278 THE STORIES OF NOTED PAINTINGS. 



BRENNTJS IN HOME. 



By G. B. TIEPOLO (born in Venice in 1697, died 1770). The 

 first of those incursions of northern barbarians, which eventually 

 destroyed the Roman Empire and culture, occurred in the year 

 390, B. C., when Brennus came down upon Italy with an army 

 of 70,000 Gauls. His success was uninterrupted until he had 

 driven the Romans into their citadel on the Capitoline Hill and 

 besieged it. Here he remained more than half a year, baffled 

 and chafing with barbaric impatience. He finally agreed to with- 

 draw and go back to his northern wilds upon the payment to him 

 of one thousand pounds weight of gold. As it was being 

 weighed out, his dishonesty caused a remonstrance on the part 

 of the Romans, whereupon the savage king threw his sword into 

 the scale and bade them balance that too. Never was there a 

 subject, better fitted or better employed to bring out the fierce 

 and untamed passions of barbarism. 



THE WATER GIRL OF VENICE. 



By S. DELL A YALLENTINA. As there is no fresh water in 

 Venice, except what is brought from the mainland in boats or 

 caught from the rains, great care is taken to collect and filter, 

 under government inspection, all the water that falls on the 

 roofs. In the center of the courts of all the large public build- 

 ings are cisterns or wells for this purpose, which are open and 

 free to all during certain hours of the day. To these great 

 numbers of girls resort, each provided with her two pails and 

 cord and hook ; and for each carrying, if it is for hire, she gets 

 one sou, equal to one cent. 



THE BLUE GROTTO. 



This is a spacious cave under the steep and mountainous shore 

 of the island of Capri, on the south side of the bay of Naples. 

 It is on a level with the water and the entrance is only large 

 enough to admit a small boat. The light coming in through the 

 blue water gives everything inside a tinge of blue, while objects 

 in the water have a beautiful silvery appearance. 



