The Russellville Democrat., 1880-03-25
RUSKM ON ST. MARKS.
His Work fin Connection With the Famous
 Bastilica.
London News.

London News.
 It has been regarded as not little sin gular that up to the present moment the distinguished author of the Stones of Venice" has been silent respecting the projected restoration of St. Marks. Mr. Ruskln, however, has now expressed his views at length, in a pamphlet intended only for limited cir culation. tsst My friends have expressed much sur prise, "he observes in the outset, lat my absence from public meeting called in defense of St. Marks. They can not, however, be too clearly certified that l am now entirely unable to take part in exciting business, or even without grave danger, to allow my mind to dwell on the subjects which, having once been dear est to it, are now sources of acutest pain. The illness which almost killed me two years ago was not brought on by over work, but by grief at the coursesof pub lie affairs i'll England. and by affairs pubic and private alike, in Venice; the distress of many an old deeply-regarded friend there among the humber classes of the city being as necessary conse- quence of the modern system of central ization as the destruction of her ancient civil and religious buildings. How far forces of this national momentum may be arrested by protest or modified by petition, know not; what in either kind I have felt myself able to do was done two years since,in conjunction with one of the few remaining representa- tlves of the old Venetian noblesse. All that now remains for me is to use what time may be granted for such record as hand and heart can make of the most precious building in Europe, standing yet i'll the eyes of men and the sunshine oi heaven. The drawing of the first two arches of the west front, now un- der threat of restoration, which, as an honorary member of the Old Watercolor Society, I have the privilege of exhibit ing ill it's room this year, shows with sufficient accuracy the actual state of the building and peculiar qualities of archetecture. The principles of that architecture are analysed at length in the second volume of the Stones of Venlce," and the whole facade described there with tho best care could, in hope of directing the attention of English architects to the forms of Greek sculp- ture which enrich 1t. The words have been occasionally read for the sounds of them, and perhaps when the building is destroyed may be some day, with amaze ment, perceived to have been true" 2
 Mr Ruskin then treats very eloquent ly of the chief points in connection with the architecture'of St. Marks. viz; the exquisite delecacy of the work, and perfection of it's preservation to this time. He also enlarges on wonderful sculptures by which the building is de- eorated, and concludes his pamphlet as follows:
 "Both by the natural temper of my mind and by the labor of forty years gwen to the subject in it's practical issues on the present mind of Christendom, l have qualified myself both to show and to interpret these most precious sculp- tu1es; and my health has been so far given back to me that if I am asked and enabled to do so it will, as far as I can judge, be easily possible for me to com plete the work so long in preparation. There will yet, l doubt not, be time to obtain perfect record of all that is to be destroyed. l have entirely honest and able draughtmen at my command; my own resignation of my Oxford Professor ship has given me leasure; and all l want from the antequarian sympathy of England is so much instant help as may enable me, while yet in available vigor of body and mind, to get the records made under my own overseership, and registered for sufficient and true. The casts and drawings which mean to have made will be preserved in con sistant series in my museum at Sheffield, where l have freehold ground enough to build pertectlylighted gallery Tor tkeir reception. have used the words I want as if praying this thing for my self It is not so. If only some other person could and would undertake all this, heaven knows how gladly I would leave the task to him. But there is no one elseat present able to do it; if not now by me. it can never be done more. And so leave it to the readers grace.