, 1890-05-29

iutcly what tho past has
made and called art; and rchabliI-
tate through your own blind imagln.
alton and willing fancy a once
doubtful perfection with tho splendid
proportions and Embellishments YOU
believe weru hero In some dim time
before You. On this line OF iealty to
VENETIAN TRADITION
your historic faith secs n noble peo-.
pie flying from tho wrath Of North.
ern Huns, and, casting their lot
with the wild fishormen of the
adriatio, founding city, or scrles
OF cities at last uniting numerous
shoals and islands In powerful and
rcsourccftl maritime league. II re.
calls the eventual concentration ol
their communistIc peoples Into re-
publican government and the clec.
ton OF the first dux, doge, or leader,
In eo7, In tho person of Pauluccio
Anaiesto, who wns given authority
over all the islands. You trace
from the time of the first doge, To
the uate OF tho extinction OF the
venetian republic precisely 1,10O
years later by Napoleon Bonapartc,
long line OF patriot, warrior,
satesman and navigator doges,
whose sole ambition was the pro-
lection or the peoples liberties, the
extension Of tho Venetian fame for
science and art, the repcllancc OF
Eastern aggression ON the one hand
aud the statecrnft of the Lombards
and the Franks ON the other. Your
reiigious fcrvor is awakened that
the relics Of st. Mark were recovered
from Egypt and u majestic church
became their rcliquary; you feel tho
glow witl which Tnsso wrote thnt
Venice sent 200 vessels Ia assist In
the holy wars; and you fiout the
Idea that tho extension Of her com
Inercc WAS n first consideration In
her astounding practical evidence Of
Piety. You remember her
''espousals Of the sea" as n
sweet and strlkingly symbolic
mysticism. You believe her
to have been inspired by the highest
patriotism In her almost inccssant
wars against Geiyoa and In her say
age conquest OF Padua, Verona,
Vicenzn, Bassano, Belluno and of
Milanian Bresclp, Bergamo, Rovigo,
Crenona and Trcviso. You are
certain she assisted In tho suppress
sion of piracy, rather than that her
feluccss and galIcons for half n thou
sand years brought to her quays un-
told treasures wrcsted through
butchery and murder from hapless
harvesterz Of the sea. You are cer-
tain that her world wide fame in
fhxx n A, a.
part of the golden age for mag
nificencc, art and refinement was
wholly resultant from the heroic so
lidnrity ofrcpubllcnnliberties instead
OF rom governmental crimes and
corruptions aud the fostering OF IA
magnificent titled banditti preying
upon human rights and property,
worse than ever disgaced the rule
Of Spain In Cuba. And, turning to
It's olden glory In architecture and
painting, you arc ready TO confess
its bastard, nnineless, birthlcss,
parentlcss conglomerate OF brick,
marble and meaningless mosaics,
and Its faded daubs ON canvas and
In fresco, as the ultimate In all art.
born out Of the highest and purcst
aspiration of n time and genius
nurturcd I'm the grautlest epochs Of
an enlightened liberty and exalted
civilization. With this sort of
minds light upon all Venice has to
display, one can see, NJ Quixote saw
In every reeking country wench of
Spain female of noble birth aud
divine beauty, that Ideal city Of
consummate beauty and witchery
with which historic romance, ro-
mantle history and the magic dream
builders In verse have for ten cen
turies been deludlng the fond and
willing imagination of men.
Then, II you have an iota Of the
sense Of things absurd about you,
Venice,
DIvEsr.D OF FALSE HISTORY
and false sentiment, while possess
ing ample that II worthy in art,
associations and hui
man interest, seems filled with con-
trsvcsties upon the mex
pressibly superlative claimed from
time immemorial for the "Adriatic
Queen" There Is not city OF 5O,-
900 inhabitants In continental Eu-
rope which docs not own, and With
out endless bravado and tiresome
self-praisc about IL, equal stores of
treasure aud equal II
not superior treasure in painting and
sculpture. This Is simply n state
ncnt of fact, tho exact truth of which
any observant and well-informed
European traveller will admit One
reads of her "domes and minaretsh
until the mind's horizon II frettcd
with the flashing silhouttes of some
city of the Orient. Venice
has no more domes than Boston; no
more minarcts than New York. Any
one can count those Oh the fingers
of both hands. Such as she has are
sauatty and plnched, as though the
n had suddenly given
out and the builders had 'knocked
Off right there, awaiting the funds
Of some future golcn age. The eccle-
famous cathedral OF 1t.
Mark Is exceeded In beauty, proper
ton, stateliness and majesty by 900
religious structures In the United
states. The crumbling, tumbllng
city hpll of Chicago, that
laughing stock of the
West, Is u better building in every
respect, and with its mammoth
and tremendous pol
Ishcd granite columns, presents u
more Imposing facade than the ire
Ducal Palace of Venice.
There are thousand stone and
bridges IN private gardens
4 nd grounds, and within the public
an rks. Of the United States, more