A GARDEN IN VENICE 



generally prescribed that they should be put up 

 to public auction. Think of an auction in 

 Venice, when it was well understood that the 

 value of the garden depended on the possession 

 of the Sacca, and the art of Squeeze, equally 

 well understood, is carried to perfection. 



On obtaining this first lease we played the 

 game of Brag ; spent money freely on the Sacca, 

 levelled, dug and planted it. This expenditure 

 was made a reason for extending the lease to 

 nine years. Then our argument was pressed at 

 Rome and accepted, that right as it was to 

 sacrifice the individual for the public good, no 

 greater harm should be done to him than was 

 necessary to carry out the public object. There- 

 fore if the land was to be reclaimed and parted 

 with, at least we had the prior right of 

 purchase. 



Another lease of six years was granted us, but 

 to sell was a different matter, and difficult. For 

 rightly the Italian law places many restrictions 

 on the alienation of public property ; but the 

 higher authorities did us justice, and gave them- 

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