Dalmatians, taken by surprise, and seeing that they had nothing more to hope, resolved to render the last honours to the great standard or Saint Mark. To this end the people of Perasto, and of the neighbouring country, and others, assembled before the palace of the Captain in command; and he, with twelve soldiers armed with sabres, and two colour-sergeants, went to the hall where the standard was, and the colours carried in the field, which Venice had entrusted many centuries ago to the valour and loyalty of the brave Dalmatians. They were now to take away those dearly loved flags; but in the very moment of doing what it broke their hearts to do, their strength failed them, and they could only shed a flood of tears. The throng of people who waited in the Square, not seeing any one come out again, knew not what to think. So one of the judges of the town was sent up to ascertain the cause; but he, too, was so much moved that his presence [in the hall] only increased the grief of the others. At last the Captain, controlling himself of sheer necessity, made the painful effort; he took down the flags from the place where they were hung and attached them to two pikes; and he handed them to the two colour-sergeants, and they and the soldiers, led by the lieutenant, marched out of the hall; and after them the Captain, the Judge, and all the rest. As soon as the well-beloved standard was seen, the grief and tears of the multitude were universal. Men, women, and children all sobbed and their tears rolled down; and nothing was heard but the complaint of mourning, no doubtful proof of the hereditary devotion of that generous nation to its Republic. When the sad procession reached the Square, the Captain unfastened the flags from the pikes and at the same time the ensign of Saint Mark on the fort was hauled down, and a salute of twenty guns was fired. Two armed vessels that guarded the port answered with eleven guns, and all the merchant vessels saluted also; this was the last good-bye of sorrowing glory to the valour of a nation. The sacred colours were placed upon a metal salver and the lieutenant received them in the presence of the Judge, of the Captain, and of the people. Then all marched with slow and melancholy steps to the cathedral. There they were received by the clergy and its chief, to whom the sacred trust was delivered, and he placed it on the high altar. Then the Captain commanding spoke the following words, which were again and again interrupted by quick sobbing, and streaming tears that came from men’s hearts more truly than from their eyes:--