OCR Text |
Show In Splendor, Venice Surpassed All Cities In Venice of ihe Sixteenth century luxury and splendor surpassed all bounds; never before at any time nor In any city were religious ceremonies, vh iories, Ihe conclusion of peace, Ihe visits of foreigners, or the marriages of Illustrious persons, celebrated wilh greater pomp and magnificence. Those in the occupations of cloth makers nnd drapers reap"d huge fortunes, for on nearly every gala occasion miles of rich new fabric were used and visitors visi-tors to the city were rendered speechless speech-less by the malcl.le-s speciiiHe. There was a great rivalry among Ihe nobles lo see who could appear in Ihe procc'sions In tin? mosl expensive robe of gold and velvet, while Ihe richness nnd the hangings from balcony and carpels spread for the feet of the hour's hero strove to make Iheinselves seen among ihe profusion of Mowers, Ihe count Iosh Hashing candles anil the play of color. When some mngnlle cenl occasion of this sort was not In progress Venice was not permitted to be dull for a moment there was always some carnival of merrymakers on Ihe streets and masquerades were so common com-mon I hey became a nuisance and met wilh decrees forbidding Ihem.-I el roll News. |