The old Italian comedy had four masks; Harlequin, who was originally of Bergamo, but who now speaks Venetian; Brigella, more knave than fool; a blustering Bolognese doctor; and a Neapolitan. The outline of the story was given them, what they had to do was written down, not what they were to say. This seems quite gone by, and though the masks are very frequently introduced, and something is left to the wit and ingenuity of the actors, yet I believe the dialogue is now always prepared for them.
By arriving in the dark, I lost the distant view of Venice, but I am informed by my companions here, that it presents merely one line of building, without any prominent object, and consequently is not fine. I shall not pretend to carry you in detail through all the architecture of this singular place; and as for paintings, it is a subject on which I dare not venture. A great many bad engravings of bad views in Venice are to be met with all over Europe, which to me, now that I have seen the objects, speak an intelligible language, but from which otherwise, I could form no idea of the beauty of the churches and palaces, of the whimsical architecture frequently displayed in them, or of the magnificent effect of the whole. I will endeavour to analyze a few of the leading objects. The morning after my arrival I repaired to the Place of St. Mark, which I entered by a sudden turn under some arcades, and on the first burst, it appeared to me the most magnificent thing I had ever seen. Had I been suddenly transported there from some distant place, I should have known at once where I was, from the views I had seen of it. The strange looking church, and the great ugly Campanile could not be mistaken; but although I had an idea of the architecture, I had none of the effect. The Place of St. Mark is a well proportioned avenue to a great building, which is of sufficient consequence, both by its size, and the richness of its decoration, to merit such an avenue. This seems to me the great outline of the composition, and that to which it very much owes its impressive character. Round three sides of this place are deep arcades. The faces of the houses above the arches, are all of stone, and enriched with a good deal of ornament; nothing looks poor or neglected. The architecture of these parts is rich, but not correct; and bears perhaps the stamp of riches and power, more than that of good taste; yet that of one side is very handsome, even considered alone. Each side is uniform in itself, though not similar to the other, and each is continued in one unbroken line: had they been composed of a centre and wings, they would have distracted the attention by forming each a separate composition; as it is, they unite with the objects at the end to form one whole.
