ur he stands alone in
the world. Born at Venice in 1725, it was in the seminary of S. Cyprian
here that he was acquiring the education of a priest when events
occurred which made his expulsion necessary. For the history of his
utterly unprincipled but vivacious career one must seek his scandalous
and diverting pages. In 1755, on an ill-starred return visit to his
native city, he was thrown into this prison, but escaping and finding
his way to Paris, he acquired wealth and position as the Director of
State Lotteries. Casanova died in 1798, but his memories cease with
1774. His pages may be said to supply a gloss to Longhi's paintings, and
the two men together complete the picture of Venetian frivolity in their
day and night.

The well-head nearer the Giants' Stairs was the work of Alberghetti and
is signed inside. The other has the head of Doge Francesco Venier
(1554-1556) repeated in the design and is stated within to be the work
of Niccolo Conti, a son of Venice. Coryat has a passage about the wells
which shows how much more animated a scene the ducal courtyard used to
present than now. "They yeeld very pleasant water," he writes. "For I
tasted it. For which cause it is so much frequented in the Sommer time
that a man can hardly come thither at any time in the afternoone, if the
sunne shineth very hote, but he shall finde some company drawing of
water to drinke for the cooling of themselves." To-day they give water
no more, nor do the pigeons come much to the little drinking place in
the pavement here but go rather to that larger one opposite Cook's
office.

Everything that an architect can need to know--and more--may be learned
in this courtyard, which would be yet more wonderful if it had not its
two brick walls. Many styles meet and mingle here: Gothic and
Renaissance, stately and fanciful, sombre and gay. Every capital is
different. Round arches are here and pointed; invented patterns and
marble with symmetrical natural veining which is perhaps more beautiful.
Every inch has been thought out and worked upon with devotion and the
highest technical skill; and the antiseptic air of Venice and cleansing
sun have preserved its details as though it were under glass.

In the walls beneath the arcade on the Piazzetta side may be seen
various ancient letter-boxes for the reception of those accusations
against citizens, usually anonymous, in which the Venetians seem ever to
have rejoiced. One is for charges of evading tax