By far the most interesting and charmingly simple account of the feast is that left by a certain Martin da
[Sidenote: _Arch. Stor. Ital. Series I., vol. viii._]
Canal, written in a dialect half French and half Provençal. It describes the Feast of the Maries in the second half of the twelfth century, when Ranier Zeno was Doge; and though a few modifications were afterwards introduced in the ceremonial, this account continues to be quite the most accurate that has come down to us. The only way of accounting for its having been written in the Provençal tongue is that the latter was the language of polished society in that age. Here is an attempt to translate it as simply and accurately as possible:--
I shall now tell you about the festival which the Venetians hold on the last day of January, to wit, in remembrance of how our Lord St. Mark came to Venice; and of the beautiful festival which the Venetians hold in reverence of our Lady St. Mary. You must know that the Lord Doge has divided the districts of Venice into thirty parts, two districts to each part. Now on the eve of our Lord St. Mark a company of young gentles come by water, and when they have reached the palace they land and hand their banners to little boys, and go two by two before the church of our Lord St. Mark; and after them come trumpeters, and after them again young gentles who carry silver dishes loaded with confectionery, and with them are brought vessels of silver, full of wine, and cups of gold and silver carried by more young nobles, and last of all come clerks singing, dressed in their copes of velvet and gold, and they all together go as far as the church of St. Mary, which is called Formosa; and they find women and maidens in great numbers, and present them with the confectionery and with wine to drink....
So far I have told you of the eve, and now I shall tell you of the day of our Lord St. Mark.
You must know, sirs, that on the last day of January is the feast and double procession, when come youths and men of age to the palace of our Lord the Doge by water; and they get out upon the dry land, and give more than one thousand banners to little children, and send them before them two and two to the church of our Lord St. Mark; and after them come the older children carrying in their hands more than a hundred crosses of silver; and afterwards come the clergy, all dressed in copes of velvet and gold; and trumpets and cymbals; and a clerk comes in the midst of the company, dressed in a cloth all of gold damask, after the manner of the Virgin, our Lady St. Mary; and that clerk is placed upon a very richly ornamented chair, which is carried by four men on their shoulders; and before him, and on each side, the standards of gold, and the clerks go singing in the procession. While they are thus going, three clerks come out of the procession, and where they see our Lord the Doge at the windows of his palace, in company with noble Venetians, they go up to a platform singing with a loud voice, and they all sing as follows:--‘Christ is King. Christ reigns!’ ‘To our Lord Ranier Zeno, by the grace of God Doge of Venice, Dalmatia, and Croatia, and ruler of the fourth part and one-half a fourth part of all the empire of the Romans, health, long life, and victory!’ ‘St. Mark, help thou him!’ When the praises are finished they come down from the platform, and our Lord the Doge causes to be thrown down to them a quantity of his medals, and they return into the procession with the rest who have meanwhile been waiting for them; and then comes forward a clerk who wears a crown of gold, and is richly attired after the manner of the Holy Virgin, as I have told you; and when he is very near our Lord the Doge he greets him, who returns his greeting, and then those who carry him on their shoulders go forward, and the procession follows them, and they go their way into the church of our Lady St. Mary, and wait there until those of the other district have also entered. Now these others come in the manner which I have explained, with banners, crosses, and priests, and cause three clerks to sing the same praises of our Lord the Doge, as did the others, and our Lord the Doge causes medals to be thrown down to them. You must know our Lord the Doge is dressed in cloth of gold, and has a crown of gold upon his head; and in order to see the procession, which is made in honour of our Lady, there are present the nobles of Venice, all the people, and a great number of ladies and maidens, and there are many of them both in the streets and at the windows of the palaces.