ant
garden. The drawbacks are the blasts of the big steamers entering and
leaving the harbour, the contiguity of some rather noisy works, and the
infrequency of steamboats to the mainland.

Ruskin was fond of this view. Writing to old Samuel Rogers, he said:
"There was only one place in Venice which I never lost the feeling of
joy in--at least the pleasure which is better than joy; and that was
just half way between the end of the Giudecca and St. George of the
Seaweed, at sunset. If you tie your boat to one of the posts there you
can see the Euganeans where the sun goes down, and all the Alps and
Venice behind you by the rosy sunlight: there is no other spot so
beautiful. Near the Armenian convent is, however, very good too also;
the city is handsomer, but the place is not so simple and lovely. I have
got all the right feeling back now, however; and hope to write a word or
two about Venice yet, when I have got the mouldings well out of my
head--and the mud. For the fact is, with reverence be it spoken, that
whereas Rogers says: 'There is a glorious city in the Sea,' a truthful
person must say, 'There is a glorious city in the mud'. It is startling
at first to say so, but it goes well enough with marble. 'Oh, Queen of
Marble and of Mud.'"

Another delectable house is that one, on the island of S. Giorgio
Maggiore; which looks right up the Giudecca canal and in the late
afternoon flings back the sun's rays. But that is the property of the
army. Another is at the corner of the Rio di S. Trovaso and the
Fondamenta delle Zaterre, with wistaria on it, looking over to the
Redentore; but every one, I find, wants this.

CHAPTER XX

ON FOOT. II: THREE CHURCHES AND CARPACCIO AGAIN

The Ponte di Paglia--A gondolier's shrine--The modern
prison--Danieli's--A Canaletto--S. Zaccaria--A good Bellini--A funeral
service--Alessandro Vittorio--S. Giovanni in Bragora--A good Cima--The
best little room--A seamen's institute--Carpaccio at his best--The story
of the dragon--The saint triumphant--The story of S. George--S. Jerome
and the lion--S. Jerome and the dog--S. Tryphonius and the basilisk--S.
Francesco della Vigna--Brother Antonio's picture--The Giustiniani
reliefs--Cloisters--A Veronese--Doge Andrea Gritti--Doge Niccolo
Sagredo.

I propose that we should walk from the Molo to S. Francesco della Vigna.

Our first bridge is the Ponte di Paglia (or straw), the wide and easy
glistening bridge which spans the Rio del Palazz