the grander day revisits Venice when Doria has sent word from his fleet of
Genoese at Chioggia that he will listen to the Senate when he has bridled
the horses of Saint Mark,--and the whole Republic of rich and poor crowds
the square, demanding the release of Pisani, who comes forth from his
prison to create victory from the dust of the crumbling commonwealth.

But whatever surprise of memorable or beautiful Venice may prepare for
your forgetfulness, be sure it will be complete and resistless. Nay, what
potenter magic needs my Venice to revivify her past whenever she will,
than the serpent cunning of her Grand Canal? Launched upon this great S
have I not seen hardened travelers grow sentimental, and has not this
prodigious sybillant, in my hearing, inspired white-haired Puritan
ministers of the gospel to attempt to quote out of the guide-book "that
line from Byron"? Upon my word, I have sat beside wandering editors in
their gondolas, and witnessed the expulsion of the newspaper from their
nature, while, lulled by the fascination of the place, they were powerless
to take their own journals from their pockets, and instead of politics
talked some bewildered nonsense about coming back with their families next
summer. For myself, I must count as half-lost the year spent in Venice
before I took a house upon the Grand Canal. There alone can existence have
the perfect local flavor. But by what witchery touched one's being suffers
the common sea-change, till life at last seems to ebb and flow with the
tide in that wonder-avenue of palaces, it would be idle to attempt to
tell. I can only take you to our dear little balcony at Casa Falier, and
comment not very coherently on the scene upon the water under us.

And I am sure (since it is either in the spring or the fall) you will not
be surprised to see, the first thing, a boat-load of those English, who go
by from the station to their hotels, every day, in well-freighted
gondolas. These parties of traveling Englishry are all singularly alike,