Italian Hours : Large Print

It is a great pleasure to write the word; but I am not sure there is not a certainimpudence in pretending to add anything to it.

Venice has been painted and describedmany thousands of times, and of all the cities of the world is the easiest to visit withoutgoing there.

Open the first book and you will find a rhapsody about it; step into the firstpicture-dealer's and you will find three or four high-coloured "views" of it.

There isnotoriously nothing more to be said on the subject.

Every one has been there, and everyone has brought back a collection of photographs.

There is as little mystery about theGrand Canal as about our local thoroughfare, and the name of St.

Mark is as familiar as thepostman's ring. It is not forbidden, however, to speak of familiar things, and I hold that forthe true Venice-lover Venice is always in order.

There is nothing new to be said about hercertainly, but the old is better than any novelty.

It would be a sad day indeed when thereshould be something new to say.

I write these lines with the full consciousness of having noinformation whatever to offer.

I do not pretend to enlighten the reader; I pretend only togive a fillip to his memory; and I hold any writer sufficiently justified who is himself in lovewith his theme.