The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-02-10

She had appropriated TO hcrsel
the marbles OF the Mediterranean, III,
alabaster and the porphyrics O
syria and the wonders OF ancient Egypt
wish which % decorate herself ~ 81,
now appeared the pccrles, Queen Of IN,
Airiaiic' Her rulers had been among
f lae eicafcst OF the earth her statesmen
die most sagaciOu,. and hof merchant
princes thc most renowned Tor Wcalil
aui knowledge thaf the world had ever
.ocn such Was the condition OF thi, re
uusahie martina republic when Dan
l0.o, the Il ili old D0ge." sat supreme
d. her council board The Cru-ades oil
the twelfth century were now Gttr citing
the powers of Western Europe 10 the
conquest of the Holy Land On tleil
way 10 jerusalem and the other strong
holds o. the MOslem, they succeeded IN
eniisiing the services of the Nonetian5 in
che eifortto rid the Holy City itself of the
Mah0mcdan ab0miuati0n. But COustan.
tinop,e stood in The way, and was ursi
20 be reduced The naval power Of Ven.
zee was necessary To- the accomplishment
OF ibis great enterprise. After "a long
and desperate struggle the Turkish power
was broken, and the allied Christian host
entered In triumph the ancient capita, OF
the Greek Empire Dandolo. although
blind and near eighty years of agc. COM
mandei his own fleet and directed bis
part Of The siege ON this memorable oc-
casi0n After the capture of the city, tbe
c0nquorOrs were dividing the spOils and
arranging for the trophies Co be borne
H. l Id
cannot say why IL was or how it was
brought about. bur amongst other me-
MORALS OF the event our already much
travelled horses were fOuud aud oatted
on Go Venice, and were finally erected
over the entrance 90 the yestibule Of ST.
Marks Cathedral in that city Why they
should have been chosen as appropriate
decorations 90 a building devoted 10
Christian services we do not understand.
They bad adorned Pagan structures and
imperial temples. IL was strange and
incongruous destiny from Nero- Arch
10 tle shrine OF ST. hark. forucar.y
six hundred years they were not dis
turbed ia their place Of rep0le under
tbe shadows Of the holy odilCo Mean
time the fortunes 0f Venice herself haI
undergone change strircs from within
and storms from without. had
destroyed her power @ home The
discovery o, the way 90 the East hy the
Cape OK Good Hope haG dealt q fatal
blow 10 her trade and commerce With
The loss Of wealth. began q stage Of
decadence, until at last, instead Of bcinl
lLe cOuQueror sine became the temDting
prey OF rival powers, who bv turns
pIuudered and laid waste her fair places
During one of these episodes in her
history Napoleon the J. occupied Tie
city, and when he ieit 10 carried OF the
M,elul horses 10 Paris. There, ON The
rMce uu CauOuscl lie erected
,liUmphal arch, upon the top OF which
Our horses once more found for o time
new resting place; we say i0r time
because 90 the fail of the Emperor
they were once more removed
and by order of the j. led Powers were
restored % their former place on d.
Marks Cathedral, az Venice, where they
now stand
We have said this much in regard %
hesy travelled trophies for double
reason. To satisfy certain inquiries
made In regard to their history. and
20 dIsabuse the minds of some as 10
heir supposed connection with tho Pa
ron saint OF Venice. The reader viii
observe they are desctibod rs the
Hgl5e3 Of S. AQrks,' and not of ST.
Mark himself Because the Yenetians
'lose to mount them upon the front oi
heir cathedral church. it does NOT fol- T
Jw thai they have any ecclesiastical re- .
alton 10 The saint whose name 10 bears.
u any other religious significance .
The winged lion whose bronze eglgv
lands upon mOnOlirh column 3D..
Egyptian granite, az The entrance To the
rand square In the same city, has for cen
urics been the symbol OF the martyred
pOstie, who, in the year s2S A. ID. was
dopted by the Nenetians as their patron
aiut. Tradition has it that ST.. Mars APP
cared on one occasion ID certain Neui-
Ian citizens, and gave Thorn 10 under
.and that under his patronage their
Iuggllng young city would go improve
s % become a powerful State. Cp %
lis time 81. Theodore whose statue IN
lar0le still stands upon another mono.
nth OF red granite, with his foot upon
focodlle's back, and near 10 81. Marks
ion had been up 90 this time The pro.
'cLng deity Of the city by the sea. Tn.
'r,unately Tor the hitter. curious coo
.ciloncl occurred about tho time 0l ST.
afa reported interview with the Nen-
ians The remains OF the saint had
.f several centuries resled 10 peace. un.
.r the altar Of church ln alexandria
'llclted 10 bis memory. In the manifold
ianges OF empire and power that
y had fallen Into the hands of the $40.
'medans. The reigning sovereign, who
au9 Cairo his capital and called
aDyioni had determined 20 build for
mseIt a magnificent palace Alcxandri.
a' 40 tufI time one OK the most magnil.
n1 cities oil tho world. rs churches
ere chief pride after The destruction
It's iai'iamed library d. Marx was
10 OF The finest IN the city. us marbles
d pOrphyries attracted the attention of
% Mo-lem builders, WhereupOn the
~ OF Egypt ordered the building TO be
lied down aud the material used in the
Instruction OF bis new palace. Ii go
ppen5d that TWO Nenitian traveller
nc ia The city while This
ler wac being executed They
lied The church, and upon In.
irug of the Monks who had Deeu
owed 70 occupy part Of the building
cause of this Obstruction was tod 9
,m The distressed monks told them b
a much more serious matter than The
noiition OF the church. They knew
tt The bones OK tbs apostle were under
high altar snd that they would De r
.ecraied or scattered by the hand OF
. uerstic. unless they could he re-
y-I lu their trouble they appealed
Tue two Christian travellers fox help q
e feelings Or the latter became inter.
cd, and they resolved that such q ~ g
uiab.e outrage as the disturbance of o.
holy relics of g. Mark should be
vented ii possible The difficulty
s to accomplish their removal without
by he mahomedam. 1t So
opened that TWO Feuitian ships were
ewing their freight in the har6or. II
precious remains could be safely dis.