agedy that he is prone to sink almost into utter
sadness, even, rather than seriousness. The air is full of ghosts. One
feels the oppression of all the life that has there been lived, all the
tragedies that have been enacted in these scenes.

In Renaissance nothing more wonderful in Europe can be found than the
court of the Palace of the Doges. Antonio Rizzo began the east facade of
the building in 1480, and it was continued by Lombardo, and completed by
Scarpagnino. "Words cannot be found to praise the beauty of these
sculptures," says Salvatico, "as well as of the single ornaments of the
walls and of the ogres which have been carved so delicately and richly
that they cannot be excelled by the Roman antique friezes."

By the golden staircase one goes to the council chambers,--the hall of
the Senate, the Council of Ten, and the Council of Three. In the great
council chamber is that most celebrated mural painting in the world,
"The Glory of Venice," by Paolo Veronese, which covers the ceiling. In a
frieze are the portraits of seventy-six of the Doges, but in one space
is a black tablet only, with the inscription: "This in place of M. F.,
who was executed for his crimes."

The "Sala del Maggior Consiglio" (hall of the grand council) is very
rich in paintings. Above the throne is Tintoretto's "The Glory of
Paradise," and the walls are covered with battle pieces and symbolic and
allegorical paintings. There is "Venice Crowned by Fame," by Paolo
Veronese, "Doge Niccolo da Ponte Presenting the Senate and Envoys of
Conquered Cities to Venice," by Tintoretto; "Venice Crowned by the
Goddess of Victory," by Palma Giovane, and many another of the richest
and most wonderful beauty.

Descending into the prisons and dungeons brings one into a vivid
realization of the grim history of which these were the scenes. The
Bridge of Sighs has two covered passages, one for the political and one
for the criminal prisoners. Here is shown a narrow ledge on which the
condemned man stood, with a slanting stone passageway before him, which,
when the guillotine had done its swift and deadly work, conveyed the
crimson flood into the dark waters of the canal below, while the body
was thrown in the water on the other side. There are the "Chambers of
Lead," where prisoners were confined, intensely hot in the summer, and
as intensely cold in the winter. Many of these dark, close, narrow
cells--in which the one article of furniture allowed was the wood