Only one thing was wanting that might certainly have been expected from an Italian audience: the people were gathered round the band in thousands listening most intently, but no two hands ever forgot themselves so far as to applaud, as the least sign of approbation of Austrian military music would have been looked upon as treason to the Italian Fatherland.

All public life in Venice also suffered by this extraordinary rift between the general public and the authorities; this was peculiarly apparent in the relations of the population to the Austrian officers, who floated about publicly in Venice like oil on water.

The populace, too, behaved with no less reserve, or one might even say hostility, to the clergy, who were for the most part of Italian origin.

I saw a procession of clerics in their vestments passing along the Piazza San Marco accompanied by the people with unconcealed derision.
"It was very difficult for Ritter to induce me to interrupt my daily arrangements even to visit a gallery or a church, though, whenever we had to pass through the town, the exceedingly varied architectonic peculiarities and beauties always delighted me afresh.

But the frequent gondola trips towards the Lido constituted my chief enjoyment during practically the whole of my stay in Venice.