New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-05
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
VENETIAN HIsTORIE1TES.

THE MAKERS OF VENICE. By Mrs oLIrnASr With
Illustrations by X 4. HOLMES. F. s. A. l2mo pp Aio'
Macmillan Co.
The title OF Mrs ELEPHANTS book Is misleading
She has not written u companion volume to her
Makers Of Florence" and for the reason that
there is no parallelism between the two cities
Florence so far as the splendor OF Its renown
and position Is concerned was made by eminent
mon whose work can be traced and the scope OF
whose influence can be defined Venice. once
established on the Lagoon, was maintained far
less by individuals than by the whole community,
and the policy which raised her to so great a
pitch Of power and prosperity was the consequence
oil republican unity at bottom The makers
of Venice so far as the first establishment OF the
Queen of the Adriatic was concerned, were the
strongly apdividualizsd and Independent but
now unknown, men who deliberately selected
the forlorn situation on the marshes and islands
as the one place which offered hope OF success
fully resisting the pressure brought to bear upon
them alike from the East and the West An his
toric.l inquiry into the making OF Venice, how
ever superficial speedily convince the studen'
that the Republic cannot be explained by following
the career Of doges. soldiers, sailors, painters
ar men of letters All these. indeed require to
be examined but to examine them Is to obtain
the conviction that their efforts were only incl
dental to the development. extension and steady
maintenance Of a community course Imposed by
the situation and By the commercial necessities
Of Venice.
Constantinople was the business Mecca OF the
Venetians The East WIS their held OF enter-
prise in very special way. They were compelled
however to keep open communications WIN 'ne
West, and lest their commercial advantages snouio
fail they were under obligation TO uphold their
entire independence Of the Byzantine power.
The Byzantine influence, In art, In prooucuon' Ia
Injury and ostentation. was strong In Venice, for
IL found there n native sympathy OF temperament
But the wise and polite old merchants Of Venetia
were never deceived as TO the dangers OF yielding
In essentials to this emascuIatng influence, and
for centuries they were successful In preserving
the balance Of the Republic in the altogether
abnormal and difficult pose 1t had taken. 1t
must never be forgotten in dealing with this Ne
nublic that il originated artiHcialy and not nat
urally. The genesis OF Florence mnAn' any
other inland city, can be discerned at once hut
a Venie.. neither grows out Of ordinary oondltlons
nor is fosterd by ordinary means. Out oil the
peculiarities of the Venetian situation more
pyer there proceeded other points Of differentiation
The history of most cities SHOWS the
periodical domination OF some great ioro OF cap
tain When such an one srises the liberties OF
the civ perish and it's course is adapted to the
dynastic needs Of the regnant house But IN
Ven ,ce no such individual dominance was or couio
be permitted II is true that the nr1stocracy LOT
some time succeeded In monopolizing ponuoai
power and that later the Council OF Ten eAercisca
q tyranny But in both cases individual preoom-
nance was jealousy guarded against. ana III oo'h
cases the leading influence was the broad require
ID Ito Tha M
sitv of community action explains to some extent
what seems at first sight the peculiar ingratitude
of the Republic to her doges. captains ana ao-
mirals La truth the moment any OF these became
so shed as ~ obscure their contemporaries
they were objects Of alarm and suspicion TO VENICE
and VII individuals m. naced the Salty OIL tne
Republic, they were, us u matter OF oIeN ponoS'
removed at the earliest opportunity.
Mrs Olphant has not attempted to show how
Venice was made and, indeed, she does not appear
TO possess the clearest ideas on the subject She
has simply picked out from the history OF the
Republic here and there a picturesque ana START
ling figure one Of whom COED - DRY coud De
told. ia short; aud has rewritten that story with
more or less skill and dramatic force. 1t Is pos
sbe to construct in this manner a book which
shall be sufficiently readable but 1t is not possible
ca 70 produce an instructive true account OF the
roaxers of Venice Mrs. Oliphant is o pleasant
auent. smooth writer and avoids the cardinal sin
Of dulness But she has not taken overmuch
mains with her studies In this case and one slight
indication Of this appears Ia her apparent igno-
rance of the fact that the story Of Carmagnoh
has been dramatzed by a somewhat famous Italian
poet. Her chapters upon the painters and men OF
letters however less open TO criticism, though
the views taken by her are for the most part
CHANGING rather than penetrating, especially IN
regard to the artists The three chapters on
Petrarch, Marine Sanudo and Adus, are among
the most interesting In the volume. The entire
book indeed is well worth reading and OF
character TO give pleasure and probably 70 satisfy
the majority of those who. visiting Venice, wish
20 know Just enough about its past to form
opinions which will pass In conversation as the
result Of independent study. AS contribution
to historical research, however. the authors
makers of Florence" must take higher place
than the present work. There are several very
fair woodcuts in the book, but 1t has no index,
and this omission may possibly be regarded As
indicating doubt on the part OF the writer as to
the prospect Of its longevity and usefulness