372 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AXD SPORT. 



spirit in the people, and perhaps still more with a view 

 to make them forget, in a temporary and boundless 

 licence, the strict subjection in which they were 

 habitually held, the senate was induced to permit 

 the continuance of a diversion which, from the local 

 arrangements of Venice, the narrowness of the streets 

 and bridges, and the depth of the larger canals, was 

 unavoidably dangerous, and almost invariably attended 

 with loss of life. 



Hastily dressing himself, Antonio hurried into his 

 gondola, in order to proceed to the bridge of San Bar- 

 naba, opposite to the church of the same name and 

 to the Foscarini Palace, that being the spot appointed 

 for the combat. The canal of the Giudecca was one 

 black mass of gondolas, which rendered even a casual 

 glimpse of the water scarcely obtainable ; and it was 

 amidst the cries of the gondoliers and the noise of 

 boats knocking against each other, that the young 

 painter passed the Dogana and reached the Grand 

 Canal There the crowd became so dense, that Ja- 

 copo, seeing the impossibility of passing, turned aside 

 in tune, and making a circuit, entered the Rio de San 

 Trovaso, whence, through innumerable narrow canals, 

 he succeeded in reaching the scene of the approaching 

 conflict. 



The combatants were attending Mass, and had not 

 yet made their appearance. Wonderfully great, 

 however, was the concourse of spectators already 

 assembled. Since sunrise they had been thronging 



