made the leading feature by its noble canopy
and balcony.

Sec. IX. Such being the principal differences in the general conception
of the Byzantine and Gothic palaces, the particulars in the treatment of
the latter are easily stated. The marble facings are gradually removed
from the walls; and the bare brick either stands forth confessed boldly,
contrasted with the marble shafts and archivolts of the windows, or it
is covered with stucco painted in fresco, of which more hereafter. The
Ducal Palace, as in all other respects, is an exact expression of the
middle point in the change. It still retains marble facing; but instead
of being disposed in slabs as in the Byzantine times, it is applied in
solid bricks or blocks of marble, 11-1/2 inches long, by 6 inches high.

The stories of the Gothic palaces are divided by string courses,
considerably bolder in projection than those of the Byzantines, and more
highly decorated; and while the angles of the Byzantine palaces are
quite sharp and pure, those of the Gothic palaces are wrought into a
chamfer, filled by small twisted shafts which have capitals under the
cornice of each story.

Sec. X. These capitals are little observed in the general effect, but the
shafts are of essential importance in giving an aspect of firmness to
the angle; a point of peculiar necessity in Venice, where, owning to the
various convolutions of the canals, the angles of the palaces are not
only frequent, but often necessarily _acute_, every inch of ground being
valuable. In other cities, the appearance as well as the assurance of
stability can always be secured by the use of massy stones, as in the
fortress palaces of Florence; but it must have been always desirable at
Venice to build as lightly as possible, in consequence of the
comparative insecurity of the foundations. The early palaces were, as we
have seen, perfect models of grace and lightness, and the Gothic, which
followed, though much more massive in the style of its details, never
admitted more weight into its structure than was absolutely necessary
for its strength, Hence, every Gothic palace has the appearance of
enclosing as many rooms, and attaining as much strength, as is possible,
with a minimum quantity of brick and stone. The traceries of the
windows, which in Northern Gothic only support the _glass_, at Venice
support the _building_; and thus the greater ponderousness of the
_traceries_ is only an indication of the greater lightne