The herald., 1897-04-24

Tn a blaze of pyrotechnic glory her
majesty repeated last night on a small
scale what at one time, and on large
scale, had been the glory Of the Venetian
republic.
The whole world has adopted, with va
rious notifications. the picturesque and
exciting pastime of the regatta, which
originated among the lagoons at an
early period. These were not, however
held frequently, for only forty-one took
place during some five centuries. The
first was given in 1915 and the last in
1857, in honor of the luckless Archduke
Maximilian's marriage with Princess
Charlotte of Belgium.
The most sumptuous and magnificent
regatta of all was that given in 1856 by
Duke Ernest of Brunswick. This prince
having sold a great part of his subjects
to the republic for use in its wars against
the Turk, generously spent their price
in the costly and edifying entertain
ments of which Venice had already be-
come the scene. The Judgment OF
Paris" and the Triumph of the Marine
Goddesses" had been represented at his
expense on the Grand canal, and now
the Triumph of Neptune" formed a
principal feature in the gayeties of his
regatta Nearly the whole of the salt
water mythology was employed in the
ceremony. An immense wooden whale
supported a structure of dolphins and
Tritons, surmounted by a statue of Nep-
tune and drawn by sea-horses, moved
from the Piazetta to the Palazzo Fos-
carl, where numbers of sirens sported
about in every direction till the regatta
began. The whole company of the de-
tiles, very splendidly arrayed then join
ed them as spectators, and behaved in
the manner affected by gods and god
desses on these occasions.
The banners awarded to the success
full contestants in the floral parade yes-
aterday were much the same as those
awarded to the winners in the Venetian
regattas-first prize, a red banner; sec
ond, a green, and third, yellow one.
With each of these, however, was given
q purse and with the last, by way of gibe,
a live pig, a picture of which was paint
ed on the yellow banner.
IiOPtiiy SPCohih,f iiCNNf 80 eHN ~
monies of last evening more closely ap-
preached in character the Venetian
'freschi," which once formed the chief
splendor of festive occasions in Venice
and may yet sometimes be seen. The
''fresco' is a procession of boats with
music and lights Two immense barges,
illuminated with hundreds of paper Ian
terms, carry the military bands; the
boats of the civil and military dignita
ries follow, and then the gondolas of such
citizens as choose to take part in the dis
play-though since 1859 no Italian, un-
less a government official, has been seen
in the procession. No gondola has less
than two lanterns, and many have eight
or ten, shedding mellow lights of blue.
and red, and purple, over uniforms and
silken robes The soldiers of the bands
breathe from their instruments music
the most perfect and exquisite of it's
kind in the world; and as the procession
takes the width of the Grand canal in its
magnificent course, soft crimson iiushes
play upon the old, weather. -darkened
palaces and die tenderly away, giving
to light and then to shadow the opulen;
sculptures of pillar, and arch, and span
drel, then weirdly Illuminating the grim
and bearded visages of stone that peer
down from doorway and window. 1t is
a sight more gracious and fairy than
ever poet dreamed.
In other days the fresco was much
more impressive than now Al intervals
rockets used TO be sent up, and the Ben
gal lights. burned during the progress of
the boats, threw the gondoliers. spectral
shadows, giant-huge, on the palace
walls