind this is SEQ,
ond altar, with four spiral columns
Of alabastor, OF which tho two center
onos which are nearly white aud
semi-transpareut, arc said to have
belonged to Solomon's Tomple -.
Among the other curious things in
the cathedral are the stone on which
John the Baptist was beheaded,
crystal vase containing some Of the
BLOOD Of the Savior" q fragment
of the true cross, u portion Of the
skull Of st. John, aud q number of
other sacred and interesting relics
IL was in tho vestibule OF this
church where tho emperor Bubiros'
sa knoeled deforo the Pope and rs u
sigh of subjectisn received tho pom
tiffs foot upon his neck.
, In this church were inferred in
} 1868 tho remains Of Ttaly's idolized
hero, tho President of tho Republic
Of lSiS, Daniel Manin, tho only one
who had been thus honored during
the last three centuries.
! In front of the church is tho Bell
Tower, a square based, brick struc-
ture more thau 800 feet high, from
which there is tinc view of the city
the canals, tho sea, aud tho mlin~
land. AS most of the houses are
, covered with dingy old tiles, and tho
J chimneys are made Of the same ma.
, teri.l, the view reminis one strong.
ly of vast, deserted brick yard with
thousands of old flower pots scat
} tered over it. 0u the left of st.
Marks is tie clock tower, with tho
automatic igures, which go through
various motions when the clock
, strikes the hours, the wonder and
, admiration of all the Nenetians.-
When tho clock strikes two multi-
tuds of pigeons, which have their
; homes in tho buildings about the
, square, come to be fed, aud it is one
, of the things to do to buv corn at
the rate Of about i've dollars ger
bushei to feed them. Whom thero
are no travellers about they are fed
Mt public expense.
Where the Piazzotta touches the
G:aud Canal are two granite col.
uinns which were broasht from
Syria ia tho 18th contury. Ono is
surmounted with the winged lion of
ST. Mark aud the othor with a figure
Q of ST. Tncodo-e, one Vi the early
patrons Of tho Republic. He is
standing on the back OF a crocodile,
holding u sword in his left haul aud
:, a shield in his right, aud ii tho only
. known instance Of q ieft-hdHle,i
: saint. Tue Royal Palace and Mint,
D both tine buildings, are on one side
4 Of tho open square. At the time o.
i orr visit the young king aud queen
9 were in the city aud VIC saw them
/ several times on tho balcony OF tho
, palace.
r On the opposite side Of tho sdulre
is the Doges' Palace, which, founded
little more than thousand years
, ago, has been five times destroyed
and rebuilt. 1t is at the present
, time a fine building, literally filed
{ with pictures and mementoes Of the
long and eventfnl history Of tho Re
/ public. The Hall of the Grand
r Council, n magnificent room, is com
pletcly covered with historical and
= other pictures. Tintoretto's "The
, Glory of Paradise" said to be the
3 largest picture ever painted on cam
|, vass(S4 by 81 feet), covers one entire
end of the Hall.
}, We are shown through rooms
fitted up for various state purposes,
aud along dark and mysterious pas
r sagos which lead to the still darker
, dungeons whore prisoners were cons
, fined.
The ignorant seutimentalism of
poets and particularly Of Byron, has
. clothed everything about the palace
, aud prisons with an interest OF which
! the places themselves are entirely
unworthy.
: From an upper story Of the Pals
/. ace we cross the canal to the prison
|, on the famous "Bridge of Sighs,"'
which Byron has imwortalizol by
: the lines beginning,
: II stood Ia Venice, on tho Bridge Of Signs,
I A palace and a prison on each hand"
The keen-sighted Howells in his
"venetiau Life," refers to the
Bridge of Sighs as shat pathetic
! swindle,' and indeed one might pass
it a dozen times aud mover suspect
anything Of its greatness unless it
were pointed out to him. To hear
,, tho story OF horror which tho guide
! tells (and by the way Autonio's Eng
lish is funny enough to start the
!, vest buttons on mummy, one
would think that the building was
planned and built entirely for the
!. purpose OF seeing how many crimi-
nails 1t would be possible to put
), throrigh it in day. II is generally
: conceded now that the horror OF the
: punishments inflicted by the Doges
. consisted largely in the fact OF their
sao.anv Aim aocuaad man haing a,1h