the pinnacle most to the left of the two which terminate it will be called, for a reason presently to be stated, the Judgment angle. Within the square formed by the building is seen its interior court (with one of its wells), 5 terminated by small and fantastic buildings of the Renaissance period, which face the Giant's stair, of which the extremity is seen sloping down on the left.

The great façade which fronts the spectator looks southward. Hence the two traceried windows lower than 10 the rest, and to the right of the spectator, may be conveniently distinguished as the "Eastern Windows." There are two others like them, filled with tracery, and at the same level, which look upon the narrow canal between the Ponte della Paglia and the Bridge of Sighs: these we 15 may conveniently call the "Canal Windows." The spectator will observe a vertical line in this dark side of the palace, separating its nearer and plainer wall from a long four-storied range of rich architecture. This more distant range is entirely Renaissance: its extremity is not 20 indicated, because I have no accurate sketch of the small buildings and bridges beyond it, and we shall have nothing whatever to do with this part of the palace in our present inquiry. The nearer and undecorated wall is part of the older palace, though much defaced by modern opening of 25 common windows, refittings of the brickwork, etc.

It will be observed that the façade is composed of a smooth mass of wall, sustained on two tiers of pillars, one above the other. . . . . The two lower stories [behind the two tiers of pillars] are entirely modernized, . . . and what 30 vestiges remain of ancient masonry are entirely undecipherable. With the subdivisions of these stories, therefore, I shall not trouble the reader; but those of the great upper story are highly important.

In the bird's-eye view, we noticed that the two windows

on the right are lower than the other four of the façade. In this arrangement there is one of the most remarkable instances I know of the daring sacrifice of symmetry to convenience which was one of the chief noblenesses of the Gothic schools.

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The part of the palace in which the two lower windows occur, we shall find, was first built, and arranged in four stories, in order to obtain the necessary number of apartments. Owing to circumstances, of which we shall presently give an account, it became necessary, in the 10 beginning of the fourteenth century, to provide another large and magnificent chamber for the meeting of the Senate. That chamber was added at the side of the older building: but, as only one room was wanted, there was no need to divide the added portion into two stories. The 15 entire height was given to the single chamber, being indeed not too great for just harmony with its enormous length and breadth. And then came the question how to place the windows, whether on a line with the two others, or above them.

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The ceiling of the new room was to be adorned by the paintings of the best masters in Venice, and it became of great importance to raise the light near that gorgeous roof, as well as to keep the tone of illumination in the Council Chamber serene; and therefore to introduce light 25 rather in simple masses than in many broken streams. A modern architect, terrified at the idea of violating external symmetry, would have sacrificed both the pictures and the peace of the Council. He would have placed the larger windows at the same level with the other two, and 30 have introduced above them smaller windows, like those of the upper story in the older building, as if that upper story had been continued along the façade. But the old Venetian thought of the honor of the paintings,

and the comfort of the Senate, before his own reputation. He unhesitatingly raised the large windows to their proper position with reference to the interior of the chamber, and suffered the external appearance to take care of itself. 5 And I believe the whole pile rather gains than loses in effect by the variation thus obtained in the spaces of wall above and below the windows.

In nearly the center of the Sea Façade, and between the first and second windows of the Great Council Chamber, 10 is a large window to the ground, opening on a balcony, which is one of the chief ornaments of the palace, and will be called in future the "Sea Balcony."

The façade which looks on the Piazzetta is very nearly like this to the Sea, but the greater part of it was built 15 in the fifteenth century, when people had become studious of their symmetries. Its side windows are all on the same level. Two light the west end of the Great Council Chamber, one lights a small room anciently called the Quarantia Civil Nuova; the other three, and the central 20 one, with a balcony like that to the Sea, light another large chamber, called Sala del Scrutino, or "Hall of Inquiry," which extends to the extremity of the palace above the Porta della Carta.

The reader is now well enough acquainted with the 25 topography of the existing building, to be able to follow the accounts of its history.

SUGGESTIONS: These three descriptions, of the old inn, the medieval castle, and the Venetian palace, respectively,should be studied separately and then in comparison with one another. How does the purpose of the first two differ from that of the third? How does the purpose, in each case, react upon the description? Are the differences merely of length or of method also? How does the point of view in the descriptions by Dickens and by Ruskin differ from that in the description

How

by Scott? Is any definite "order of perception" followed in Avenel Castle? What does Halbert see first ?-what afterward? Is Scott's description weak at any point? Show, if possible, that this same method is followed in The Ducal Palace. does each description convey the impression of "perspective?" In Ruskin's Seven Lamps of Architecture,* the following architectural principle is formulated. Show its application to written description.

"It has often been observed that a building, in order to show its magnitude, must be seen all at once;-it would, perhaps, be better to say, must be bounded as much as possible by continuous lines, and that its extreme points should be seen all at once; or we may state, in simpler terms, still, that it must have one visible bounding line from top to bottom, and from end to end .... If the bounding line be violently broken, ...majesty will be lost. . . . This error is even more fatal when much of the building is concealed; as in the well-known case of the recession of the dome of St. Peter's, and from the greater number of points of view, in churches whose highest portions, whether dome or tower, are over their cross. Thus there is only one point from which the size of the Cathedral of Florence is felt; and that is from the corner of the Via de' Balestrieri, opposite the southeast angle, where it happens that the dome is seen rising instantly above the apse and transepts."

After choosing your subject, write two descriptions of it, one from a moving, one from a stationary point of view. Remember Ruskin's rule for seeing a building all at once, and choose your point of view accordingly. Let one exercise be written as part of a narrative, if you so prefer. The other may be an elaborate description of plan and construction. In each case, get a good suggestive "fundamental image.'

ADAPTED SUBJECTS

A dwelling-house, which you are approaching for the first time.

A dwelling-house with which you are familiar.

A church.

*Library edition, vol. 8. The Lamp of Power, p. 6.

So saying, and making the knight a sign to follow him,

the hermit went toward the altar, and, passing behind it, pressed a spring, which, opening without noise, showed a small iron door wrought in the side of the cavern, 5 so as to be almost imperceptible, unless upon the most severe scrutiny. The hermit, ere he ventured fully to open the door, dropt on the hinges some oil which the lamp supplied. A small staircase, hewn in the rock, was discovered when the iron door was at length completely 10 opened.

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"Take the veil which I hold," said the hermit, in a melancholy tone, "and blind mine eyes; for I may not look on the treasure which thou art presently to behold, without sin and presumption."

Without reply, the knight hastily muffled the recluse's head in the veil, and the latter began to ascend the staircase as one too much accustomed to the way to require the use of light, while at the same time he held the lamp to the Scot, who followed him for many steps up the narrow 20 ascent. At length they rested in a small vault of irregular form, in one nook of which the staircase terminated, while *From The Talisman. Chapter iv.