Hi
4 TR A V E L S THROUGH
the overthrow of the Republic. Ncvcrthelefs Venice, which had at laft by her prudence
triumphed over the intrigues and ambition of the fadlions, was on the point of falHng
a viiiim to the anger of Pepin, fon to Ciiarlemagne, king of France.
THIS afpiring prince, defirous of rendering himfelf mafter of Dalmatia, ufed every
eflbrt to perfuade the Venetians to alTifl him ; but neither threats or entreaties could
prevail on a people who were generally faithful to their allies, to engage in a war that
appeared to them unjuft. Their refufal enraged this ambitious monarch: be imme^
diately commenccd hoftilities againil them ; and they would moft probably have been
great fufFerers by this invafion, had it not been for the unikilfulnefs of his admirals,
who, not being properly acquainted with the ihallows, lagunes, &c. that nearly furround
Venice, led the fleet incautioufly where their ruin was inevitable.
THE troops of Pepin loft confiderable numbers of their braveft warriors, and the
remainder betook thcrafelvcs to an ignominious flight.
HOWEVER, fomc rime afn-r rKk FORNINAN- efcape of the Venetian«!, it was concluded
iïi a treaty made by Charlemagne in 802 with Nicephorus, Emperor of the Eaft, that
Venice iliould be confidered as forming part of that empire. This favourable event
reftored to them the bleflings of peace ; a blcfllng of which they had long been deprived.
VENICE, notwithftanding all thofe checks, continued in an improving ftate; and, towards
the eighth century, attraded the envy and attention of moft of the fovereigns of
Europe ; not only by her power, but her riches. Happy refult of indefatigable
iiiduftry !
THEY were alfo greatly indebted to the Doge Participatio, who was happy in promotojig
every meafure that could tend to the fervice of the Republic. To hirti it owes its
greateft importance ; for, under his propitious reign, which lafted eighteen years, the improvements
were incredible. He joined, fay feveral bridges, the clufter of finall iflands,
to the number of fixty, that now forms the greateft part of tlie city of Venice, which
is at prefent compofed of one hundred and thirty-eight iflands, though moft of them are
more indebted to art than nature. There are four hundred and fifty bridges, and the
circumfercnce of the town is nearly fix Englifli miles. Its population at the time of the
Doge Participatio was about flxty-two thoufand inhabitants, but it is now increafcd
to two hundred thoufand.
ALTHOUGH Vcnice had rifen to fuch a ftate of importance, yet the Republic was
frequently involved in opprefTive wars, not only with the Narentians, the Dalmatians,
and the Saracens, but alfo againft the Hongres, or Hungarians,.who likewife came from
Scythia. Thofe people, who added ferocity to their courage, at flrft gained great
advantages over the Venetians; but the latter, from their fteadincfs and welldiredted
manoeuvres, at laft regained what they had loft, by beating their enemies com'
pletely,
T H E R H B T I A N ALPS. 5
pletely, and obliging them to abandon the Gulf of Venice, and leave them undifputed
pofleffors of the Adriatic fea.
THE Hungarians, finding themfelves entirely defeated, retired and fettled in Pannoma.^
In this fituation, between alternate fuccefs and loffes, the Republic ftill extended her
dominions, and kept within herfelf a fund of wealth, accumulated by trade and
conquefts. But alas! that wealth was partly the caufe of her ruin 5 which muft be the
natural confequenee in every ftate where opulence admits luxury, with all its dangerous
attendants; for its inhabitants foon felt the fatal effeds which arofe from the caufes
beforeme n tione d.
TOWARDS the twelfth century the government (wliich had, fince the eledion of the
Doge, been chiefly monarchical) was again changed; owing to a feries of events, the
enumeration of which would carry me too far. I ihall only ftate that the Venetians, like
many other nations, afcribing the misfortunes which had befallen the Republic to their
chief, aflaulted the Doge, and aflafllnated him in his palace.
MANY of the ambitious and intriguing citizens, taking advantage of the Interregnum,
propofed a new form of government. There only remained of the former, a council,
confifting of forty magiftrates, called Quarantia, which had been eftabliftied to judge all
civil "and criminal caufes. This tribunal forms the bails of their prefent government,
which is ariftocratical.
THE council being aflembled, it was decided that annually on Michaelmas Day,
the city being divided into fix diftrifts, each of thefe diftrids fliould name two
eleftors j and that the twelve together ihould be impowered to chufe indifcriminately
among the citizens four hundred and feventy members, which were to form the grand
council.
THE council of Quarantia, however, not fatisfied with the fuccefs of this firft decifion,
determined that eleven commiflfaries ihould be appointed from among the moft refpeftable
perfons of the ftate, to chufe a Doge by ballot; and that the perfon who ihould
have a majority of nine votes out of eleven fliould be eleded. Thus were the people
led blindly to acquiefee in the lofs of their rights.
THEY again proceeded to a third decree, viz. That the grand council ftiould nominate
annually fix counfellors, one out of each diftrid, who were to form a privy council; and
without whofe advice the Doge could not give his aflTent to any ad relating to the ftate.
Here end the rights of the people and the power of the Doge I
THE Senate, or Pregadi, was afterwards formed, confifting of fixty members of the
grand council, by whom all ftate affairs were tranfaded.
THIS new form of government terminated the troubles which at that time afllided the
Republic, and Venice rofe again to her higheft pinnacle of glory. It was then that her
fleets and armies, vidorious both by fea and land, entirely defeated thofe of the Emperor
B Frederick
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