Glimpses of Europe; Or, Notes Drawn at Sight, by a Merchant
About this book
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1859 ...called me dog, and I will have my bond, my bond,"" was suddenly hissed into our ears from behind. We turned and stood confronted--not with Shylock--but with Harry, who had, with the rest of our friends, come by another way, in search of this interesting locality. Seeing our party so suddenly augmented, the junior Levites began to gather about us in un comfortable proximity, and fearing that our purse, which here is our life-blood, might not be quite as sacred as the blood of Antonio, we suddenly beat a retreat to our gondola, and steered to the Piazza di San Marco. We, here saw the bronze Lion of St. Mark, the great emblem of the republic, together with the statue of St. Theodore, the original and now joint protector (?) of the liberties of Venice. They are in the Piazetta or square overlooking the harbor, each on the top of a massive granite column. These columns are of Byzantine origin and very beautifully executed. They were brought from the Holy Land, in 1127, and have consequently stood here over 700 years. The Saint stands with his foot upon a crocodile--looking daggers, and shaking his sword at the winged lion, which occupies the other column hard by, with his fore paw resting upon a book. The sword is held in the left hand the right being occupied with a shield--beautifully symbolical, that the republic exerted her strong arm for defence rather than for attack. Alas! that this martial saint, this watchman on the outer wall, should have traitorously winked at the outrage of the French in carrying off his comrade, the winged lion to Paris (since returned)! Or that by their joint vigilance they could not have kept the insidious Austrian serpent from stealing into the citadel and crushing out beneath his slimy folds the last vestige of Venetia...