knight, Sir Michael Steno, behaving himself in an unseemingly manner; and, with his usual hastiness, commanded that he should be thrown off the raised pavement on which he was standing. Sir Michael was accordingly pushed down the steps; which affront, in the presence of so many ladies and gentlemen of distinction, violently incensed him; and passing from the banquet room into the hall of audience, he there, in the heat of his anger, wrote some satirical lines on the doge's chair. The next day, when the verses were seen, the doge considered the insult to be unpardonable, and on making strict inquiry for the offender, discovered him to be the Michael Steno whom he had lately disgraced in the presence of his court. In great anger he caused him to be arrested by the council of forty, hoping that they would sentence him to some severe punishment. But the council, taking into consideration Steno's youth and the provocation he had received, thought they were sufficiently severe in sentencing him to two months' imprisonment, and afterwards a year's banishment from Venice.

When Faliero heard their decision, he became exceedingly angry, saying, that Michael Steno ought to have been hanged, or, at the least, banished for life.

While he was brooding over this matter, an ad

miral hastily came to him, indignantly complaining of the wrong he had received from a gentleman with whom he had quarrelled, who had struck him so that his face was yet bleeding. "What can I do for thee?" said the doge: "think of the shameful insult which I have received, and see how the council pass it over." The admiral, perceiving Faliero's vexation, immediately began to throw out hints that they might both revenge themselves on the senate if they proceeded resolutely and cautiously. Faliero pondered on what he said, and at length consented to the enterprise. Having taken council between themselves, they admitted Faliero's nephew, a seaman named Calendaro, and several others into the plot, and met nightly in the doge's palace till they had concerted their schemes. Their intention was to assemble in different parts of the city on the 15th of April, and to make disturbances among themselves and the townspeople, that the doge might have a pretext for ringing the great bell of St. Mark, which was only done on occasions of especial danger. This was to be the signal for a general muster of the conspirators; and when the members of the council should hasten from their houses to know the cause of the uproar, they were to be immediately cut in pieces, and Marino Faliero proclaimed Sovereign Lord of Venice.

This dangerous conspiracy was discovered by nearly the same means as our gunpowder plot. One of the confederates, named Beltram, had a great affection for Ser Niccolo Lioni, one of the council, and could not bear the thoughts of his falling in the general massacre. After much trouble of mind as to what he should do, his affection conquered; he went to Lioni, and earnestly entreated him not to leave his house on the 15th of April. Lioni, alarmed at his mysterious manner, endeavoured to sift the truth from him, and at length obtained the full particulars of the conspiracy. He had no sooner heard him out, than he ran from the room, and turned the key on the terrified Beltram; then hastened to one of his fellow-senators, on whose judgment he could rely, and told him all that he had just heard. They went together to Lioni's house, and closely examined Beltram, who, though greatly alarmed at the betrayal of his secret, did not deny the truth. He was then examined at a private meeting of the whole council, who took such measures as to prevent the execution of the plot. They forbade the tolling of the great bell, seized the conspirators, tried and condemned the doge, and caused the sentence to be executed on him the following day. He was beheaded on the landing-place of the stone staircase of the palace;

H

and one of the council, taking the bloody sword from the executioner, went to a balcony and showed it to all the people, crying-" The terrible doom hath fallen on the traitor!" This dreadful example filled the people with an awful sense of the power and authority of the council, which thenceforth met with no opposition to its decrees.

THE WAR OF CHIOZZA.

A. D. 1378.

GENOA, surrounded by the craggy Apennines, which shut her out from the fertile plains of Lombardy, seems destined by nature, from her isolated situation and commodious harbour, for a distinguished sea-port. Like the other Italian states of the twelfth century, Genoa was governed by consuls, elected by their fellow-citizens. They varied in number from four to six, and were usually of noble birth.

The near neighbourhood and clashing interests of Pisa and Genoa occasioned almost constant warfare between the two republics, and we have already mentioned the signal victory of the Genoese over their rivals in the times of Count Ugolino. In the

thirteenth century, Genoa found a more distant but equally dangerous rival in Venice. These three maritime states carried on a brisk trade with Constantinople, and had even established colonies in that city governed by magistrates of their own, and in every respect miniature republics.

The history of Genoa, except in her maritime wars, is distinct from that of the rest of Italy. Possessed of the island of Corsica and of the strip of territory called Liguria, shut in between the mountains and the sea, the Genoese had little wish or opportunity for inland conquests. The nobles had gradually obtained the abolition of the consuls, and formed themselves into a council under the nominal control of a podestà, while, in fact, they kept the supreme power in their own hands; and the people made repeated but ineffectual attempts to rid themselves of their oppressors. Their domestic uneasiness did not prevent them from vigorously pursuing their quarrels with Venice, whom they endeavoured to deprive of her islands in the Egean Sea, but were completely defeated, and a short calm succeeded ere they renewed the struggle.

The second scene of contest was the coast of Palestine. The Venetian and Genoese settlers in the city of Acre disputed possession of the church which was frequented by both parties; and the