,)
6 TR A V E L S THROUGH
Frederick the Firft, furnamed Barharoffa, who had boafted of the certainty of placing
the Imperial arms on the gates of St. Mark.
THAT famous viftory gave rife to the extraordinary ceremony of the efpoufals of the
Doge with the Sea, which has been already mentioned.
THE apparent tranquillity which the Republic enjoyed was not fo permanent as at
firft it promifcd to be > for thé people began, although late, to find that tiieir liberty
had been facrificed to the ambition of the Great.
THEY even made fevcral attempts to overthrow the new form of government, but
without fuccefs ; for tliofe who were in power ufed every art to render their fchemes
ineffeâual. One of the moft alarming confpiracies againft the State, which occafioned
the death of a vaft number of citizens, headed by Bajamont Tliicpolo, happened the
15th of June, 1310; and the Senate, in commemoration of its efcape, inftituted an
annual feftival.
THE danger to which the Republic had been expofed, determined the council of
Quarantia to appoint a certain number of Judges, called Inquiiitors of State ; which
foon after compofcd that formidable Council called Di Died, or TEN ; a tribunal as
powerful as it is now dreadful to the Venetians.
ANOTHER attempt againft the Senate, which was as unfuccefsful as that in 1310, took
place the 15th of April, 1355, in which the Doge, being at the head of the Revolters,
was foon after beheaded by a decree of the Senate.
I SHALL not expatiate on the difturbances that for fomc time afflifted the Republic;
fearing that I have already, by this digreffion, fatigued my readers.
THOSE internal Commotions did not, however, prevent Venice from maintaining her
profperity and grandeur; for, towards the fourteenth century, the Venetians took the
city of Padua from Francis the Second, Count of Carrare ; caufing him and his two
fons to be ignominioufly put to death in the prifon of St. Mark: which was one of their
firft fteps towards defpotifm ; as they not only violated the rights of Sovereigns, but
added cruelty to injufticc.
IN the fixteenth century the power of the Republic had fufficiently increafed to
enable her to contend againft the forces of Spain, France, Auftria, and the Porte. It
would probably have continued in this flouriihing ftate, which was entirely owing to the
prudence of the Senate and its profound policy, had it not been for the lofs of the
greateft part of their Trade ; occafioned by the difcovery, which the Porcuguefe had made,
of the paiTage to the Eaft Indies by the Cape of Good Hope. That lofs was moft forcibly
felt by the Republic : for many of the Sovereigns of Europe, equally jealous of the
advantages arifing from fuch a difcovery, immediately followed the example of the
Portuguefe, and of courfe loft the Venetians a fource of treafure which was of the
greateft importance to them.
1 SHALL
T H E RHIETIAN ALPS. 7
I SHALL not enter on the various events and changes which have befallen the Republic,
fmce the fixteenth century, as the whole is particularly defcribed by L'Abbé St. Réal,
in his Hiftory of Venice: I will only add, that the adual form of government lias
been fubjeA to few changes, fmce the time beforementioned.
THE fupreme authority, as the Doge is merely an empty title without any princely
power, is vefted in the hands of the nobles, to the number of nearly thirteen hundred,
whofe names are infcribed at their birth, in a book called the Libra Doro, in imitation
of the Athenians : with this difference, that at Athens every citizen was obliged to
infcribe the name of his children.
AT Venice the nobles may be divided into three diftind claffes, the firft is compofed
of families whom they call eledoral, on account of their being the defcendants of
thofe who elefted the firft Doge in 697. They are looked upon as the moft ancicnt in
Europe, as Voltaire has juftly obferved.
THE fécond owe their origin to the families who afterwards formed the great council ;
and the third are the defcendants of thofe citizens who, at the time that the State was
in urgent diftrefs. purchafed their title of nobility for the fum of one hundred and
twenty Venetian ducats.
THOSE different claffes arc not permitted to enter into the fervice of any foreign power,
or allowed to receive from them any mark of diftinâion.
THE fenate is at prefent compofed of three hundred members of the great council,
who confult upon the moft fecret and important affairs of the Republic.
IN the adminiftration of government is included the college compofed of the nine
Procurators of St. Mark, the Doge's fix counfellors, the cenfors, the judges of the council
of Quarantia, and other magiftrates for the adminiftration of juftice, &c.
NEXT to the fenate, the tribunal of the greateft importance, is the college where
audience is given to foreign minifters, and where all external affairs are tranfaded. It is
compofed of the Doge, his fix counfellors, three fenior jxidgcs of the council of Quarantia,
and fixteen other magiftrates or commiffaries.
THE higheft dignity, next to the Doge, is the Procurator of St. Mark: and the moft
formidable ti'ibunal is the council of TEN ; its power is veiy extcnfive. The three chief
judges of that council (who are called Inquifitors of State) are chofen by eledion.
They pay the greateft attention to maintaining order, and preventing cabals, &c. againft
the ftate. They alfo proted the citizens againft the oppreffion of the nobles. Much
more might be faid on their form of government, whicli is greatly indebted for its permanency
to the prudence of the Senate, and the rigor with wliich the council of TEN and the
inquifitors enforce fucli puniftiments as they direâ. But, fince this abridgment is only
intended to give the traveller an idea of the origin and conftitution of that ancient
Republic, it would be needlefs to enlarge on the fubjeit.
T H A T