On the south side of San Marco are two short square columns, with inscriptions in Coptic, brought to Venice from Ptolemais in 1256. They belonged to a church destroyed by the Venetians.

From the Pietra del Bando, at the corner of the church, a short block of porphyry, the laws of the republic were proclaimed to the people.

The ARSENAL. (Open daily, from 9 to 1.) There is no spot in Venice more intimately connected with the times of her power and grandeur. Here were constructed the galleys so celebrated for their strength and lightness, and here kept in constant readiness for war, with magazines of arms. It was like a city surrounded by walls and towers, governed by its own magistrates three nobles were appointed to regulate the internal arrangements and watch over the safety of the arsenal; it was considered one of the most important elements of the power of the Republic, and was guarded with a jealous care. Not only were all the stores required in war preserved here, but every thing was manufactured within its walls. Before the principal gate, as if to guard it, stand four lions, spoils taken from conquered nations. One was brought from Corinth, another from the Piræus, and a third has "Attica" inscribed on it.

In the ancient armoury are many Turkish banners, standards with horses' tails floating from them, and arms of every description, taken from the Turks in the famous battle of Lepanto, in 1568; also the helmet of Attila and many curious specimens of ancient ar

mour.

The extensive wharves and workshops are now deserted. The Austrians carried off a portion of the contents of the armoury in 1866.

The Accademia delle Belle Arti occupies the suppressed Scuola della Carita, on the Grand Canal, near the southern extremity of the iron bridge. Open on week days from 9 to 3, on festivals from 11 to 2. A small fee is expected by the custodian at the door.

The most celebrated paintings are the "Assumption," and "St. John in the Desert," by Titian. The last picture of this great master, on which he was engaged at the time of his death, the "Entombment," is in the same hall with the " Assumption." Titian died at the age of 99 years. The paintings in the gallery are almost exclusively the works of Venetian

masters.

Among the many other edifices deserving of notice, either for their architecture or the historical associations connected with them, are the lofty and venerable Gothic church of Santa-Maria Gloriosade-Frari, built in the 13th century, filled with magnificent monuments, among which the gorgeous marble structure which now marks the grave of Titian is one of the most remarkable, and adorned with paintings by Titian and Tintoretto; the majestic church of San-Giovanni-e-Paolo, "the Westminster Abbey of Venice," remarkable for its fine painted glass, and the tombs and monuments of its numerous doges; the church of La-Madonna-dell'-Orto, once the richest in Venice, but in a dilapidated state; the church of SanPietro-di-Castello, with a fine campanile, and some good paintings and mosaics; the church of SanFrancesco-della-Vigna, on a magnificent plan, but only partly finished; the church of the Jesuits, in the theatrical and luxurious style not uncommon in churches of this order; the church of 11Santissimo-Redentore, built as a

Europa; the Palazzo Contarini, a beautiful specimen of the richest Venetian Gothic of the fourteenth century; on the left bank, the Palazzo Pisani a S. Polo, in arabesque Gothic of the beginning of the fifteenth century; further on, on the right, the Palazzo Loredan, and the Ca' d' Oro, a building of the fifteenth century, in the oriental style, restored by Madlle. Taglioni, the celebrated danseuse.

The RIALTO, a single arch thrown over the narrowest part of the Grand Canal, is of marble, 90 ft. in span, and 24 ft. in height; but its beauty is impaired by two rows of booths or shops, which divide its upper surface into three narrow streets. The prospect from the Rialto is lively and magnificent, but it is almost the only one in Venice; for, except the Canal-Grande, and the Canaletto-dello-Canaregio, all the other streets are narrow; some of them have no quays, and the water literally washes the houses.

At the south-western extremity of the city, are the Giardini Pubblici, laid out by Napoleon in 1807. They are of a mile long by 120 yards wide, and are planted with trees. They are chiefly resorted to by the poorer classes.

A favourite excursion is to the Lido, where the Venetians go for sea-bathing. It is reached in half an hour from the Piazetta. The excursion gives the visitor a good idea of the topography of Venice.

The theatre Della Fenice, is the largest in Venice, and is capable of accommodating 3,000 persons. There are five other theatres in the city.

The ancient republic of Venice was founded when the Visi-Goths and Huns under Attila, in 452 and the Longobards, in 568, in

vaded the Roman empire, and particularly the upper part of Italy, which, even in the time of the Romans, was called Venetia. Many of the ancient inhabitants of this district retired to the islands in the lagoons of the Adriatic, especially that of Rialto, where they founded a small democratic republic, governed by ten tribunes. In 697, they elected their first doge (dux) Paolucci Anafesto. To the doge was intrusted the executive power; the people retained the legislative power in their own hands; the juridical authority was reposed in the tribunes and nobility. The first seat of the government was Traclea. It was afterwards removed to Malamocco; and in 737, to Rialto, where a populous city quickly rose out of the sea, and became the far-famed Venice. Great commercial privileges were granted to the young republic by Rome and Constantinople; and her wealthy sons, no longer satisfied with the possession of the islands of the lagoons, extended their conquest into Italy and Dalmatia. In the wars with the Arabs in the ninth century, the Venetians became expert sailors. In 997, the towns of Dalmatia placed themselves under the protection of Venice. The wealth and power of the republic increased during the crusades, and Venice became the richest and most powerful city of Lombardy:

"Her daughters had their dowers From spoils of nations, and the exhaustless East Pour'd in her lap all gems in sparkling showers."

But the aristocracy had begun to encroach upon the rights of the people, and the Doge to extend his power; and several revolts took place.

mona in 1428, and the islands of Zante and Cephalonia in 1483, were incorporated with the Venetian territory, and in 1486, after the death of Jacob, the last King of Cyprus, his wife Catherine Cornaro, a Venetian lady, ceded this beautiful country to the Republic.

The power of Venice had now reached its acme; henceforward it began to decline. The Portu

guese, in 1498, discovered the way by sea to the East Indies, and the Venetians lost their commerce with that country by Alexandria. The Osmanli, who had become masters of Constantinople, gradually wrested from the Venetians all their possessions in the Archipelago, and in the Morea, and also Albania and Negroponte; and though the danger threatened the Republic by the league of Cambray, in 1508, was averted by skilful negotiations, its power had been greatly crippled by that war. The Osmanli took Cyprus in 1571, and Candia in 1669. The Morea was reconquered in 1687, but was again given up at the peace of Passarowitz in 1718; the Republic, however, preserved Corfu and Dalmatia.

From this period Venice ceased to take any part in the great affairs of Europe. By the peace of Campo-Formio, the whole territory on one side of the Adige, with Dalmatia and Cattaro, was given to Austria; that on the other side was incorporated with the Cisalpine Republic, which, in 1805, obtained also Austrian Venice and Dalmatia, but without the Ionian Islands. In 1814, Venice and its territories were joined to the Lombard-Venetian Kingdom, of which they continued to form a government until 1866, when, in consequence of the misfortunes of Austria in her wars

with Prussia and Italy, the city and province were ceded to Napoleon III., under whose auspices they were united to the Kingdom of Italy by a plebiscitum.

ROUTE 128.

MILAN TO FLORENCE.

217 miles; 1st class, 37.30 francs; 2nd, 30-25 francs; 3rd, 22:35 francs.

FTER leaving Milan we pass through a low marshy district, planted chiefly with maize and Passing Melegnano and Tavazzano, we reach

rice.

LODI (20 miles), (Hotels: Il Sole, l'Europa, I Tre Re), population about 20,000. It is situated on the Adda, in the midst of a very fertile country. The place is celebrated as the scene of the storming of the bridge over the Adda by Napoleon, on the 10th May, 1796. The Duomo is a handsome building, in the Lombard style. The columns of the porch rest upon griffins. The walls near the high altar are adorned with good paintings. There is a fine bas-relief of the Last Supper. The Church of the Incoronata, in the style of the Renaissance, dates from the 15th century. It is octagonal in form, and contains some fine paintings. The surrounding district is famed for the production of the cheeses called Parmesan. Passing some unimportant places, we reach

PIACENZA 43 miles), (Hotels: l'Europa, d'Italia), population about 33,000. The Piazza de' Cavalli contains the bronze equestrian