St. Mark's Rest. The History of Venice

St. Mark's Rest. The History of Venice

Ruskin, John

New York: Wiley & Sons, 1877

1877

George Eliot to Charles Lee Lewes, 9 June 1880. “Our days here are passed quite deliciously. We see a few beautiful pictures or other objects of interest and dwell on them sufficiently every morning, not hurrying ourselves to do much, and afterwards we have a ‘giro’ in our gondola enjoying the air and the sight of marvellous Venice from various points of view and under various aspects. Hitherto we have had no heat, only warmth with a light breeze. Today for the first time one thinks that violent exercise must be terribly trying for our red-skinned fellow-mortals at work on the gondolas and the barges. But for us it is only pleasant to find the air warm enough for sitting out in the evening. We are at the Hôtel de l'Europe, on the Grand Canal as you remember, just opposite the Dogana. But when you write to me it will be better to send as before to the Posta Restante. We shall not soon run away from Venice unless some plague -- e.g. mosquitos -- should arise to drive us. We edify ourselves with what Ruskin has written about Venice in an agreeable pamphlet shape, using his knowledge gratefully and shutting our ears to his wrathful innuendoes against the whole modern world. And we are now nearly at the end of Alfieri's Autobiography which serves as an Italian exercise for J. while it is a deeply interesting study of character.” GEL 7: 294-5 

Ruskin, John, St. Mark's Rest. The History of Venice, George Eliot's Reading, George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/57677

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