Venice 253 



be in, without touching the ground ; if he can hght on his toes, 

 after twiding himself in the air; if he can extend his legs so as to 

 make the breadth of his figure greater than the length ; or con- 

 tract them to his body, so as to seem to have no legs at all — he 

 is sure to receive such applause, so many bravos and bravissimos, 

 as the most exquisite airs that ever were composed would fail to 

 attract. The ballarini, or female dancers, have the same fury 

 of motion, the same energy of distortion, the same tempest of 

 agility. Dances of such exquisite elegance, as to allure atten- 

 tion, by voluptuous ease, rather than strike it by painful exer- 

 tion, are more difficult and demand greater talents: in this 

 superior walk the Italians where I have been are deficient. — 

 24 miles. 



T,ist. My first business was to agree with a gondolier, who is 

 to attend me for 6 pauls a day. This species of boat, as all the 

 world knows, is one of the most agreeable things to be found at 

 Venice ; at a trifling expense it equals the convenience of a coach 

 and a pair of horses in any other city. I rowed out to deliver 

 letters* Venice is empty at present, almost everybody being in 

 the country, but I met with Signore Giovanne Arduino, superin- 

 tendent of agriculture throughout the Venetian dominions, who 

 has a considerable reputation, for the attention he has given to 

 this object, and for some publications on it. It may be sup- 

 posed, from his residence in this city, that he is not himself a 

 practical husbandman. Spent a few hours among palaces, 

 churches, and paintings. Everywhere in Italy the number of 

 these is too great to dwell on. I shall only note that the picture 

 which made the greatest impression on me was the family of 

 Darius at the feet of Alexander, by Paul Veronese.^ The expres- 

 sion of the moment is admirably caught ; the story well told ; the 

 grouping skilful ; the colouring mellow and brilliant ; the whole 

 nature; all is alive; the figures speak; you hear the words on 

 their lips; a calm dignity is admirably mixed with the emotions 

 of the moment. Here was a subject worthy of employing a 

 genius. It is in the Palazzo Pisani. Titian's presentation in 

 the temple, in the Scuola della Carit^, pleased me greatly. His 

 bewitching pencil has given such life and lustre to some figures 

 in this piece, that the eye is not soon satisfied with viewing it. 

 St. Mark's palace contains such a profusion of noble works by 

 Tiziano, Tintoretto, Paul Veronese, Bassano, and Palma, as to 

 form a school for artists to study in. Cochin, in his Voyage 

 d'lialie, has given the particulars with criticisms that have less 

 ' Now in the National Gallen', London. 



