| The original book’s spelling of peoples’ and places’ names have not been altered or corrected in this etext. |
VENICEAND ITSSTORY
First Edition, October 1903
Second Edition, November 1903
Third, Revised and Cheaper Edition, September 1910
All Rights Reserved
DOGE LEONARDO LOREDAN.
By Giov. Bellini.
(In the National Gallery)
V E N I C E
AND ITS STORY
BY
T. O K E Y
ILLUSTRATED BY
NELLY ERICHSEN
W. K. HINCHLIFF &
O. F. M. WARD
1910
LONDON: J. M. DENT & SONS, LTD.
NEW YORK: E. P. DUTTON & CO.
Venice the eie of Italie.”
PREFACE
THE History of Venice is the history of a State unparalleled in Europefor permanence and stability. For centuries Venice occupied thatposition of maritime supremacy now held by Great Britain, and time waswhen an English king was fain to crave the loan of a few warships tovindicate his rights in France. The autonomy of the Venetian Republic soimposed on men’s minds that it was regarded as in the very nature ofthings, and even so acute an observer as Voltaire wrote in theDictionnaire Philosophique, less than three decades before her fall:“Venice has preserved her independence during eleven centuries, and Iflatter myself will preserve it for ever.”
In the course of our story we have freely drawn from the old chronicles,while not neglecting modern historians, chiefest of whom is theTriestine Hebrew scholar, Samuele Romanin. Indeed, all that has beenwritten on Venetian history during the past forty years does butincrease our admiration for the imperturbable industry and sagaciousjudgment of the author of the Storia Documentata di Venezia, to whomour heaviest debt is due.
The history, criticism and appreciation of Venetian architecture andVenetian painting are indissolubly associated with the genius of Ruskin,and notwithstanding some waywardness of judgment and spoilt-childphilosophy, his writings are, and ever will be, the classic works on thesubject. Among more recent authorities we are indebted to thepublications of Berenson, Bode, Burckhardt, Ludwig, Morelli, andSaccardo.
For purposes of description we hav