M I s s o N^s ''aveh through the 
Book II. 
in the Nobility, fo their Names are regiftred in this 
Book as foon as they are born. Upon this Occafion 
I cannot forbear to add fomething in Reference of what 
has been told you againft the Account I gave you of the 
Haut^htinefs of the Venetian Nobles : There is fcarce any 
Body that is acquainted at but will eafily agree 
with me, that the Venetian Nobles are not only ex- 
treamly conceited of their Nobility, but alfo very diffi- 
cult of Accefs to Strangers of greaT Note ; though the 
laft may be attributed either to Cufto'm, or rather to 
the Politicks of their Government : And though they are 
not very fparing of Salutations when they are walking 
at the Broglio, yet they always appear very referved and 
proud in the Company of the Citizens •, nay, they give 
and receive but few Vifits among themfelves. It mull 
however be confeffed, that in private Converfation, ef- 
pecially if their Intereft be concerned, they will be as 
obliging as moft Men, and will fometimes enter into 
a familiar Acquaintance with Strangers, provided both 
Sides be not of more than ordinary Quality, for this 
would have ill Confequences. 
What I told you concerning the great Sleeves of the 
Noblemen, that they ferve inftead of a Basket at cer- 
tain Times, was not a bare Jeft ; for I remember I faw 
once a good Sallad, and at another Time an excellent 
Cod’s-tail, thus carried out of the Market. There are 
befides this, about two or three hundred Barnahotes, fo 
call’d from a cheap Place in the City, where they live, (a 
Sort of poor Gentlemen, that ferve for a Foil to the 
richer) who both beg about the Streets, and would be 
glad to earn a Penny in carrying home Provifions for 
other People. . In the Summer thefe Noblemen have 
their Veils without Furrs, but the turning up on the 
Edges, remains always furr’d. ^ . 
XI. It was not from my Ignorance of your Inclina- 
tion, of rather Love to Painting, that made me guilty 
of that Negligence with which you upbraid me, in 
trivino- you fo imperfedl Account of thofe curious Pieces 
That 5 e to be feen at Venice. However, in Obedience 
to your Deiire, I ffiall endeavour in iome IMeaiure to 
fupply that Defeft, by adding fome new Obfervations, 
though I am afraid my Memory will not furniili me 
with many. ^ i ^ 
There were formerly, in the Hall of the great Coun- 
cil, fome Pidlures done by Gentil Bellini, and John his 
Brother, which excelled the beit Pieces of that Age, 
but they were confumed, with almoft the whole Palace, 
in 1577. The fame Hiftories were copied five Years 
after by Frederick Zucchero, and fet up again in the 
fame Order in which they Hill remain. Pordenone^^ 
Pictures in Frejco, in the Cloyfter of St. Stephen, are 
very much efteemed, as are likewife his St. Sebaftian 
and St. Roch, at St. John de Rialto. Pordenone was an 
excellent Painter ; his Defigns are efteemed very judi- 
cious, and his Colours admirably well managed. He 
emulated Titian, and with fome Degree of Succefs. 
The St. Peter Martyr of Titian, is reputed to be one 
of the fineft Pidlures that ever was made, but it begins 
to be much defaced. The beft Judges are charmed 
with this Piece, though it has loft all that Luftre which 
raviffies an unskilful Eye. They think they can never 
enough admire the Beauty and Richnefs of its colouring, 
and iudicious Difpofition of the Lights, the Roundnefs ■ 
of the Figures, the Paffion and Life that is oblerved in 
the Face, and Strength of Expreffion which reigns 
through the whole Piece. There are feveral other Pic- 
tures by the fame Hand in the Churches, St. Markh 
Palace, the Library, Convents and Fraternities. There 
Ere eHo Ibnie Pieces by SchidvoTii in the Library, which 
have been frequently taken for Titian s. Horace Vecelli 
his Son has almoft equal’d him in fome Works, and 
the Pidlure in the Hall of the great Council, which 
reprefents the Battle fought by the Romans againft the 
Troops of Frederick, is the Work of Horace, though 
it is commonly aferibed to his Father. _ , 
The Wedding Dinner at Cana by Paul Veronefe, in 
the Refedtory of the Benediciine Monks in the Ifle of 
St. George, is efteemed to be the Mafter-piece of that 
Painter who, you know, is famous for the fame Ex- 
cellencies that we admire in Titian. His Works are 
particularly remarkable for the beautiful Difpofition of 
the Figures, judicious Choice of Colours, a fublime 
Genius, vaft IdeaSj the greateft Eafinefs imaginable^ and 
the moft charming Variety. This Piece takes up all 
the bottom Wall of the Refedlory, it is two and thirty 
Foot broad, and contains one hundred and twenty-five 
Figures. 
In the Church of St. Sehajlian, the Feaft of Simpn the 
Leper is one of the moft celebrated Pieces of the fame 
Artift. There are alfo three other Pidures by the fame 
Hand in the Arch of St. Markh Library, which, if my 
Memory do not deceive me, reprefent Geometry, 
Arithmetick, and the Glory which is acquired by 
Learning. 
The Paradife, by Tint or et, in the Hall of the Great 
Council, is. a famous Piece. It was faid of Tintoret^ 
that he united the Defigns of Michael Angelo with the 
Colouring of Titian, which certainly was a very noble 
Charadler. Befides, he had the moft fruitful Invention, 
and at the fame Time the quickeft Hand of the Age. 
A Painter who was with me in the Fraternity, or^ as 
they call it at Venice, the School of St. Roch, made me 
obferve with Admiration that rare Pidlure which Tinto- 
ret finiffied almoft in a Moment, while Paul Veronefe^ 
Sahiati, and Frederick Zucchero, his Competitors in the 
fame Work, were ftill bufy upon the rough Draught 
which was to be prefented to thofe who defigned ter 
employ them. I have feen feveral Pieces by the fame 
Hand in the above-mentioned School, at St. Maria 
dell* Oro, at St. M^rPs and other Places. There 
are fome of Bajjani*s Works at St. Mary major. Schi- 
avonds Pidures in the Library are, I think, Emblems 
of Valour, Sovereignty, and SanPHty. 
XII. I told you, if I remember right, that their Gon- 
dola’s or Boats have black Tilts ; I will add, that no 
body (except the Doge) can be attended by Servants in 
Liveries *, tho* the Ladies of Noblemen, during the 
firft and fecond Years of their Marriage, are allowed 
to give what Colours they like beft to their Gondoliers 
or Boatmen, and to ufe Jewels ; but that Time being 
once expired, this Courtefy ceafes, and they are not 
permitted to appear in Jewels unlefs on fome high Fef- 
tivals, and during the Carnival ; whence it is that the 
rich Courtezans rather pay the Fine than debar them- 
felves of thefe Ornaments. What you heard affirmed 
by fome, that iht Venetian Ladies enjoy a greater 
Share of Liberty than thofe of England or France, feems 
to me to be the Effed of a fond Spirit of Contradic- 
tion j for, fuppofing the Ladies of Venice have the Li- 
berty in Carnival-time to go to Plays, Opera’s, Fairs, 
or Gaming-houfes, in Difguife, what Advantages can 
they reap from the Diverfion of fo ffiort a Time, ef- 
pecially confidering that all this while they are conftant- 
ly attended by their Husband’s Spies, who cannot 
but put them in Mind of the Slavery they are to under- 
go for ten or eleven Months in the Year ? What Com- 
parifon is there between this Confinement and the en- 
tire Liberty the Engli(h and French Ladies enjoy in their 
Walks, Vifits, Meetings, and Divertifements, without' 
the leaft Reftraint ? 
XIII. The young Noblemen are permitted to be as 
fplendid in their gold and filver Laces, Stuffs, Plumes, 
and Embroideries, as they think fit : They put on the 
Gown at fifteen Years of Age, tho* they have no Vote 
in the great Council till they are five and twenty. 
They have alfo the Liberty of wearing what Habits 
they like beft on the Continent, the Jurifdidion of the 
Tribunal that regulates Habits, not extending beyond 
t\it Laguna* s. , rr. r iv>r 
XIV. When we were viewing the Treafury, no Men- 
tion was made by our Guides of St. Miark s Thumb, 
and that he was difmembred to prevent his being a Prieft j 
but they were not lb forgetful as not to tell us the Tra- 
dition of the Lofs of his Ring, and how it was re^ 
cover’d, and the Story runs thus i In the Year 
three Men came to a Gondolier in very tempeftuous 
Weather, and having conftrained him to carry theni 
two Miles to the Lido, they found there a whole Shipful 
of Devilsj that were bufied in raifing a Tempeft by 
their Enchantments j but thefe three Men had no fooner 
