the beauties--were quite enough to divert the feelings of a populace,
at all times notorious for its levities, from a scene which, however
impressive at first, was becoming a little tedious. Sympathies are
very good and proper things; but the world seldom suffers them to
occupy too much of its time. Our Venetians did not pretend to be any
more humane than the rest of the great family; and the moment that
Francesca had fainted, and Giovanni had disappeared, the multitude
began to express their impatience of any further delay by all the
means in their possession. There was no longer a motive to resist
their desires, and simply reserving the fate of the poor Francesca to
the last, or until she should sufficiently recover to be fully
conscious of the sacrifice which she was about to make, the ceremonies
were begun. There was a political part to be played by the Doge, in
which the people took particular interest; and to behold which,
indeed, was the strongest reason of their impatience. The government
of Venice, as was remarked by quaint and witty James Howell, was a
compound thing, mixed of all kinds of governments, and might be said
to be composed of "a _grain_ of monarchy, a _dose_ of democracy, and a
_dram_, if not an _ounce_ of optimacy." It was in regard to this
_dose_ of democracy, that the government annually assigned marriage
portions to twelve young maidens, selected from the great body of the
people, of those not sufficiently opulent to secure husbands, or find
the adequate means for marriage, without this help. To bestow these
maidens upon their lovers, and with them the portions allotted by the
state, constituted the first, and in the eyes of the masses, the most
agreeable part of the spectacle. The Doge, on this occasion, who was
the thrice renowned Pietro Candiano, "did his spiriting gently," and
in a highly edifying manner. The bishop bestowed his blessings, and
confirmed by the religious, the civil rites, which allied the chosen
couples. To these succeeded the _voluntary_ parties, if we may thus
presume upon a distinction between the two classes, which we are yet
not sure that we have a right to make. The high-born and the wealthy,
couple after couple, now approached the altar, to receive the final
benediction which committed them to hopes of happiness which it is not
in the power of any priesthood to compel. No doubt there was a great
deal of hope among the parties, and we have certainly no reason to
suppo