Senate Hall of Venice. 339 - CHAPTER XXXIX. DETECTION SENATE HOUSE OF VENICE-PICTURES-SCULPTURES-CA- THE spot at Venice most fitted to excite the vivid recollection of her former despotic, yet venerated senators; and to recall that melancholy reverence felt for departed greatness, is the Grand Hall of the former palace of their Doges, where these "Most potent, grave, and reverend, Signiors," met to seal those laws which exalted their city to such a pinnacle of glory. I was much interested in traversing this once so august a place of assembly. Around it are a series of portraits of Doges. Beneath these are a collection of paintings by the first Venetian masters, allusive to the glories of their country, chiefly during the æra of Pope Alexander III and the. Doge Zeani, whose victories over Frederic Barbarossa replaced the pontiff on his throne in 1177. 340 Pictures and Sculpture. On the opposite side are depicted the victories of one of the greatest warriors Venice can boast; of the Doge Henry Dandolo, to whom I have already so amply alluded. At one end of the room is a representation of Paradise, by Tintoretto, a picture of prodigious size, as well as a work of incredible labour from the multitudes of figures; and a painting which is certainly, in many parts, very excellent. On the centre of the ceiling is the very finest picture of Paul Veronese I have yet seen, being really a chef d'œuvre. It represents Venice crowned, and seated on the clouds. All the accompanying figures, but particularly the colouring, are in the finest style of art. Here also are ranged some antique sculptures. There is an Eagle and Ganymede, asserted as the work of Phidias; but there is also a Leda and Swan, so exquisite as hardly to allow looking at; much less, description. We, moreover, saw the original Hebe of Canova, the property of an individual here resident, with her golden fillet, vase, and cup. It were almost profanation to find fault with an artist I so much reverence; yet I could not help observing how firmly her entire hands grasped both vase, and cup; but in the Academy we have subsequently seen a cast from his second Hebe, executed for Lord Cawdor, in which her taper fingers just hold the goblet with a goddess grace. Marino Faliero. 341 Whilst I slowly paced this once so august, yet dread place of assembly; while my eye was arrested, and my imagination lit up, by the art of the painter in commemorating so poetically the splendors, the victories, the glorious destinies, and the long career of conquests that immortalized Venice; yet while reason, coolly reflecting, recalled to mind the tyranny of her government, the petty suspicions by which it was ever swayed; the insecurity of character, property, life, all that was valuable, by the encouragement given to anonymous information; by the fearful powers of the Council of Ten; by secret trial, tortures, imprisonment, and death-how many contending and opposite emotions arose ! While I yet fluctuated in feeling, I was the more powerfully arrested by the black funereal cloth, instead of portrait, suspended o'er the frame where, amidst his illustrious compeers, we should otherwise view the venerable head of Faliero: and by the punishment-perpetuating motto there inscribed in indelible characters. Hic est locus Marini Faletro decapitati pro criminibus.* This singular incident in Venetian history merits some detail, and it may therefore be hoped that a brief account may interest those who may not happen to know it. *The place of Marino Faliero beheaded for his crimes. 342 Marino Faliero. Marino Faliero had greatly distinguished himself in the service of Venice, when as Generalissimo of their forces he defeated the Hungarians at the siege of Zara. He had also been chief commander of their naval armament; he had been created Count, and invested with the fief of Val di Marino. Moreover, he had been Embassador at Genoa, and was such at the Court of Rome, during the papacy of Innocent IV; when on the eleventh of September, 1354, being then about eighty years of age, he was elected Doge of Venice. About nine months afterwards, on the evening of the Thursday when the annual Bull-hunt had taken place, the Doge and Dogaressa gave their usual ball and supper at the palace to the nobles. Marino was old, his bride was young and beautiful, but her fame was pure and unsullied as a cloudless dawn. Among the company was the youthful Michael Steno; he was enamoured of a damsel of the duchess; he behaved improperly, and was publicly turned off by order of the duke. Being thus irritated to madness, when all the company had retired, he returned, and in revenge, wrote thus upon the Duke's chair. Marino Faliero della bella moglie; Altri la gode, ed egle la mantiene. A great reward was offered for the discovery of the culprit; the exertions of the Avogadori were Marino Faliero. 343 successful, and Steno was brought to the bar of the Council of Forty. His youth, with his warmth as a lover, mitigated the severity of his judges, and he was only condemned to two months' imprisonment, with one year's banishment. The fiery Doge was maddened at the little retribution thus offered to his insulted honour, and to that of his beloved Dogaressa; while at this critical moment, a concurring accident kindled his passions into the fiercest flame, and made him resolve to annihilate the whole Senate of Venice. On the very day after this sentence, the Admiral of the Arsenal, even when on duty, was insulted, and finally struck over the eye by a gentleman of the house of Barbaro. The indignant officer, with his bleeding face, rushed into the presence of the Doge to demand justice. Why appeal to me," said the offended sovereign: "Think upon the insult I have just received, and the little respect paid to my person." 66 Then," replied the Admiral," unite but with me; we will cut these cuckolds of senators to pieces; and you shall reign Lord of Venice." The conspiracy was matured, and Wednesday the fifteenth of April, 1355, was the day fixed for the sanguinary deed. In the interim, one Beltramo Bergamesco having, somehow, heard of the approaching catastrophe, |