The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1880-01-27 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

RUSKIN AND ST. MARK'S, VENICE  Mr. Ruskin has just issued, for restricted circulation only, a hrochare on the subject of the restoration of St. Mark's. "My Wends have expressed much surprise," says the writer, "at my absence from the public meetings called in defence of St. Mark's. They cannot, however, be too clearly certified that I am now entirely unable to take part in exciting business, or even, without grave danger, to allow my mind to dwell on the subjects which, having once been dearest to it, are now the sources of *mutest pain. The illness which all but sidled me nearly two years ago was not brought on by overwork, but by grief at the course of public affairs in England, and by affairs, public and private alike, in Venice; the distress of many an old and deeply-regarded friend there among the humbler classes of the city being as necessary a consequence of the modern system of centralisation as the destruction of her ancient civil and religions buildings. How far forces of this national momentum may be arrested by protest or mollified by petition, I know not; what in either kind I have felt myself able to do has been done two years since, in conjunction with one of the few remaining representatives of the old Venetian noblesse. All that now remains for me is to use what time may be yet granted for such record as hand and heart can make of the most precious building in Europe, standing yet in the eyes of men and in the sunshine of Heaven. "The drawing of the first two arches of the west front, now under threat of restoration, which, as an honorary member of the Old Water-Colour Society, I have the privilege of exhibiting in its room this year, shows with sufficient accuracy the actual state of the building, and the peculiar qualities of its architecture. Ihe principles of that architecture are analysed at length in the second volume of the Stones of Venice,' and the whole facade described there with the best care I could, in hope of directing the attention of English architects to the forms of Greek sculpture which enrich it. The words have been occ,isionally read for the sound of them; and, perhaps, when the building is destroyed, may be some day, with amazement, perceived to have been true." After some eloquent remarks upon the architecture of St. Mark's, and its noble sculptures, Mr. Ruskin thus practically concludes his pamphlet: "Both by the natural temper of my mind, and by the labour of 40 years given to this subject in its practical issues on the present mind of Chrietedelom, I have qualified myself both to show and to interpret these most precious sculptures; and my health has been so far given bock to me that if I am asked, and enabled, to do so, it will, so far as I can judge, be easily possible for me to complete the work RO long in preparation. There will yet, I doubt not, be time to obtain perfect record of all that is to be destroyed. I have entirely honest and able draughtsmen at my command, and my resignation of my Oxford Professorship has given me leisure, and ail that I want from the antiquarian sympathy of England is so much instant help as may enable me, while yet in available vigour of body and mind, to get the records made undermy own overseership, and registered for sufficient and true. The east and drawings which I mean to have made will be preserved in a consistent series in my museum in Sheffield, where I have freehold ground enough to build a perfectly lighted gallery for their reception. I have used the words ' I want,' as if praying this thing for myself. It is not so. If only come other person could and would undertake all this. Heaven knows how gladly I would leave the task to him. But there is no one else at present able to do it—if not now by me it can never be done more. And so I leave it to the reader's grace." Mr. Ruskin adds that subscriptions may be sent to Mr. S. Allen, Sunningside, Orpington, Kent.  James Wells, alias Philips, who confessed to the Burton Cresent murder, was remanded for a week, on Saturday, by the Bow-street magistrates, in order that an inquiry might be made into his state of mind. The prisoner made a rambling statement.