The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-10-01
OUR FOREIGN LETTER.
Especial correspondence Of the PRHss

VENICE Concluded.
Why st. Mark chose Venice for his special
adoption and guardianship we do not know,
neither are we clear on the point of his life
or burial in Venice. The dignitaries of the
old church were very versatile in their ex-
pedicnts to account for the incongruities and
discrepancies in dates of their traditions. We
have an ingenious example Of this in one of
the churches where painting illustrates the
carrying of st. Marks body to Venice from
Constantinople, where he suffered martyr
dom. The Turks had put all hindrances to
its removal, until at last some devout priests
conceived the idea of packing the corpse in
basket of pork. One picture represents the
| Turks opening the baskets and finding they
contained the meat, which was their especial
abomination, they spit upon it and let it
pass. The second picture is the reception of
the poor body by an array of triumphant and
overjoyed priests.
One of the most beautiful mausoleums
which we have seen in Europe, was the tomb
of Canova in Santa Maria Gloriosa de Feari
1t is a simple pyramid, with an open door,
and on either side stands an angel, bearing
an amphora. He had designed this for Ii
tian's memory, but dying before it was com
pleted it was taken for his own monument.
and another, more elaborate, erected to Ii
tian on the opposite side of the church.
There were so many aspirants for the honor
Of possessing the remains of this great man
that Solomon's suggestion as to the owner
ship of the living child seemed the only solu-
ton of the difficulties, and which ended in
HI, IoP+ 70 trT1r IN
Pusiano, his home, and interring his right
arm and heart in the tomb here
There are many gems in art and strange
relics in this church-among them, perched
on high, in the midst of a wealth Of marble
and bronze is rude wooden coffin contain
ing the remains Of a Doge, who was con-
demned as traitor, and after a long, solita-
ry confinement in the dungeon of his own
palace, he was executed, and his family dis
graced by this gnoble reminder of their de-
tested ancestor.
While here we noticed the servants of the
church were very busily engaged in cleaning
and polishing a gaudy little shrine. We
learned that on Sunday morning the priests
would make the annual exhibit to the popu-
lace of the miraculously preserved blood,
which fell from the Saviour's wounds while
he was on the cross. We could not resist the
temptation to see the service, and especially
to judge of its power over the people. AT an
early hour we were on the spot. AS we en-
tered the church there were gathering priests
in:white robes and blue capes until nearly
hundred were assembled. The attendants
and priests bore candles fully ten feet tall,
and SO heavy that servant had to lift them
into the sings over their shoulders. Many
of these candles were quadruple and
wreathed with tissue roses and tinselled
fringes After much bustling and confusion
dozen priests bore into the crowd on poles
a canopy draped in both velvet and gold.
Under this swung glass flask in which we
could see handful of solid substance, to all
appearances wax or bits of carnelian. Then
the procession moved and proceeded from tne
church to the open square, stopping many
times to listen to the chantings of the priests
and to lower the shrine that the crowds could
look upon the blood and receive the full
blessing of its cleansing power In the
square another company of priests clothed
in scarlet joined the procession and returned
with them to the church, where the bishop
delivered sermon with great eloquence 1t
was the idle curiosity and indifference OF the
people that impressed us deeply. Ii they
truly believe, as our gondolier told US with
all earnestness, that the sight of this blood
will take ''the devil out of the hearts of the
people," they must be terribly degraded to
regard the ceremony with such apathy. Dur
inc the whole service the wardens were
1.1.;oc, 4ba contribution boxes over the
heads of the people. At the door others
were selling cheap prints of this relic which
some of the ignorant women purchased and
kissed with Yeneration.
One day in Venice is spent most probably
in visit to the lace factory. we thougnt
patience and perseverance had wrought
wonders in the nunneries of Ireland, but