The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-01-24

A Very Iutere-tinE As Well As Instructive
Lecture on Venice aud ycnetians WA.
Givenin tue New Century Club on Wed
nesday Evening
The third lecture of the New-Century
Club course on the History OF the Venetian
Republic by w. Hudson Shaw was given in
the clubhouse auditorium last night As
an evidence Of the interest in these lectures
the audience was larger last night than at
the previous lectures.
The lecturer divided his discourse into
two general divisions, the first relating to
the growth Of the Venetian constitution,
and the second to the first and most re-
markable Of Venetian citizens. Marco Polo.
OF the constitution Of Venice the lecturer
said that nothing quite similar to 1t had
ever been developed elsewhere in the world.
1t was at once republic and an autooracy.
Its executives were at once elective and
hereditary. In Its development the masses
OF people were stripped of all political
power by the nobility, and the rulers be-
came prisoners in their palaces. Appar-
emily always in state Of revolution, it was
the most permanent Of all the earlier gov
ernments and continued longer than any
other of which history gives record. In
comparing the development Of the arlsto-
cracy Of Venice with that OF England, the
lecturer declared that the latter had failed
and the former had succeeded magnih-
Gently.
The transitions from a hereditary to
commercial nobility was graphically de-
scribed az they ran through the centuries
from the era of the personal government
by the doges elected by the people to the
development of the great coupcii and Its
subsequent subdivisions and tho final con-
centratlOn of power in the celebrated and
tyrannical Council of Ten. in this transl-
tion the doge became q gorgeous 5-dressed
fgurehead, being robbed of all judicial
power and was not even allowed to select
his own advisers. A prisoner confined In
his palace after his election he could neith-
er decline the office or resign the pronered
honor.
The subsequent revolts Of the people and
the final overthrow of the Great Council
through the exigencies of the life and
death struggle between the republics of
Venice and Genoa, where a deposed and
imprisoned admiral-imprisoned because
of failure to defeat the enemies of the re-
public in battle--was taken from prison
and placed in supreme command, were de-
scribed with wonderfully interesting de-
| tail. The strategy of the restored admiral
| in shutting the Genoese forces up within
| the lagoon and waiting for the return of
| Venetian fleet from a war enterprise on
| the Mediterranean sea; the despair and
/ threatened revolt OF the Venetians and
| their final triumph were rapidly, but
| all most graphically portrayed In an In
| tensely interesting recital.
Turning from the governmental history
| OF Venice at the time OF its greatest mill
tary and naval triumph, the lecturer de-
scribed Marco Polo, as at once the greatest
traveller of his age and the most learned
and remarkable citizen of Venice. The
character of this celebrated man, as de-
tailed. the immediate and remote conse-
quences OF his travels, the side lights Of
history affecting the nature of the Govern
ment of Venice and the character of its
people made a historic recital fascinating
as a story and instructive as study Of
history.
The lecture closed with an exhibit and
description of pictures marvelously inter-
esting because of their history and be-
cause of their architectural beauty. The
lecturer with his intimate knowledge OF
his subject and pictorial illustrations, put
his auditors upon the canals of the won
derful city and within the shadow of its
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