Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/details/viewofsocietyman01moor_2 A VIEW OF SOCIETY AND MANNERS IN ITALY: WITH ANECDOTES relating to fome EMINENT CHARACTERS. By JOHN MOORE, M,D. 4N TWO VOLUMES. ^ V O L. I.' Strenua nos exerce't inertia : na‘vihus atque ^adrigis petimus bene ^i%'ere» ^od petis, hie eji% Hor, The SIXTH EDITION, Corrsaed. \ LONDON: Printed for A. Str ah an and T. Cad ell : And Sold by T. Cadell Junior, and W. Davies, (Succe/Tcrs to Mr. Cadell,) in the Strand. MDCCXCV. ( Drawhaei.) ADVERTISEMENT. following obfervations on Italy and on Italian manners, occurred in the courfe of the fame Tour In which thofe contained in a book lately publifhed, en- titled A View of Sociefy and Manners in ^ France^ Switzerland^ and Germany^ were made. All who have read that book will perceive, at firft fight, that the prefent work is a continuation of the former ; but to thofe who have not, it was thought neceffary to account for the abrupt manner in which the following Letters begin; London, December 14, 1780. CONTENTS O F T H E FIRST V O L U M E. L E T T E R I. p. I. journey from Vienna to Venice. LE TT E R II. p. 17. The arfenal. — The Bucentaur. — Doge’s marriage. LETTER III. p. 22. The ifland of Murano. — Glafs manufadlory. — Mr. Montague. LETTER IV. p. 32. Situation of Venice. — Lagune.— Canals. — Bridges. L E T T E R V. p. 38. Piazzi di St. Marco. — Patriarchal church. — Ducal palace.— Broglio. LETTER VI. p, 47. Reflefiions excited by the various objefis around St. Mark’s fquare.— On painting.— A connoifTeur. ' VOL. I, ^ - a vi CONTENTS. LETTER VII. p.5^. Origin of Venice. LETTER VIII.. p. 65. Various changes in the form of government. -.-Tyran- nical condudl of a Doge. — Savage behaviour of the ' people.— Commerce of Venice. LETTER IX. p. 75. New regulations, — Foundation of the ariflocracy. — Origin of the ceremony of erpoufing ihe Sea. — New forms of magiftracy* LETTER X. Henry Dandolo. V . LETTER XI. p. 96. New courts.— New Magiftrates. — Reformation of the Venetian code. — The form of eledling the Doge. LETTER XII. p. 108. Ariftocracy eftablilhed. — Confpiracies. — Infurre£lions. — Ecclefiaftical Inquifition.— The , College, or Seigniory. LETTER Xill. p. 120. Confpiracy againft the States by a Doge.— Singular inllance pf weaknefs and vanity in a noble Venetian. —New magiftrates to prevent luxury. *.^Courtefans. LETTER XIV. p. 13!. Rigour of Venetian laws exemplified in the cafes of Antonio. Venier^ Carlo Zenoj and young Fofeari.. CONTENTS. Vll LETTER XV. p. 143. The Council of Ten, and the State Inquifitors.— ^ Refledlions on thefe inftitutioi>s. LETTER XVI. p. 157. League of Cambray. — with Turks — Antonio Bragadino.— Battle of Lepanto. — Difputes with the Pope. LETTER XVII. p. 170. MarquisofBedamar’sconfpirac'y.— Falfeaccufations. — The fiege of Candia.— The impatience of a Turkilh Emperor. — Conclufionof the review of the Venetian Government. LETTER XVIIT. p. 1^3. Venetian manners. — Opera. — AfFedation.— *A Duo. — Dancers. , LETTER XIX. p. 194. No military eftablifhment at Venice,— What fupplies its place. LETTER XX. p. 198. Refle£Iions on the nature of Venetian Government.;^ Gondoleers.— Citizens.— The Venetian fubjeds on the Terra Firma. LETTER XXL p. 205. Gallantry. — Caffinos, a 2 CONTENTS. vH5 LETTER XXII. p.213. Chara6Ier of Venetians. — Cuftoms and ufages.-In-* fluence of fafl:iion in matters of tafle. — Prejudice.— » The excellence of Italian comic adlors. LETTER XXIII. p. 224. Departure from Venice.— Padua. — St. Anthony, his tomb and miracles. LETTER XXIV. p. 231. Church of St. Juftina. — The bodies of St. Matthew and St. Luke.— The univerfity.— Beggars. LETTER XXV. p. 236. The antiquity of Padua. — The Brenta.— -The Po.— ? The Thames. LETTER XXVI. p. 245.' Ferrara. — -The Family of Efie. — Arlofto. — The Em- , peror and his brothers lodge at an inn, which over- fets the undei (landing of the landlord. — An in*, fcription. LETTER XXVII. p. 252. Bologna. — Its government, commerce, palaces, LETTER XXVIII. p. 260. The academy of arts and fciences.— Church of St, Petionius. — Dominican convent, — Palaces,— P.,a*. phael. — Guido, CONTENTS, IX LETTER XXIX. p. 271. Journey from Bologna to Ancona.— The Rubicon.— Julius Casfar. — Pefaro. — Fano. — Claudius Nero.— Afdrubal. — Senegalia. LETTER XXX. p. 282. Ancona.— The influence of commerce on the charac- ters of mankind. — The Mole. — The triumphal arch of the Emperor Trajan. LETTER XXXI. p. 29T. Loretto. — Hif^ory of the Cafa Santa. LETTER XXXII. p. 297. Defcription of the facred chapel. — The treafury, LETTER XXXm. p. 307. Pilgrimages to Loretto.— Manufa£iure?. — Confeflion- ah.— Baflb relievo-. — Zeal of pilgrims.— Iron grates before the chapels. — Reflections. LETTER XXXIV. p. 317. Tolentino. — The Apennines. — A hermit. — Umbria.— Spoletto. LETTER XXXV. p. 326. T..rni. — Narni. — Otricoli. — Civita Caflellana.— Campania of Rome. LETTER XXXVI. p. 334. Rome. — Converfazlonis.— Cardinal Bernis.— The dif- llrefs of an Italian lady. LETTER XXXVII. p.342. Remarks on ancient and modern Rome. — The church of St. Peter’s, LETTER XXXVIII. p. 355. The ceremony of the PoffelTo. L E T T E R XXXIX. p. 363. Pantheon. — Colifeum,— Gladiators. LETTER XL. p. 3»i. The Campidoglio.— Forum Romanum, — Jews. . LETTER XLI. p. 391. Ruins.^Via Sacra. — Tarpeian Rock.— Campus Mar^ tius.— Various Forums. — Trajan’s Column. LETTER XLII. ^p.400. The beatification of a Saint. LETTER XLIir. p. 407. Chara£ler of,modern Italians. — Obferv.ations on human nature in general. — An Englifh Officer.— Caufe of the frequency of the crime of murder, LETTER XLIV. p. 420. Different kinds of punifhment. — Account of an E^;e* cution. — Souls in purgatory. LETTER XLV. p. 432. The ufual courfe with an, antiquarian. — An expeditious courfe, by ' a young Englifhman, — The Vilk Borghefe. 8 CONTENTS. “xi LETTER XL VI. p. 449. The morning ftudy of an artift.— Converfation with him on that fubje£f. — An Italian Lady and her Conreflbr.-rThe Lady’s religious fcruples and pre- caution* A VIEW k ♦ ’ y ;• A ✓ i'?, j . ''\i N >'■ -.. ■_■(. f V' ''^^• * k A VIEW 0 F SOCIETY AND MANNERS 1 N ITALY. c$cc^:$:.c$3c$DC$3c$x^c^c^^ LETTER I. DEAR SIR, Venice. K^:^"^Aving left Vienna, we proceed- H ^ ed through the Duchies of Stiria, Carinthia, and Carniola, to Venice. Notwithftanding the mountainous nature of thofe countries, the roads are remarkably good. They were formed originally at a vaft expence of labour to the inhabitants, but in fuch a durable manner, that it re- VOL. I. B quires 2 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND quires no great trouble to keep them in repair, to which all neceflary attention feems to be paid. Some of the mountains are covered with wood, but more generally they are quite bare. Among them are many fields and vallies, fit for pafturage and the cultivation of grain ; a few of thefe vallies are remarkably fertile, particularly in the Duchy of Carniola. The bowels of the earth abound in lead, copper, and iron. Stirian fteel is reckoned excellent ; and the little town of Idra, in Carniola, is famous for the quickfilver mines in its neighbourhood. It has been a matter of controverfy among the learned, (for the learned difpute about many things v/hich the ignorant think of little importance,) by what road the original Inhabitants came, who firft peopled Italy ? And it has been decided by fome, that they muft have entered by this very country of Carniola. Thefe gentle- men lay it down as an axiom, that the firft inhabitants of every country in the world, that is not an ifland, muft have come by land, and not by fea, on account €)f MANNERS IN ITALY. 3 of the ignorance of the early inhabitants of the earth In the art of navigation ; but Italy being a peninfula, the only way to enter it by land, is at fome part of the Ifthmus by which it is joined to the reft of Europe. The Alps form great part of that ifthmus, and, in the early ages, would exclude ftrangers as elFedfually as the fea. The eafieft, fhorteft, and only poffible way of avoiding feas and mountains in enter- ing Italy, is by the Duchy of Carniola and Friuli. Ergo^ they came that way. Q^E. D. In contradiftion to the preceding de- monftration, others aflert, that the firft in- habitants came in fhips from Greece ; and others have had the boldnefs to affirm, that Italy had as good a right as any other country to have inhabitants of its own original produdion, without being obliged to any vagrants whatever. I thought it right to give you the opinion of the learned on this country, becaufe it is not in my power to defcribe it from my own obfervation ; for we pafTed 3 2 through 4 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND through thofe Duchies with a rapidity which baffles all defcription. The inns are as bad, as the roads are good ; for which reafon we chofe to fleep on the latter, rather than in the former ; and adually travelled five days and nights, without (lopping any longer than was ne- ce(Tary to^change horfes. This method of travelling, however agreeable and improving it may be in other- refpeds, is by no means calculated to give one the moft perfe£l and lading idea of the face of a country, or of the manners and charadlers of the inhabitants; and there- fore I hope you will not infift upon an exa£t account of either. Among other curiofities, which our un-» interrupted and expeditious movement pre- vented us from obferving with due atten- tion, w^as the town of Gratz, the capital' of Stiria, through which we unfortunately pafTed in the middle of the night. I did not regret this on account of the regularity of the (Ireets, the venerable afpefl: of the churches, the fubllme fite of the caftle, and other things which we had heard 5 IviANNERS IN ITALY. lieard extolled ; but iblely becaufe we had not an opportunity of vifiting the fhrine of St. Allan, a native of England, who formerly was a Dominican Monk of a convent in this town, and in high favour with the Virgin Mary, of which fhe gave him fome proofs as ftrong as they were extraordinary. Among other marks of her regard, fhe ufed to comfort him with milk from her breafts. This, to be fure, is a mark of affedtion feldom beftowed upon favourites above a year eld, and will, I dare fay, furprife you a good deal. There is no great danger, however, that an ex- ample of this kind fliould fpread among virgins. Of the fadl:, in the prefent inllance, there can be no doubt; for it is recorded in an infeription underneath a portrait of the Saint, which is carefully preferved in the Dominican convent of this city. We continued our journey, in the full refolution of reaching Venice before we indulged in any other bed then the poft-chaife ; but were obliged to flop fhort on a fudden, for want of horfes, at a fmall town called Wipach, bordering on the county of Go- ritia, in Carniola. B 3 Before 6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND Before fetting out from Vienna, we had been informed, that the Archduke and his Princefs were about to return to Milan ; for which reafori we thought it advifable to remain at Vienna eight days after their departure, to avoid the inconveniencies 'which might arife from a deficiency of poft- horfes on fuch an unfrequented road. Having taken our meafures with fo much forefight, we little expeded, when we ac- tually did fet out, to meet with any delay in our progrefs. The Archduke and his Duchefs, how- ever, had thought proper to go out of the dired road as far as Triefte, to view the late improvements of that town, whofe commerce is greatly encouraged and pro- teded by the Emperor ; and remaining there a few days, all the poft-horfes which had been affembled to carry them to Triefte, were kept in the poft-houfes for their ufe ; confequently we found none at Wipach. It began to grow dark when wm arrived ; the Poft-mafter was fmoking his pipe at the door. As foon as the chaife flopped, we called him to get ready the horfes MANNERS IN ITALY. 7 horfes without lofs of time ; for, I added with a tone of importance, that we could not poffibly ftay a moment. To this he replied coolly, that fince we were in fo very great a hurry, he fhould not attempt to detain us, but that be had no horfes to carry us on, I alked how foon they could be got. He anfwered, when they returned from attending the Archduke; but whether that would be the next day, the following, or a day or two after, he could not tell. It appeared a great hardfhip to be flopped fhort, fo unexpededly, at a little paltry inn, and we agreed that nothing could have happened more unfortunately. After a few hafty ejaculations, which regarded the polling eftablifhment, and the Lords of Police of this country, we refolved to make a virtue of neceffity, and bear our misfor-* tunes with firmnefs and equanimity. As we ftepped out of the chaife, I ordered the Pofl-mafler, therefore, to get ready beds, a good flipper, and fome of his befl wine. Inftead of receiving thefe injundions with marks of fatisfadion, as I expeded, he B 4 anfwered 8 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND anfwered without emotion, that he had no wine but for his own drinking; that he never gave fuppers to any but his own family ; and that he had no bed, except that which he himfelf, his wife, and his child, occu- pied, which could not eafily hold any more than three at a time. I had not hitherto perceived that this man’s houfe was not an inn : as foon as I was undeceived, I begged he would inform us where the inn was* He pointed with his pipe to a fmall houfe on the oppofite fide of the ftreet. There we were told, that all the vidluals in the houfe were already devoured— three or four guefts were In every fpare room — the family going to bed — and they could not poffibly receive any more company. We had nearly the fame account at another little inn, and an abfolute refufal at every houfe where we fued for admittance. The town of Wipach is fo near Gorltia, that no travellers, except thofe of the meaneft kind, ever think of flopping at the former, and therefore the inhabitants have m MANNERS IN ITALY. 9 no Idea of making preparations for other guefts. In this dilemma I returned to our Poll- mafter, who was ftlll fmoking his pipe before the door. I informed him of our bad fuccefs, and, in a more foothing tone of voice than that in which I had formerly addrefled him, begged to know how we were to difpofe of ourfelves that night ? He replied, with admirable compofure, that was more than he could tell ; but as the liorfes were expeded in a few days, If I fhould fend him word where we were to be found, he would take care to let us know the moment they fhould be ready : in the mean time, as it began to rain, and the evening was exceedingly cold, he wifhed u§ a very good night. So faying, he went into the houfe, (hutting and bolting the door very carefully after him. No philofopher, ancient or modern, ever fupported the diftrefles of others with more equanimity than this man. We were now fully convinced, that to be under the neceflity of remaining all night at an inn, when they incline to proceed ort their 10 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND their journey, is not the moft unfortunate thing that can befal travellers, and w'ould have now been happy in that fituation which we had confidered with horror an hour or two before. In this forlorn condition I turned to an Italian fervant of the Duke of Hamilton’s, a fhrewd fellovvr, who feldom wanted a refource in times of difficulty. He feemed, hov/ever, a little nonplufied on the prefent emergency ; he flood fhrugging his flioul- ders, with his eyes fixed on the ground. At length, flarting as if he had that inftant awaked, he muttered, Cent ore di mani- conianon pangano un quattrino di debito^* and then w^alked away wnth an air not to- tally devoid of hope. i attended him, without knowing upon wliat his expedtations were founded. We came to a convent of Monks, and got admits tance ; the Italian called for the Superior, and told him, in a few words, our con- dition, The venerable old man heard him with an air of benevolence ; he exprelled ^ An hundred hours of vexation v\i]l not pay one far* thing of debt. forrow manners in ITALY. forrow at the treatment we had received, and, defiring'me to accompany him, faid, he would' endeavour to find us lodgingSo He conduaed us to a poor looking houfe, occupied by a widow and her children. As foon as the good monk had mentioned our cafe, fhe faid we fhould be moft wel- come to fuch entertainment as fhe could afford. We had an excellent flipper of four krout, and fallad. I fhall never forget it. I found her wine excellent, and her beds delightful ; the good monk feemed to enjoy the fatisfadion we expreffed, and pofitively refufed to accept of any other recompence for his trouble. Had we found the moft elegant inn, and the moft luxurious fupper at our arrival, we might poffibly have fpent the evening in repining at being difappointed in poft- horfes ; but the dread of fo fmall a mif- fortune as pafiing the night fupperlefs in the ftreets, reconciled us at once to the widow’s hovel, and made us happy with her homely fare ; fo neceffary is a certain portion of hardflrips or difficulties for giv- ing a zeft to enjoyment. Without them, the 12 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND the comforts of life are apt to become in- fipid ; and we fee that the people who, independent of any^ effort of their own, have every enjoyment at their command, are, perhaps, of all mankind, thofe who have the leaft enjoyment. The widow, as we underftood in the morning, had fat up all night with her family, that we might be accommodated with beds. She had no reafon to repent her hofpitality. The poor woman’s grati- tude made her talk loudly of the Duke of Hamilton’s generofity ; which coming to the ears of the Poft- matter, induced him to make an efiort to get the chaifes dragged on to Goritia, without waiting the return of the poft-horfes. This was performed by three cart-horfes and two oxen, w^hich were relieved in the mott mountainous part of the road by buffalos. There is a breed of thefe animals in this country ; they are ftrong, hardy, and docile, and found preferable to either horfes or oxen, for ploughing in a rough and hilly country. When MANNERS IN ITALY. 13 When we arrived at Gorltia, "we found the inhabitants in their holiday drefles, at the windows, and in the ftreets, waiting with impatience for the fight of the Grand Duke and Duchefs. Having applied at the poft-houfe for horfes, we were informed that none could be granted, all being retained for the accommodation of his Highnefs. I could not help remarking to the Duke of Hamilton, that Dukes Teemed to be in a very different predicament from Prophets^ in their own countries. Things turned out better than we had reafon to expe£t. Their Highneffes arrived in the evening ; and as they did not pro- pofe to leave Goritia till next morning, the Archduke had the politenefs to give orders that the Duke of Hamilton fhould have what horfes he wanted from the poft- hpufes. We fet out immediately, and arrived at the next ftage between one and two in the morning. In that part of the world, raif- ing the people at midnight, and harneffing the horfes for two carriages, takes up, at ' leaft, as much time as driving two ftages in 14 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND in fome parts of England. Juft as we . were going out of the poft-houfe court,' the Archduke’s butler and cook arrived ; they were going forward, as ufual, to prepare fupper, &c. at the inn where their Highnefles intended to lie. They knew that the horfes were all retained for their mafter, but had not heard of the particular order in our favour. See- ing ten horfes going to fet out, they exclaimed againft the Poft^mafter, and threatened him with the vengeance of the whole houfe of Auftrla through all its branches, if he fhould permit a fmgle horfe to leave the poft-houfe till the Archduke and his fuit had pafled. The man, terrified with thefe threats, ordered the poftillions to difmount, and put up the horfes. This mandate was by no means agreeable to the Duke of Hamilton ; and the Poft-mafter’s fear of the indignation of the Imperial family, was that inftant loft in the danger which was prefented to his face, and more immediately threatened his perfon -he ordered the poftilions to drive on. 8 The I MANNERS IN ITALY. 15 The next poft was at a fmall town in the Venetian State, where we found that orders had come from Venice to the fame effedt with thofe received at the differ- ent ftages we had already pafled. The Italian fervant thought it would fave time to make us pafs for part of the company to which thefe orders related — ^ he ordered horfes in the name of the Graijd Duke, and wras inftantly obeyed— but the butler and cook arriving foon after, told a different tale. Couriers were difpatched, one of whom overtook us, and, in the name of the magiftrates, ordered the pofti- llons to drive back, for we were a gang of impoftures, who had no connexion with the Grand Duke. The fame argu- ments, however, which had fo good an effedl on the German Poft-mafter, prevailed alfo on the courier to be filent, and the poftilions to proceed. It was midnight before we arrived at Meftre, a fmall town on the banks of the Tagune, five miles from Venice, where we remained all night. Next morning w^e hired i6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND hired a boat, arid In two hours were landed in the middle of this city. We have taken very delightful apart- ments at an inn, on the fide of the great canal. They had been juft quitted by his Royal HIghnefs the Duke of Gloucefter, •who is at prefent at Padua. Thus at length w^e are arrived In Italy — Per varies cafus, &:• tot difcrimlna rerum * Through various hazards, and many crofs events. • ' f MANNERS IN ITALY. 17 LETTER II. Venice^ FEW days after our arrival at Ve- nice, we met the Archduke and Duchefs, at the houfe of the Imperial Am- baflador. They were highly entertriiried with the hiftory of their cook and butler, which I gave them at full length. The company confided entirely of fo- reigners, the Venetian nobility never vifiting in the houfes of foreign minifters. Among other ftrangers was the fon of the Duke of Berwick. This young gentle- man has lately allied himfelf to the family from which he is defcended, by marrying the fifter of the Countefs of Albany. I fup- pofe you have heard that the Pretender, now at Florence, has affumed the title of Count Albany. Next day the Duke of Hamilton accom- panied the Archduke and Duchefs to the arfenal. They were attended by a deputa- tion from the Senate. VOL. I. c Some 18 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND Some Venetian ladies of the firft diftinc- tion, in compliment to the Archduchefs, were of the party. The arfenal at Venice is a fortification of between two and three miles in compafs. On the ramparts are many little watch- towers, where centinels are ftationed. Like the arfenal at Toulon, it is at once a dock- yard, and repofitory for naval and military ftores. Here the Venetians build their fhips, call their cannon, make their cables, fails, anchors, &c. The arms are arranged here as in other places of the fame kind, in large rooms divided into narrow walks by long walls of mufkets, pikes, and hal- berts. Every thing having been prepared before the Archduke and Duchefs arrived, a cannon was caft in their prefence. After this the company were conduced on board the Bucentaur, or veffel in which the Doge is carried to efpoufe the Adriatic. Here they were regaled with wine and fweet- ineats, the Venetian nobles doing the ho- nours of the entertainment. The Bucentaur is kept under cover, and never taken out but for the efpoufals. It 8 is MANNERS IN ITALY. 19 IS formed for containing a very numerous company, Is finely gilt and ornamented within, and loaded on the outfide with emblematical figures in fculpture. This veflel maypoffibly be admired bylaridfmen, but will not much charm a feaman’s eye, being a heavy broad-bottomed machine, which draws little water, and confequently *lnay be eafily overfet in a gale of wind. Of this, however, there is no great danger, as two precautions are taken to prevent fuch an accident ; one of which feems cal- culated to quiet the minds of believers, and the other to give confidence to the moft incredulous. The firft is ufed by the Patriarch, who, as foon as the veflel is afloat, takes care to pour into the fea fome holy water, which is believed to have the virtue of preventing or allaying florms. The fecond Is entrufted to the Admiral, who has the difcretlonary power of poft- poriing the marriage ceremony, when the bride feems In the fmallefl: degree boifle- rous. One of the virtues of the holy water, that of allaying ftorms, is by this means rendered fuperfluous. c 2 But to VIEW OF SOCIEtY AND But when the weather is quite favour^ able, the ceremony is performed every Afcenfion Day. The folemnity is announ- ced in the morning by the ringing of bells and firing of cannon. About mid-day the Doge, attended by a numerous party of the Senate and clergy, goes on board the Bucen- taur ; the veflel is rowed a little w^ay into the fea, accompanied by the fplendid yachts of the foreign Ambaffadors, the gondolas of the Venetian nobility, and an incredible number of barks and gallies of every kind. Hymns are fung, and a band of mufic performs, while the Bucentaur and her attendants flowly move towards St. Lido, a fmail ifland two miles from Venice. Pray- ers are then faid ; after which the Doge drops a ring of no great value into the fea, pronouncing thefe words Defponfa- jnus te, Mare, in fignum veri perpetuique dominii.” The fea, like a modeft bride, allents by her filence, and the marriage is deemed valid and fecure to all intents and purpofes. Certain it Is, the time has been, w^hen the Doge had entire pofieffion of, and dominiofi' MANN^ERS IN ITALY. dominion over, his fpoufe ; but, for a con- fiderable time paft, her favours have been (hared by feveral other lovers ; or, accord- ing to that violent metaphor of Otway’s, — now TheirGreatDukefhrInks, trembling in his palace. And fees his wife, the Adriatic, plough’d. Like a lewd whore, by bolder prows than his. After viewing every thing in the arfenal, the Archduke and Duchefs, with all the company, were invited on board fome boats, which had been prepared for their recep- tion. They were direflly rowed to that part of the lake from whence there was the moft advantageous view of Venice, a band of mufic performing all the time ; while the failors, in two or three fmall boats, were employed in filling oyfters, which they opened, and prefented to the company. The amufements of this day had all the advantage of novelty to render them agree- able to flrangers, and every additional pleafure which the attentive and polite behaviour of the Venetian nobility coyld give, 11 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND LETTER IIL S this is not the time of any, of the public folemnities which draw ftran- gers to Venice, it is fortunate that we happen to be here with the Archduke and Duchefs, The great refped: which this State is anxious of fhewing the Imperial family, has brought many of the nobility to Venice, who would otherwife have been at their country-feats on the continent, and has alfo given us opportunities of feeing fome things to more advantage than we could otherwife have done. I had the honour of attending their Highnefles when they went to vifit the ifland of Murano. This is about a mile from Venice, was formerly a very flourifli- ing place, and ftill boafts fome palaces which bear the marks of former magnifi- cence, though now In a ftate of decay* Thp ifland is faid to contain 20,000 in- Venice, habitants, MANNERS IN ITALY. 23 habitants. The gr&at manufadorles of looking-glafles are the only Inducements which ftrangers have to vifit this place. I faw one very fine plate, for a mirror, made in the prefence of the Archduke in a few minutes: though not fo large as fome I have feen In the Paris manufadlory, yet it was much larger than I could have thought it in the power of human lungs to blow. Inftead of being call, as in France and England, the Murano mirrors are all blown in the manner of bottles. It is aftonifhing to fee with what dexterity the workman wields a long hollow cylinder of melted glafs, at the end of an iron tube, which, when he has extended as much as poffible, by blowing, and every other means his art fuggefts, he flits with a fliarp inftrument, removing the two extremities from each other, and folding back the fides : the cylinder now appears a large fheet of glafs, which being once more introduced into the furnace, is brought out a clear, finifhed plate, This manufaGory formerly ferved all Europe with looking-glafles ; the quantity c 4 made 24 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND made here is ftill confiderable ; for although France and England, and fome other coun- tries, make their own mirrors, yet, by the natural progrefs of luxury, thofe countries which ftill get their mirrors and other things from Murano, ufe a much greater quantity now than formerly ; fo that on the fuppofition that the Murano manu- fadurers have loft three-fourths of their cuftomers, they may ftill retain half as much trade as they ever had. It is fur- prifing that, inftead of blowing, they do not adopt the method of cafting, which I fhould think a much eafter procefs, and by which larger plates may be made. Befides mirrors, an infinite quantity of glafs trin- kets (margaritini, as they are called) of all fhapes and colours are made here. Wo- men of the inferior ranks wear them as ornaments, and as rofaries : they alfo mould this fubftance into many various whimfical forms, by way of ornamental furniture to houfes and churches. In Ihorf, there are glafs baubles enough made here, to bribe into flavery half the inhabitants of the coaft of Guinea, Since MANNERS IN ITALY. 25 Since the departure of the Archduke and Duchefs, the Duke of Hamilton has paffed his time moftly in the houfes of the foreign Ambaffadors, the heft refource here, next to the theatres, for ftrangers. We were lately at a converzatlone at the Spanifh Ambaffador’s ; it might have palTed for a pantomime entertainment. The Am- baflador, his lady, and daughters, fpeak no language but Spanifh ; and, unfortunately, this was underftood by none of the com- pany but the Duke of Berwick’s fon. Hearing that Mr. Montague refided at Venice, the Duke of Hamilton has had the curiofity to wait on that extraordinary man. He met his Grace at the ftair-head, and led us through fome apartments, fur- nifhed In the Venetian manner, into an inner room in quite a different ftyle. There were no chairs, but he defired us to feat ourfelves on a fopha, whilft he placed him- felf.on a cufliion on the floor, with his legs croffed in the Turkifh fafhion. A young black flave fat by him, and a venerable old man, with a long beard, ferved us with foffee. After 26 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND After this collation, fome aromatic gums were brought, and burnt in a little filver veflel. Mr. Montague held his nofe over the ftream for fome minutes, and fnuffed up the perfume with peculiar fatisfacSHon ; he afterwards endeavoured to collefl the fmoke with his hands, fpreading and rubbing it carefully along his beard, which hung in hoary ringlets to his girdle. This manner of perfuming the beard feems more cleanly, and rather an improvement upon that ufed by the Jews in ancient times, as deferibed in the Pfalms tranflated by Sternhold and Hopkins : 'Tis like the precious ointment, that Was poured on Aaron’s head. Which from the beard down to the fkirts Of his rich garments fpread. Or, as the Scotch tranflatlon has it : Like precious ointment on the head That down the beard did flow 5 Even Aaron’s beard, and to the ficirts Did of his garments go. Which of thefe verfions is preferable, 1 leave to the critics in Hebrew and Englilh poefy MANNERS IN ITALY. 27 poafy to determine. I hope, for the fake of David’s reputation as a poet, that nei- ther have retained all the fpirit of the original. We had a great deal of con- verfation with this venerable looking per- fon, who is, to the laft degree, acute, communicative, and entertaining, and in whofe difcourfe and manners are blended the vivacity of a Frenchman with the gravity of a Turk. We found him, hovv^- ever, wonderfully prejudiced in favour of the Turkifh characters and manners, which he thinks infinitely preferable to the E.uro- pean, or thofe of any other nation. He defcribes the Turks in general as a people of great fenfe and integrity, the moft hcfpitable, generous, and the happieft of mankind. He talks of returning, as foon as poflible, to Egypt, which he paints as a perfect paradife ; and thinks that, had it not been otherwife ordered for wife pur- pofes, of which it does not become us to judge, the children of Ifrael would cer- tainly have chpfen to remain Vv^here they were, and have endeavoured to drive the Egyptians to the land of Canaan. Though 28 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND Though Mr. Montague hardly ever ^Irs abroad, he returned the Duke’s vlfit ; and as we were not provided with cuQiions, he fat, while he ftaid, upon a fopha, with his legs under him, as he had done at his own houfe. This poflure, by long habit, is now become the moft agreeable to him, and he infills on its being by far the moft natural and convenient ; but, indeed, he feeins to cherlfli the fame opinion with regard tp all the cuftorus which prevail among the Turks. I could not help men- tioning one, which I fufpeded would be thought both unnatural and inconvenient by at leaft one half of the human race; that" of the men being allowed to engrofs as many women as they can maintain, and confining them to the moft infipid of all lives, within their harams. No doubt,” replied he, “ the women are all enemies to polygamy and concubinage ; and there is reafon to imagine, that this averfion “ of theirs, joined to the great influence they have in all Chriftian countries, has prevented Mahometanifm from making any progrefs in Europe. The Turkifh meuj Manners in italy. 29 men, on the other hand,” continued he, have an averfion to Chriftianlty, equal to that which the Chriftian women have to ‘‘ the religion of Mahomet : auricular confeffion is perfcdlly horrible to their “ imagination. No Turk, of any delicacy, ‘‘ would ever allow his wife, particularly if he had but one, to hold private con- ‘‘ ference with a man, on any pretext whatever,” I took notice, that this averfion to auri- cular confeffion, could not be a reafon for the Turk’s diffike to the ProteJIard religion. “ That is true,” faid he ; ‘‘ but you have “ other tenets in common with the Catho- ‘‘ lies, which renders your religion as ‘‘ odious as theirs. You forbid polygamy and concubinage, which, in the eyes of “ the Turks, who obey the dictates of the religion they embrace. Is confidered as an intolerable hardffiip. Befides, the idea which your religion gives of heaven, “ is by no means to their tafle. If they believed your account, they would think it the moft tirefome and comfortlefs place in the univerfe, and not one Turk ‘‘ among 36 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND among a thcufand would go to the' Chriftian heaven if he had it in his ‘‘ choice. Laftly, the Chriftian religion confiders women, as creatures upon a ‘‘ level with men, and equally entitled to every enjoyment, both here and here- “ afrer* When the Turks are told this,” added he, “ they are not furprifed at being informed alfo, that women, in general^ ‘‘ are better Chriftians than men ; but they are perfedUy aftoniftied that an opinion, which they think fo contrary to common fenfe, fliould fubfift among the rational, “ that is to fay, the male part of Chriftians. “ It is impoffible,” added Mr. Montague, ‘‘ to drive it out of the head of a Mufful- man, that women are creatures of a “ fubordinate fpecies, created merely to comfort and ainufe men during their “journey through this vain world, but by “ no means worthy of accompanying be- “ lievers to paradife, where females, of at “-nature far fuperior to women, wait with “ impatience to receive all pious MufluU “ men into their arms.” It is needlefs to relate to you any more of our converfation, A lady, to whom I I was MANNERS IN ITALY. was giving an account of it the day on which it happened, could with difficulty allow me to proceed thus far in my narra- tive ; but, interrupting me with Impatience, fhe faid, fhe was furprifed I could repeat all the nonfenfical, deteftable, impious maxims of thofe odious Mahometans ; and . fhe thought Mr. Montague fhould be fent back to Egypt, with his long beard, and not be allowed to propagate opinions, the bare mention of which, however reafonablc they might appear to Turks, ought not to 'be tolerated in any Chriftian land. 3a VIEW OF SOCIETY LET T E R IV. Venk'e, #"t^he View of Venice, at fome little dlllance from the town, is men- tioned by many travellers in terms of the higheft admiration. I had been fo often forewarned of the. amazement with which I fhould be ftruck at firft fight of this city, that when I actually did fee It, I felt little or no amazement at all. You will behold, faid thofe anticipators, a magnificent town, ^or more frequently, to make the deeper impreffion, they gave it in detail — You will behold, faid they, magnificent palaces, churches, towers, and fteeples, all ftanding in the middle of the fea. Well ; this, un- queftlonably, Is an uncommon fcene ; and there is no manner of doubt that a town, furrounded by water, is a very fine fight; but all the travellers that have exifted fince the days of Cain will not convince me, that a town, furrounded by land, is not a much MANNERS IN ITALY. 33 much finer. Can there be any comparifon, in point of beauty, between the dull mo- notony of a watery furface, and the de- lightful variety of gardens, meadows, hills, and woods? If the fituation of Venice render It Icfs agreeable than another city, to behold at a diftance, it muft render it, in a much ftronger degree, lefs agreeable to inhabit. For you will pleafe to recoiled, that, inftead of walking or riding in the fields, and enjoying the fragance of herbs, and the melody of birds ; when you wifh to take the air here, you muft fubmit to be 'paddled about, from morning to night. In a narrow boat, along dirty canals ; or, if you don’t like this, you have one refource more, which is that of walking in St. Mark’s Place. Thefe are the difadvantages under which Venice labours with' regard to fitu- ation ; but it has other peculiarities, which, in the opinion of many, overbalance them, and render it, on the whole, an agreeable ' town, Venice Is faid to be built In the fea; that is, it is built in the midft of Ihallows, VOL. I. D ^ which 3+ VIEW OF SOCIETY AND which ftretch fome miles from the fhore, at the bottom of the Adriatic Gulph. Though thofe fliallows, being now all covered with water, have the appearance of one great lake, yet they are called Lagune, or lakes ; becaufe formerly, as it is imagined, there were feveral. On failing on the Laguna, and looking to the hottcm, many large hollows are to be feen, which, at fome former .period, have, very poffibly, been diftind lakes, though now, being all covered with a common furface of water, they form one large lake, of unequal depth. The intervals betv/een thofe hollows, it is fup- pofed, were little iflands, and are now fhallov/s, which, at ebb, are all within reaeh of a pole. When you approach the city, you come along a liquid road, marked by rows of ftafes on each fide, which dired veflels, of a certain burthen, to avoid the fhallows, and keep in deeper water. Thefe Ihallows are a better defence to the city than the ftronged: fortifications. On the approach of an enemy’s fleet, the Venetians have only to pull up their ftakes, and the enemy can 1 3 advance MANNERS IN ITALY. 35 advance no farther. They are equally be- yond the infult of a land army, even in the midft of winter ; for the flux and reflux of the fea, and the mildnefs of the climate, prevent fuch a flrength of ice as could admit the approach of an army that way. The lake in which Venice fliands, is a kind of fmall inner gulph, feparated from the large one by fome iflands, at a few miles diftance. Thefe iflands, in a great meafure, break the force of the Adriatic {lorms, before they reach the Laguna,; yet, in very high winds, the navigation of the lake is dangerous to gondolas, and fome- times the gondoleers do not trufl: them- felves even on the canals within the city. This is not fo great an inconveniency to the inhabitants as you may imagine ; be- caufe moft of the houfes have one door opening upon a canal, and another com- municating wuth the ftreet ; by means of which, and of the bridges, you can go to almoft any part of the tov/n by land as well as by water. ' The number of Inhabitants are computed at about 150,000; the ftreets. In general, D 3 are 36 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND are narrow ; fo are the canals, except the Grand Canal ; which is very broad, and has a ferpehtine coiirfe through the middle of the city. They tell you, there are leveral hundred bridges in Venice. What pafs under this name, however, are fingle arches thrown over the canals ; moft of them paltrjr enough. The Rialto confifts alfo of a fingle arch, but a very noble one, and of marble. It is built acrofs the Grand Canal, near the middle, where it is narroweft. This cele- brated arch is ninety feet wide on the level of the canal, and twenty-four feet high. Its beauty is impaired by two rows of booths, or {hops, which are ereded upon it, and divide its upper furface into three narrow ftreets. The view from the Rialto is equally lively and magnificent ; the objeds under your eye are the Grand Canal., covered with boats and gondolas, and flanked on each fide with magnificent palaces, churches, and fpires ; but this fine ’ profped is almofl the only one in Venice; for, except the Grand Canal, and the Canal Regio, all the others are narrow and mean; fome MANNERS IN ITALY. 37 fome of them have no quays ; the water literally walhes the walls of ^he h/^ufes. When you fail along thcfe wretchec^ canals^^ you have no one agreeable objedl to cheer the fight; and the fmell Is overwhelmed with the flench, which, at certain feafons, exhales from the water. I> 3 38 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND LETTER V, Venice. s the only agreeable view in Venice is from the Grand Canal, fo the only place where you can walk with eafe and fafety, is in the Piazza di St. Marco. This is a kind of irregular quadrangle, formed by a number of buildingSj al! hugular in their kind, and very different fi*orn each other. The Ducal palace- — the church of St. Mark — that of St. Giminiano— a noble range of buildings, called Procuratie the new and the old, in which are the Mufeum, the public library, and nine large apart- ments belonging to the Procurators of St. Mark ; all thefe buildings are of marble. There is an opening from St. Mark’s Place to the fea, on which ftand two lofty pillars of granite. Criminals condemned tx) fuffer death publicly, are executed be- tween thefe pillars: on the top of one of them MANNERS IN ITALY. 39 tliem Is a lion, with wings ; and on the other, a faint, without wings : — there is, how- ever, a large crocodile at his feet, which, 1 prefume, belongs to him. At one corner of St. Mark’s, church, contiguous to the palace, are two ftatues of Adam and Eve ; they have neither wings nor crocodile, nor any kind of attendant, not even their old acquaintance the ferpent. At the corner of the new Procuratie, a little diftant from the church, ftands the fteeple of St. Mark. This is a quadran- gular tower, about three hundred feet in height. I am told it is not uncommon in Italy for the church and fteeple to be in this ftate of difunion. This fhocked a clergyman of my acquaintance very much ; he mentioned it to me many years ago, amongft the errors and abfurdities of the church of Rome. The gentleman was clearly of opinion, that church and fteeple ought to be infeparable as man and wife ; and that every church ought to confider its fteeple as mortar of its mortar, and ftone of its ftone. An old captain of a fhip, who was prefent, declared himfelf D 4 of 40 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND of the fame way of thinking, and fwore that a church divorced from its fteeple, appeared to him' as ridiculous as a fliip without a maft. A few paces from the church are three tall poles, on which enfigns and flags are hung on days of public rejoicing. Thefe ftandards are in memory of the three king- doms, Cyprus, Candia, and Negropont, which once belonged to this republic ; the three crowns are flill kept in the Ducal palace. Since the kingdoms are gone, I ' Ihould think the crowns and the poles fcarcely worth preferving ; they are, how- ever, of the fame value to Venice, that the title of King of France is to his Britannic Majefty. At the bottom of the Tower of St. Mark, is a fmall neat building of - marble, called the Loggietta, where fome of the Procurators of St. Mark conftantly attend to do bufinefs. Some people are of opinion that, particularly when the grand council, or the fenate, are aflTembled, thefe Procurators are placed there, as llate cen- tinels, to give warning in cafe of any appearance of difcontent or commotion among MANNERS IN ITALY. 41 among the populace, which muft iiece/Iarily ihew itfelf at this place, as there is no other in Venice where a mob could af- femble. The patriarchal church of St, Mark, though one of the richeft and moft ex- penfive in the world, does not ftrike the eye very much at firft ; the architedure is' of a mixed kind, moftly Gothic, yet many of the pillars are of the Grecian orders: the cutfide is incrufted with marble ; the infide, celling, and floor, are all of the fineft marble : the numerous pillars vrhich fupport the roof are of the fame fubftance: the whole is crowned by five domes ; — but all this labour and expence have been di- rected by a very moderate ihare of talle. The front, which looks to the palace, has five brafs gates, with hiftorical bas- relieves ; over the principal gate are placed the four famous bronze horfes, faid to be the workmanfhip of Lyclppus ; they were given to the emperor Nero, by Tiridates, king of Armenia ; the fiery fpirit of their countenances, and their animated attitudes, are perfectly agreeable to their original deftination. 42 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND deftinatlon, of being harnefled to the cha- riot of the Sun. — Nero placed them on the triumphal arch confecrated to him, and they are to be feen on the reverfe of fome of his medals; they were removed from Rome to Conftantinople, placed in the hyp- podrome by Conftantine, and remained there till the taking of Conftantinople by the French and Venetians in the beginning of the thirteenth century, when they were carried to Venice, and placed upon the gate of St. Mark’s church. The treafury of St. Mark is very rich in jewels and relics ; and it was neceflary to apply to one of the Procurators of St. Mark for leave to fee it. I fliall only men- tion a few of the moft valuable effeds kept here. Eight pillars from Solomon’s temple at Jerufalem ; a piece of the Virgin Mary’s veil, fome of her hair, and a fmall portion of her milk ; the knife ufed by our Saviour at his laft fupper ; one of the nails of the crofs, and a few drops of his blood. After thefe it would be impertinent to enumerate the bones, and other relics, of faints and martyrs, of which there is a • ♦ plentiful MANNERS IN ITALY. 43 plentiful fliow in this church, and ftill lefs need I take up your time with an inventory of the temporal jewels kept here ; It would be unpardonable, however, to omit men- tioning the pidure of the Virgin, by St. Luke. From this, compared with his other works, it is plain, that St. Luke was a much better evangelift than painter: fome profeffions feem to be aim oft Incompatible with each other. — I have known many very good painters who would have made bad faints ; and here is an inftance of an excellent faint who was but an indifferent painter. The old Procuratie is built of a kind of bJack marble ; the new is of the pidra dura of Iftria. The church of St. Geminiano is an ele- gant piece of architedure, by Sanfovino. The Ducal palace is an immenfe build- ing, entirely of marble. Befides the apart- ments of the Doge, there are aifo halls and chambers for the fenate, and all the dif- ferent councils and tribunals. The prin- cipal entrance is by a fpacious ftair, called the Giants ftair, on account of two Coloffal /ftatues VIEW OF SOCIETY AND ^4 ftatues of Mars and Neptune, placed at the top ; they are of white marble, the work of Sanfovino, and intended to repre- fent the naval and military power of this .ftate. Their gigantic lize might be proper enough formerly, but they would be jufter 'emblems of the prefent force of this re- public if their ftature were more moderate. Under the porticoes, to which you afcend by this flair, you may perceive the gaping mouths .of lions, to receive anonymous letters, informations of treafonable prac- tices, and accufations of magiftrates for abufes in office. From the palace there is a covered bridge of communication to a ftate prifon, on the other fide of the canal. Prifoners pafs to and from the courts over this bridge, which is named Ponte Dei Sofpiri The apartments arid halls of the Ducal palace are ornamented by the pencils of Titian, Paul Veronefe, Tintoret, Palma, the BafTans, and other painters. The rape of Europa, and the ftorming of Zara, both by Paul Veronefe, are amongft the higheft efteemed pieces of that mafter. The foot of MANNERS IN ITALY. 4S of Europa is honoured with the particular admiration of the connoifleurs; the bull feems to be of their way of thinking, for he licks It as he bears her along above the waves. Some people admire even this thought of the painter ; I cannot fay I am of the number : I think it is the only thing in the pidure which is not admirable ; it is making Jupiter enter a little too rnuch into the charader which he had'affumed. There are a few pidures in this palace by Titian, but a great many by the other mafterss The fubjeds are moftly taken from the hiftory of Venice. Within the palace there is a little arfe- nal, which communicates v/Ith the hall of the great council. Here a great number of mufkets are kept, ready charged, with which the nobles may arm themfelves on any fudden Infurredion, or other emergency. The lower gallery, or the piazza, under the palace, Is called the Broglio, In this the noble Venetians walk and converfe : it is only here, and at council, where they have opportunities of meeting together ; for they feldom vlfit openly, or in a family v^*'ay, at 46 ' VIEW -OF SOCIETY AND . at each other’s houfes, and fecret meetings would give umbrage to the ftate inquifitors ; they chufe, therefore, to tranfad: their bufinefs on this public walk. People of inferior rank feldom remain on »the- Brog- Tio for any length of time when the nobi- lity are there. MANNERS IN ITALY. 47 LETTER VI. Venice. T WAS led. In my laft, Into a very par- ticular (and I wlfli you may not have alfo found It very tedious) defcription of St* Mark’s Place. There is no help for what is paft, but, for your comfort, you have nothing of the fame kind to fear while we remain here 5 for there is not another fquare, ox place ^ as the French with more propriety call them, in all Venice. To compenfate, however, for there being but one, there is a greater variety of objeQs to be feen at this one, than in any half dozen of the fquares or places of London or Paris. After our eyes had been dazzled with looking at pictures, and our legs cramped with fitting in a gondola, it is no fmall relief and amufement to fauuter in the palace of St. Mark, The 48 VIEW OF SOCIETY AtsTD The number and dlverfity of objeds which tha^e prefent themfelves to the eye, naturally create a very rapid fucceffion of ideas. The fight of the churches awakens religious fentiments, and by an eafy tran- fition, the mind is led to contemplate the influence of fuperftiticn. In the midft of this reverie Nero’s four horfes appear, and carry the fancy to Rome and Conftan- tlnople. While you are forcing your way, fword in hand, with the heroic Henry Dandelo, into the capital of Afia, Adam and Eve flop, your progrefs, and lead you* to the garden of Eden. You have not long enjoyed a ftate of innocence and hap- plnefs in that delightful paradife, till Eve her rafh hand in evil hour Forth reaching to the fruit, flie plucks, flie eats. After that unfortunate repafi:, no more comfort being to be found there, you are glad to mount St. Mark’s winged lion, and fly back to the Ducal palace, where you will naturally refled on the rife and progrefs of the Venetian ftate, and the various fprings of their government. While you admire Manners in italy. 4 ^ admire the ftrength of a confdtution- which has flood firm for fo many ages, you arc appalled at the fight of the lion’s mouth gaping for accufations; and turning with horror from a place where innocence feems expofed to the attacks of hidden malice^ you are regaled with a profpect of the fea^ which opens your return to a country of m?/ freedom, where juflice rejeds the libel of the hidden accufer, and dares to try^ condemn, and openly^ the highefl, as well as the lov/eft, delinquent* I affure you I have, more than once, made all this tour, handing in the middle of St. Mark’s fquare : whereas, in the French places, you have nothing before your eyes but monuments of the monarch’s vanity^ and the people’s adula- tion ; and in the greater part of the London fquares and hreets, what idea can prefent itfelf to the imagination, beyond that of the fnug neatnefs and conveniency of fubhantial brick houfes ? I have been' fpeaking hitherto of a morn- ing faunter ; for in. the evening there VOL. I. E generally 50 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND generally is, on St. Mark’s Place, fuch a mixed multitude of Jews, Turks, and Chriftians ; lawyers, knaves, and pick- pockets ; mountebanks, old women, and phyficians; women of quality with mafks; {trumpets barefaced ; and, in (hort, fuch a jumble of fenators, citizens, gondoleers, and people of every charafter and condition, that your ideas are broken, bruifed, and diflocated in the crowd, in fuch a manner that you can think, or refled:, on nothing ; yet this being a flate of mind which many people are fond of, the place never fails to be well attended, and, in fine v^^eather, numbers pafs a great part of the night there. When the piazza is illuminated, and the {hops ill the adjacent flreets lighted up, the whole has a brilliant effed ; and as it is the cuftom for the ladies, as well as the gentlemen, to frequent the caffinos and coftee-houfes around, the Place of St. Mark anfwers all the purpofes of either Vauxhall or Ranelagh. It Is not in St. Mark’s Place that you are to look for the fineft monuments of the art MANNERS IN ITALY, 51 art of Titian, or the genius of Palladio ; for thofe it is neceflary to vifit the churches and palaces : but if you are inclined to make that tour, you muft find another Cicerone, for I fliall certainly not undertake the office* I do not pretend to be a competent judge of painting or architedure ; I have no new remarks to make on thofe fubjects, and I wifh to avoid a hackneyed repetition of what has been faid by others. Some people feem affeded by paintings to a degree which I never could feel, and can fcarcely conceive. I admire the works of Guido and Raphael, but there are ama- teurs who fall downright in love with every man, woman, or angel, produced by thofe painters. When the fubjed is pathetic, I am often ftruck with the genius and execution of the artift, and touched with the fcene repre- fented, but without feeling thofe violent emotions of grief which fome others dif- play. I have fcen a man fo affeded with the grief of Venus for the death of Adonis, that he has wiped his eyes as if he had been fhedding tears ; and have heard . E 2 another 52 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND another exprefs as much horror at thd martyrdom of a faint, as he could have done had he been prefent at the real exe- cution. Horace’s obfervation is _perfe£Uy juft, as he applies it, Scgnius irritant animos demifta per aurcm, Quam quse funt oculis fubje*6la fiddibus — ^ He is treating of dramatic pieces ; Aut agitur res in fcenis, aut a6ta referturf,' Is the preceding line. On the ftage, what is adually reprefented, makes a ftronger impreffion than what is only related ; and in real life, no doubt v/e fhould be morj fliocked by feeing a murder committed, than by hearing an account of it. But whether feeing a pathetic ftory exprefled In painting, or hearing it related, has the moft pov^erful efted, is a different queftion. I only fay for myfelf, that, on contem- plating a painted tragedy, I can never help * What we hear, With flower paffion to the heart proceed?, I'han when aq audience views the very deeds.*— t The bufineO of the drama mull appear in adlion or ^cfcription. recolle£l"- MANNERS IN ITALY. S3 recollecting that it is adted upon canvas. This never fails to dart fuch a ray of comfort Jnto my heart, as cheers it up, in fpite of all the blood and carnage I fee before my eyes. With a mind fo vulgarly fabricated, you will not be furprifed when I acknowledge, that I have felt more com- paffion at the fight of a fingle highway- man going to Tyburn, than at the maffacre of two thoufand innocents, though exe- puced by Nicholas Pouflin himfelf. This convinces me that I am not endued wdth the organs of a connoiffeur. But if you are violently bent upon being thought a man of very refined tafie, th,ere are books in abundance to be had, Vv^hich will put you in poileffion of all the terms of technical applaufe, or cenfure, and fur- ni(h you with fuitable exprefiions for the whole climax of fenfibility. As for myfelf, I was long ago taught a leiTon, which made a deep impreffion on my mind, and will effedtually prevent me from every affedla- tion of that kind. Very early in life, I refided above a year at Paris, and happened _ pne day to accompany five or fix of cur E 3 countrymen. 54 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND countrymen, to view the pidures In the Palais Royal. A gentleman who afFeded an enthufiaftic paffion for the fine arts, particularly that of painting, and who had the greateft defire to be thought a con- noifleur, was of the party. He had read the lives of the painters, and had the Voyage Pittorefque de Paris by heart. Prom the moment we entered the rooms he began to difplay all the refinements of his tafte ; he inftruded us what to admire, and drew us away with every fign of difguft when we ftopped a moment at an un- celebrated pidure. We were afraid of appearing pleafed with any thing we faw, till he informed us whether or not it was worth looking at. He fhook his head at fome, tofled up his nofe at others ; com- mended a few, and pronounced fentence on every piece as he palTed along, with the moft impofing tone of fagacity. — ‘‘ Bad, “ that Caravaggio Is too bad indeed, devoid of all grace ; — but here is a Caracci that ‘‘ makes amends ; how charming the grief of that Magdalen ! The Virgin, you’ll ‘‘ obferve, gentlemen, is only fainting, but the MANNERS IN ITALY. . •55 the Chrlft is quite dead. Look at the “ arm, did you ever fee any thing fo dead ? ‘‘ — Aye, here’s a Madona, which they tell you is an original, by Guido ; but any ‘‘ body may fee that it is only a tolerable copy.—Pray, gentlemen, obferve this St. “ Sebaftian, how delightfully he expires ! Don’t you all feel the arrow in your “ hearts ? I’m fure I feel it in mine. Do let us move on ; I fliould die with agony “ if I looked any longer.” We at length came to the St. John by Raphael, and here this man of tafte' flop- ped fhort in an extafy of admiration.^ — One of the company had already pafled it without minding it, and was looking at another pidure ; on which the connoifleur bawled out — “ Good God, Sir ! what are “ you about ?” The honefl gentleman ftarted, and flared around to know what crime he had been guilty of. “ Have you eyes in your head, Sir ?” continued the connoifleur ; ‘‘ Don’t you “ know St. John when you fee him “ St. John!” replied the jDther, in amaze- ment. ‘‘ Aye, Sir,. St. John the Baptift, in propria perfona^" E 4 “ I don’t -56 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND I don’t know what you mean. Sir,’’ falj the gentleman, peevifhly, ‘‘ Don’t you?” rejoined the connolffeuri then ril endeavour to explain myfelf. I mean St. John in the wildernefs, by the divine Raffaelle Sanzio da Urbino, and there he ftands by your fide. — ^Pray, my dear Sir, will you be fo obliging as to beftow a little of your attention on that foot ? Does it not ftart from the wall ? Is it not perfedly out of the frame? Did you ever fee fuch colouring ? They talk of Titian; can Titian’s colouring excel that? ' What truth, what nature in the head ! To the elegance of the antique, here is ‘‘joined the fimplicity of nature.-’ We ftood liftening In filent admiration, and began to imagine w^e perceived all the perfedions he enumerated ; when a perfon in the Duke of Orleans’ fervice came and informed us, that the original, which he prefumed was the pidure we wilhed to fee, was in another room ; the Duke having allowed a painter to copy it. That which we had been looking at was a very wretched daubing, done from the original by fome obfciire painter, and had been thrown^ r MANNERS IN ITALY. 57 thrown, with other rubbifh, into a corner ; where the Swifs had accidentally difcovered it» and had hung it up merely by way of covering* the vacant fpace on the wall, till the other fhould be replaced. How the connoiffeur looked on this try- ing occafion, I cannot fay. It would have been barbarous to have turned an eye upon him. — I ftepped into the next room, fully ^determined to be cautious in deciding on the merit pf painting ; perceiving that it was not fafe, in this fcience, to fpeak even fro^ the book* 5S VIEW OF SOCIETY AND LETTER VIL E acquire an early partiality for Rome, by reading the daffies, and the hiftory of the ancient republic. Other parts, of Italy alfo intereft us more on account of their having been the refidence of the old Romans, than from the regard we pay to what has been tranfaded there during the laft fourteen or fifteen cen- turies. Venice claims no Importance from an- cient hiftory, and boafts no cotinedion with the Roman republic ; it fprung from the ruins of that empire ; and whatever Its annals offer worthy of the attention of man- ' kind, is independent of the prejudice we feel in favour of the Roman name. The independence of Venice was not built on ufurpation, nor cemented with blood ; it was founded on the firft law of human nature, and the undoubted rights of man. Venice. About MANNERS IN ITALY. 59 About the middle of the fifth century, . when Europe formed one continued fcene of violence and bloodfhed ; a hatred of tyranny, a love of liberty, and a dread of the cruelty of barbarians, prompted the Veneti, a people inhabiting a fmall diftri£i: of Italy, a few of the inhabitants of Padua, and fome peafants who lived on the fertile banks of the Po, to feek an afylum from the fury of Attik, amongft the little illands and marfhes at the bottom of the Adriatic Gulph. Before this' time, fome fifhermen had built fmall houfes, or huts, in one of thefe iflarids, called Rialto. The city of Padua, with a view to draw commercial advantages from this eftablifliment, encouraged fome of her inhabitants to fettle there, and fent every year three or four citizens to ad as magiftrates. When Attlla had taken and deftroyed Aquileia, great numbers from all the neighbouring countries fled to Rialto ; whofe fize being augmented by new houfes, took the name of Venice, from the diftrid fi'om which the greater number of the earlieft 6o VIEW OF SOCIETY AND earliefl: refugees had fled. On the death of Attila, many returned to their former ha- bitations I but thofe who preferred freedom and fecurlty to all other advantages, re- mained at Venrce. Such was the beginning of this celebrated republic. Some nice diftinguiihers pretend, that this was the beginning of their freedom, but not of their Independency; for they aifert, that the Venetians were dependent on Padua, as their mother city. It is certain that the Paduans claimed fuch a prerogative over this infant ftate, and attempted to fubjedb her to fome commercial reftridions ; thefe were rejeded by the Venetians, as arbitrary and vexatious. Difpiltes arofe very dan- gerous to both ■; but they ended in Venice entirely throwing off the jurifdidion of Padua. It is curious, and not unworthy of ferious attention in the prefect age, to fee the parent now totally fubjeded to the child, whom -fhe wifhed to retain in too rigorous a dependence. ; The irruption of the Lombards into Italy, while it fpread havoc and deftrudioa 7 over MANNERS IN ITALY. Ci . over the adjacent country, was the caufe of a great acceffion of ftrength to Venice,, by the numbers of new refugees who fled to it with all the wealth they could carry, and became fubjedts of this flate. The Lombards themfelves, while they cftabliflied their kingdom in the northern parts of Italy, and fubflued all the ancient diftricl of the Veneti, thought proper to leave this little flate unmolefted, imagining that an attempt againfl it would be attended with more trouble than profit; and while they carried on more- important conquefts, they found it convenient to be on a good footing with Venice, whofe numerous fqua- drons of frnall veflels could render the rnofi: effential fervices to their armies. Accord- ingly leagues and treaties were formed occafionally between the two ftates ; the Lombards in all probability imagining, that it would be in their power, at any time, to make themifelves mafters of this inconfider- able republic. But when that people had fully eftablifhed their new, kingdom, and were free from the expence of other wars, they then found Venice fo much increafed in / 62 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND in ftrength, that, however much they might have wifhed to comprehend it within their dominions, it appeared no longer confiftent with found policy to make the attempt* They therefore chofe rather to confirm their ancient alliance by frefli treaties. When Charlemagne overturned the king- dom of the Lombards, and after having fent their king Didier prifoner to France, was crowned emperor at Rome, by Leo the Third, — the Venetian ftate cultivated the favour of that conqueror with fo much addrefs, that, inftead of attempting any thing againft their independence, he con- firmed the treaty they had made with the Lombards ; by which, among other things, the limits, or boundaries, between the two ftates, were afcertained. In the wars with the eaftern empire, and , in thofe of later date between France and the houfe of Auftria, Venice always endea- voured to avoid the refentment of either of the contending parties ; fecretly, however, aflifting that which was at the greateft diftance from her own dominions, and, of confequeiice, the leaft formidable to her. Thofe MANNERS IN ITALY. 63 Thofe great powers, on tlielr parts, were fo eager to humble, or deftroy, each other, that the rifing vigour of Venice was per- mitted to grow, for ages, almoft unobferved. Like the fame of Marcellus, it might have been faid of that republic, \ ' Crefcit occulto velut arbor sevo And when, at length, fhe began to excite the jealoufy of the great ftates of Europe, fhe had acquired ftrength and revenues fufEcient to refift not only one, but great combinations of thofe .powers leagued for her deftrudion. This republic, in Its various periods of increafe, of meridian fplendor, and of de- clenfion, has already exifted for a longer time than any other of which hiftory makes mention. The Venetians themfelves affert, that this duration Is owing to the excellent materials of which their govern- ment has been compofed, by which they imagine it has long fince been brought to the higheft degree of perfedion. / • Like a youthful tree, of growth Infenfible, high Ihoots his fpreadirg fam>. F RANG IS. As 64 VIEW OF SOCIETV A'STD As I have beftowed feme time fmee xve came hither in confidering the Venetian hiftory and government, I fhall, in my next, take a general view of thofe boafted materials, that we may be able to judge whether or not this high euloglum is well founded. MANNERS IN ITALY. 65 LETTER VIII. Venicd. HE firft form of government efta«^ blifhed at Venice, was purely de- mocratical. Magiftrates were chofen by a general affembly of the people ; they were called Tribunes; and as this fmall com- munity inhabited feveral little iflands, a Tribune was appointed to judge caufes, and ^ diftribute juftice, on each of thofe iflands. His power was continued one year ; at the expiration of which, he was accountable for his condudl to the general affembly of the people, who annually eledled a new fet of Tribunes. This Ample form of government, while it marks' a ftridt regard to that freedom fo delightful to the mind of man, was found fufficient, for the fpace of a hundred and fifty years, to maintain order in a fmall community, fituated as this was. At • length the bad adminiflration of fome of VOL. I. F the 66 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND the Tribunes, difcord and animofity among others, and fome fufpicions that the Lom- bards promoted civil diflenfion, with a view to bring the republic under their dominion, avvakened the fears of the people, and made them liften to the opinions of thofe who thought a change in the form of govern- ment neceffary. After various debates and propofals, It was linally determined, that a chief ma- giftrate (hould be eleded, as the centre of public authority, whofe power might give fuch vigour and efficacy to the laws, as was abfolutely neceffary in times of danger, and whofe duty fhould be, to dired the 'force of the refources of the ftate with promptitude ; uncramped by that oppofi- tion, and confequent dilatorinefs, which had been too apparent under the Tribunes. This magiftrate was not to be named King, but Duke, which has fince been corrupted to Doge ; the office was not to be here- ditary, but eledive; and the Doge was. to enjoy it for life. It was agreed that he ffiould have^ the nomination of all the in- ferior magiftrates, and the power of mak- 5 MANNERS IN ITALY. 67 ing peace, and declaring war, without confulting any but fuch of the citizens as he fhould think proper. When the eledion took place, all the fuffrages fell upon Paul Luc Anafefte, who entered into this new office in the year 697. The Venetians muft certainly have felt great inconveniencies from their former government, or have been under great dread from domeftic or foreign enemies, before they could fubmit to fuch a funda- mental change in the nature of their conftitution. It is evident, that, on this occafion, they feem to have loft that jealous attention to liberty which they formerly poflefled ; for while they withheld from their chief magiftrate the name, they left him all the power, of a King. There is no period when real and enlightened patriots ought to watch with more vigilance over the rights of the people, than in times of danger from foreign enemies ; for the public in general are then fo much engrofled by the dangers frpin without, that they overlook the en- F ^ croach- 68 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND croachments which are more apt, at thofe times than any other, to be made on their conflitution from within : and it is of fmall importance that men defend their country from foreign foes, unlefs they retain fuch a Ihare of internal freedom, as- renders a country worth the defending. It is highly probable, that the great degree of popularity which their firft Doge had acquired before he arrived at that dignity, and the great confidence the people had in his public and private virtues, ren- dered them unwilling to limit the power . of a perfon, who, they were convinced, would make a good ufe of it. If the man had been immortal, and incorruptible, they would have been in the right : how^ever, it muft be confeffed, that this Doge juftified their good opinion more than favourites of the people generally do. In the councils which he called on any matter of importance, he fent meffages to thofe citizens, for whofe judgment he had the greateft efteem, prayings that they would come, and affift him with their advice^ This method was obferved after- wards MANNERS IN ITALY. 6q wards by fucceeding Doges, and the citi- zens fo fent for were called Pregadi. The Doge’s council are ftill called Pregadi, though they have long fat independent of his invitation. The firft and fecond Doge governed with moderation and ability ; but the third gave the Venetians reafon to repent that they had not confined the powers of their chief magiftrate within narrower limits. After having ferved the ftate by his mili- tary talents, he endeavoured to enflave it ; his projeSs were difcovered ; but as the improvident people, in the laft arrangement of their conftitution, had preferved no legal remedy for fuch an evil, they were obliged to ufe the only means now in their power. They aflaulted the Doge in his palace, and put him to death without farther ceremony. The people had conceived fo much hatred for him, that, after hlg death, theyTefolved to abolifli the office. In the general aflem- bly it was agreed, that the chief magiftrate, for the future, fhould be eleded every year ; that he Ihould have the fame power as F 3 fonnerly. 70 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND formerly, while he remained* In office; but, as this was to be for a ffiort time, they imagined he would behave with equity and moderation ; and as they had an equal dif- like to Doge and Tribune, he was called Matter of the Militia. The form of government introduced by this revolution, was but of fhort duration, Fadions arofe, and became too violent for the tranfient authority of the Matters of the Militia to rettrain. The office expired five years after its inttitutlon ; and, by one of thofe ftrange and unaccountable changes of fentiment, to which the multitude are fo fubjedt, the authority of the Doge was rettored in the perfon of the fon of their latt Doge, whom, in a fit of furious dlf- content, they had aflaffinated. This retto^ ration happened about the year 730. For a long time after this, the Venetian annals difplay many dreadful fcenes of cruelty, revolt, and aflaffination ; Doges abufing their power, endeavouring to etta- blilh a permanent and hereditary defpotifm, by having their eldett fons aflbciated in the office with themfelves, and then oppreffing the MANNERS IN ITALY. 71 the people with/ double violence. The people, on the other hand, after bearing, with the moft abjedt patience, the capri- cious cruelty of their tyrants, rifing at once, and murdering them, or driving them, with ignominy, out of their do- minions. Unable to bear either limited or* abfolute government, the impatient and ca- pricious multitude wifh for things which have always been found incompatible; the fecrecy,. promptitude, and efficacy, of a defpotic go- vernment, with all the freedom and mildnels of a legal and limited conftitution. It is remarkable, that when the Doge was, even in a fmall degree, popular, he feldom found any difficulty in getting his fon eledled his affociate in the fovereign autho-* rity ; and when that was not the cafe, there are many inftances of the fon being chofea diredtly on the death of his father. Yet, about the middle of the tenth cen- tury, the fon of the Doge, Peter Candiano, took arms, and rebelled againft his father. Being foon after defeated, and brought in chains to Venice, he was condemned to banifhment, and declared incapable of F 4 being VIEW OF SOCIETY AND being ever ele£ted Doge. It appears, hovvr-^ ever, that this worthlefs perfon was a great favourite of the people ; for no fooner was his father dead, than he was chofen to fucceed him, and conducted, in great pomp, from Ravenna, the place of his exile, to Venice. The Venetians were feverey punilhed for this inftance of levity. Their new Doge fhew^ed himfelf as tyrannical in the cha-» radlier of a fovereign, as he had been un- dutiful in that of a fon. He became a monfter of pride and cruelty. The people began to murmur, and he became fufeep- tible of that terror which ufually accom-^ panics tyrants. He eftabliflied a body of life-guards to defend his perfon, and lodged them within the palace. This in- novation filled the people with indigr nation, and awakened all their fury. They attack the palace, are repulfed by the guards, and fet fire to the contiguous houfes. The wretched Doge, in danger of being confumed by the flames, appears at the gate of the palace, with his infant fon in his arms, imploring the compaflion of the MANNERS IN ITALY. 73 the multitude : they, inexorable as dsemons, tear in pieces both father and child. At fuch an inftance of favage fury the human affe(5tions revolt from the oppreffed people, and take part with their oppreflbr. We almofl: wifh he had lived, that he might have fwept from the earth a fet of wretches paore barbarous than himfelf. Having fpent their fury In the de-' ftrudtion of the tyrant, they leave the ty- ranny as before. No meafures are taken to limit the power of the Doge. For fome time after this, a fpirit of fuperftition feemed to lay hold of thofe who filled that office, as if they had in- tended to expiate the pride of the late tyrant by their own humility. His three immediate fucceflbrs, after each of them had reigned a few years with applaufe, abandoned their dignity, fhut themfelves up in convents, and pafled the latter years of their lives as Monks. Whatever contempt thofe pious Doges difplayed for worldly things, their example made little impreffion on their fubjeds, ^^ 0 , about this time, began to monopolize the 74 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND the trade and riches of Europe. And fome years after, when all Chriftendom was feized with the religious phrenzy of re- covering the Holy Land, the Venetians kept fo perfedUy^free from the general infedion, that they did not fcruple to fupply the Saracens with arms and ammunition, in fpite of the edids of their Doges, and the remonftrances of the Pope, and other pious princes. Thofe commercial cafuifts declared, that religion is one thing, and trade another; that, as children of the church, they were willing to believe all that their mother re- quired ; but, as merchants, they muft carry their goods to the beft market. In my next, I fhall proceed with my review of the Venetian government. MANNERS IN ITALY, 7S LETTER IX. Venice. minds of the Venetians were not fo totally engrofled by commercial ideas, as to make them negledt other means of aggrandizing their ftate. All Iftria fub- mitted itfelf to their government ; many of the free towns of Dalmatia, harafled by the Narentines, a nation of robbers and pirates on that coaft, did the fame. Thofe towns which refufed, were reduced to obedi- ence by Peter Urfeolo, the Doge of Venice, who had been fent with a fleet againft them, in the year looo. He carried his arms alfo into the country of the Narentines, and de- ftroyed many of their towns. On his return it was determined, in a general aflfembly of the people, that the conquered towns and provinces fhould be governed by magiflrates fent from Venice. Thofe magiftrates, called Podeftas, were appointed , 76 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND appointed by the Doge. The inhabitants of thofe new-acquired towns were not admitted to the privileges of citizens of Venice, nor allowed to vote at the general aflembly : the fame rule was obferved with regard to the inhabitants of all the do- minions afterwards acquired by the re- public. It will readily occur, that this acceffion of dominions to the ftate, greatly augmented the influence and power of the chief magiftrate: this, and the praftice of aflTociating the fon of the Doge with his father, raifed jealoufies among the people ; and a law was made, abolilhing fuch aflb- ciations for the future. In the year 1173, after the aflafTinatlon' of the Doge Michieli, a far more important alteration took place in the government. At this time, there was no other tribunal at ' ' Venice than that of forty judges. This court had been eftablifhed many years be- fore : it took cognizance of all caufes, civil as well as criminal, and was called the Council of Forty. This body of men, in the midft of the diforder and confufion which followed 7 MANNERS IN ITALY. 77 followed the murder of the Doge, formed a plan of new modelling the government. Hitherto the people had retained great privileges* They had votes in the aflem^ biles ; and, although the defcendants of the ancient tribunes, and of the Doges, formed a kind of nobility, yet they had no legal privileges, or exclufive jurifdi£lIon ; no- thing to diftinguifli them from their fellow- citizens, but what their riches, or the fpon- taneous refpe£t paid to the antiquity of their families, gave them. Any citizen, as well as they, might be eledled to a public office. To acquire the honours of the ftate, it was abfolutely neceflary for the greateft and proudeft Venetian, to cultivate the good- will of the multitude, whofe voice alone could raife him to the rank of Doge, and whofe rage had thrown fo many from that envied fituation. The inconveniencies, the difeord,' and confufion, of fuch a mixed mul- titude, had been long felt ; but nobody had hitherto had the boldnefs to ftrike at this j^ftabliftied right of the people. The city was divided into fix parts, <;alled Seftiers. The Council pf Forty pro- cured VIEW OF SOCIETY AND cured It to be eftablifhed, in the firft place, that each of thofe feftiers fhould annually name two ele£tors 5 that thofe twelve elec- tors fhould have the right of chufing, . from the whole body of the people, four hundred and feventy counfellors, who fhould be called the Grand Council, and who fhould have the fame power, in all rcfpedls, which the general affembly of the people formerly enjoyed. It was pretended, that this regulation was contrived merely to prevent confufion, and to eftablifh regularity in the great national affembly ; that the people’s right of eleftlon remained as before ; and, by changing the . counfellors yearly, thofe who were not eledled one year might retain hopes of being chofen the next. The people did not per- ceive that this law would be fatal to their importance: It proved, however,' the found- ation of the ariftocracy, which was foon after eftablifhed, and ftill fubfifts. The forty judges next propofed another regulation^ ftill more delicate and import- ant. That, to prevent the tumults and diforders which were expeded at the im- I pending MANNERS IN ITALY. % pending eleftion of a Doge, they fliould (for that time only) name eleven com- miflioners, from thofe of the higheft re- putation for judgment and integrity in the ftate ; that the choice of a Doge fhould be left to thofe commiffioners, nine fuifrages being indifpenfably requifite to make the eledion valid. This evidently pointed at the exclufion of the people from any concern whatever in the creation of the chief magiftrate, and certainly was the objed in view; yet, as it was propofed only as a temporary expe- dient, to prevent diforders, when men’s minds were irritated againft each other, and fadions ran high,— the regulation was agreed to. Having, with equal dexterity and fuccefs, fixed thole reftfaints on the power of the people, the Council of Forty turned their attention, in the next place, towards limit- ing the authority of the Doge, This was confidered as too exorbitant, even for good men ; and, in the hands of wicked men, had ahvays been perverted to the purpofes of tyranny, and for which no remedy had hitherto # VIEW OF SOCIETY AND hitherto been found, but what was almofl as bad as the evils themfelvesj revolt on the part of the people, and all the horrors and exceffes with which fuch an expedient is ufually accompanied. The Tribunal of Forty therefore propofed, that the Grand Council fhould annually appoint fix perfons, one from eacli divifion of the city, who fhould form the privy council of the Doge; and, without their approbation, none of his orders fhould be valid : fo that, inftead of appointing his own privy council, which had been the cuftom hitherto, the authority of the chief magiftrate would, for the fu- ture, in a great meafure depend on fix men, who, themfelves, depended on the Grand Council. To be conftantly furrounded by fuch a fet of counfellors, inftead of creatures of his own, however reafonable It may feem in the eyes of the impartial, would have been confidered by one, in pofleffion of the dignity of Doge, as a moft intole- rable innovation, and probably would have been oppofed by all his influence; but there was no Doge exifting when the propofal was made, and confequeritly it MANNERS IN ITALY. k pafled Into a law with univerfal ap^ probation. Laftly, it was propofed to form a fenate^ confifting of fixty members, which were to be eleded annually out of the Grand Council. This aflembly was in the room of that which the Doge formerly had the power of convoking, on extraordinary ocr cafions, by fending meifages, praying cer- tain citizens to come and aflift him with their advice. The members of the new fenate, more fixed and more independent than thofe of the old, are ftill called the Pregadi. This alfo was agreed to without oppofition ; and, immediately after the fu- neral of the late Doge, all thofe regulation^ took place. , They began by . chufing the grand council of four hundred and feventy, then the fenate of fixty, then the fix counfellors, and laftly, the eleven eledors. Thefe laft were publicly fworn, that In the eledion now entrufted to them, rejeding every motive of private intereft, they fhould give their voices for that perfon, whofe elevation VOL. I. O to 82 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND to the dignity of Doge they believed, in their eonfciences, would prove moft for the advantage of the State. After this, they retired to a chamber of the palace, and Orio Mallpier, one of the eleven, had the votes of his ten colleagues; but he, with a modefty which feems to have been unaffedted, declined the office, , and ufed all his influence with the electors to make choice of Sebaflian Ziani, a man diftinguifhed in the republic on account of his talents, his wealth, and his virtues ; afluring them that, in the prefent emer- gency, he was a more proper perfon than himfelf for the office. Such was their opinion of Malipier’s judgment, that his colleagues adopted his opinion, and Ziani was unanimoufly elefled. As this mode of eledUon was quite new, and as there was reafon to imagine that the bulk of the people, on reflexion, would not greatly approve of it, and that the new Doge would not be received with the ufual acclamations, Ziani took care that great quantities . of money fhould be thrown among MANNERS IN ITALY. 83 among the multitude, when he was firft prefented to them. No Doge was ever re- ceived with louder acclamations. During the reign of Ziani, the fingular ceremony oT efpoufing the fea was firft inftituted. Pope Alexander the Third, to avoid the refentment of the emperor Frederic Bar- barofla, had taken refuge at Venice, and was proteded by that State. The emperor fent a powerful fleet againft it, under the command of his fon Otho. Ziani met him with the fleet of Venice. A very obftinate engagement enfued, in which the Vene- tians were vidorious. The Doge returned in triumph, with thirty of the enemy s velTels, in one of which was their com- mander Otho. All the inhabitants of Venice ruftied to the fea-fhore, to meet their vidorious Doge: the Pope himfelf came, attended by the fenate and clergy* After embracing Ziani, his Holinefs pre- fented him with a ring, faying, with a loud voice, “ Take this ring ; ufe it as a chain ‘‘ to retain the fea, henceforth, in fub- G 2 jedion 84 VIEW OF SOCIEW AND jecHon to the Venetian empire ; efpoule the fea with this ring, and let the mar-t riage be folemnized annually, by you and your fucceflbrs, to the end of time, that the lateft pqfterity may know that Venice has acquired the empire of the waves, and that the fea is fubjedted to you, as a wife Is to, her hufband.-’ As this fpeech came from the head of the church, people were not furprifed to find it a little myfterious ; and the muU titude, without confidering whether it con- tained much reafon or common fenfe, re- ceived it with the greateft applaufe. The marriage has been regularly celebrated every year fmce that time. After the death of Ziani, if the terms which had been agreed upon previous to the eledtion had been literally adhered to, the grand council of four hundred and feventy would have proceeded to choofe a Doge fimply by the plurality of votes; but, for fome reafon which is not now known, that method was waved, and the following adopted. Four perfons were chofea by the grand Manners in Italy.' si graiid council, each of whom had the power of naming ten ; and the whole forty had the appointing of the Doge. Their choice fell upon the fame Orio Mallpier, who had declined the dignity in favour of his friend Zlani. Under the adminiftration of Mallpief, two new forms of magiftracy were created; the firft was that of the Avogadors. Their duty is to take care that the laws in being fhall be pundually executed 5 and while it is the bufinefs of other magiftrates to pro- ceed againft the tranfgreflbrs of the laws, it is theirs to bring a procefs againft thofe magiftrates who negled: to put them in execution. They decide alfo on thd nature of accufations, and determine before which of the courts every caufe fhall be brought, not . leaving it in the power of either of the parties to carry a caufe to a high court; which is competent to be tried by one left expenfive ; and no refolution of the grand council, or fenate, is valid, unleft, at leaft; one of the three Avogadors be ptefent during the deliberation. It is alfo the duty of the Avogadors to keep the originals of G 3 all 86 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND all the decifions and regulations of the grand council and fenate, and to order them, and all other laws, to be read over, whenever they think proper, by way of re- frefhing the memories of the fenators. If the fenators are obliged to attend during thofe ledures, this is a very formidable power indeed. I am acquainted with fena- tors in another country, who would fooner give their judges the power of putting them to death at once, in a lefs lingering manner. The fecond clafs of magiftrates, created at this time, was that called Judges al Foreflieri ; there are alfo three of them. It is their duty to decide. In all caufes between citizens and ftrangers, and in all difputes which ftrangers have with each other. This inftitutiori was peculiarly expedient, at a time when the refort from all countries to Venice was very great, both on account of commerce, and of the Crufades. In the year 1192, after a very able ad- miniftfatlon, Mallpier, who was of a very philofophical turn of mind, abdicated the office M'aNNERS in ITALY*. ' S7 office of Doge, apd Henry Dandolo was elefted in his place. I am a great deal too much fatigued with the preceding narrative, to accom- pany one of his adlive and enterprifing genius at prefent ; and I have good reafon to fufped, that you alfo have been, for fome time paft, inclined to repofe. I 88 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND LETTER X. Venice. ■jrxENRY Dandolo had, in his early ^ years, pafled, with general appro- bation, through many of the fubordinate offices of government ; and had, a few years before he was elefted to the dignity of Doge, been ambalTador at the court of Manuel, the Greek emperor, at Conftan- tinople. There, on account of his inflexible integrity, and his refufing to enter Into the views of Manuel, which he thought contrary to the intereft of his, country, his eyes were almofl: entirely put out, by order of that tyrant. Notwithffcanding this im- pediment, and his great age, being above eighty, he was now eleded to the office of Doce. At this time, fome of the moft powerful princes and nobles of France and Flanders, inlligated by the zeal of Innocent the Third, and ftill more by their own pious fervour, refolved, MANNERS IN ITALY. 8 ^ tefolved, in a fourth crufade, to attempt the recovery of the Holy Land, and the fepulchre of Chrift, from the hands of Infidels 5 and being, by the fate of others, taught the difficulties and dangers of tranf- porting armies by land, they refolved to take their paflage from Europe to Afia by fea. On this occafion they applied to the* Venetian State, who not only agreed to furnifh fhips for the tranfportatlon of the army, but alfo to join, with an armed fleet, as principals in the expedition. ' The. French army arrived foon after In the Venetian State ; but fo ill had they cal- culated, that, when every thing was ready for the embarkation, part of the fum which they had agreed to pay for the tranfporting their troops, was deficient. This occafioned difputes between the French leaders and the State, to which the Doge put an end, by propofrng, that they fhould pay in mili- tary fervices what they could not furnifh in money. This was accepted, and the firfl exploits of the Crufade army were, the re- dudlon of the town of Zara, and other places in Dalmatia, which had revolted from VIEW OF SOCIETY AND 90 from the Venetians. It had been prevloufly agreed, that, after this fervice, the army fhould embark immediately for Egypt ; but Dandolo, who had another projedl more at heart, reprefented that the feafon was too far advanced, and found means to perfuade the French army to winter in Dalmatia. During this interval, Dandolo, availing himfelf of fome favourable circumftances, had the dexterity to determine the French Crufaders, in fpite of the interdidion of the Pope, to join with the Venetian forces, and to carry their arms againft the em- peror of Conftantinople ; an expedition which, Dandolo aflerted, would facilitate their original plan againft ’the Holy Land, and which, he was convinced, v/ould be attended with far greater advantages to both parties. The crown of Conftantinople was never furrounded with greater dangers, nor has it ever known more fudden revolutionSj than - at this period. Manuel, who had treated Dandolo, while ambaffador, with fo much barbarity, had been precipitated from the throne. His im- mediate MAN^NERS IN ITALY. 9 ^ mediate fucceffor had, a Ihort time after, ex- perienced the fame fate. Betrayed by his own brother, his eyes had been put cut, and, in that deplorable condition, he was kept clofe prifoner by the ufurper. The fon of this unfortunate man had efcaped from Conftantinople, and had arrived at. Venice, to implore the protedion of that State : the compaffion which his misfortune naturally excited, had confiderable effed in promoting the Doge’s favourite fcheme of leading the French and Venetian forces againft Conftantinople. The indefatigable Dandolo went, in perfon, at the head of his countrymen. The united army beat the troops of the ufurper in repeated battles, obliged him to fly from Conftantinople, placed his brother on the throne, and re- ftored to him his fon Alexis, who had been obliged to take refuge at Venice from the cruelty of his uncle, and had accompanied Dandolo in this fuccefsful enterprife. A mifunderftanding foon after enfued between the united armies and Alexis, now alTociated with his father on the throne of Conftantinople. The Greeks murmured at the favour which their emperor Ihewed to lo thofe 92 VIEW OF SOCIETY AMD thofe foreigaers, and thought his liberality to them inconfiftent with the duty to his own fubjeds. The Crufaders, on the other hand, imagined, that all the wealth of his empire was hardly fiifficient to re^^ the obligations he owed to them. The young prince, defirous to be juft to the one, and grateful to the other, loft the confi- ‘ dence of both ; and while he ftrove to con- ciliate the minds of two fets of men, whofe views and interefts were oppofite, he was betrayed by Murtfuphlo, a Greek, who had gained his confidence, and whom he had raifed to the higheft dignities of the empire. This traitor infinuated to the Greeks, that Alexis had agreed to deliver up Conftan- tinople to be pillaged, that he might fatisfy the avarice and rapacity of thofe ftrangers who had reftored his family to the throne. The people fly to arms, the palace is invefted, Alexis and his father are put to death, and Murtfuphlo is declared emperor. Thefe tranfadtions, though afcertained by the authenticity of hiftory, feem as rapid as the revolutions of a theatrical reprefentation. The MANNERS IN ITALY. 93 The chiefs of the united army, ftrucfc !^ith horror and indignation, aflemble in COunciL Dandolo, always decifive in the moment of danger, gives it as his opinion, that they ihould immediately declare war againft the ufurper, and make themfelves matters of the empire. This opinion pre- vails, and the conquett of the Greek em- pire is refolved upon. After feveral bloody battles, and various aflaults, the united armies of France and Venice enter vidlorious into Conttantinople, and divide the fpoils of that wealthy city. The Doge, never fo much blinded with fuccefs as to lofe fight of the true interett of his country, did not think of procuring for the republic large dominions on the con- tinent. The Venetians had, for their fliare, the iflands of the Archipelago, fe- yeral ports on the coatt of the Hellefpont^ the Morea, and the entire illand of Candia. This was a judicious partition for Venice, the augmentation of whofe ttrength de- pended on commerce, navigation, and the. empire of the fea. Though the ttar of Dandolo rofe in pbfcurity, and flione with no extraor- 94 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND dInary luftre at its meridian height, yet nothing ever furpaffed the brilliancy of its fetting rays. This extraordinary man died at Con- ftantinople oppreiTed with age, but while the .laurels, which adorned his hoary head, were in youthful verdure. The annals of mankind prefent nothing more worthy of our admiration. A man, above the age of eighty, and almoft entirely deprived of his fight, defpifmg the repofe neceffary for age, and the fecure honours which attended him at home ; engaging in a hazardous enterprife, againft a diftant and powerful enemy; fupporting the fa- tigues of a mjilitary life with the fpirit of youth, and the perfever'ance of a veteran, in a fuperftitious age ; and, whilft he led an army of religious enthufiafts, braving, at once, the indignation of the Pope, the pre- judices of bigots, and all the dangers of war ; difplaying the ardour of a conqueror, the judgment of a ftatefman, and the dif- interefted fpirit of a patriot ; preparing diftant events, improving accidental cir- cumftances, managing the moll impetuous charaders; and, with admirable addrefs, making MANNERS IN ITALY. 95 making all fubfervient to the vaft plan he had conceived, for the aggrandizing his na- tive country. Yet this man paffed his youth, manhood, and great part of his old age, unknown. Had he died at feventy, his name would have been fwept, v/ith^the common rubbifli of courts and capitals, into the gulph of oblivion. So necelTary are occafions, and fituations, for bringing into light the concealed vigour of the greateft charaders ; and fo true it is, that while we fee at the head of kingdoms, men of the moft vulgar abilities, the periods of whofe exiftence ferve only as dates to hiftory^ many whofe talents and virtues would have fwelled her brighteft pages have died un- noticed, from the obfcurity of their fitua- tions, or the languor and ftupidity of the ages in which they lived. But the romantic ftory of Henry Dan- dolo has feduced me from my original purpofe^ which was to give you an idea of the rife and progrefs of the Venetian arifto- cracy, and which I fhall refume in *my next. $6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND LETTER Venice. T HE fenate of Venice, ever jealous of their civil liberty, while they re- joiced at the vaft acquifitions lately made by their fleet and army, perceived that thofe new conquefts might tend to the ruin of the conftitution by augmenting the power and influence of the firft magiftrate. In the year i2g6, immediately after they were informed of the death of Dandolo, they created fix new magiftrates, called Corredors; and this Inftitudoa has been renewed at every interregnum which has happened fince. . The duty of thofe Correftors is, to exa- mine into all abufes which may have taken place during the reign of the preceding Doge, and report them to the fenate, that they may be remedied, - and prevented for the future, by wholefome laws, before the eledioa of another Doge. At the fame 7 97 MANNERS IN ITALY. time It was ordained, that the State fhould be indemnified out of the fortune of the deceafed magiftrate, for any detriment it had fuftained by his mal-adminiftration^ of which the fenate were to be the judges. This law was certainly well calculated to make the Doge very citcumfpeft in his conduct, and has been the origin of all the future reftraints which have beeil laid on that very unenviable office. Men, accuftomed to the calm and fecure enjoyments of private life^ are apt to ima- gine, that no mortal would be forid of any office on fuch conditions ; but the fenate of Venice, from more extenflve views of human nature, knew that there always was a fuf- ficient number of men, eager to grafp the fceptre of ambition, in defiance of all the thorns with which it could be furrounded. It was not the intention of the Venetian fenate to throw the fmalleft ftain. on the charader of their late patriotic Doge ; neverthelefs they thought the Interregnum after his death, the moft favourable oppor- tunity of paffing this law ; becaufe, wffien the Inquifuion had taken place after his VOL. I. H glorious $8 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND glorious reign, no Doge could exped: that it would ever afterwards be difpenfed with. The Corredors having been chofen, and the Iriquifition ' made, Peter Ziani was eleded Doge. In his reign, a court for civil caufes, denominated, the Tribunal of Forty, was created. Its name fufficiently explains the intention of eftablifliing this court, to which there is an appeal from the decifions of all inferior magiilrates in civil caufes tried within the city. It is to be diftinguiilied from the Court of Forty, formerly mentioned, whofe jurifdidtion was now confined to criminal caufes : it after- wards got the name of Old Civil Council of Forty, to difiinguilh it from a third court, confifting alfo of forty members, which was efiablfflied at a fubfequent period, to deckle, by appeal. In all civil caufes, from the judgments of the inferior courts with- out the city of Venice. Towards the end of his life, about the year 1228, Ziani abdicated his oSce. At the eledicn of his fucceiTor, the fufirages were equally divided between Rainier Dandola MANNERS IN ITALY. 99 Dandolo and James'Theipolo. This pro- longed the interregnum for two months ; as often as they were balloted during that time, each of them had twenty halls. The fenate, at laft, ordained them to draw lots, which decided in fciVour of Theipolo. Daring his admiiiiftration, the Venetian code was, in fome degree, reformed and abridged. One of the greatefl: inconve- niences of freedom, is the number of laws neceflary to protedt the life and property of each citizen ; the natural confequences of which are, a multitude of lawyers, with all the fuits and vexations which they create : ‘‘ les peines, les defpenfes, les longueurs, les dangers memes de la juf- ticc,” fays Montefquieu, “ font le prix “ que chaque citoyen donne pour falibertc.’’ The more freedom remains in' a State, of the higher importance W'ill the life and property of each citi7.en be confidered. A defpotic government counts the liff of a citizen as of no importance at all. The Doge Theipolo, who had himfelf been a lawyer, as many of the Venetian nobles at that time were, bellowed infinite H 2 labour ICO VIEW OF SOCIETY ANET labour in arranging and illuminating the vaft chaos of laws and regulations, in which the jurifprudence of a republic, fo jealous of her liberty, had been involved. After a long reign, he abdicated the government y and, to prevent the inconveniency which had happened at his eledion, the number of electors, by a new decree of the fenate, was augmented to forty-one. In the reign of his fucceflbr, Marino Marfini, two judges, called Criminal Judges of the Night, were appointed. Their func- tion is to judge of what are called noc- turnal crimes, under which denomination are reckoned robberies, wilful fire, rapes^ and bigamy. We find alfo, that Jews ly- ing with Chriflkn v/omen is enumerated among nodurnal crimes; though, by an unjuftifiable partiality, a Chriftian man lying with a Jewilh woman, whether by night or day, is not mentioned as any crime at all. A few years after, in the reign of the Doge Rainier Zeno, four more judges were added to this tribunal ; and, during the in- terregnum, which took place at his death, I in MANNERS IN ITALY. loi In the year 1268, a new form of eleding the Doge was fixed, which, though fome- what complicated, has been obferved ever fmce. All the members of the Grand Council who are paft thirty years of age, being aflembled in the hall of the palace, as many balls are put into an urn as there are mem- bers prefent ; thirty of thefe balls are gilt, and the reft white. Each councellor draws one ; and thofe who get the gilt balls, go into another room, where there is an urn, con- taining thirty balls, nine of which are gilt. The thirty members draw again ; and thofe who, by a fecond piece of good fortune, get the gilt balls, are the JirJl eleBors^ and have a right to choofe forty, among whom they comprehend themfelves. Thofe forty, by balloting in the fame manner as in the former inftances, are re- duced to twelve fecond ele&ot's^ who choofe twenty-five, the firft of the twelve naming three, and the remaining eleven two a-piece. All thofe being aflembled in a chamber apart, each of them draws a ball from an urn, containing twenty-five balls, H 3 among i02 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND among which are nine gUt. This reduces them to nine third cleBors^ each of whom choofes live, making in all forty-five ; who, as in the preceding inftances, are re- duced, by ballot, to eleven fourth electors ^ and they have the nomination of forty- one, who are the direct electors of the Doge. Being fhut up by themfelves, they begin by choofmg three Chiefs, and two Secre- taries ; each eledor, being then called, throws a little billet into an urn, which {lands on a table before the chiefs. On this billet is infcribed the perfon’s name whom the eledor wifhes to be Doge. ‘The fecretaries then, in the prefence of * the chiefs and of the whole affembly, open the billets. Among all the forty-one there are, generally, but a very few dif- ferent names, as tlie eledion, for the moft part, balances between two or three candi- dates. Their names, whatevp is the num- ber, are put into another urn, and drawn put one after another. As foon as a name is extraded, the Secretary reads it, and, if the perfon to whom it belongs is prefent, he immedirtely retires. One of the chiefs thep MANNERS IN ITALY. 1G3 then demands, with a loud voice, vsdieiher any crime can be laid to this perfon’s charge, or any objection made to his being' raifed to the fovereign dignity ? If any cbjedion be made, the accufed is called in, and heard in his own defence ; after which the eledors proceed to .give their decifion, by throwing a ‘ball into one of two boxes, one of wjiich is for the Ayes, the other for the Noes. The Se- cretaries then ^ count the balls, and if ' there are twenty-five in the firfi:, the election is finifhed ; if not, another name k read, and the fame inquifiticn made as before, till there are twenty- five approving balls. This form, wherein judgment and chance are fo perfedtly blended, precludes every attempt to corrupt the electors, and all cabals for the ducal dignity ; for who coiiid dream, by any labour or contrivance, of gaining an election; the mode of whole procedure equally baffles the addrefs of a politician and a juggler ? Lawrence Theipolo w^as the firft Doge ehofen according to this mode. In his II 4 ' ' 104 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND reign the office of Grand Chancellor was created. Hitherto the public a£ts were figned by certain perfons chofen by the Doge himfelf, and called Chancellors ; but the Grand Council, which we find always folicitous to limit the power of the Doge," thought that method improper ; and now propofed, that a Chancellor fhould be appointed by them- felves, with rights and privileges entirely independent of the Doge. At the fame/ time, as the people had fhewn fymptoms of difcontent, on account of the great offices being all In the diftinguiffied families, it was thought expedient to ordain that the Chancellor fhould always be taken froru among the Secretaries of the fenate, who were citizens. Afterwards, when the Coun- cil of Ten came to be eftabliflicd; it was ordained, that the Chancellor might be chofen, either from the Secretaries of that court, or from thofe of the fenate. The Grand Chancellor of Venice is an officer of great dignity and importance ; he has the keeping of the great feal of the Commonv/eaUh, and is privy to all the fecrets MANNERS IN ITALY, 105 fecrets of the State ; he is confidered as the head of the order of citizens, and his office Is the ,,moft , lucrative in the republic ; yet, though he muft be prefent at all the councils, he has no deliberative voice. In perufing the annals of this republic we continually meet with proofs of the reftlefs jealoufy of this government ; even the private oecbnomy of families fometimes created fufpicion, however blamelefs the public conduft of the mafter might be. The prefent Doge had married a foreign lady ; his two fons followed his example ; one of their wives was a princefs. This gave umbrage to the fenate ; they thought that, by fuch means, the nobles might ac- ^ quire an intereft and connexions in other countries, inconfiftent with their duty as citizens of Venice ; and therefore, in the interregnum which followed the death of Thelpolo, a law was propofed by the Gor- reftors, and immediately paffed, by which all future Doges, and their fons, were interdidled from marriage with foreigners, under pain of being excluded from the office of Doge. Though ic6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND Though the people had been gradually, as we have feen, deprived of their original right of eledting the chief magiflrate 5 yet, on the eleftions which fucceeded the eftar blifhment of the new mode, the Doge had always been prefented to the multitude affembled in St, Mark’s Place, as if re- quelling their approbation ; and the people, flattered with this fmall degree of attention, had never failed to announce their fatif- fadion by repeated flhouts : but the fenate feemi to have been afraid of leaving them even this empty fhadow of their ancient power ; for they ordained, that, inllead of prefenting the Doge to the multitude, to receive their acclamations, as formerly, a Syndic, for the future, fhould, in the name of the people, congratulate the new Doge on his eledion. On this occafion, the fenate do not feem to have aded with their ufual difcernment. Show often affeds the minds of men more than fubftance, as appeared in the prefent iriftance ; for the Venetian populace difplayed more refentment on being deprived of this noify piece of form, than w^hen the fubftantial ri^ht had takei> MANNERS IN ITALY. 107 taken from them. After the death ef the Doge John Dandolo, before a new elec- tion could take place in the iifual forms^ a prodigious multitude affembled in St. Marks's Place, and, with loud acclamations, proclaimed James Theipolo ; declaring, that this was more binding than any other mode of eledtion, and that he was Doge to all intents and purpofes. While the fenate remained in fearful fufpence for the con- fequences of an event fo alarming and unlooked-for, they w^ere informed, that Theipolo had withdrawn himfelf from the city, with a determination to remain con- cealed, till he heard how the fenate and people would fettle the difpute. The people, having no perfon of weight to condudl or head them, renounced, with their ufual ficklenefs, a projedl which they had begun with their ufual intrepidity. The Grand Council, freed from alarm, proceeded to a regular eledtion, and chofe Peter Gradonico, a man of enterprife, firm- nefs, and addrefs, in whofe reign we (hall fee the dying embers of democracy per- fedtly e^tinguuhed. io8 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND LETTER XII. Venice, G radonico, from the moment he was in pofleffion of the office of Doge, formed a fcheme of depriving the people of all their remaining power. An averfion to popular government, and refentment of fome figns of perfonal diflike, which the populace had fhewn at his eledion, feem to have been-his only motives ; for, while he completely annihilated the ancient rights of the people, he ffiewed no inclination to augment the power of his own office. Although the people had experienced many mortifying deviations from the old conftitution, yet, as the Grand Council was chofen annually by eledors of their own nomination, they flattered themfelves that they ftill retained an important fhare In the government. It was this laft hold of their declining freedom which Gra- donico meditated to remove, for ever, from MANNERS IN ITALY. 109 from their hands. Such a projed was of a nature to have intimidated a man of lefs courage; but. his natural intrepidity, ani- mated by refentment, made him overlook all dangers and difficulties. He began (as if by way of experiment) with fome alterations refpeding the man- ner of choofing the Grand Council ; thefe, however, occafioned murmurs ; and it was feared, that dangerous tumults would arifc at the next eledion of that court. But fuperior to fear himfelf, Gradonico Infpired others with courage ; and, before the period of the eledion arrived, he ftruck the declfive blow. A law was publifhed in the year 1297, by which it was ordained, that thofe who adually belonged to the Grand Council, fhould continue members of it for life ; and that the fame right fhould defcend to their pofterity, without any form of eledion whatever. This was at once forming a body of hereditary legiflative nobility, and eftablifhing a complete ariftocracy, upon the ruins of the ancient popular govern- ment. This . ti6 VIEW OF SOCIETY AxND This meafure ftruck all the citizens, who’ were not then of the Grand Council, with concern and aftonifhment ; but, in a par- ticular manner, thofe of ancient and noble families ; for although, as has been already obferved, there was, frrldly fpeaking, no nobility with exclufive privileges before this law, yet there were in Venice, as there mufl; be in the moft democratical re- publics, certain families confidered as more honourable than others, many of whom found themfelves, by this law, thrown into a rank inferior to that of the leaft confider- able perfon who happened, at this import- ant period, to be a member of the Grand Council. To conciliate the minds of fuch dangerous malcontents, exceptions were made in their favour, and fornc of the moft powerful were immediately received into the Grand Council ; and to others it was promifed that they fliould, at fome future period, be admitted. By fuch hopes, art- fully infmuated, and by the great influence of the members who adlually compofed the Grand Council, all Immediate infurredlions were prevented ; and foreign wars,, and objects MANNERS IN ITALY. Ill cbjeGs of commerce, foon turned the people’s attention from this mortifying change in the nature of the government. A ftrong refentment of thofe innova- tions, hov^^ever, feftered in the breafts of fome individuals, who, a few years after, under the diredion of one Marino Bocconi, formed a defign to aifaffinate Gradonico, and maffacre all the Grand Council, ^vithout diftindion. This plot was difcovered, and the chiefs, after confeiling their crimes, were executed between the pillars. The confpiracy of Bocconi was confined to malcontents of the rank of citizens ; but one of a more dangerous nature, and which originated among the nobles themfelves, was formed in the year 1309. This combination was made up of fome of the mod diflinguifhed of thofe who were not of the Grand Council when the reform took place, and who had not been admit- ted afterwards, according to their expeda- tions ; and of fome others of very ancient families, who could not bear to fee fo many citizens raifed to a level with themfelves, and who, befides, were piqued, at what II2 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND they called the pride of Gradonico. Thefe men chofe for their leader, the fon of James Theipolo, who had been proclaimed Doge by the populace. Their objedl was to dif- pofiefs Gradonico, and reftore the. ancient conftitution ; they were foon joined by at great many of Inferior rank within the city, and they engaged confiderable num- bers of their friends and dependents from Padua, and the adjacent country, to come to Venice, and affift them, at the time ap- pointed for the infurredion. Confidering the numbers that were privy to this under- taking, it is aftonifhing that it was not difcovered till the night preceding that on which it was to have taken place. The uncommon concourfe of ftrangers created the firft fufpicion^ which was confirmed by the confeffion of foine who were acquaint- ed with the defign. The Doge immediately fummoned the Council, and fent exprefles to the governors of the neighbouring towns and forts, with orders for them to haften with their forces to Venice. The confpl- fators were not difconcerted ; they aflem- bled, and attacked the Doge and his friends, Manners in italy. 113 friends, who were colleded in a body around the palace. The Place of St. Mark w^as the fcene of this tumultuous battle^ w^hich lafted many hours, but was attended with more noife and terror among the in- habitants, than bloodfhed to the combatants.^ Some of the military governors arriving wdth troops, the conteft ended in the rout of the confpirators. A few nobles had been killed in the engagement ; a greater number were executed by order of the Senate* Theipolo, who had fled^ w^as de- dared infamous, and an enemy to his coun- try ; his goods and fortune were confif- cated, and his houfe razed to the groundi After thefe executions, it was thought ex- pedient, to receive into the Grand Council, feveral of the moft diftinguifhed families of citizens. Thofe two confpiracies having imme- diately followed one another, fpread an tiniverfal diffidence and dread over the city, and gave rife to the court called the Council of Ten, which was erefted about this time, merely as a temporary tribunal, to examine into the caufes, piinifh the adcom- voL* le i plices, 114 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND plices, and deftroy the feeds of the late con- fpiracy ; but which, in the fequel, became permanent. I fhall wave farther mention of this court, till we come to the period when the State Inquifitors were eftablifhed ; but it is proper to mention, that the Eccle- fiaflieal Court of Inquifition was alfo ereded at Venice in the reign of the Doge Gra- donico. The Popes had long endeavoured to In* troduce this court into every country in Europe ; they fucceeded too well in many 5 but though it was not entirely rejeded by the State of Venice, yet It was accepted under fuch reftridions as have prevented ,the difmal cruelties which accompany it In other countries. This republic feems, at all times, to have had a ftrong impreffion of the ambitious and encroaching fpirit of the court of Rome ; and has, on all occafions, fhewn the greateft unwillingnefs to entruft power in the hands of ecclefiaftlcs. Of this, the Venetians gave an undoubted proof at pre- fent ; for while they eftablifhed a new civil Court of Inquifition, with the moft un- ' limited MANNERS IN ITALY. . 115 limited powers, they would not receive the ccclefiaftical Inquifitlon, except on condi- tions to which it had not been fubjeded in . any other country. The court of Rome never difplayed more addrefs than in its attempts to elude thofe limitations^ and to prevail on the Senate to admit the inquifition at Venice, on the fame footing as it had been received elfewherej but the Senate was as firm as the Pope was artful, and the Court of Inquifition was at laft eftablifhed, under the following con- ditions ; . That three commiffioners from the Senate fhould attend the deliberations of that . court, none of whofe decrees could be executed without the approbation of the commiffioners. Thofe commiffioners were to take no oath of fidelity, or engagement of any kind, to the Inquifition ; but were bound by oath to conceal nothing from the Senate which fhould pafs in the Holy Office. That herefy fhould be the only crime . cognifable by the Inquifition ; and, in cafe ' of the convidlon and condemnation of any I 2 criminalTi VIEW OF SOCIETY AND II 6 criminal, his goods and money fhould not belong to the court, but to his natural heirs. That Jews and Greeks fliould be indulged in the exercife of their religion, without being difturbed by this court. The commiffioners were to prevent the regiftration of any ftatute made at Rome ; or any where out of the Venetian State. The Inqulfitors were not permitted to condemn books as heretical, without the concurrence of the Senate ; nor were they allowed to judge any to be fo^ but thofe already condemned by the edidt of Cle- ment VliL Such were the reftrlftions under which the Inquifition was eftabllfhed at Venice ; and nothing can more clearly prove (heir efficacy, than a comparifon of the num- bers who have fuffered for herefy here, with thofe who have been condemned to death by that court in every other place where it was eftabllfhed. An inftance Is recorded of a man, named Narlno, being condemned to a public puniftiment, for having eompofed a book 7 MANNERS IN ITALY. 117 ill defence of the opinions of John Hufs. For this (the greateft of all crimes In the fight of Inquifittors) his fentence was, that he fhould be expofe-d publicly on a fcaffold., drefled in a gown, with flames and devils painted on it. The moderation of the civil magiftrate appears In this fentence. With- out his interpofition, the flames which fuiTOunded the prifoner would, In all pro- bability not have been pamtcd, This^ which is mentioned in the Hiflory of Ve- nice as an inftance of feverity, happened at a time, when, in Spain and Portugal, many wretches were burnt, by order of the In- quifition, for fmaller offences.. In 1354, during the interregnum after the death of Andrew D^ndolo^ it was pro- pofed by the Corredors of Abufes, that, for the future, the three chiefs of the Cri^ mlnal Council of Forty fhould be members of the College ; and this paffed into a law.. It may be neceffary to mention, that the College, otherwife called the Seigniory, Is the fupreme cabinet council of the State. This court was originally compofed of the Doge and fix counfellors only ; but to I 3- thefe. 4 ji8 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND thefe, at different periods, were added, firft, fix of the Grand Council, chofen by the Senate; they were called Savii, or Sages, from their fuppofed wifdom : and afterwards, five Savii, of the Terra Firma, whofe more immediate duty Is to fuperr intend the bufinefs of the towms and provinces belonging to the republic oa the continent of Europe, particularly what regards the troops. At one time there were alfo five Savii for maritime affairs, but they had little bufinefs after the Venetian navy became Inconfiderable ; and now, in the room of them, five young noblemen are chofen by the Senate every fix months, who attend the meetings of the Seigniory, without having a votb, though they give their opinions when afked. This is by way of inftruding, and rendering them fit for the affairs of State. They are called Sages of the Orders, and are chofen every fix months. To thofe were added, the three chiefs of the Criminal Court of Forty ; the court then confifting, in all^ of tw^enty-fix members. The MANNERS IN ITALY. 119 The College Is, at once, the cabinet council, and the reprefentative of the re- public. This court gives audience, and delivers anfwers, in the name of the re- public, to foreign Ambafladors, to the deputies of towns and provinces, and to the generals of the army ; it alfo receives all requefts and memorials on State affairs, fummons the Senate at pleafure, and ar- ranges the bufinefs to be difcuffed in that affembly. In the Venetian government, great care Is taken to balance the power of one court by that of another, and to make them reciprocal checks on each other. It was probably from a jealoufy of the power of the College, that three chiefs of the Criminal Court of Forty were now added \p it, , X 4 ■no VIEW OF SOCIETY AKfD LETTER XIIL . Venice* hiftory of no nation prefents greater variety of fmgular events than that of Venice. We have feen a confpi- racy againft this State,’ originating among the citizens, and carried on by people of that rank only* We faw another, foon after, which took its origin among the body of the nobles ; prifing; but his motive to the confpi- racy was as fmall as the intention was dreadful. Marino Falllero, Doge of Venice, was, at this time, eighty years of age; a time of life when the violence of the paffions Is generally much abated* He had, even then, MANNERS IN ITALY. 121 then, however, given a llrong inftance of the rafhnefs of his difpofition, by mar- rying a very young woman. This lady imagined fhe had been affronted by a young Venetian nobleman at a public ball, and fhe complained bitterly of the infult to her hufband. The old Doge, who had all the defire imaginable to pleafe his wife, determined, in this matter at leaft, to give her ample fatisfaflion. The delinquent was brought before the Judges, and the crime was exaggerated wdth all the eloquence that money could purchafe ; but they viewed the affair with unprejudiced eyes, and pronounced a fen- tence no more than adequate to the crime. The Doge was filled with the moft extra- vagant rage, and, finding that the body of the nobles took no fliare in his wrath, he entered into a confpiracy with the Admiral of the Arfenal, and fome others, who were difeontented with the govern- ment on other accounts, and projeded a method of vindicating his wife’s honour, which feems rather violent for the oc- cafion. It was rcfolved by thofe defpe- radoes, 122 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND radocs, to maflacre the whole Grand Council. Such a fcene of bloodfhed, on account of one w^oman, has. not been ima?- glned Gnce the Trojan war. ' This plot was conduded with more fecrecy than could have beerr expeded from a man who feems to have been de- prived of reafon, as well as humanity. Every thing was prepared ; and the day previous to that which was fixed for the execution had arrived, without any perfon, but thofe concerned in the confpiracy, having the leaft knowledge of the horrid defign.. It was difeovered in the fame manner in which that againft the King and Parliament of England was brought to light in the time of James the Firft. Bertrand Bergamefe, one of the confpira- tors, being defirous to fave Nicolas Lioni, a noble Venetian, dom the general maf- facre, called on him, and earneftly admo- nifhed him, on no account to go out of his houfe the following day ; for, if he did, he would certainly lofe his life. Lioni preffed him to give fome reafon for this extraor- MANNERS IN ITALY. 12 ^ extraordinary advice ; which the other ob- ftinately refufmg, Lion! ordered him to be feized, and confined ; and, fending for fome of his friends of the Senate, by means of promifes and threats, they at length pre- vailed on the prifoner to difeover the w^hole of this horrid myftery. They fend for the Avogadors, the Coun- cil of Ten, and other high officers’, by whom the prifoner was examined ; after which, orders were given for feizing the principal confpirators in their houfes, and for fummoning thofe of the nobility and citizens on whofe fidelity the Council could rely. Thefe mealures could not be taken, fo fecretly as not to alarm many, who found means to make their efcape. A confider- able number were arrefted, among whom were two chiefs of the confpiracy under the Doge. They being put to the queftion, confeffed the whole. It appeared, that only a feleft body of the principal men had been privy to the real defign ; great num- bers had been defired to be prepared with arms at a particular hour, when they would be employed 4a attacking certain enemies 124 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND enemies of the State, which w’cre not named ; they were defired to keep thofe orders a perf^tft fecret, and w’ere told, that upon their fidelity and fecrecy their future fortunes depended, Thofe men did not know of each other, and had no fufpicion that it was not a lawful enterprife for which they were thus engaged ; they w^ere therefore fet at liberty : but all the chiefs of the plot gave the fulleft evidence againft the Doge. It was proved, that the whole fehemc had been formed by his diredtion, and fupported by his influence. After the principal confpirators were tried, and exe- cuted, the Council of Ten next proceeded to the trial of the Doge himfelf. They defired that twenty fenators, of the higheft reputation, might affift upon this folemn occafion, and that two relations of the IFallier family, one of whom was a member of the Council of Ten, and the other an Avogador, might withdraw from the court. The Doge, who hitherto had remained under a guard in his own apartments in the palace, was now brought before this Tribunal MANNERS IN ITALY. 12 $ Tribunal of his own fubjeds. He was dreffed In the robes of his office. It Is thought he Intended to have denied the charge, and attempted a defence ; but when he perceived the number and nature of the proofs againft him, overwhelmed by their force, he acknowledged his guilt, with many fruitlefs and abjed intreatles for mercy. That a man, of eighty years of' age, ffiould lofe all firranefs on fuch an oc- cafion, is not marvellous ; that he ffiould have been incited, by a trifling offence, to fuch an inhuman, and fuch a de- liberate plan of wickednefs, , is without example. He was fentenced to lofe his head. The fentence was executed in the place where the Doges are ufually crowmed. In the Great Chamber of the palace, where the portraits of , the Doges are placed, there is a vacant fpace between the portraits of Fallier’s immediate pre- deceffor and fiicceffor, with this in- fcription : Locus VIEW OF SOCIETY AND “ Locus Marini Fallieri decapitati The only other inftance which hlftory prefents to our contemplation, of a fove- reign tried according to the forms of law, and condemned to death by a Tribunal cf his own fubjedls, is that of Charles the Firft, of Great Britain. But how differ- ently are we affeded by a review of the tw6 cafes ! In the one, the original errors of the mlfguided Prince are forgotten in the feve- rity of his fate, and in the calm majeftic firmnefs with which he bore it. Thofe who, from public fpirlt, had oppofed the unconfiltutional meafures of his govern- ment, were no more ; and the men now in power were aduated by far different principles. All the paflions of humanity, therefore, take part with the royal fuf- ferer ; nothing but the ungenerous fpirit of party can feduce them to the fide of his enemies. In his trial we behold, with a mixture of pity and indignation, the un- * The place intended for the portrait of Marinus Fal- lierus, who was beheaded. happy MANNERS IN ITALY. 117 happy monarch delivered up to the malice of hypocrites, the rage of fanatics, and the Infolence of a low-born law ruffiam In the other, every fentiment of com- paffion is effaced by horror at the enormity of the crime. In the year 1361, after the death of the Doge John Delfino, when the laft eledors were confined in the Ducal Chamber to choofe his fucceflbr, and while the eledllon vibrated between three candidates, a report arrived at Venice, that Laurentliis Celfus, who commanded the fleet, had obtained a complete viftory over the Genoefe, wdio were at that time at war with the Vene- tians. This intelligence was communicated to the electors, who immediately dropped all the three candidates, and imanimoufly chofe this commander. Soon after, it was found, that the rumour of the viftcry w^as entirely groundlefs. This could not affedl the validity of the eledion ; but it produced a decree to prevent, on future occafions of the fame kind, all communication between the people without, and the conclave of ^ledors. This Vl£W OF SOCiFtY AND This Doge^s father dlfplayed a fmgular inftance of weaknefs and vanity, which fome of the hiftorians have thought worth tranfmitting to us. I do not know for what reafon, unlefs it be to comfort pofterity with the refledlion, that human folly is much the fame in all ages, and that their anceftors have not been a great deal wifer than themfelves. This old gentleman thought it beneath the dignity of a father to pull off his cap to his own fon ; and that he might not feem to condefcend fd far, even when, all the other nobles (hewed this mark of refpefl: to their fovereign, he went, from the moment of his' foil’s elec- tion, upon all occafions, and in all wea- thers, with his head uncovered, llie Doge being folicitous for his father’s health, and finding that no perfuafion, nor explanation of the matter, that could be given, were fufficient to overcome this obftinacy, recol- lefted that be was as devout as he was vain, which fuggefted an expedient that had the defired effed:. He placed a crofs on the front of his ducal coronet. The old man was as defirous to teffify his refped to the MANNERS IN ITALY. 129 the crofs, as he was averfe to pay obeifance to his fon ; and unable to devife any way of pulling off a cap which he never wore, his piety, at length, got the better of his pride; he refumed his cap, as formerly, that, as often as his fon appeared, he might pull it off in honour of the crofs. During the reign of Laurentius Celfus, the celebrated poet Petrarch, who refided for fome time at Venice, and was pleafed with the manners of the people, and the wifdom of their government, made a prefent to the republic, of his collection of books ; which, at that time, was reckoned very valuable. , This was the foundation of the great library of St. Mark. In peruling the annals of Venice, wc continually meet with new inftitutions. No fooner is any inconveniency perceived, than meafures are taken to remove it, or guard againft its effeCls. About this time, three new magiftrates were appointed^ whofc duty is to prevent all oftentatious luxuries in drefs, equipage, and other expenfive fuper- fluities, and to profecute thofe who tranf- " grefs the fiimptuary laws, which compre- VOL, 1 . K hend VIEW OF SOCIETY AND 130 hend fuch objedls. Thofe magiftrates are called Sopra Proveditori alle Pompe ; they were allowed a difcretionary power of levying fines, from people of certain pro- feffions, who deal entirely in articles of luxury. Of this number, that of public courtefans was reckoned. This profelTion, according to all accounts, formerly flourlfh- ed at Venice, with a degree of fplendour unknown in any other capital of Europe ; and very confiderable exaftions were raifed to the ufe of the State, at particular times, from the wealthieft of thofe dealers. This cxcife, it would appear, has been puChed beyond what the trade could bear ; for it is at prefent in a ftate of wretched nefs and decay ; the beft of the bufmefs, as is fald, being now carried on, for mere pleafure, by people who do not avow themfelves of the profeffion. MANNERS IN ITALY. 131 LETTER XIV. Venice. 1^0 government was ever more punc- tual and impartial, than that of Venice, in the execution of the laws. This was thought eflential to the well-being, and very exiftence, of the State. For this, all refped; for individuals, all private con- fiderations whatever, and every compunc- tious feeling of the heart, is facrificed. To execute law with all the rigour of juftice, is confidered as the chief virtue of a judge ; and, as there are cafes in which the fterneft may relent, the Venetian go- vernment has taken care to appoint certain magiftrates, whofe foie bufmefs is to fee that others perform their duty upon all occafions. The pundual execution of the laws cer- tainly ought to be an obje£t of great atten- tion in every government ; yet cafes fome- times occur, where humanity wifhes for a K 2 power 132 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND power 111 the conftitution, which, inftead of enforcing the rigorous execution of cri- minal juftice, could mollify or difpenfe with its feverity In the year 1400, while Antonio Venler was Doge, his fon having committed an offence which evidently fprung from mere youthful levity, and nothing worfe, was con- demned in a fine of one hundred ducats, and to be imprifoned for a certain time. While the young man was in prifon, he fell fick, and petitioned to be removed to a purer air. The Doge rejeded the petition ; declaring, that the fentence muff be exe- cuted literally ; and that his fon muff take the fortune of others in the fame predica- * The greateft danger in admitting fuch a power is, that it may be ufcd with partiality. But the admirable Britifli infiitution of Trial by Jury is not liable to this objedion ; for the jury, who in reality determine the fate of the accufed, not being known previous to the trial, cannot be pradlifed upon, and made fubfervient to partial views. — They have a right not only to decide on the fafl*, but on the point of law that may arifeoutof it; by which means a Britilh fubjeft is guarded againft the decifions of men, in whofe hearts the feelings of humanity are impaired by the praftice of criminal juftice, and by the infolence of permanent ofHcial authority. menu MANNERS IN ITALY. ^33 ment. The youth was much beloved, and many applications were made, that the fen- tence might be foftened, on account of the danger which threatened him. The father was inexorable, and the fon died in*prifon. Of whatever refined fubftance this man’s heart may have been compofed, I am better pleafed that mine is made of the common materials. Carlo Zeno was accufed, by the Council of Ten, of having received a liim of money from Francis Carraro, fon of the Seignior of Padua, contrary to an exprefs law, which forbids all fubjedts of Venice, on any^ pre- text whatever, accepting any falary, ' pen- fion, or gratification, from a foreign Prince, or State. This accufation was grounded on a paper found among Carraro^s accounts, when Padua was taken by the Venetians. In this paper was an article of four hun- dred ducats paid to Carlo Zeno, who de- clared, in his defence, that while he was, by the Senate’s permiffiori, governor of the Milanefe, he had vifited Carraro, then a prifoner in the cafi.le of Afti ; and finding him in want of common neceifaries, he had K 3 advanced VIEW OF SOCIETY AND J34 advanced to him the fum In queftlon ; and that this Prince, having been liberated fome Ihort time after, had, on his return to Padua, repaid the money. Zeno was a man of acknowledged can- dour, and of the higheft reputation ; he had commanded the fleets and armies of the State with the moft brilliant fuccefs ; yet neither this, nor any other confidera- tions, prevailed on the Court to depart from their ufual feverity. They- owned that, from Zeno’s ufual integrity, there was no reafon to doubt the tmth of his declaration ; but the afTertlons of an accufed perfon were not fufficient to efface the force of the prefumptive circumftances v/hich appeared againfl; him.— His declara- tion might be convincing to thofe who knew him intimately, but v»^as not legal evidence of his innocence ; and they ad- hered to a diftinguifhing maxim of this Court, that it is of more importance to the State, to intimidate every one from even the appearance of fuch a crime, than to allow a perfon, againft whom a prefump- tion of guilt remained, to efcape, however innocent MANNERS IN ITALY. 13s innocent lie might be.. This man, who had rendered the moft eflential fervices to the republic, and had gained many vifto- ries, was condemned to be removed from all his offices, and to be imprifoned for two years. But the mofl affeding inftance of the odious inflexibility of Venetian courts, appears In the cafe of Fofcarl, fon to the Doge of that name. This young man had, by fome Impru- dences, given offence to the Senate, and was, by their orders, confined at Trevifo, when Almor Donato, one of the Council of Ten, was affaffinated, on the 5th of November 1450, as he entered his own houfe. A reward, in ready money, with pardon for this or any other crime, and a pen- fion of two hundred ducats, revertible to children, was promifed to any perfon who would difcover the planner or perpetrator of this crime. No fuch difcovery was made. One of young Fofcari’s footmen, named Olivier, had been obferved loitering near K 4 Donato’s 136 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND Donato’s houfe on the evening of the mur-» der ; — he fifed from Venice next morning. Thefe, with other circumftances of lefs importance, created a firong fufpicion that Fofcari had engaged this man to commit the murder. Olivier was taken, brought to Venice, put to the torture, and confeffed nothing ; yet the Council of Ten, being prepoirefled with an opinion of their guilt, and imagining that the mafter would have lefs refolution, iifed him in the fame cruel manner. — The unhappy young man, in the midft of his agony, continued to affert, that he knevr nothing of the aflaffinatlon. This con- vinced the Court of his firmnefs, but not of his innocence ; yet as there was no legal proof of his guilt, they could not fentence him to death. He was condemned to pafs the refl: of his life in banifliment, at Canea, in the ifiand of Candia. This unfortunate youth bore his exile with more impatience than he had done the rack ; he often wrote to his relations and friends, praying them to intercede in his behalf, that the term of his banilhment might ' MANNERS IN ITALY. 137 might be abridged, and that he might be permitted to return to his family before he died. — All his applications were fruitlefs^; thofe to whom he addreffed himfelf ' had never interfered in his favour, for fear* of ^ giving offence to the obdurate Council, or had interfered in vain. After languifhing five years in exile, having loft all hope of return, through the- interpofition of his own family or country- men, in a fit of defpair he addrefled 'the Duke of Milan, putting him in mind of fervices which the Doge, his father, had- rendered him, and begging that he would life his powerful Influence v^ith the State of ' Venice, that his fentence might be re- §> called. He entrufted his letter to a chant, going from Canea to Venice, who promifed to take the firft opportunity of fending it from thence to the Duke ; inftead of which, this wretch, as foon as he arrived at Venice, .delivered it to the chiefs of the Council of Ten. This conduct of young Eofcari appeared criminal in the eyes of thofe judges ; for, by the laws of the republic, all its fubjeds r - are 138 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND are exprefsly forbid claiming the protedion of foreign Princes, in any thing which re- lates to the government of Venice. Fofcari was therefore ordered to be brought from Candia, and Ihut up in the State prifon. There the chiefs of the Council of Ten or- dered him once more to be put to the tor- ture, to draw from him the motives which determined him to apply to the Duke of Milan. Such an exertion of law is, indeed, the moft flagrant injuftice. The miferable youth declared to the Council, that he had wrote the letter, In the full perfuafion that the merchant, whofe character he knew, would betray him, and -^eliver it to them : the confequence of which, he forefaw, would be, his being ordered back a prifoner.to Venice, the only means he had in his power of feeing his parents and friends ; a pleafure for which he had languifhed, with unfurmountable defire, for fome time, and which he was willing to purchafe at the expence of any danger or pain. The Judges, little afteded with this generous inftance of filial piety, ordained, that MANNERS IN ITALY. *39 that the unhappy young man fhould be car- ried back to Candia, and there be imprifon- ed for a year, and remain banifhed to that ifland for life ; with this condition, that if he fhould make any more applications to foreign Powers, his imprifonment fhould be perpetual. At the fame time they gave permiffion, that the' Doge, and his lady^ might vifit their unfortunate fon. The Doge was, at this time, very old ; he had been in pofleflion of the office above thirty years. Thofe wretched parents had an interview with their fon in one of the apartments of the palace; they em- braced him with all the tendernefs which his misfortunes, and his filial affeftion^ deferved. The father exhorted him to bear his hard fate with firmnefs ; the fon protefted, in the moft moving terms, that this was not in his power; that however others could fupport the difmal lonelinefs of a prifon, he could not ; that his heart was formed for friendfhip, and the reciprocal endearments of focial life ; without which his foul funk into deje£tion worfe than death, from which alone he fhould look for 140 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND for relief, if he fliould again be confined to the horrors of a prifon ; and, melting into tears, he funk at his father’s feet, imploring him to take compaflion on a fon who had ever loved him with the moft dutiful affec- tion, and who was perfectly innocent of the crime of which he was accufed ; he conjured him, by every bond of nature and religion, by the bowels of a father, and the mercy of a Redeemer, to ufe his in- fluence with the Council to mitigate their fentence, that he might be faved from the moft cruel of all deaths, that of expiring under the flow tortures of a broken heart, in a horrrible banilhment from every crea- ture he loved. — My fon,” replied the Doge, fubmit to the laws of your country, ‘‘ and do not afk of me what Is not in my “ power to obtain.” Having made this effort, he retired to another apartment ; and, unable to fuppoit any longer the acutenefs of his feelings, he funk into a ftate of infenfibility, in which condition he remained till fome time after hl$ fon had failed on his return to Candia, Nobody MANNERS IN ITALY. 141 Nobody has prefumed to defcribe the angulfli of the wretched mother ; thofe v/ho are endowed with the rnofl: exquifite fenfi- bility, and who have experienced diftrefles in fome degree fimllar, will have the jufleft idea of what it was. 1 The accumulated mifery of thofe un- happy parents touched the hearts of fome of the moft powerful Senators, who applied with fo much energy for a complete pardon for young Fofcari, that they were on the point of obtaining it ; when a veflel arrived from Candia, with tidings, that the miferable* youth had expired in prifon a fliort time after his return. Some years after this, Nicholas ErIzzOj, a noble Venetian, being on his death-bedj, confefled that, bearing a violent refentment againft the Senator Donato, he had com- mitted the aflafhnation for which the un- happy family of Fofcari had fuffered .fo much. At this time the forrows of the Doge were at an end ; he had exifted only a few months after the death of his fon. His life had been prolonged, till he beheld his fon perfecuted 141 ‘ VIEW OF SOCIETY AND perfecuted to death for an infamous crime ; but not till he fhould fee this foul ftain wafhed from his family, and the innocence of his beloved fon made manifeft to the world. The ways of Heaven never appeared more dark and intricate, than in the inci- dents and cataftrophe of this mournful ftory. To reconcile the permiflion of fuch events to our ideas of infinite power and goodnefs, however difficult, is a natural attempt in the human mind, and has exercifed the inge- nuity of philofophers in all ages; while, in the eyes of Chriftians, thofe feeming per- plexities afford an additional proof, that there will be a future ftate, in which the ways of God to man will be fully juftified. MANNERS IN ITALY. *43 LETTER XV. Venice. T Deferred giving you any account of the Council of Ten, till I came to mention, the State Inquifitors, as the laft was Ingrafted on the former, and was merely intended to ^ -ftrengthen the hands, and augment the power, of that court. The Council of Ten confifts, in effed, of feventeen members ; for, befides the ten noblemen chofen annually by the Grand Council, from whofe number this court re- ceives Its name, the Doge prefides, and the fix Counfellors of the Seigniory affift, when they think proper, at all deliberations. This court was firft inftituted in the year 1310, immediately after Theipolo’s con- fpiracy. It is fupreme In all State crimes. It is the duty of three chiefs, chofen every month from this court by lot, to open all letters addrefled to to report the con- tents, 144 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND tents, and aflfemblc the members, when they think proper. They have the power of feizing accufed perfons, examining them in prlfon, and, taking their anfwers.in writing, with the evidence againft them ; which be- ing laid before the court, thofc chiefs ap- pear as profecutors. The prifoners, all this time, are kept in clofe confinement, deprived of the company of relations and friends, and not allowed to receive any advice by letters. They can have no counfel to affift them, unlefs one of the Judges choofes to affiime that office ; in which cafe he is permitted to manage their defence, and plead their caufe ; after which the Court decide, by a majority of votes, acquitting the prifoner, or condemning him to private or public execution; as they think proper ; and if any perfons murmur at the fate of their relations, or friends, and talk of their in- nocence; and the injuftice they have met with, thefe malcontents afe in great danger of meeting with the fame fate. I am convinced you will think that fuch a court was fufficlently powerful to anfwer every MANNERS IN ITALY. 145 every good purpofe of government. This, It would appear, was not the opinion of the Grand Council of Venice; who thought proper, in the year 1501, to create the Tribunal of State Inquifitors, which is ftill more defpotic and brief in its manner of proceeding. This court confifts of three members, all taken from the Council of Ten ; two lite- rally from the Ten, and the third from the Counfellors of the Seigniory, who alfo make a part of that Council. • Thefe three perfons have the power of deciding, without appeal, on the lives of every citizen belonging to the Venetian State; the higheft of the nobility, even the Doge himfelf, not being excepted. They keep the keys of the boxes into which anonymous informations are thrown. The informers who expe£l a recompence, cut off a little piece of their letter, which they afterwards fhew to the Inquifitor when they claim a reward. To thofe three In- quifitors is given, the right of employing fpies, confidering fecret intelligence, ifluing orders to feize all perfons whofe words or VOL. I. h adions 146 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND adions they think reprehenfible, and after- wards trying them when they think proper. If all the three are of one opinion, no farther ceremony is neceflary; they may order the prifoner to be ftrangled in prifon, drowned in the Canal Orfano, hanged privately in the night-time between the pillars, or executed publicly, as they pleafe : and w^hatever their decifion be, no farther inquifition can be made on the fubjed : but if any one of the three differs in opinion from his brethren, the caufe muH: be carried before the full affembly of the Council of 1 en. One would naturally imagine, that by thofe the prifoner would have a good chance of being acquitted ; becaufe the difference in opinion of the three Inquiiitors fhews, that the cafe is, at leaft, dubious ; and in dubious cafes one would exped the leaning would be to the favourable fide ; but this court is governed by different maxims from thofe you • are acquainted with. It Is a rule here to admit of fmaller prefumptions in all crimes which affed the Government, than in other cafes ; and the only difference they make be- tween MANNERS IN ITALY. 147 tween a crime fully proved, and one more doubtful, is, that, in the firft cafe, the exe- cution is in broad day- light ; whereas, when there are doubts of the prifoner’s guilt, he is only put to death privately. The State Inquifitors have keys to every apartment of the Ducal palace, and can, when they think proper, penetrate Into the very bed-chamber of the Doge, open his cabinet, and examine his papers. Of courfe they may command accefs to the houfe of every individual in the State. They con- tinue in office only one year, but are not refponfible afterwards for their conduct while they were in authority. Can you think you would be perfe£ily compofed, and eafy in your mind, if you lived In the fame city with three perfons, who had the power of Ihutting you up in a dungeon, and putting you to death when they pleafed, and without being accountable for fo doing ? If, from the characters of the Inquifitors of one year, a man had nothing to dread, ftill he might fear that a fet, of a diffierent character, might be in authority the next ; L 2 and 148 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND and although he were perfuaded, that the Inquifitors would always be chofen from among men of the moft known integrity in the State, he might tremble at the malice of informers, and fecret enemies ; a com- bination of whom might impofe on the underftandings of upright Judges, efpe- daily where the accufed is excluded from his friends, and denied counfel to affift him in his defence ; for, let him be never fo confeious of innocence, he cannot be fure of remaining unfufpeded, or unaccufed ; nor can he be certain, that he fhall not be put to the rack, to fupply a deficiency of evidence ; and finally, although a man were naturally poflelTed of fo much firm- nefs of charader as to feel no inquietude from any of thofe confideratlons on his own' account, he might ftill be under ap- prehenfions for his children, and other connexions, for whom fome men feel more anxiety than for theinfelves. Such refledtions naturally arife In the minds of thofe who have been born, and accuflomed to live, in a free country, where no fuch' defpptic tribunal is eftablifhed ; yet MANNERS IN ITALY. ■ 149 yet we find people apparently eafy in the midft of all thofe dangers ; nay, we know that mankind Ihew the fame indifference in cities, where the Emperor, or the Bafhaw, amufes himfelf, from time to time, in cut- ting off the heads of thofe he happens to meet with In his walks ; and I make no doubt, that if it were ufual for the earth to open, and fwallow a proportion of its inhabitants every day, mankind would behold this with as much coolnefs as at prefent they read the bills of mortality. Such is the effed: of habit on the human mind, and fo wonderfully does it accom- modate itfelf to thofe evils for which there is no remedy. But thefe confiderations do not account for the Venetian nobles fuffering fnch tribunals as thofe of the Council’ of Ten, or the State Inquifitors, to exift, becaufe thefe are evils which it unqueftionably is in their power to remedy ; and attempts have been made, at various times, by parties of the nobility, to remove them entirely, but without fuccefs ; the majority of the Grand L 3 Council 150 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND Council having, upon trial, been found for preferving thefe inftitutions. It is believed to be owing to the attention of thefe courts, that the Venetian republic has lafted longer than any other ; but, in my opinion, the chief objefl: of a government fhould be, to render the people happy ; and if it fails in that, the longer it lafts, fo much the worfe. If they are rendered miferable by that which is fuppofed to preferve the State, they cannot be lofers by removing it, be the confequence what it may; and I fancy moft people would rather live in a convenient, comfortable houfe, which could Hand only a few centuries, than in a gloomy gothic fabric, which would laft to the day of judgment, Thefe defpotic courts, the State Inquifitors, and Council of Ten, have had their admirers, not only among the Ve- netian nobility, but among foreigners ; even among fuch as have, on other occafions, profeffed principles very unfavourable to arbitrary power. I find the following paffage In a letter of Bifhop Burnet, relating to Venice : « But MANNERS IN ITALY. 151 ‘‘ But this leads me to fay a little to you of that part of the conftitution, which is “ fo cenfured by ftrangers, but is really ‘‘ both the groateft glory, and the chief ‘‘ fecurity, of this republic ; which is, the “ unlimited power of the Inquifitors, that “ extends not only to the chief of the “ nobility, but to the Duke himfelf; who is fo fubjecf to them, that they may not ‘‘ only give him fevere reprimands, but fearch his papers, make his procefs, and, in conclufion, put him to death, without “ being bound to give any account of their “ proceedings, except to the Council of ‘‘ Ten. This is the dread, not only of all the fubjeds, but of the whole nobility, and “ all that bear office in the republic, and makes the greateft amongft them tremble, “ and fo obliges them to an exad condud:.” Now, for my part, I cannot help think- ing, that a tribunal which keeps the Doge, the nobility, and all the fubjects, in dread, and makes the greateft among them trem- ble, can be no great bleffing in any State. To be in continual fear, is certainly a very unhappy fituation ; and if the Doge, the L 4 nobility, 152 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND nobility, and all the fubjeds, are rendered unhappy, I (hould imagine, with all fub- miffion, that the glory and fecurity of the reft of the republic muft be of very fmall importance.' In the fame letter which I have quoted above, his Lordfhip, fpeaking of the State Inquifitors, has thefe words : “ When ‘‘ they find any fault, they are fo inexo- “ rable, and fo quick as well as fevere in their juftice, that the very fear of this is fo effedual a reftraint, that, perhaps, the only prefervation of Venice, and of its liberty, is owing to this fingle piece of “ their conftitution.” How would you, my good friend, relifh that kind of liberty in England, which could' not be preferved without the aflift- ance of a defpotic court ? Such an idea of liberty might have been announced from the throne, as one of the myfteries of Government, by James the Firft, or the Second,; but we are amazed to find it pub- lifhed by a counfellor and admirer of Wil- liam the Third. It may, indeed, be faid, that the fmallnefs of the Venetian State, and MANNERS IN ITALY, 153 and its republican form of government^ render *it liable to be overturned by fudden tumults, or popular infurredioris : this makes it the more neceflary to keep a watch- ful eye over the condud of individuals, and guard againft every thing that may be the fource of public commotion or diford er. The inftitution of State Inquifitors may be thought to admit of fome apology in this view, like the extraordinary and irregular- punifliment of the Oftracifm eftabliflxcd at Athens, which had a fimilar foundation. In a large State, or in a lefs popular form of government, the fame dangers from civil commotions cannot be apprehended ; fimilar precautions for preventing them are therefore fuperfluous ; but, notwithftanding every apology that can be made, I am at a lofs to account for the exiftence of this terrible tribunal for fo long a time in the Venetian republic, becaufe all ranks feera to have an intereft in its deftrudion ; and I do not fee on what principle any one man, or any fet of men, fhould wifli for its prefervation. It cannot be the Doge, for the State Inquifitors keep him in abfolute ' bondage j J54 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND bondage ; nor would one naturally imagine that the nobles would relifh this court, for the nobles are more expofed to the jealoufy of the State Inquifitors than the citizens, or inferior people ; and lead of all ought the citizens to fupport a tribunal, to which none of them can ever be admitted. As, however, the body of the nobility alone can remove this tribunal from being part of the conftitutlon, and yet, we find, they have always fupported it ; we muft con- clude, that a junto of that body, which has fufiicient influence to command a majority of their brethren, has always retained the power in their own hands, and found means of having the majority, at leaft of the Council of Ten, chofen from their own members ; fo that this arbitrary court is, perhaps, always compofed, by a kind of rotation, of the individuals of a junto. But if the poffibility of this is denied, becaufe of the precaution ufed in the form of eledl- ing by ballot, the only other way I can account for a tribunal of fuch a nature being permitted to exift, is, by fuppofing that a majority of the Venetian nobles have MANNERS IN ITALY. 155 have fo great a rellfh for unlimited power, that, to have a chance of enjoying it for a fliort period, they are willing to bear all the miferies of flavery for the reft of their lives. The encouragement given by this Go- vernment to anonymous accufers and fecret informations, is attended with confequences which greatly outweigh any benefit that can arife from them. They muft deftroy mutual confidence, and promote fufpicions and jea- loufies among neighbours ; and, while they render all ranks of men fearful, they encou- rage them to be malicious. The laws ought to be able to proteG every man who openly and boldly accufes another. If any fet of men in a State are fo powerful, that it is dangerous for an In- dividual to charge them with their crimes openly, there "muft be a weaknefs in that government which requires a fpeedy reme- dy ; but let not that be a remedy worfe than the difeafe. It is no proof of the boafted wlfdom of this Government, that, in the ufe of the tprture, it imitates many European States, 3 whofe 156 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND whofe judicial regulations It has avoided, where they feem far lefs cenfurable. The pradice of forcing confelEon, and procuring evidence, by this means, always appeared to me^a complication of cruelty and abfurdity. To make a man fuffer more than the pains of death, that you may difeover whether he deferves death or not, is a manner of dlf- tributing juftice which I cannot reconcile to my idea of equity. If it be the intention of the legiflature, that every crime, fhall be expiated by the fuffer- ings of fomebody, regardlefs whether this expiation is made by the agonies of an In- nocent perfon, or a guilty, then there is no more to be faid ; but, if the Intention be to difeover the truth, this horrid device of the torture will veiy often fail ; for nineteen people out of twenty will declare whatever they imagine will foonefi put an end to their ’ fufferings, whether it be truth or falfehood. MANNERS IN ITALY, 157 LETTER XVI. Venice. A Lthough many Important events have happened fince the eftabllfhment of the State Inquifition, which have greatly affefted the power, riches, and extent of do- minion, of this republic, yet the nature of the Government has remained much the fame. In what I have to add, therefore, I fhall be very fhort and general. I have already obferved, that it was the ufual policy of this republic to maintain a neutrality, as long as poffible, in all the wars which took place among her neighbours ; and when obliged, contrary to her incllna- tions, to declare for either party, fhe gene- rally joined with that State whofe diftanc fituation rendered its power and profperity the leaft dangerous of the two to Venice. This republic feems, however, to have too much neglefted to form defen five alliances with other States: and, l^y the continual 158 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND continual jealoufy flie {hewed of them, join- ed to her immenfe riches, at laft became the object of the hatred and envy of all the Powers in Europe. This univerfal jealoufy was roufed, and brought into adion, in the year 1508, by the intriguing genius of Pope Julius the - Second. A confederacy was fecretly entered into at Cambray, between Julius, the Emperor Maximilian, Lewis the Twelfth, and Ferdinand of Aragon, againft the republic of Venice. A bare enumeration of the Powers which compofed this league, gives a very high idea of the importance of the State againil which it was formed. The Duke of Savoy, the Duke of Far- rara, and the Duke of Mantua, acceded to this confederacy, and gave in claims to part of the dominions of Venice. It was not difficult to form pretenfions to the beft part of the dominions of a State, which originally poiTe fled nothing but a few marihy iflands at the bottom of the Adriatic Gulph. It was the general opinion of Europe, that the league of Cambray would reduce Venice to her original poITeffions. The MANNERS IN ITALY. 159 The Venetians, finding themfelves de- prived of all hopes of foreign afTiftance, fought fupport from their own courage, and refolved to meet the danger which threatened them, with the fpirit of a brave and independent people. Their General, Count Alvlano, led an army againft Lewis, who,, being prepared before the other confederates,, had already entered Italy. However great th^ magna- nimity of the Senate, and the fkill of their General, the foldiery were by no means equal to the difciplined troops of France, led by a martial nobility, and headed by a gallant monarch. The army of Alviano was defeated ; new enemies poured on the republic from all fides ; and fhe loft, in one campaign, all the territories % in Italy which fhe had been ages in ac- quiring. Venice now found that fhe could no longer depend on her own ftrength and refources, and endeavoured to break, by policy, a combination which ihe had not force to refift. The Venetian Senate, know- ing that Julius was the foul of the con- federacy, i6o VIEW OF SOCIETY AND federacy, offered to deliver up the towns he claimed, 'and made every other fub- miflion that could gratify the pride, and av^rt the anger, of that ambitious Pontiff ; they alfo find means to feparate Ferdinand from the alliance. Lewis and Maximilian being now their only enemies, the Vene- tians are able to fuftain the war, till Julius, bearing no longer any refentment againft the republic, and feized with remorfe at beholding his native country ravaged by French and German armies, unites with Venice to drive the invaders out of Italy ; and this republic is faved, with the lofs of a fmall part of her Italian dominions, from a ruin which all Europe had confidcred as inevitable. The long and expenfive wars between the different Powers of Europe, in which this State was obliged to take part, prove that her ftrength and refources were not exhaufted. In the year 1570, the Venetians were forced into a ruinous war with the Ottoman Empire, at a time when the Senate, fenfible of the great need they flood in of repofe, had, with much addrefs and policy, kept clea^ MANNERS IN ITALY. i6i clear of the quarrels which agitated the reft of Europe. But Solyman the Second, upon the moft frivolous pretext, demanded from, them the ifland of Cyprus. It was evident to all the world, that he had no better foundation for this claim, than a ftrong defire, fupported by a fuffi- cient power, of conquering the ifland. This kind of right might not he thought complete in a court of equity ; but, in the jurifpru* dence of monarchs, it has alvvaj^s been found preferable to every other. The Turks make a defcent, with a great army, on Cyprus ; they inveft Famagoufta, the capital ; the garrifon defends it with the moft obftinate bravery; the Turks are re- pulfed in repeated aflaults ; many thou* fands of them are flain ; but the ranks are conftantly fupplied by reinforcement?. An- tonio Bragadino, the commander, having difplayed proofs of the higheft military fldll, and the moft heroic courage, his garrifon being quite ex.haufted with fatigue, and greatly reduced in point of numbers, is obliged to capitulate. VOL. I. M The i6i VIEW OF SOCIETY AND The terms were, that the garrifon fhould march out with their arms, baggage, and three pieces of cannon, and fhould be tranf- ported to Candia in Turkifh veffels ; that the citizens fhould not be pillaged, but allowed to retire with their effeds. Muflapha, the Turkifh Bafhaw, no fooner had pofTefTion of the place, than he delivered it up to be pillaged by the Janif- farles.; the garrifon were put in chains, and made flaves on board the Turkifh gallies. The principal officers were beheaded, and the gallant Bragadino was tied to a pillar, and, in the Bafhaw’s prefence, flayed alive. We meet with events in the annals of mankind, that make us doubt the truth of the mofl authentic hiftory. We cannot be- lieve that fuch adions have ever been committed by the inhabitants of this globe, and by creatures of the fame fpecies with ourfelves. We are tempted to think we are perufing the records of hell, whofe in- habitants, according to the moft authentic accounts, derive a eonflant pleafure from the I MANNERS IN ITALY: 163 the tortures of each other, as 'well as of all foreigners. The conqueft of the ifland of Cyprus Is faid to have coft the Turks fifty thoufand lives. At this time, not Venice only, but all Chriftendom, had reafon to dread the pro- grefs of the Turkifh arms. The State of Venice folicited affiftance from all the Ca- tholic States; but France was, at that time, in alliance with the Turks ; Maximilian dreaded their power ; the Crown of Portu- gal was pofTefled by a child, and Poland w^as exhaufted by her wars with Ruffia. The Venetians, on this preffing occafion, received affiftance from Rome, whofe power they had fo often refifted, and from Spain, their late enemy. Pope Pius the Fifth, and Philip the Second, joined their fleets with that of the republic. The confederate fleet affembled at MeflTina. The celebrated Don John of Auftria, natural fon to Charles the Fifth, was Generaliflimo ; Mark Antonio Co^ lonna commanded the Pope’s divifion, and Sebaftlan Veniero the Venetian. The M 2 Turkifh 164 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND Turkldi fleet was greatly fuperlor In the number of velTels. The tv,^o fleets meet in the Gulph of Lapanta ; it is faid, that the Turkilh gallies were entirely worked by Chrifllan flaves, and jhe gallies of the Chriftians by Turk- Ifli ; a fhocking proof of the barbarous manner in which prifoners of war were treated in that age ; and, in this inftance, as abfurd as it was barbarous ; for a cartel for an exchange of prifoners would have given freedom to the greater number of thofe unhappy men, without dimlnlfliing the ftrength of either navy. The fleets engage, and the Turks are entirely defeat- ed. Hiftorians aflbrt, that twenty thou- fand Turks were killed in the engagement, and one half of their fleet deftroyed. This is a prodigious number to be killed on one fide, and in a fea- fight ; it ought to be re- membered, that there is no Turkilh writer on the fubjedt. Pius the Fifth died foon after the battle of Lapanta. Upon his death the war lan- guiflied on the fide of the Allies ; Philip became MANNERS IN ITALY. 165 became tired of the expence, and the Ve- netians were obliged to purchafe a peace, by yielding' the ifland of Cyprus to the Turks, aud agreeing to pay them, for three years, an annual tribute of one hundred thoufand ducats. Thofe circumftances have no tendency to confirm the accounts which Chriftian writers have given, of the immenfe lofs which the Turks met with at the battle of Lapanta. In the beginning of the feventeenth cen- tury, the republic had a difpute with the Pope, which, in that age, was thought a matter of importance, and engaged the at- tention of all Chriftendom. Paul the Fifth fhewed as eager a difpo- fition as any of his predeceffors, to extend the Papal authority. He had an inveterate prejudice againft the Venetian republic, on account of her having, on every occa- fion, refilled all ecclefiaftical encroach^ ments. He fought, wdth Impatience, an oppor^ tunity of manifefting his hatred, and ex- peded that he fhould be affiRed by the pious Princes of Europe, in bringing this refrac- M 3 tory i66 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND tory child of the church to reafon. He began by demanding a fum of money, for the purpofe of carrying on the war againft the Turks in Hungary ; he complained of certain decrees of the Senate, relating to the' internal government of the republic, particularly one which forbad the building of any more new churches, without the permiffion of that affembly, and which, he faid, fmelt flrongly of herefy ; and, above all, he exclaimed againft the Council of Ten, for having imprifoned an Ecclefiaftic, and prepared to bring him to a public trial. This reverend perfon, for whom his Holinefs interefted himfelf fo warmly, was accufed of having polfoned five people, one of whom was his own father. He was alfo accufed of having caufed another to be aflaflinated; and, to prevent a dif- covery, had afterwards poifpned the affaflin. The Senate refufed the money, con- firmed their decree againft the buildings of churches, and applauded' the conduft of the Council of Ten, in profecuting the Ecclefiaftic. The MANNERS IN ITALY. 167 The authors of the age arranged them- felves on the one fide, or the other, and this became a war of controverfy ; in which, though there was no- blood flied, yet it appeared, by the writings of the partifans, that a confiderable number of underftand- ings were greatly injured. Thofe who fupported the Pope’s caufe infifted, that the temporal power of Princes is fubordinate to his ; that he has a right to deprive them of their dominions, and releafe their' fubjeds from their oaths of fidelity, as often as this fiiall be for the glory of God, and for the good of the Church ; of which nobody could be fo good a judge as the Pope, fince all the world knew he was infallible ; that ecclefiaftics were not fub- jefted to the civil power; that an eccle- fiafticai court, or the Pope, only, had au- thority over that body of men ; and no- thing could be more abominable, than to continue a profecution againft a prifoner, whatever his crimes might be, after the Father of the church, who had the un- doubted power of abfolving finners, had interfered in his favour. M 4 The i68 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND The Senate, in their anfwers, acknow- ledged, that the Pope was fupreme head of the Church, and that, in all fubjeds of reli- gious belief, his power was unbounded ; for which reafon they remained implicit and fubmiffive believers ; that they were far from difputing the infallibility of his Holinefs in ecclefiaftical matters, particu- larly within his own dominions ; but, with regard to the government of their fubjeds, they would certainly take the whole trouble of that on themfelves, and would adml- nlfter as impartial juftlce to Ecclefiaflics, as to thofe of other profeffions. They imagined alfo, that they were competent judges when, and for what purpofes, they ought to levy money upon their own* fubjeds, and whether it would be neceflary to build any new churches in Venice, or not. Finally, they flattered themfelves, that the profecuting a mur- derer was no way inconfiftent with the glory of God. The greater number of the Princes of Phrlftendom feemed to think the Senate were in the right. The Pope was dis- appointed MANNERS IN ITALY. 169 appointed in his expe<3:atIons ; and finding himfelf unfupported, was glad to fhelter his pride under the mediation of Henry the Fourth of France, who endeavoured to give his Holinefs’s defeat the ' appearance of vidory. 170 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND HP year i6i8 Is dlfllngulfhed in the annals of Venice, by a confpiracy of a more formidable nature than any hitherto mentioned. The defign of other confpiracies, was a change in the form of government, or, at moft, the deftrudion of fome particular clafs of men in power ; but the prefent plot had for its objed the total annihilation of the .Venetian republic. I fpeak of the confpiracy formed by the Marquis of Bedmar, ambaflador from the Court of Spain, in eonjundion with the Duke of Oflbno, and the Spanifh governor of the Milanefe. ^ The interefting manner in which this dark defign has been defcribed by the Abbe St. Real, has made it more unlver- fally known than any other part of the Venetian ftory. This writer is accufed of LETTER XVII. Venice. having MANNERS^ IN ITALY. 171 having ornamented his account with fome fanciful circumftances, an objedion often envioufly urged againft fome of the moft agreeable writers, by authors whom nature has guarded from the poffibility of com- mitting fuch an error ; men, whofe truths are lefs Interefting than fidions, and whofe fidions are as dull as the moft infipld truths. Does any reader believe that the fpeeches of the Generals before a battle, as recorded by Livy, were adually pro- nounced in the terms of that author ? Or, can any one wifh they were expunged - from his hiftory ? Abbe St. Real has alfo put fpeeches into the mouths of the con- fpirators, and has embelHftied, without materially altering, the real circumftances of the ftory. For my ov/n part, I feel a degree of gratitude to every perfon who has entertained me ; and while my paflions are agreeably agitated with St. Real’s lively hiftory, I cannot bear that a phlegmatic fellow Ihould interrupt my enjoyment; and, becaufe of a few embellifhments, de- clare, with an afteded air of wlfdom, that the whole is an idle romance. The 172 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND The difcovery of this plot, and the im- prelTions of jealoufy and terror which it left on the minds of the inhabitants of Venice, probably firft fuggefted a plan of a more wicked nature than any of the confpiracies we have hitherto mentioned, and which was actually put in execution. A fet of villains combined together to accufe fome of the nobility of treafonable practices, merely for the fake of the rewards bellowed upon informers. This horrid crime may be expeCted in all governments where fpies and informers are encouraged ; it certainly occurs frequently at Venice ; Ibmetimes, no doubt, without being detect- ed, and fometimes it is detected without being publicly punllhed, for fear of dif- couraging the bufinefs of information : but on the difcovery of the prefent combina- tion, all Venice was {truck with fuch horror, that the Senate thought proper to publiQi every circumftance. A certain number of thofe ralfcreants aCted the part of accufers ; the others, being feized by the information of their accom- plices, appeared as witneiTes. A noble MANNERS IN ITALY, 173 A noble Venetian, of a refpediable cha- radter, and advanced in years, of the name of Fofcarini, fell a victim to this horrid cabal ; and Venice beheld, with aftonilh- ment and forrow, one of her moft refpedl- able citizens accufed, condemned, and exe- cuted, as a traitor. At length, accufations followed each other fo clofe, that they created fufpicions in the minds of the Judges. The in- formers themfelves were feized, and exa- mined feparately, and the whole dreadful fcheme became manifeft. Thefe wretches fuffered the punifhment due to fuch com- plicated villany ; the honour of Fofcarini was reinftated, and every poffible compen- fation made to his Injured family. An inftance like this, of the defpotic precipi- tancy of the Inquifitors, more than counter- balances all the benefit which the State ever receives from them, or the odious race of informers they encourage. If the trial of the unfortunate Fofcarini had been open^ ox public^ and not in fecret, according to the form of the Inquifitors’ Court ; and if he had been allowed to call exculpatory 174 VIEW OF S0C1ETY AND " exculpatory evidence, and aflifted by thofe friends who knew all his adlons, the falfe- hood and villany of thefe accufers would probably have been difcovered, and his life faved. In the year 1645, the Turks made an unexpe£ted and fudden defcent on the ifland of Candia, The Senate of Venice did not difplay their ufual vigilance on this occafion. They had feen the immenfe warlike preparations going forward, and yet allowed themfelves to be amufed by the Grand Seignior's declaring war againft Malta, and pretending that the armament was intended againft that ifland. The troops landed without oppofition, and the town of Canea was taken after an obftinate defence. This news being brought to Venice, ex- cited an univerfal indignation againft the Turks ; and the Senate refolved to defend, to the utmoft, this valuable part of the empire. Extraordinary ways and means of raifing money were fallen upon : among others, it was propofed to fell the rank of nobility. Four citizens offered one hun- dred MANNERS IN ITALY. 175 dred thoufand ducats each for this honour ; and, notwith (landing fome oppofition, this meafure was at laft carried. Eighty families were admitted into the Grand Council, and to the honour and privileges of the nobility. What an idea does this give of the wealth of the inhabitants of Venice ? The fiege of Candia, the capital of the ifland of that name, is, in fome refpeds, more memorable than that* of any town, which hiftory, or even which poetry, has recorded. It lafted twenty-four years. The amazing efforts made by the republic of Venice aftonilhed all Europe ; their courage interefted the gallant fpirits of every nation : volunteers from every country came to Candia, to exercife their valour, to acquire knowledge in the military art, and affift a brave people whom they admired. The Duke of Beaufort, fo much the darling of the Parifian populace during the war of the Fronde, was killed here, with many more gallant French officers. During this famous fiege, the Venetians gained many important vidories over the Turkilh 176 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND Turldfli fleets. Sometimes they were driven from the walls of Candia, and the Turkilh garrifon of Canea was even befieged by the Venetian fleets. The flaughter made of the Turkifli armies is without example; but new armies were fooii found to fupply their place, by a government which boafts fuch populous dominions, and which has defpotic autho- rity over Its fiibjedts. Mahomet the Fourth, Impatient at the length of this fiege, came to Negropont, that he might have more frequent oppor- tunities of hearing from the Vizier, who carried on the fiege. An officer fent with dlfpatches, was direded by the Vizier, to explain to Mahornet the manner in which he made his approaches, and to afTure him that he would take all poffible care to favc the lives of the foldiers. The humane \ ' Emperor anfwered, That he had fent the Vizier to take the place, and not to fpare the lives of foldiers ; and he w^as on the point of ordering the head of the officer, who brought this meflage, to be cut olF, merely MANNERS IN ITALY. 177 merely to quicken the Vizier in his opera- tions, and to fliow him how little he valued the lives of men. In fpite of the Vizier^s beaded parfimony^ this war is faid to have cod the lives of two hundred thoufand Turks. Candia capitulated in the year 1668: the condi- tions on this occafion were honourably ful- filled. Morfini, the Venetian General, after difplaying prodigies of valour and capacity, marched out of the rubbifli of this well- difputed city with the honours of war. The expence of fuch a tedious war greatly exhauded the refources of Venice, which could not now repair them fo quickly as formerly, when flie enjoyed the rich monopoly of the Afiatic trade ; the difeovery of the Gape of Good Hope having long fince opened that valuable commerce to the Portuguefe and other nations. This republic remained in a date of tranquillity, endeavouring^ by the arts of peace, and cultivation of that fhare of com- merce which fhe dill retained, to fill her empty exchequer, till fire was drawn into a new war, in the year 1683, VOL. j. N lence 178 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND leace of the Ottoman Court. The Vene-' tians had for fome time endeavoured, by negociation, and many conciliatory repre- fentations, to accommodate matters with the Turks; and though the haughty con- duce of her enemies afforded fmal! hopes of fuccefs, yet fuch was her averfion to war on the prefent occafion, that flie ftill balanced, whether to bear thofe infults, or repel them by arms ; when flie was brought to decifion by an event which gave the greateft Joy to Venice, and afto- nifhed all Europe. This was The great victory gained over the Turkifh army be- fore the walls of Vienna, by Sobiefki King of Poland. In this new war, their late General Mor- fml again had the command’ of the fleets and armies of the republic, and fuftained the great reputation he had acquired in - Candia. He conquered the Morea, which was ceded formerly to Venice, with fome other acquifition, at the peace of Carlowitz, in the laft year of the laft century. During the war of the fucceflion, the State of Venice obferved a RTifl neutrality. They Manners in Italy. 1/9 iThey confidered that difpute as uncon- neded with their interefts, taking care, however, to keep on foot an army on their frontiers in Italy, of fufficient force to make them refpe depending. You remember, what a rage he was in, and what a tumult he ralfed, immediately before the death of Julius Casfar. Proluit infano contorquens vortice fylvas Fluviorum Rex EridanuSj compofqueper omnesj Cum ftabulis armenca tulit. Dryden tranflates thefe lines. Then rifing in his might, the King of Floods Rulh’d thro’ the forefts, tore the lofty woods •, And, MANNERS IN ITALY. 241 And, rolling onward, with a fweepy fway. Bore houfes, herds, and labouring hinds away. Rifmg in his might is happy, but the reft is not fo limple as the original, and much lefs expreffive ; there wants the infano contorquens vortice fylvas. It is not furprifing that the Po is fo much celebrated by the Roman poets, fince it is, unqueftionably, the fineft river in Italy— Where every ftream in heavenly numbers flows. It feems to have been the favourite river of Virgil : Gcmina auratus taurino cornua vultu Eridanus, quo non alius per pinguia culta In mare purpureum violentior influit amnis*. And Mr. Addifon, at the fight of this river, is infpired with a degree of enthu- fiafm, which does not always animate his poetry ; * Whence bulUfaced Po adorned with gilded horns. Than whom no river, thro’*fuch level meads, Down to the fea with fwifter torrents fpeeds, Warton. ^ Fired VOL. !• K 242 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND Fired with a thoufand raptures, I furvey Eridanus thro’ flowery meadows ftray ; The King of Floods ! that, rolling o’er their plains, The towering Alps of half their moifture drains, And, proudly fwoln with a whole winter’s fnows, Diftributes wealth and plenty where he flows. Notwithftanding all that the Latin poets, and, in imitation of them, thofe of other nations, have fung of the Po, I am con- vinced that no river in the world has Been fo well fung as the Thames. Thou too, great father of the Britifli floods! With joyful pride furvey’ft our lofty woods ; Where tow’ring oaks their growing honours rear, And future navies on thy fhores appear; Not Neptune’s fclf, from all her flreams, receives A wealthier tribute, than to thine he gives* No feas fo rich, fo gay no banks appear. No lake fo gentle, and no fpring fo clear ; Nor Po fo fwells the fabling poets lays. While led along the flcies his current ftrays, As thine, which vifits Windfor’s fam’d abodes. If you are ftill refradory, and ftand up for the panegyrifls of the Po, I muft call Denham MANNERS IN ITALY. Denham In aid of my argument, and I hope you will have the tafte and candour to acknowledge, that the following are, beyond comparifon, the nobleft lines that ever were written on a river : My eye defcending from the hills, furveys WhereThames among the wanton vailiesftrays. Thames, the mod loved of all the Ocean’s fons. By his old fire, to his embraces runs; Hading to pay his tribute to the fea, Like mortal life to meet Eternity. Though with thofe dreams he no refemblance hold, Whofe foam is amber, and their gravel gold ; His genuine and lefs guilty wealth t’explore. Search not his bottom, but furvey his diore ; O’er which he kindly fpreads his fpacious wing. And hatches plenty for th’enfuing fpring; Nor then dedroys it with too fond a day. Like mothers which their children overlay. Nor with a fudden and impetuous wave. Like profufe kings, refumes the wealth he gave. No unexpeded inundations fpoil The mower’s hopes, nor mock theplowman’s toil; But, godlike, his unv;eary’d bounty flows : Fird loves to do, then loves the good he does. Nor are his bleflTings to his banks confined. But free and common, as the fea or wind ; R 2 When VIEW OF SOCIETY AND 144 When he, to boaft, or to difperfe his (lores/ Full of the tribute of his grateful fhores, Vifits the world, and in his flying towers, -Brings home to us, and makes both Indies ours; Finds wealth where’tis, beftowsic where it wants. Cities in deferts, woods in cities plants. So that, to us, no thing, no place is ftrange. While his fair bofom is the world's exchange. O could 1 flow like thee, and make thy dream My great example, as it is my theme ! Though deep, yet clear; though gentle, yet not dull; Strong without rage, without o’erflowing full. Heaven her Eridanus no more (hall boad, Whofe fame in thine, like lefTer current 's lod. You will fufped that I am hard pufhed to make out a letter, wlien I fend you fuch long quotations from the poets. This, how- ever, is not my only reafon. While we re- main on the Po, rivers naturally become the fubjedt of my letter. I afferted, that the Thames has been more fublimely fung than the favourite river of claflical authors, and I wiflied to lay fome of my ftrongeft proofs before you at once, to fave you the trouble of turning to the originals. I MANNERS IN ITALY, 245 LETTER XXVI. Ferrara. arrived here early this morning. The magnificent ftreets and num- ber of fine buildings fliew that this has formerly been a rich and flourifliing city'. The prefent inhabitants, however, who are very few in proportion to the extent of the town, bear every mark of poverty. The happinefs of the fubjeds in a de- fpotic government, depends much more on the perfonal charader of the fovereign, than in a free ftate ; and the fubjeds of little Princes, who have but a fmall ex- tent of territory, are more affeded by the good and bad qualities of thofe Princes, than the inhabitants of great and exten- five empires. I had frequent opportuni- ties of making this remark in Germany, v/here, without having feen the Prince, or heard his charader, one may often dif- .cover his difpofitions and turn of mind, R3 from 246 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND from examining into the circumftances and general fituation of the people. When the Prince is vain and. luxurious, as he con- fiders himfelf equal in rank, fo he en- deavours to vie in magnificence with more powerful fovereigns, and thofe attempts always terminate in the oppreflion and po-r verty of his fubjeds ; but when the Prince, on the other hand, is judicious, adive, and benevolent, as the narrow limits of his territories make it eafy for him to be acquainted with the real fituation and true intereft of his fubjeds, his good qualities operate more diredly and effedually for their benefit, than if his dominions were more extenfive, and he himfelf obliged to govern by the agency of minifters. -^.The Duchy of Ferrara was formerly go- verned by its own Dukes, many of whom happened to be of the charader laft men- tioned, and the Ferrarefe was, for feveral generations, one of the happieft and mofi: flourifhing fpots in Italy. In the year 1597 annexed to the Ecclefiaftical State, and has ever fince been gradually falling into poverty and decay. It muft 3 ' be MANNERS IN ITALY. 247 be owing to fome elTentlal error in the Government, when a town like this, fitu- ated in a fertile foil, upon a navigable river near the Adriatic, remains in poverty. Except the change of its Sovereign, all the other caufes which I have heard afTigned for the poverty of Ferrara, exifted in the days of its profperity. Though the citizens of Ferrara have not been able to preferve their trade and in- duftry, yet they ftill retain an old privi- lege of wearing fwords by their fides. This privilege extends to the loweft me- chanics, who ftrut about with great dig- nity. Fencing is the only fcience in a flourifhing condition in this town, which furnifhes all the towns in Italy with fkilful fenciiig-mafters. Ferrara was famous for- merly for a manufactory of fword-blades. The Scotch Highlanders, who had a greater demand for fwords, and were nicer in the choice of their blades, than any other peo- ple, ufed to get them from a celebrated maker in this town, of the name of An- drea di Ferrara. The beft kind of broad- n 4 fwords 248 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND fwords are ftlll called by the Highlanders True Andrew Ferraras. There are two brafs ftatues oppofite to one of the principal churches. One is of Nicholo Marquis of Efte, and the other of Borfo of Eftc, the firfl: Duke of Ferrara, whofe memory is ftill held in great venera- tion in this city. I had the curiofity to go to the Benedidine church, merely to fee the place where Arlofto lies buried. The de- gree of importance in which men are held by their cotemporaries and by pofterity, is very different. This fine fanciful old bard has done more honour to modern Italy, than forty-nine in fifty of the Popes and Princes to which fhe has given birth, and while thofe, who were the gaze of the multitude during their lives, are now en- tirely forgotten, his fame increafes with the progrefs of time. In his lifetime, perhaps, his importance, in the eye^s of his country- men, arofe from the protedion of the fa- mily of Efte; now^ he gives importance, in the eyes of all Europe, to the illuftrious names of his patrons, and to the country where he was born. \ Tho MANNERS IN ITALY. 249 The Emperor, and two of his brothers, lodged lately at the inn where we now are. Our landlord is fo vain of this, that he cannot be prevailed on to fpeak on any other fubjedl ; he has entertained me with a thoufand particulars about his illuftrious gucfts : it is impofTible he fhould ever for- get thofe anecdotes, for he has been con- ftantly repeating them ever fince the Royal Brothers left his houfe. I afked him, what we could have for fupper? He anfwered, That we fliould fup in the very fame room in which his Imperial Majefty had dined. I repeated my queftion; and he replied, he did not believe there were three more affable Princes in the world. I faid, I hoped fup- per would be foon ready; and, he told me, that the Archduke'was fond of fricaffee, but the Emperor preferred a fovd plain roafled. I faid, with an air of impatience, that I fhould be much obliged to him if he would fend in fupper. He bowed, and walked to the door ; but, before he difappeared, he turned about and affured me, that although his Majefty ate no more than an ordinary man, yet he paid like an Emperor. To 250 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND To perpetuate the memory of this great event, of the Emperor and his two brothers having dined at this houfe, the landlord got an Ecclefiaflic of his acquaintance to com- pofe the following pompous infcnption^ which is now engraven upon a ftone at the door of his inn. QUOD TABERNA H.£C DIVERSORIA HOSPiTES JHABUERIT TRES FRATRES CONSILIIS, MORIBUS, ET IN DEUM PiETATE, PRi-CLAROS, ' sMARl^ THERES. BOHEMIA ET HUNG. REGIN.T, &c. &c. ET TANT_T MATRIS VIRTUTI SIMILLIMOS MAXIMILIANUM AUSTRIA ARCHIDUCEM, CCEN^ ET OyiETATIS CAUSA, TERTJO CALSND. JUNII M.DCC.LXXV. DIE POSTKRO PRANDIUM SUMPTUROS PETRUM LEOP. MAGN. KETRUC. DUCEM, ET JOSEPHUM SECOND. ROM. IMPERATOREM, SECULI NOSTRl ORNAMENTUM ET DECUS, NE TEMPORIS LONGITUDO HUJUSCE LOCI FELICITATEM OBLITERET PERENNE HOC MONUMENTUM No * Three brothers, the Tons of Marla Therefa, Queen of Bohemia and Hungary, all of them diftinguiflied by their virtues, and worthy of fo illuRrious a mother, were entertained at this inn, iz. Maximilian Arch-duke of Auftria, who adually fuppsd and palled the night here, on the 30th of May, 1775. Peter MANNERS IN ITALY. 251 No three perfons ever acquired Im- mortality on eafier terms : it has only coft them one night’s lodging at an indifferent inn, when better quarters could not be had. Peter Leopold Grand Duke of Tufcany, and the Em- peror Jofeph the Second, the ornament and glory of the age, who dined here the following day. That fuch important events may net be loft in the flight of time, let this durable monument inform the lateft pof- terityof the happinefs which this inn erjoyed. 152 VIEW 'OF SOCIETY AND LETTER XXVII. Bologna. ^TTHEN we left Ferrara, our landlord Infifted on our taking fix horfes to eachchaife, on account of the badriefs of the roads, the foil about the town being moift and heavy. I attempted to remonftrate that four vv^ould be fufficient ; but he cut me fhort, by protefting, that the roads were fo very deep, that he would not allow the bell friend he had in the world, not even the -Emperor himfelf, were he there In per- fon, to take fewer than fix. There was no more to be faid after this ; the fame argu- ment would have been irrefiftible, had he infifted on our taking twelve. , As you draw near to Bologna, the country gradually improves in cultivation ; and, for fome miles before you enter the town, feems one continued garden. The vine- yards are not divided by hedges, but by rows MANNERS IN ITALY. 253 rows of elms and mulberry trees ; the vines hanging in a moft beautiful pifturefque manner, in feftoons from one tree to ano- ther. This country is not only fertile in vines, but likewife in corn, olives, and paf- turage, and has, not without foundation, acquired the name of Bologna la Grafla. This town is well built, and populous; the number of inhabitants amounting to feventy, or perhaps eighty thoufand. The houfes in general have lofty porticoes, which would have a better effect if the ftreets were not fo narrow ; but in this particular, magnifi- cence is facrificed to conveniency; for, in Italy, lliade is confidered as a luxury. The Duchy of Bologna had conditions granted to it, upon fubmitting to the Papal dominion. Thofe conditions have been obferved with a degree of punduality and good faith, which many zealous Proteftants would not expedl in the Church of Rome. Bologna retains the name of a republic, fends an ambaflador to the Pope’s court, and the w'ord Libcrtas is infcribed on the arms and coin of the State, with the flat* capitals 5. P, ^ 72. The civil eovernment tering 254 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND government and police of the town is allowed to remain in the hands of the ma- giftrates, who are chcfen by the Senate, which formerly confifted of forty mem- bers ; but fince this republic came under the protection, as it is called, of the Pope, he thought proper to add ten more, but the whole fifty ftill retain the name of the Quaranta. Mankind, in general, are more alarmed by a change of name in things which they have long regarded with ve- neration, than by a real change in the na- ture of the things themfelves. ,The Pope may have had feme good political reafon for augmenting the number of the Council to fifty ; but he could have none for calling them the Council of Fifty, if the people chofe rather to call fifty men affembled together the Council of Fo?^ty» One of the Senators prefides in the Senate, and is called the Gonfalonier ; from his car- rying the ftandard (Gonfalone) of the republic. ‘ He is chief magiftrate, is at- tended by guards, and is conftantly at the palace, or near it, to be ready on any emergency j but he remains only two months MANNERS IN ITALY. 25s months in office, and the Senators take it by turns. In the midft of all this appearance of independency, a Cardinal Legate from Rome governs this republic : he is ap- pointed by the Pope, with a Vice Legate, and other affiftants. The orders Vvffiich the Legate iffiies, are fuppofed to be with the approbation of the Senate ; at leaft, they are never difputed by that prudent body of men. The office, .which is of higher dignity than any other now in the gift of the Court of Rome, continues fer three years : at the expiration of that time, his Holinefs either appoints a new Legate, or confirms the old one in the office for three years longer. This ecclefiaftical Viceroy lives in great magnificence, and has a numerous fiiite of pages, equerries, and halberdiers, who at- tend him in the city. When he goes into the country, he is accompanied by guards on horfeback. The Gonfalonier and magifirates regu- late all the ufual matters which regard the police, and decide, in common caufes, ac- cording 156 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND cording to the laws and ancient forms of the republic ; but there is no doubt that, in affairs of great importance, and, indeed, ’as often as he choofes to Interfere, the Car- 'dinal Legate Influences decifions. This muff be mortifying to the Senators and noble fa- milies, but is lefs felt by the people in ge- neral, who have eVery appearance of living under a mild and beneficent government. The inhabitants of Bologna carry on a very confiderable trade In filks and velvets, which are manufactured here in great per- fection. The country produces immenfe quantities of oil, wine, flax, and hemp ; and furniflies all Europe with faufages, Macaroni, liqueurs, and effences. The people feem to be induflrious, and to be allowed to enjoy the fruits of their labour ; the markets are moft plentifully fupplied with provifions ; fruit is to be had in great variety, and all excellent in its kind: the common wine of the country is a light white wine of an agreeable tafte, which flrangers prefer to any of the French or German wines to be had there. Thofe who * are not pleafed with the entertainment they MANNERS IN ITALY. 257 they meet with at the Inns In this city, it v/IIl be a difficult matter to pleafe ; they muit be pofleffed of a degree of fuch nicety, both in the palates, and tempers, as will render them exceedingly troublefome to themfelves and others, not only in their travels through Italy, but in the whole courfe of their journey through life. There are a great number of palaces in this city. What is called the Public Palace is, by far, the moll fpacious, but not the moll elegant. In this the Cardinal Legate is lodged. There are alfo apartments for the Gonfalonier ; and halls, or chambers, ' for fome of the courts of jullice. This building, though' of a gloomy and Irre- gular form without, contains fome very magnificent apartments, and a few good pictures: the moll elleemed are, a large one, by Guido, of the Virgin and the Infant Jefus, feated on the rainbow; a 'Sampfon, by Guido alfo, refrefliing him- felf with the v^ater which IlTues from the jaw-bone with which he has jull defeated the Phililllnes ; and a St. John the Baptill, by Raphael, a duplicate of that in the VOL'. I, s , Palais- 258 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND Palais Royal at Paris, but thought by fome connoiiTeurs greatly inferior. For my part, I think it is to be regretted, that this great painter did not employ the time he fpent on one of them, at leaf!:, on fome fubje6t more worthy of his talents. A fingle figure, unemployed, can never pleafe fo much as a groupe, occupied in fome in- terefting a£tion. It is a pity that a painter, capable, even in a moderate degree, of exciting the paflions, fhould confine his ta- lents to folitary figures. How much moro unworthy of him who pofTeffed all the fublimity and pathos of the art ! On his arrival at this town, the firft ob- ject which ftrikes the eye of a ft ranger, is a noble marble fountain, in the area before the Palazzo Publico. The principal figure is a ftatue of Neptune, eleven feet in height ; one of his hands is ftretched out before him. In the other he holds the trident. The body and limbs are finely proportioned, the anatomy perfedt, the charafler of the coun- tenance fevere and majeftic. This figure of Neptune, as well as all the others of boys, dol- phins, and fyrens, which furround it, are in bronze. MANNERS IN ITALY. 259 bronze. The whole is the workmanfhip of Giovanni di Bolognajand is highly efteerned; yet there feems to be an impropriety in mak- ing water flow in ftreams from the breafls of the fea nymphs, or fyrens. Over the entrance of the Legate’s palace, is a bronze ftatue of a Pope. The tiara, and other parts of the Papal uniform, arc not fo favourable to the fculptor’s genius, as the naked fimplicity in which Neptune ‘ appears. A female traveller, however, not extravagantly fond of the fine arts, would rather be obferved admiring the fculptor’s {kill in imitating the folds of the Sacer- dotal robes, than his anatomical accuracy in forming -the majeftic proportions of the Sea Divinity. i6o VIEW OF SOCIETY AND LETTER XXVIIL HE uiuyerfity of Bologna is one of the moft ancient and moft celebrated feats of literature in Europe ; and the academy for the arts and' fciences, founded by the Count Marfigli at the beginning of the prefent century, is fufficient, of itfelf, to engage Grangers to.vifit this city, if there were nothing elfe worthy of their cu- riofity. Over the gate of this magnificent edifice is the following liberal infcription : BONONIENSE SCIENTIARUM ATQUE ARTIUM, INSTITUTUM AD PUBLICUM TOTIUS Here is a moft valuable library, In three fpacious rooms, where any perfon may ftudy, and have the ufe of the books, four hours every day; alfo apartments for the ftudents of fculpture, painting, architedlure, ♦ The Bononian Acaderay of Arts and Sciences, for the general ufe of the whole world. Bologna, ORBIS VSJJM*. chemiftry, MANNERS IN ITALY. 261 chemiftry, anatomy, aftronomy, and every branch of natural philofcphy. They are all ornamented- with defigns, models, in- ftruments, and every kind of apparatus requifite for illuftrating thofe fciences. .There are alfo Profeflbrs, who regularly read leftures, and in(lru£t the ftudents In thofe various parts of knowledge. There Is a hall, full of models in architedure and fortification, a valuable col!e£tion of medals, and another of natural curiofitles, as animals, earths, ores, minerals, and a com- plete colleSion of fpecimens, to affift the ftudy of the Materia Medica, and every part of Natural Hiftory. A gallery of ftatues, confifting of a few originals, and very fine cafts of the beft flatues. in Italy. I went one evening to the academy of painting and fculpture ; two men flood In different attitudes on a table, in the middle of the room ; about fifty ftudents fat in the amphitheatre around them, fome^ draw- ing their figures in chalks, others model- ling them in wax, or clay. As each ftudent viewed the two men from different points, the variety of manner in the differ- s 3 ‘ ent 262 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND ent ftuderits, together with the alteration in the Chiaro Scuro under each point of view, gave every drawing the appearance of being done from a different figure. Nothing can be fo advantageous to the young ftudent as this kind of exercife, which is fometimes pracStifed by day-light, and fometimes by the light of lamps, and muft give a fuller idea of the effed; of light and fiiade than any other method. Honorary premiums are diftributed every year among the artifts, for the beft defigns in painting, fculpture, and architedlure. The Anatomical Theatre is adorned With ftatues of celebrated phyficians ; and in the Mufeum, which belongs to it, there are abundance of anatomical preparations ; alfo a complete fuite of anatomical figures in wax. A man and woman ' in the natural ftate ; the fame with the ^fkin and cellular membrane removed, the external mufcles of the whole body and limbs ap- pearing. In the fubfequent figures the more external mufcles are gradually re- moved, till nothing but the finiple fkeleton remains. Thefe figures are very well rendered, ^ I MANNERS IN ITALY. 263 rendered^ preferving the natural appear- ance and fituation of the mufcles and blood- veffels, With as much exadlnefs as could be expelled in a work of this nature. There are alfo models in wax, of particular parts, and of feveral of the vifeera of the human body feparately ; yet thofe waxen models could not hand in comparifon with the preparations of the real parts In Div Hunter’s mufeum. If brought to that teft, the Bologna wax-works, though ad- mirable In their kind, would appear as their beft cafts of the Vatican Apollo and Laocoon would, if placed befide the origi- nals. Indeed, the real preparations to be feen here, are far inferior to thofe of that great anatomift, who is now poffefled of the moft complete and moft accurate colledion of anatomical preparations, that ever was made by human fklll and induftry. We have faithfully performed our duty In vifiting all the churches and palaces of this city, which contain fome of the higheft fpecimens of art ; yet, as the recital might be lefs amufing than the tour Itfelf, I fhall s 4 exercife 264 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND exerclfe your patience with great modera- tion on that fubjed. The church* of St. Petronius forms part of that large, irregular fquare, in which the fountain, formerly mentioned, ftands ; it is the largeft in Bologna. In the pave- ment ‘of this church, Caffini drew his me- ridian line ; and within the walls of this fame edifice, the Emperor Charles the Fifth was crowned. Thofe circumftances may intereft the ' aftronomer and the hiftorian ; but the ftatue of a foldier, which ftands in one of the chapels, engages the • attention of the pious Catholic. This man, being at play, and in danger of loiing all his money, offered up a very fervent prayer to the Virgin Mary for a little better luck ; to which fhe, who never fliewed any favour to gamefters, turned a deaf ear. When he found that his bad fortune con- tinued, this furious wretch drew his fword, and wounded both the Virgin, and the Infant in her arms. He inftantly, as you may fuppofe, fell to the ground, deprived of motion j he Vvas carried to prifon, and con- MANNERS IN ITALY. 265 condemned to an ignominious and painful death. While he remained under confine- ment, he came to a proper fenfe of his wickednefs; and the BieflTed Virgin was fo much foftened by his repentance, that fhe reftored him to the ufe of his limbs ; and the Judges, taking the hint, gave him a full pardon. As a ■ fatisfatfory proof of this memorable event, they fhew the iden- tical fv/ord with which the affault was made. A Dominican convent, fituated on the top of a hill, about three miles from this city, is in pofTeflion of a portrait cf the Virgin, by St. Luke. It is not perfedlly known how it came there ; any • enquiry of that nature favours of herefy, and might give offence. The people in general are perfuaded of its originality, and happy in the honour of fuc'h a neigh- bour. This portrait has wrought many miracles in favour of the inhabitants of Bologna. A curious gallery, open to the fouth, and clofed by a wall to the north, is built all the way from this city to the convent. On the open fide it is fupported 8 by 266 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND by a long row of pillars, and was ereded by voluntary cpntribution, in honour of the Virgin, and for the conveniency of pilgrims. This long colonade is about twelve feet in breadth, from the pil- lars to the wall, and of a convenient , height ; all the communities of the town walk once a year, in folemn procelfion, to the convent, and bring the holy pifture to vlfit the city. It is carried through the principal ftreets, attended by every inhabitant who can afford to purchafe a wax taper. During this pro- ceffion, the bells continue ringing, the cannon are fired ; and the troops under arms obferve the fame ceremonies when the pidure paffes, as if it vrere Commander In Chief of the forces. The common people imagine, the pldure Is extremely fond of this annual vifit'to the town of Bologna ; they even are convinced, that, if it Vi^ere not carried. It would defcend from the frame, and walk the whole way €11 foot ; but they do not defire to fee the experiment made, both becaufe It might difoblige the Virgin, and becaufe, if the pidure IVJANNERS'IN ITALY. 267 picture were once fet a-walking, there Is no knowing where it would flop. Though the nobility of Bologna are not now very rich, many of their palaces are furnifhed In a magnificent tafte, and contain paintings of great value. The palaces were built, and ornamented, when the proprietors were richer, and when the fineft works of architeQure and paint- ing could be procured on eafier terms than at prefent. The galleries and apartments are fpacious and magnificent ; yet there are circumftances in the moft fplendid, that mufl; hurt the eye of thofe who are accuf- tomed to that perfedc exadnefs in finifliing' which prevails in Englifli houfes. The glafs of the windows of fome palaces is divided into little fquare panes, which are joined together by lead ; and the floors of all are fo very indifferently laid, that you often feel a loofe brick fhaking under your feet as you walk through the fineft apartments. The moft ’precious ornaments of the palaces are the paintings, particularly thofe ' of the celebrated mafters which this city had 268 VIEW^ OF SOCIETY AND had the honour of producing. Raphael Is [ generally allowed to have excelled all painters in the^ fublimity of his ideas, the grouping of his figures, the beauty of his heads, the elegance of his forms, and the correftnefs of his outlines ; yet, in the opinion of fome, he has oftener Imitafed thofe noble ideas of beauty, tranfmitted to us by the Greek fculptors, than what he faw% or could obferve, in nature. Thofe who hold this opinion affert, that the bed in afters of the Lombard School ftudied, with equal affiduity, the elegance of the antique ftatues, and the fimplicity of nar ■ ture ; and from this combined attention to both, with geniufes lefs fublime, and not fo univerfal, as that of the Roman painter, they have produced works equal, if not fuperior in fome refpeds, to his. In all this, I beg you may keep in your remem- brance, that I am not alFeding to give any opinion of my owm, but merely repeating the fentiments of others. Next to Rome itfelf, there Is, perhaps, no town in the world fo^rich in paintings as Bologna. The churches and palaces, befides MANNERS IN ITALY. 269 befides many admired pieces by other mafterSj are full of the works of the great mafters who were natives of this city. I muft not lead you among thofe mafler- pieccs ; It Is not for 10 poor a judge as I am to point the peculiar excellencies of the Caraccis, Domlnichino, Albano,' or com- pare the energy of Guercino s pencil with the grace of Guido’s. With regard to the laft, I ihall venture to fay, that the grace- ful air of his young men, the elegant forms, and mild perfuafive devotion, of his Madonas ; the art with which, to all the inviting lovelinefs of female features, he joins all the gentlenefs and modefty v^rhich belong to the female characler, are the pe- culiar excellencies of this charming painter. It requires no knowledge in the art of painting, no connoIiTeurflrip, to difcover thofe beauties in the works of Guido ; all who have eyes, and a heart, muft fee and feel them. But the pidure more ad- mired than all the reft, and confidered by the judges as his mafter-piece, owes its eminence to a different kind of merit; it can claim none from any of the circumftances •/ above 270 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND above enumerated. The piece I mean Is iii the Sampler! palace, and diftinguifhed by a filk curtain, which hangs before it. The fubjedl is, the Repentance of St. Peter, and confifts of two figures, that of the Saint who weeps, and a young Apoftle who en- deavours to comfort him. The only pic- ture at Bologna, which can difpute celebrity with this, is that of St. Cecilia, in the church of St. Georglo in Monte. This pidure is greatly praifed by Mr. Addifon, and is reckoned one of Raphael’s capital pieces. If I had nothing elfe to convince me that I had no judgment in painting, this would be fufficient. I have examined it over and over with great attention, and a real defire of difcovering its fuperlative merit; and I have the mortification to find, that I cannot perceive it. — After this confeflion, I prefurae you will not defire to hear any thing farther from me on the fubjed of painting. £71 xMANNERS IN^ITALY. LETTER XXIX. • ' Ancona. jN our way from Bologna to this place, we paffed through Ravenna, a difa- greeable town, though at one period the feat of empire ; for, after Attila had left Italy, Valentlnian chofe Ravenna, in pre- ference to Rome, for his refidence, that he might always be ready to repel the Huns and other Barbarians, who poured from the banks of the Danube, and prevent their penetrating into Italy. The fame reafon afterwards induced Theodoric, King of the Oftrogoths, to keep his court at this city of Ravenna, after he had defeated and killed Odoacer, and affumed the title of King of Rome. The ruins of his palace and his tomb now form part of the anti- quities of Ravenna ; among which I fhall not detain you a moment, but proceed to the river of Pifatello, the famous Rubi- con, 272 VIEW OF SOCIETY AND con, which lies between this town and Rimini, and was the ancient boundary between* Italy and Cifalpine Gaul. No Roman, returning to Rome, could pafs In arms beyond this, without being deemed an enemy to his country. The. fmall town *of Cefenate is fituated near this brook, and the inhabitants value themfelves not. a lit- tle upon their vicinity to fo celebrated a neighbour. But the people of Rimini have had the malice to endeavour ^ to' deprive them of this fatisfaflion : they affirm, that the rivulet Lufa, which is farther removed from Cefenate, and nearer to themfelves, is the true Rubicon, I have confidered this controverfy wdth all the attention it merits ; and I am of opinion, that the pre- tenfions of Pifatello, which is alfo called Rugone, are the beft founded. That you may not fufpeft my being influenced in my judgment by any motives but thofe of juftice, I beg leave to inform you, that it is a matter of no importance to me which of the rivers is the real Rubicon, for we had the honour of pafling both in our w’ay to Rimini. What MANNERS IN ITALY. What Suetonius mentions concerning Csefar’s hefitation when he arrived at the banks of this river, does not agree with what the hiftorian fays a little before. Qui-^ dam putant captum Imperii confuctudine, penfitatifque ,fuis & inimicorum viribus, ufum occafione rapiendai dominationis, quam setate prima concupiflet 'And this, he adds, was the opinion of Cicero, who fays, that Csefar had often in his mouth this verfe ; Nam fi violandum eft jus, regnandi gratia Violandum eft, aliis rebus pietatem colas f. It is mod probable, that Casfar took his refolution to crofs the Rubicon as foon as Antony and Curio arrived in his camp, and afforded him a plaufible pretext, by- informing him and the army of the vio- lent manner in which they had been driven • Some are of opinion, that, captivated by the love of power, and having carefully weighed his own ftrength and that of his enemies, he had availed himfelfof thisopportu- oity of feizing the fupreme authority, which had been his paiTionfrom his eariy youth. f For if a violation of equity Is ever excufable, it is when a crown is our objcfl — On all other occafions we ought to cultivate juftice. ‘ VOL. I. frpm T VIEW OF SOCIETY AND m from Rome by the Conful Lentulus and the adherents of Pompey. As for the phantom, which Suetonius informs us de- termined the Didator while he was yet in hefitation, we may either confider it en- tirely as a fi£lion, or as a fcene previoufly arranged by himfelf to encourage his army, who may be fuppofed to have had fcruples in difobeying a decree of the Senate ; which declared thofe perfons facrilegious and par- ricides, devoting them at the fame time to the infernal gods, who fhould pafs over this river in arms. Casfar was not of a charaiiter to be diflurbed with religious fcruples ; he never delayed an enterprife, we are told, on account of unfavourable omens. Ne religione quidem ulla a quo- quam incepto abfterritus unquam vel re- tardatus eft. Quum immolanti aufugiflet hoftia profedionem adverfus Scipionem & Jubam non diftulit*, &cc. &c. This hefitation, therefore, which is men- tioned both by Suetonius and Plutarch, • He never was deterred from any undertaking by reJi- gious fcruples. — When the animal, defined for facriiice, ded from the altar, this bad omen did not prevent CxCar from marching againft Scipio and Juba. has MANNERS IN ITALY. 27s has no refemblance with the ambitious and decifive charader of Julius Csefar; the pidure which Lucan has drawn of him has much more fpirit, and in all probability more likenefs. Casfar ut adverfam fuperato gurgite ripam, Attigit, Hefperiae vetitis & conftitit arvis. Hie, ait, hie pacem, temerataque jura relinquo; Te, Fortuna, fequors procul hinc jam fosdera funto. Credidimus fatis, utendum efl: judice bello. Sic fatus, nodis tenebris rapit agmina dudor Impiger, & torto Ballaris verbere fundee Ocyor, & mifla Parthi poft terga fagitta ; Vicinumque minax invadit Ariminum Though Rimini is in a ftate of great decay, there are fome monuments of anti- ^ The leader now had pafTed the torrent o'er. And reach'd fair Italy's forbidden (bore: Then rearing on the hoAile bank his head. Here, farewell peace and injured laws! (he fai