Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-09
Miscellany.
Ia SERENISSIMA.

Dut DeBlucS tnebe, many n teIflble drama mas
taken place within the stone walls of the
State prisons. Conveniently situated under
the Ducal Palace, and with their floors slight
ly under high water mark, these ''wels"-as
they were called on account of their damp
ncss-very seldom gave up victim except ~
corpse. Silent and dark as the grave. they
were II fit instrument for n stern and mysterh
Gus tribunal. The severity of the Council Of
Ten, the swiftness with which it reached both
high and low, the secrecy Of its nocturnal
sittings and Of its sentences, created uni
yersnl feeling Of awe that has not yet com
pletely disappeared.
Among the poorer classes there are many
who still believe in the existence of the Sc
cret Council and who expect it to reappear
some day they abstain therefore from any
direct allusion to it, mentioning it only when
absolutely necessary 10y the vague form of
La Serenissima. We may smile at this child
ish fear, but it proves very clearly the terror
il must have inspired. The following legend,
that was whispered to mo'a short time ago
by an old gondolier, will show by what
means this result WAS obtained. Though
cannot vouch for the accuracy of every de-
tail, there is no doubt in my mind as to its
general truth, because the grandfather of my
informant lived at the time it occurred, and
would not have dared to repeat any tale
against the Serenissima unless ho was sure OF
it. With this proviso, | will now relate the
legend as l heard it while l was quietly loll-
ing in a Venetian gondoa
II was toward the end Of 1850. when one
night an English Kings messenger reached
Mestre, wanting to cross over to Venice Sir
John Hawser-such was his name-was young,
brave and very highly connected, and as such,
perhaps, he had been chosen by the Ministry
to convey some tritiing message to King
George Ills representative in that town.
After a delay that would seem enormous to
our modern express train travellers Condo
Ia was manned, his luggage loaded in it, aud
at last it began to glide toward the city. He
reached Venice just before dawn, aud after "A
hurried toilette and a still more hurried
breakfast, Sir John delivered his packet, and
began exploring the lanes and alleys of this
incomprehensiblet town. Being tolerably pro
ficient in the language, he soon found his
way to the Piazza San Marco, aud was duly
astonished by its peculiar aspect. Then, as
now, the Piazza was the heart of the city
laws and edicts were promulgated in it sen
tences were pronounced from the balcony of
the Ducal Palace while beggars sinners and
others Of a similar caste gave it a strange an
imation
Thoroughly enjoying the freedom of walk
ing after his long journey by coach aud gon-
dola, Sir John INDUCED his rambling propen-
sites to the fullest extent While he was do
ing 30 o CROWD collected in front of the Ducal
Palace Naturally curious, and having moth
ing else to do, he hastened TO the spot and
elbowed his way TO the centre. By the red
pillar of the balcony an usher was reading
out the sentence of some unknown felon,
with all the pompous circumlocutions so
much in favor in those days The wretched
prisoner, just brought out of some dark cell,
seemed scarcely to realize the scene as his
eyes, unused now to the light of the sun,
gazed vacantly on the excited mob that sur
rounded the low scafTold on which he was
standing. The sentence having been read,
the prisoner was taken away to the Jail where
lac was to undergo the imprisonment to which
he had just been condemned, and the crowd,
the sight being over, gradually dispersed.
This incident was in itself very trining and
Sir John would probably have forgotten il
within a week had it not been for its strange
consequences. While pushing and elbowing
his way in the crowd it seems that some clev-
er pickpocket had robbed him Of his lace
handkerchief. 1t is certainly very unpleasant
to be robbed even of q valueless article but
in this case the thief had obtained a valuable
prize and beside, there was for Sir John
Hawser the additional sting of having been
robbed by an Italian He would have been
lNhh dllbil II ~ d'DtlltAl III A4Oi4hbA Nlt
pickpockets there were so clever that there
was no shame in being their victim; but to
have been plundered by clumsy Venetian
was too much for his equanimity, and he
burst out in u torrent of abuse. Speaking
mostly in Italian, but mixing few English
anathemas in his speech, he related his loss
to a few bystanders, and was advised by
them to complain TO the police, or rather to
those officials who under the Serenissima full
filed the present duties Of the police. Though
without great faith in this plan, he followed
it and gaze notice to the authorities. He
was assured by very stately official that he
need have no fear, and that his property
would soon be found and restored to him.
Forced to be content with this vague conso-
lation, he went home to his supper and bed.
For three or four days afterward he con-
tinued visiting the principal monuments and
churches. but without receiving any further
information about his lace handkerchief. /
have said that Sir John was young and brave
as a consequence he was impotuousAnd fiery
while, being born and bred in free thinking
speaking country, he was apt to express
his thoughts as they came to his mind with
out reflection and without fear. 1t is not
surprising, therefore, that one night, under
the arcades of the Proouratie, while relating
his loss to a few friends, he should have said
hudl VI lnt NuullSNl btNIcl DOllCt
of Venice. They were, he said, a lot of stu
pid fools, very pompous and very stately,
trying to hide their ignorance and incapacity
under very high-sounding phrases but the
meanest London detective was worth the
whole lot of them. As to the. Secret Coun-
ell, he did not believe it existed at all, or, if
it did, it was no better than the rest
All, Sir John, if you needs must speak so
irreverently of the Serenissima, why did you
not use your own language? Why did you
express your rash thoughts in Italian? Did
you not know that the walls have ears and
that every stone of Venice is spy9
His friends, astonished by this sudden out
burst attributed it at first to those last glass
es of vino santo they had been drinking to-
gether; but knowing full we'll the jealous
care the Serenissima had Of its reputation,
they instinetively shrank from him as from
dangerous man. Availing themselves of fa-
vorable opportunities they disappeared round
dark corners, down side alleys and very
soon Sir John found himself alone.
Alone At least so he thought but 81
lent figure had been following him for some
time, and was now eagerly and stealthily
dogging him. So carefully it walked, so
noiselessy it stepped, that for long time
Sir John did not notice this unwelcome shad-
ow, and even when he did he attached no i'm
portanee to it. But at last he began to feel
some doubts about this follower. Nothing
could be guessed from his appearance. Com
pletely wrapped up in dark cloak, and with
n wide hat shading and concealing the upper
part of his face, the man would not have
been recognized by his own brother. 1t was
only the peculiar way in which he followed,
and the ability with which he availed himself
of every nook and and corner, that implied
danger.
Fearless still, but somewhat annoyed, Sir
John pursued his way through the maze of
alleys that led from the Piazza to his tempo
rary home. Determined TO try to throw of
his masked companion he quickened at first
his step but at the next turning a glance
back showed that it was no use. Having by
this time reached the Ponto San Moise-one
of the innumerable bridges that cross the mi
nor canals of Venice-he stopped on its steps