fecero serrare le porte de la corte del Palazzo. E mandarono a ordinare al Campanaro, che non sonasse le Campane. E così fu eseguito, e messe le mani addosso a tutti i nominati di sopra, furono que condotti al Palazzo. E vedendo il Consiglio de' Dieci, che il Doge era nella cospirazione, presero di eleggere venti de' primarj della Terra, di giunta al detto Consiglio a consigliare, non però che potessero mettere pallotta. sentirono il fatto, ma non vi furono tal che fu dato loro ad intendere per questi capi, che venissero coll' arme, per prendere alcuni malfattori in servigio della Signoria, nè altro sapeano. Fu ancora liberato Nicoletto Alberto, il Guardiaga, e Bartolommeo Ciriuola, e suo figliuolo, e molti altri, che non erano in colpa. E a di 16 d' Aprile, giorno di Venerdì, fa sentenziato nel detto Consiglio de' Dieci, di tagliare la testa a Mes <<1 Consiglieri furono questi: Ser Giovanni Mocenigo ser Marino Faliero Doge sul pato della scala di pietra, del Sestiero di San Marco; Ser Almorò Veniero da Santa dove i Dogi giurano il primo sagramento, quando mon Marina del Sestiero di Castello; Ser Tommaso Viadro tano prima in Palazzo. E cosi serrato il Palazzo, li del Sestiero di Caneregio; Ser Giovanni Sanudo del mattina seguente a ora di Terza, fa tagliata la testa al Sestiero di Santa Croce; Ser Pietro Trivisano del Se- detto Doge a di 17 d' Aprile. E prima La bereetta fo stiero di San Paolo, Ser Pantalione Barbo il Grande del | tolta di testa al detto Doge, avanti che venisse giù dalla Sestiero d'Ossoduro. Gli Avvogadori del Comune fu- Scala. E compiuta la giustizia, pare che un Cape de rono Ser Zufredo Morosini, e Ser Orio Pasqualigo, e Dieci andasse alle Colonne del Palazzo sopra la Vrizza questi non ballottarono. Que' del Consiglio de Dieci; e mostrasse la spada insanguinata a tutti, dicendo L furono: Ser Giovanni Marcello, Ser, Tommaso Sanudo, stata fatta la gran giustizia del Traditore 8 aperta la e Ser Michelento Doitino, Capi del detto Consiglio de' Porta tutti entrarono dentro con gran furia a vedere si Dieci; Ser Luca da Legge, e Ser Pietro da Mosto, Inqui- Doge, ch' era stato giustiziato. E da sapere, che a fare aatori del detto Consiglio: Ser Marco Polani, Ser Marino la detta giustizia non fu Ser Giovanni Sanado il Consi Veniero, Ser Lando Lombardo, Ser Nicoletto Trivisano gliere, perche era andato a casa per difetto della persona, da Sant' Angiolo. Questi elessero tra loro una Giunta, sicchè furono gnatordici soli, che ballottarono, cine nella notte ridotti quasi sai romper del giorno, di venticinque Consiglieri, e nove del Consiglio de Dieci. Nobili di Venezia de migliori, de pin Savj, e de' piu anuchu, per consultare, non pero che mettessero pallot tola. E noa vi vollero alcuno da Ca Faliero. E caccitruso fuori del Consiglio Niccolo Faliero, e un altro | Microdo Faliero da San Tommaso, per essere della Casata del Duge. E questa provigione di chiamare i venti | della Giunta fu moito commendata per tutta la Terra. Questi fursan i venti dena Giunta, Ser Marco Grustinum Procuratore, Ser Andrea Erizzo Procuratore. Ser Lmnardo Gistmani Procuratore, Ser Andrea Conta-¦ nai, Ser Simede Bandein Ser Niccolo Volpe. Ser Gio- i vanni Lorelano Ser Mario Diedo, Ser Giovani Gradenago, Ser Amirea Cornaro cavaliere, Ser Marco Soratus, Ser mert da Most). Ser Gazano Marcello, Ser Varino Morsino, Ser Sofaan Belegno. Ser Niccolo Lim, Ser Filippo Ora Ser Marro Trivisano. Ser Jacope Pragafino, See Corzani Foscarini. E chiamati Wat vert de: Consu, in te [her, fu mandato per Meer Marin Fairro Dege, a quaie andava pei Patam con gran jente graciasala, e atra basan pente la questo Ake nem saperima ancora rame à fatto stava. E fu preso, che tutti i beni del Doge fossero confiscati nel ருவி Cronica di Sanuto-Muratori S. S. Rerum Italicarum -vol. xxii. 628-639. II. MARINO FALIero, doge xLIX. «Non voglio restar di scrivere quello che ho letto in that such an affront was beyond all bearing; and when una Cronica, cioè, che Marino Faliero trovandosi Po- the feast was over, and all other persons had left the destà e Capitano a Treviso, e dovendosi fare una Pro- palace, he, continuing heated with anger, went to the cessione, il Vescovo stette troppo a far venire il Corpo | hall of audience, and wrote certain unseemly words redi Cristo. Il detto Faliero era di tanta superbia e ar-lating to the Duke and the Duchess, upon the chair in roganza, che diede un buffetto al prefato Vescovo, per which the Duke was used to sit; for in those days the modo ch' egli quasi cadde in terra. Però fu permesso, Duke did not cover his chair with cloth of sendal, but che il Faliero perdette l'intelletto, e fece la mala morte, he sat in a chair of wood. Ser Michele wrote thereon: come ho scritto di sopra.» -«Marin Falier, the husband of the fair wife; others kiss her, but he keeps her. In the morning the words were seen, and the matter was considered to be very scandalous; and the Senate commanded the Avogadori of the Commonwealth to proceed therein with the greatest diligence. A largesse of great amount was immediately proffered by the Avogadori in order to discover who had written these words. And at length it was known that Michele Steno had written them. It was resolved in the Council of Forty that he should be arrested; and he then confessed, that in a fit of vexation and spite, occasioned by his being thrust off the solajo in the presence of his mistress, he had written the words. Therefore the Council debated thereon. And the Council took his youth into consideration, and that he was a lover, and therefore they adjudged that he should be kept in close confinement during two months, and that afterwards he should be banished from Venice and the state during one year. In consequence of this merciful sentence the Duke became exceedingly wroth, it appearing to him that the Council had not acted in such a manner as was required by the respect due to his ducal diguity; and he said that they ought to have condemned Ser Michele to be hanged by the neck, or at least to be banished for life. On the eleventh day of September, in the year of our Lord 1354, Marino Faliero was elected and chosen to be the Duke of the Commonwealth of Venice. He was Count of Valdemarino, in the Marches of Treviso, and a Knight and a wealthy man to boot. As soon as the election was completed, it was resolved in the Great Council, that a deputation of twelve should be dispatched to Marino Faliero, the Duke, who was then on his way from Rome; for, when he was chosen, he was ambassador at the court of the Holy Father, at Ronic, -the Holy Father himself held his court at Avignon. When Messer Marino Faliero the Duke was about to land in this city, ou the fifth day of October, 1354, a thick haze came on, and darkened the air; and he was enforced to land on the place of Saint Mark, between the two columns on the spot where evil doers are put to death; and all thought that this was the worst of tokens.-Nor must I forget to write that which I have read in a chronicle.-When Messer Marino Faliero was podesta and Captain of Treviso, the bishop delayed coming in with the holy sacrament, on a day when a procession was to take place. Now the said Marino Faliero was so very proud and wrathful that he buffeted the bishop, and almost struck him to the ground. And therefore, Heaven allowed Marino Faliero to go out of his right senses, in order that he might bring himself to an evil death. When this Duke had held the dukedom during nine months and six days, he being wicked and ambitious, sought to make himself lord of Venice, in the manner which I have read in an ancient chronicle. When the Thursday arrived upon which they were wont to hunt the bull, the bull hunt took place as usual; and according to the usage of those times, after the bull hunt had ended, they all proceeded unto the palace of the Duke, and assembled together in one of his halls; and they disported themselves with the women. And until the first bell tolled they danced, and then a banquet was served up. My Lord the Duke paid the expenses thereof, provided he had a Duchess, and after the banquet they all returned to their homes. Now to this feast there came a certain Ser Michele Steno, a gentleman of poor estate and very young, but crafty and daring, and who loved one of the damsels of the Duchess. Ser Michele stood amongst the women upon the solajo; and he behaved indiscreetly, so that my Lord the Duke ordered that he should be kicked off the solajo; and the esquires of the Duke tlung him down from the solajo accordingly. Ser Michele thought Now it was fated that my Lord Duke Marino was to have his head cut off. And as it is necessary when any effect is to be brought about, that the cause of such effect must happen, it therefore came to pass, that on the very day after sentence had been pronounced on Ser Michele Steno, being the first day of Lent, a gentleman of the house of Barbaro, a choleric gentleman, went to the arsenal and required certain things of the masters of the galleys. This he did in the presence of the admiral of the arsenal, and he, hearing the request, answered,-No, it cannot be done.-High words arose between the gentleman and the admiral, and the gentleman struck him with his fist just above the eye, and as he happened to have a ring on his finger, the ring cut the admiral and drew blood. The admical, all bruised and bloody, ran straight to the Duke to complain, and with the intent of praying him to inflict some heavy punishment upon the gentleman of Ca Barbaro.- What wouldst thou have me do for thee?" answered the Duke;- think upon the shameful gibe which hath been written concerning me; and think on the manner in which they have punished that ribald Michele Steno, who wrote it; and see how the Council of Forty respect our person.»-Upon this the admiral auswered,—« My Lord Duke, if you would wish to make yourself a Prince, and to cut all those cuckoldy gentlemen to pieces, I have the heart, if you do but help me, to make you Prince of all this state; and then you may punish them all.-Hearing this, the Duke said;-How can such a matter be brought about?»-and so they discoursed thereon. The Duke called for his nephew, Ser Bertuccio Faliero, who lived with him in the palace, and they communed about this plot. And without leaving the place, they upon their measures. And they sent for the Capi de sent for Philip Calendaro, a seaman of great repute, and Quaranta, the Signori di Notte, the Capi de Sestieri, and for Bertucci Israello, who was exceedingly wily and the Cinque della Pace; and they were ordered to assocunning. Then, taking counsel amongst themselves, ciate to their men, other good men and true, who were they agreed to call in some others; and so for several to proceed to the houses of the ringleaders of the connights successively, they met with the Duke at home in spiracy and secure them. And they secured the forehis palace. And the following men were called in singly; men of the arsenal, in order that the conspirators might to wit:-Niccolo Fagiuolo, Giovanni da Corfu, Stefano not do mischief. Towards nightfall they assembled in Fagiano, Niccolo dalle Bende, Niccolo Biondo, and Ste- the palace. When they were assembled in the palace, fano Trivisiano.-It was concerted that sixteen or seven- they caused the gates of the quadrangle of the palace teen leaders should be stationed in various parts of the to be shut. And they sent to the keeper of the Bellcity, each being at the head of forty men, armed and pre- tower, and forbade the tolling of the bells. All this pared; but the followers were not to know their desti- was carried into effect. The before-mentioned connation. On the appointed day they were to make af-spirators were secured, and they were brought to the frays amongst themselves here and there, in order that palace; and as the Council of Ten saw that the Duke the Duke might have a pretence for tolling the bells of was in the plot, they resolved that twenty of the leadSan Marco: these bells are never rung but by the ordering men of the state should be associated to them, for of the Duke. And at the sound of the bells, these sixteen or seventeen, with their followers, were to come to San Marco, through the streets which open upon the Piazza. And when the noble and leading citizens should come into the Piazza, to know the cause of the riot, then the conspirators were to cut them in pieces; and this work being finished, my Lord Marino Faliero the Duke was to be proclaimed the Lord of Venice. Things having been thus settled, they agreed to fulfil their intent on Wednesday, the fifteenth day of April, in the year 1355. So covertly did they plot, that no one ever dreamt of their machinations. the purpose of consultation and deliberation, but that they should not be allowed to ballot. The counsellors were the following: Ser Giovanni Mocenigo, of the Sestiero of San Marco; Ser Almoro Veniero da Santa Marina, of the Sestiero of Castello; Ser Tomaso Viadro, of the Sestiero of Canaregio; Ser Giovanni Sanudo, of the Sestiero of Santa Croce; Ser Pietro Trivisano, of the Sestiero of San Paolo; Ser Pantalione Barbo il Grande, of the Sestiero of Ossoduro. The Avogadori of the Commonwealth were Zufredo Morosini, and Ser Orio Pasqualigo; and these did not ballot. Those of the Council of Ten were Ser Giovanni Marcello, Ser Tomaso Sanudo, and Ser Micheletto Dolfino, the heads of the aforesaid Council of Ten. Ser Luca da Legge, and Ser Pietro da Mosto, inquisitors of the aforesaid Council. And Ser Marco Polani, Ser Marino Veniero, Ser Lando Lombardo, and Ser Nicoletto Trivisano, of Sant' Angelo. Late in the night, just before the dawning, they chose a junto of twenty noblemen of Venice from amongst the wisest and the worthiest and the oldest. They were to give counsel, but not to ballot. And they would not admit any one of Cà Faliero. And Niccolo Faliero, and another Niccolo Faliero, of San Tomaso, were expelled from the Council, because they belonged to the family of the Doge. And this resolution of creating the junta of twenty was much praised throughout the state. The following were the members of the junta of twenty:-Ser Marco Giustiniani, Procuratore, Ser Andrea Erizzo, Procuratore, Ser Lionardo Giustiniani, Procuratore, Ser Andrea Contarini, Ser Simone Dandolo, Ser Nicolo Volpe, Ser Giovanni Loredano, Ser Marco Diedo, Ser Giovanni Gradenigo, Ser Andrea Cor Eat the Lord, who hath always helped this most glorious city, and who, loving its righteousness and holiness, hath never forsaken it, inspired one Beltramo Bergamasco to be the cause of bringing the plot to light in the following manner. This Beltramo, who belonged to der Niccolo Lioni of Santo Stefano, had heard a word or two of what was to take place; and so, in the beforementioned month of April, he went to the house of the aforesaid Ser Niccolo Lioni, and told him all the particulars of the plot. Ser Niccolo, when he heard all these things, was struck dead, as it were, with affright. He heard all the particulars, and Beltramo prayed him to keep it all secret; and, if he told Ser Niccolo, it was in order that Ser Niccolo might stop at home on the fifteenth of April, and thus save his life, Beltramo was going. but Ser Niccolo ordered his servants to lay hands upon him and lock him up. Ser Niccolo then went to the house of Messer Giovanni Gradenigo Nasoni, who afterwards became Duke, and who also lived at Santo Stefano, and told him all. The matter seemed to him to be of the very greatest importance, as indeed it was; and they two went to the house of Ser Marco Cornaro,naro, Cavaliere, Ser Marco Soranzo, Ser Rinieri da Mosto, who lived at San Felice; and, having spoken with him, they all three then determined to go back to the house of Ser Niccolo Lioni, to examine the said Beltramo; and having questioned him, and heard all that he had to say, they left him in confinement. And then they all three went into the sacristy of San Salvatore, and sent their men to summon the Counsellers, the Avogadori, the Capi de Dieci, and those of the Great Council. When all were assembled, the whole story was told to them. They were struck dead, as it were, with affright. They determined to send for Beltramo. He was brought in before .m They examined him, and ascertained that the matter was true; and, although they were exceedingly troubled, yet they determined Ser Gazano Marcello, Ser Marino Morosini, Ser Stefano These twenty were accordingly called in to the Council of Ten; and they sent for my Lord Marino Faliero the Duke; and my Lord Marino was then consorting in the palace with people of great estate, gentlemen, and other good men, none of whom knew yet how the fact stood. At the same time Bertucci Israello, who, as one of the ringleaders, was to head the conspirators in Santa Croce, was arrested and bound, and brought before the Council. Zanello del Brin, Nicoletto di Rosa, Nicoletto Alberto, and the Guardiaga, were also taken together, with several seamen, and people of various ranks. These were examined, and the truth of the plot was ascertained. On the sixteenth of April, judgment was given in the Council of Ten, that Filippo Calendaro and Bertucci❘ Israello should be hanged upon the red pillars of the balcony of the palace, from which the Duke is wont to look at the bull-hunt: and they were hanged with gags in their mouths. men living and boarding with them in their own houses. And he who did not keep two footmen might transfer the privilege to his sons or his brothers; but only to two. Permission of carrying arms was also granted to the four Notaries of the Chancery, that is to say, of the Supreme Court, who took the depositions; and they were Amedio, Nicoletto di Lorino, Steffanello, and Pietro de Compostelli, the secretaries of the Signori di Notte. The next day the following were condemned :-Nic- After the traitors had been hanged, and the Duke had colo Zuccuolo, Nicoletto Blondo, Nicoletto Doro, Marco had his head cut off, the state remained in great tran| Giuda, Jacomello Dagolino, Nicoletto Fidele, the son of | quillity and peace. And, as I have read in a chronicle, Filippo Calendaro, Marco Torello, called Israello, Stefano the corpse of the Duke was removed in a barge, with Trivisano, the money-changer of Santa Margherita, and eight torches, to his tomb in the church of San Giovanni Antonio dalle Bende. These were all taken at Chiozza, e Paolo, where it was buried. The tomb is now in for they were endeavouring to escape. Afterwards, by that aisle in the middle of the little church of Santa virtue of the sentence which was passed upon them in Maria della Pace, which was built by Bishop Gabriel of the Council of Ten, they were hanged on successive Bergamo. It is a coffin of stone, with these words endays, some singly and some in couples, upon the co- graved thereon: « Heic jacet Dominus Marinus Faletro lumns of the palace, beginning from the red columns, Dux.»-And they did not paint his portrait in the hall and so going onwards towards the canal. And other of the Great Council:-But in the place where it ought prisoners were discharged, because, although they had to have been, you see these words:-« Hic est locus been involved in the conspiracy, yet they had not assisted Marini Faletro decapitati pro criminibus»—and it is in it for they were given to understand by some of thought that his house was granted to the church of the heads of the plot, that they were to come armed Sant' Apostolo; it was that great one near the bridge. and prepared for the service of the state, and in order Yet this could not be the case, or else the family bought to secure certain criminals, and they knew nothing else. it back from the church; for it still belongs to Cà FaNicoletto Alberto, the Guardiaga, and Bartolommeoliero. I must not refrain from noting, that some wished Ciriuola and his son, and several others, who were not guilty, were discharged. to write the following words in the place where his portrait ought to have been, as aforesaid :-Marinus Faletro Dux, temeritas me cepit, pœnas lui, decapitatus pro criminibus.»-Others, also, indited a couplet, worthy of being inscribed upon his tomb. • Dux Venetum jacet heic, patriam qui prodere tentans, Sceptra, decus, censum, perdidit, atque caput.. [I am obliged for this excellent translation of the old chronicle to Mr F. Cohen, to whom the reader will find himself indebted for a version that I could not myself (though after many years' intercaune with Italian) have given by any meaus so purely and so faithfally.] On Friday, the sixteenth day of April, judgment was also given, in the aforesaid Council of Ten, that my Lord Marino Faliero, the Duke, should have his head cut off, and that the execution should be done on the landing-place of the stone staircase, where the Dukes take their oath when they first enter the palace. On the following day, the seventeenth of April, the doors of the palace being shut, the Duke had his head cut off, about the hour of noon. And the cap of estate was taken from the Duke's head before he came down stairs. When the execution was over, it is said that one of the Council of Ten went to the columns of the palace over «AL giovane Doge Andrea Dandolo succedette un veeagainst the place of St Mark, and that he showed the chio, il quale tardi si pose al timone della repubblica, bloody sword unto the people, crying out with a loud ma sempre prima di quel, che facea d'uopo a lui, ed alla voice-The terrible doom hath fallen upon the trai-patria: egli è Marino Faliero, personnaggio a me noto tor!»-and the doors were opened, and the people all rushed in, to see the corpse of the Duke who had been beheaded. It must be known, that Ser Giovanni Sanudo, the councillor, was not present when the aforesaid sentence was pronounced; because he was unwell and remained at home. So that only fourteen balloted; that is to say, five councillors, and nine of the Council of Ten. And it was adjudged, that all the lands and chattels of the Duke, as well as of the other traitors, should be forfeited to the state. And, as a grace to the Duke, it was resolved in the Council of Ten, that he should be allowed to dispose of two thousand ducats out of his own property. And it was resolved, that all the councillors and all the Avogadori of the commonwealth, those of the Council of Tea, and the members of the junta who had assisted in passing sentence on the Duke and the other traitors, should have the privilege of carrying arms both by day and by night in Venice, and from Grado to Cavazere. And they were also to be allowed two footmen carrying arms, the aforesaid foot III. per antica dimestichezza. Falsa era l'opinione intorno a lui, giacchè egli si mostrò fornito più di coraggio, che di senno. Non pago della prima dignità, cutrò con sinistro piede nel pubblico Palazzo: imperciocche questo Doge dei Veneti, magistrato sacro in tutti i secoli, che dagli antichi fu sempre venerato qual nume in quella città, Faltr' jeri fu decollato nel vestibolo dell'a stesso Palazzo. Discorrerei fin dal principio le cause di un tale evento, se così vario, ed ambiguo non ne fosse il grido. Nessuno però lo scusa, tutti affermano, che egli abbia voluto cangiar qualche cosa nell ordine della repubblica a lui tramandato dai maggiori. Che desiderava egli di pin? Io son d'avviso, che egli abbia ottenuto cio, che non si concedette a nessun altro: mentre adempiva gli ufùcj di legato presso il Pontefice, e sulle rive del Rodano trattava la pace, che io prima di lui avevo indarno tentato di conchiudere, gli fù conferito l' onore del Ducato, che nè chiedeva, nè s'aspettava. Tornato in patria, pensò a quello, cui nessuno non pose mente giammai, e soffri quello che a niuno accade mai di soffrire: giacchè in quel luogo celeber a hero; and that his passions were too violent. The both? IV. Extrait de l'ouvrage—Histoire de la République de rimo, e chiarissimo, e bellissimo infra tutti quelli, che io vidi, ove i suoi antenati avevano ricevuti grandissimi onori in mezzo alle pompe trionfali, ivi egli fu trascinato in modo servile, e spogliato delle insegne ducali, perdette la testa, e macchiò col proprio sangue le soglie del tempio, l' atrio del Palazzo, e le scale marmoree rendate spesse volte illustri o dalle solenni festività, o dalle ostili spoglie. Ho notato il luogo, ora noto il tempo: el anno del Natale di Cristo 1355, fù il giorno 18 d'A- | prile. Si alto è il grido sparso, che se alcuno esaminerà la disciplina, e le costumanze di quella città, e quanto mutamento di cose venga minacciato dalla morte di un sol uomo (quantunque molti altri, come narrano, essendo complici, o subirono l' istesso supplicio, o lo aspettano si accorgerà, che nulla di più grande avvenne ai nostri tempi nell' Italia. Tu forse qui attendi il mio pudizio; assolvo il popolo, se credere alla fama, benchè abbia potuto e castigare più mitamente, e con maggior dolcezza vendicare il suo dolore: ma non così facilImente, si modera un' ira giusta insieme, e grande in an numeroso popolo principalmente, nel quale il precipitoso, ed instabile volgo aguzza gli stimoli dell' iracondia con rapidi, e sconsigliati clamori. Compatisco, e nell' istesso tempo mi adiro con quell' infelice uomo, il quale adorno di un'insolito onore, non so, che cosa si volesse negli estremi anni della sua vita: la calamità di lui diviene sempre più grave, perchè dalla sentenza contra di esso promulgata apparirà, che egli fu non solo misero, ma insano, e demente, e che con vane arti si usurpò per tanti anni una falsa fama di sapienza. «Cette liberté de mœurs, qu'on avait long-temps vanAmmonisco i Dogi, i quali gli succederanno, che questo tée comme le charme principal de la société de Venise, le lien du mariage e un esempio posto innanzi ai loro occhi, quale specchio, était devenue un désordre scandaleux; nel quale veggano di essere non Signori, ma Duci, anzi était moins sacré dans ce pays catholique que dans ceux nemmeno Duci; ma onorati servi della Repubblica. Tu où les lois civiles et religieuses permettent de le dissta sano; e giacchè fluttuano le publicche cose, sfor-soudre. Faute de pouvoir rompre le contrat, on supnamoci di governar modestissimamente i privati nostri affari.» Levati. Viaggi di Petrarca, vol. iv. p. 323. The above Italian translation from the Latin epistles of Petrarch proves 1stly, That Marino Faliero was a personal friend of Petrarch's: « antica dimestichezza,» old intimacy, is the phrase of the poet. adly, That Petrarch thought that he had more courage than conduct, « più di coraggio che di senno.»> 3dly, That there was some jealousy on the part of Petrarch; for he says that Marino Faliero was treating of the peace which he himself had «vainly attempted to conclude.» 4thly, That the honour of the dukedom was conferred upon him, which he neither sought nor expected, che ne chiedeva nè aspettava,» and which had never been granted to any other in like circumstances, « ciò i che non si concedette a nessun altro; a «proof of the lagh esteem in which he must have been held. 5thly, That he had a reputation for wisdom, only forfeited by the last enterprise of his life, «si usurpò per tanti anni una falsa fama di sapienza.»-« He had usurped for so many years a false fame of wisdom;»> rather a difficult task I should think. People are generally found out before eighty years of age, at least in a republic. From these, and the other historical notes which I have collected, it may be inferred, that Marino Faliero possessed many of the qualities, but not the success of «A CES attaques si fréquentes que le gouvernement dirigeait contre le clergé, à ces luttes établies entre les différens corps constitués, à ces entreprises de la masse de la noblesse contre les dépositaires du pouvoir, à toutes ces propositions d'innovation qui se terminaient toujours par des coups d'état; il faut ajouter une autre cause, non moins propre à propager le mépris des anciennes doctrines, c'était l'excès de la corruption. posait qu'il n'avait jamais existé, et les moyens de nullité, allégués avec impudeur par les époux, étaient admis avec la même facilité par des magistrats et par des prêtres également corrompus. Ces divorces colorés d'un autre nom devinrent si fréquents, que l'acte le plus important de la société civile se trouva de la compétence d'un tribunal d'exception, et que ce fut à la police de réprimer le scandale. Le conseil des dix ordonna, en 1782, que toute femme qui intenterait une demande en dissolution de mariage serait obligée d'en attendre le jugement dans un couvent que le tribunal désignerait. ' Bientôt après il évoqua devant lui toutes les causes de cette nature. Cet empiétement sur la jurisdiction ecclésiastique ayant occasionné des réclamations de la part de la cour de Rome, le conseil se réserva le droit de débouter les époux de leur demande; et consentit à la renvoyer devant l'officialité, toutes les fois qu'il ne l'aurait pas rejetée. 3 « Il y eut un moment où sans doute le renversement des fortunes, la perte des jeunes gens, les discordes domestiques, déterminèrent le gouvernement à s'écarter des maximes qu'il s'était faites sur la liberté de mœurs qu'il permettait à ses sujets: on chassa de Venise toutes les courtisanes. Mais leur absence ne suffisait pas pour ramener aux bonnes mœurs toute une population élevée dans la plus honteuse licence. Le désordre pénétra dans l'intérieur des familles, dans les cloîtres; et l'on se 1 Correspondance de M. Schlick, chargé d'affaires de France, dé pêche du 24 Aout, 1782. 2 Ibid. Dépêche du 31 Aout. |