10 OCTOBER 1896, Page 10

Venice. By Daniel Pidgeon. (Kogan Paul, Trench, and Co.) —Mr.

Pidgeon puts together in this little volume some im- pressions of Venice, Venice of the present and Venice of the past. The first chapter is given to the Grand Canal, the second, equally of course, to the Church of St. Mark. This amount of city sight- seeing naturally suggests a change, and the third chapter describes a day at the Lagoon, and a visit to the islands of Torcello and Burano. After this we have an account of the Ducal Palace, a review of Venetian art,—Mr. Pidgeon suggests but does not answer the question, why sculpture was not a Venetian art. In the chapters on " The Condottieri " and " Venetian Com- merce " we have two historical sketches. This volume, modest in tone as in size, will repay perusal.