To-day was, luckily, a great festival, and in the morning we resorted to the church of the Madonna delle Vigne, to put up our little orisons (I believe I forgot to tell you, that we have been some time converts to the holy Catholic Church); we found our Lady richly dressed out, with a crown of diamonds on her own head, another upon the child’s, and a constellation of wax lights burning before them. Shortly after came the doge, in his robes of crimson damask, and a cap of the same, followed by the senate in black. Upon his approach began a fine concert of music, and among the rest two eunuchs’ voices, that were a perfect feast to ears that had heard nothing but French operas for a year. We listened to this, and breathed nothing but incense for two hours. << less