The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-28

makes IL clear that. II Venice ever reoog-
nized the duty Of serving as Europe
bulwark 'painst the Ottomite, the function
was very imperfectly performed during the
two critical centuries when the Turk was
really formidable; that Is to say, between
his capture OF Constantinople In l4bs and
his siege OF Vienna In 1883. The truth ID
that Venice was always ready TO pay
tribute for permission to trade IN the 90
minions OF the Ottoman Sultan, and that'
hai she been suffered to keep Cyprus,
Gambia and other possessions In the eastern
Mediterranean, she would have gladly
remained on terms OF peace with the Moham-
medan sovereign. She knew not what
religious antipathy meant, and never hao
shown any antagonism toward the saraoens'
Az for the battle OF Iepanto ue1)' the
principal sea fight between Aotium ana
Trafalgar, Mr.. Thayer points out that never
was an immense victory so sterile. Two
wears later the Ottomite. and not Venice
was the victor and thenceforth the former
continued for long time to be the chief
power in the Mediterranean.
".
In chapter on Venetian civilization,
We are reminded that the questions put
at last to every nation are: What sort OF
existence did you offer to your Children
What was your contribution to human
progress? Our author holds that Venice
can give worthy replies to both inquiries.
BY her enterprise and tolerance she helped
forward the human race on her children
and her wards she bestowed larger meas
ure of content than they could have en-
jored with any Of her contemporaries;
through her art she rose into the Yellow
ship OF Athens, Florence and the masters
Of Gothic architecture. The charge, OF
course, cannot be denied that Venice pro-
duced no world poet, no great literature,
although Ferrara, only a days journey
away, claimed Arosto and Torquato Tasso.
The shortcoming is here attributed to the
fact that Venetian Is a dialect; the pro-
duction OF the noblest literary forms was
thereby discouraged, though. toward the
end Of the republics career, Goldoni wrote
the best of his comedies in the Venetian
vernacular. 1t is also to be borne in mind
that although Venice bred no school OF
native literature she welcomed scholars, and
while the art Of printing was still in It's in
fancy her press sent out models OF typog-
raphy and bookmaking. Next to creating
great literature may be ranked love and
reverence for it and the skill to preserve
it in forms at once practical and noble.
Moreover, literature is but one OF the media
Of intellectual expression. As English
men and Americans draw four-ffths OF
L., thav ont
to underrate the culture. which speaks
through the plastic arts and painting. In
her architectural and pictorial achieve
ments Venice gave proofs OF esthetio
gifts Of the highest order, Imagination,
ideal!sm, harmony, sense Of beauty.
Mr.. Thayer suggests that st. Marks
Church may have had for the people who
saw it daily the cultural equivalent Of an
Had or an Antigone; and assuredly, for
in combination OF Color and Reality with
Beauty it would be hard to find elsewhere
a counterpart to the Venetian galaxy COM
prising Giovanni Bellini Giorgione, Titan,
Tntoretto and Paul veronese, not to men
ton half a dozen other names each of
which deserves chapter in the history OF
Italian painting. In few sentences OF the
EpllOSue Is suIilIToa up lilo oeliAouo
accomplishment of the Queen OF the Adriatic.
That beauty may be not merely the orna-
ment but the very body Of power is one Of
the things that Venice is credited With tesch-
ing we moderns command inexhaustible
reservoirs of power But OF visible beauty.
how slight is our understanding. how beg
carly our product! We look out for the
most part on a sepia tinted world; Venice
bids US learn the delight, not merely physical.
which color can bring. To he gorgeous,
but not barbaric; magnificent, but not
pompous; dignifed. but not stin-these
are gifts which presuppoee character.
Nay. they demand character in some re-
spects of rarer fiber than that in which
reside many OF the virtues which we mag
nifty. Those gifts the venetians had
NJ. W. II.