power mean or possibility at all to tyranize or to peruert their Country lawes Lastly if they desire to see a most rare and matchlesse president of a Democrasie or popular estate let them beholde their great Councell consisting at the least of 3000. Gentlemen whereupon the highest strength and mightinesse of the estate absolutely relyeth notwithstanding which number all thinges are ordered with so diuine a peaceablenes and so without all tumult and confusion that it rather seemeth to bee an assembly of Angels then of men In fine whithersoeuer you turne your eyes they shall not encounter any thing but obiectes of admiration their iustice is pure and vncorrupted their penall Lawes most vnpardonably executed their encouragements to vertue infinite especially by their distribution of offices dignities which is ordered in such so secrete strange and intricate a sort that it vtterly ouerreacheth the subtiltie of all ambitious practises neuer falling vpon any but vpon such as are by the whole assembly allowed for men of greatest wisedome vertue and integritie of life as by the following discourse most euidently shall appeare But besides these before rehearsed there are sundry other so maruellous and miraculous considerations and in their owne exceeding singularitie beyond all resemblance or comparison with any other Commonwealth so vnspeakeablie sirange that their wonderfull rarenesse being verified maketh the straungest impossibilities not seeme altogether incredible as for example first touching the situation thereof what euer hath the worlde brought forth more monstrously strange then that so great glorious a Citie should bee seated in the middle of the sea especially to see such pallaces monasteries temples towers turrets pinacles reaching vp vnto the cloudes founded vpon Quagmires and planted vppon such vnfirme moorish and spungie foundations there being neytherwood nor stone nor matter fit for building within tenne miles thereof for so farre distant from it was the nearest maine land at such time as the first foundation was laide Besides what is there that can carrie a greater disproportion with common rules of experience thē that vnweaponed men in gownes should with such happinesse of successe giue direction law to many mightie and warlike armies both by sea and land and that a single Citie vnwalled and alone should command ouer toppe mighty kingdomes and such famous farre extended prouinces remayning euer it selfe inuincible and long robed citizens to bee serued yea and sued vnto for entertainment by the greatest princes peeres of Italy amidst which infinit affluence of glorie and vnmeasurable mightinesse of power of which there are in soueraignty pertakers aboue 3000. gentlemen yet is there not one among them to bee found that doth aspire to any greater appellation of honour or higher tytle of dignitie then to be called a Gentleman of Venice including in the same the height of all imaginable honour so deare vnto this generous people is the name and loue of their noble country And lastly though not least to be wondred at they haue as it were entertayning a league intelligence with the heauenly powers preserued this royall Citie of theirs this 13. hundred yeares since the first foundation thereof in an estate so perpetually flourishing vnblemished that though sundry mighty kinges and Emperours being enamored with her beauty and goodlinesse haue with maruellous endeuour and multitude of armies sought to possesse themselues of so faire and precious a pray yet haue they hitherto kept her like a pure and vntouched virgine free from the taste or violence of any forraine enforcement The strange beginning mighty increase and long continuing greatnesse of this happy commowea th hath serued to many present writers for the glorious subiect of their learned histories among the rest he that hath written thereof with greatest iudgement authoritie in my opinion is the Cardinal Gasper Contareno by birth a Gentleman and by desert and worthinesse at that time a Senator of Venice but being now aboue fourescore years since he wrote the same since which time there haue succeeded many alterations of lawes and changes of matters in his country I thought it not unnecessarie to adde therevnto sundrie other particularities gathered as I said partly by conference partly by reading of other learned Authors as Donato Iustinian Munster Bodin Ant Stella Sansouino Domenico Francesco Girolamo Bardi c. Contareno did first write this treatise in Latine the same being since his time translated into Italian by a Gentleman of Italie which translation I haue here chiefly followed though still comparing the same with the Latine originall in regarde of my desire to expresse the proper names of their Magistrates lawes and ceremonies according to their common appellations which is much altered in the Latine stile I will not speake of my paines herein nor enter into any insinuating challenge of thankes for in truth I haue neither taken the one nor deserued the other hauing written it at idle times when I had nothing els to doe being at much more leysure then willingly I woulde bee But me thinkes I heare it vbrayded vnto me that it is now rather a time to doe then to write I confesse it to be so for him that is well set on worke and yet hee that writeth well is neuer the farther off from doing well so that for my part I holde it no disgrace to write so long as my penne vttereth no d shonestie My education hath been in the wars this I onely doc to beguile time wishing that whosoeuer shall herein censure mee amisse would be as ready as my selfe both in minde and body when eyther the cōmandement of my prince or the occasion of my countrie shalinioine me to other courses in the meanetime vtterly carelesse of mine owne praise I yet intreate them that shal reade this discourse to intertaine this famous Common wealth with all friendlinesse and fauour if in no other regarde yet in this that therest of the whole world honoreth her with the name of a Virgin a name though in all places most sacred venerable yet in no place more dearely and religiously to bee reuerenced then with us who haue thence deriued our blessednesse which I beseech God may long continue among vs. Lewes Lewkenor LO here describ'd though but in little roome Faire Venice like a spouse in Neptunes armes For freedome Emulus to ancient Rome Famous for councell much much for armes Whose story earst written with Tuscan quill Lay to the English wits as halfe concealed Till Lewkners learned trauell and his skill In well grac'd stile and phrase hath it reuealed Venice be proud that thus augments thy fame England be kind enricht with such a booke Both giue the honor to that worthy Dame For whom this taske the writer vndertooke Iohn Harington The First Booke of the Magistrates and Commonwealth of the Venetians I Hauing oftentimes obserued many strangers men wise learned who arriuing newly at Venice and beholding The admiration of strangers at their first
townes castels and villages they possesse seuen faire cities as Treuigi Padoua Vicenza Verona Brescia Bergamo and Crema By sea they are Lords of Cypres Candia Corfu and many other Islandes Vppon the coastes also of Sclauonia Dalmatia and Histria they possesse many goodly Cities and castelles Besides these the rents of their owne citie their customes and tolles by sea and their ordinarie yearely taxation or rather as they call it tribute of the inhabitantes amounteth to an excessiue summe in so much that their reuenews one way or other is knowne to beat the least 1200000. Duckets by the yeare their charges yearely occasions of disburstment are likewise very great for alwaies they do entertain in honorable sort with great prouision a Captaine generall who alwaies is a stranger borne he that now enioyeth that place is one Iohn Baptista de Monte a Florentine borne a notable soldier and a very honourable Gentleman one vnder whome I haue serued in the warres and am in all thankefulnesse to acknowledge many fauors that I receiued both from him and his brother Camillo de Monte. Besides they do continually entertayne in pay a thousand men at armes and a great number of footemen sufficient to keepe and defend those places in the which they keep garisons alway as well in times of warre as of peace they giue likewise great pensions to many gentlemen and Captaines whose seruice they vse when neede requireth The most part of their land forces they maintaine in Lombardie where by reason of the aboundance of victuailes they may liue commodiously and when time of warre so requireth they send them thence whither they shall thinke good They also keepe continually tenne or twelue armed Gallies of warre which are distributed in Cypres Candia and Corfu and other commodious places In euery Galley they haue 150. rowers for there are 50. benches and vpon euerie bench three rowers besides euery one contayneth betweene 80. and 100. soldiers to fight The charges of euery Galley one way or other amount to 700. duckettes a month likewise their prouisions of warre and the charges of and concerning their Arsenall are of an infinite and excessiue expence They haue alwaies armour in the Arsenall to arme ten thousand men and in the armory of the Dukes pallace to arme 1500. against whatsoeuer sodaine inconuenience might happen besides an innumerable quantity of munition pertaining to the sea and artillery of all sort in maruellous proportion In times of warre and necessitie they do sometimes propose great offices and dignities to sale for a certaine summe of money for which when sundry offer the summe proposed yet none is elected vnlesse he ouercome his competitors and riuals by suffrage so that commonly not withstanding the sale thereof yet the same neuer falleth vpon any but vpon the wisest and most sufficient men Collections taken out of the historie of Signior Bernardo Giustiniano a Gentleman of Venice TOuching the original of the name of the Venetians there are sundry opinions Some write that they come of a certaine people of Asia called Eneti who after the destruction of Troy hauing lost Philemene their king came with their nauie vnder the conduct of Antenor into those lakes of the Adriatique sea giuing the name of Veneti vnto that part of Italy where they setled which opinion is by Liuie maintayned Plinie Cato and Cornelius Nepos deriue the Venetians absolutely from the of spring of the Troianes Seruius Grammaticus will needes haue their nomination to come from Enetus king of the Sclauonians But once howsoeuer they differ in their true originall they all agree that they are of great antiquitie famous euen in their first beginnings The Cantons of Venice did before the inhabitation of the lakes vnder that name embrace a great circuite vppon the mayne lande as all Marca Treuigiana and the greater part of Foro Iulio but now onely the Iles inhabited places within the lakes do retaine and peculiarly challenge to themselues the name of Venice The situation thereof is so strange and singular in it selfe that it brooketh no comparison or resemblance with any other Citie eyther of this present or former ages the manner wherof is this There is a long banke that encompasseth the vtmost Gulfe of the Adriatique sea within the inner parte whereof are certaine great marishes or fennes occasioned partly by the descent of the riuers from the maineland partly by the flowing of the sea within these were sundry little townes built by those that endeuoured to defende themselues from the furie of the land warres and lastly Venice Nature the mistresse and best working perfectresse of thinges defendeth them from the violence of the sea by the opposition of this banke increased with huge heapes of sand and yet not altogether without the artifice and trauaile of man by fortifying against the sea in places needful with strong palisadoes and mightie peeres or bulwarkes of stone These lakes were in times passed vpon their brinkes to the maine land encompassed and adorned with many great and renowned cities as Aquileia on the east side thereof sometimes a famous Colonie of the Romanes next vnto it Concordia then Vderzo then Altinos likewise Triuigi and Padoua then the Moncellese which some will needes haue to be that which was called Acello then vpon the bounding and shutting vp of the vtmost point Adria Rauenna which was in those daies also inuironed about with marishes and fennes and cleansed by certaine ditches that as Strabo writeth were made for the same purpose but whereas in the beginninges of Augustus Caesar the buildings thereof were all of woode Afterwards Augustus and his successors Tiberius Traiane Valentian and Theodoricke enobled it with goodly edifices of marble and free stone each of them doing somewhat as well in erection of many sumptuous priuate pallaces as publique magnificent Temples for the Gods And withall they filled and choaked vp those marishes in sorte that they reduced them to firme ground so that whereas before it was of all sides enuironed about with those waters it is now distant three miles from them Besides sundry of lesse reckoning there do disgorge downe into these Lakes seuen famous riuers that come descending from the Alpes as Taliagmento Liuenza La Piaue La Brenta Bachiglione Adice and Poe which two last riuers the Adice and the Poe haue filled and stuffed vp those parts of the Lakes into which they fall with sande and the like haue sundry of the other riuers done in many places but where the industrie and trauaile of men hath defended and preuented the inconuenience thereof For those marishes and Lakes whose length in times passed little lesse extended then two hundred miles are now reduced to the halfe thereof Their breadth where they are now at largest not being aboue twelue mile whereas in the time of our ancestors it was twice as much which being a thing that the enemies of the Venetian State could neuer accomplish though with great endeuour many times they attempted to
choke and drie vp those Lakes time hath by little and little by the descent of those land riuers effected it without any forraine violence in dispight of all the defences opposed by the Venetians The great encompassing banke hath in manner as many ruptures and passages as are the great riuers that descend into the lakes at which the tides of the sea go in out ebbing and flowing euery sixe houres by turne The floud neuer ariseth higher then foure feet within the Gulfe vnlesse sometime when the winde Seirocco bloweth with an extraordinary violence then sometimes it ariseth to the height of seuen feet Sebastian Munsters description of the Citie of Venice VEnice was first the name of a Prouince and not of a Citie There be many other Townes in Italy of greater antiquitie About the yeare of our Lorde 300. there came out of Scithia a barbarous people called Hunnes ouerrunning sundry nations of Europe with exceeding terror and crueltie their first vagabonding race was into Thracia and thence they passed through Mesia Illiria into Italie The Venetians that then inhabited a Prouince vppon the firme lande on the Adriatique shore hearing of their arriual fled into the sea seating themselues there in little Ilandes of which there were many at hand liuing for the most part there by fishing The Rialto why to called At length they began to build vpon these Islands chiefly vpon that which is called Riuo alto to called because the water is more deepe then there about the other Islandes or els because that Island is more eminent then the rest in short space the deuastation and crueltie wrought by Attyla vpon the neighbouring land towns as Aquileia Concordia Alcina Padoua Optergia Heraclia Aquilius Grado Capreola and Lauretta did as it were by a reuolution giue a speedie beginning to the rising greatnesse of Venice The first founders thereof were those of Padoua in short time it increased in opulence and riches and grew mighty both by sea and lande conquering many Realmes Cities and Ilands of which the Turke in our time hath taken some from them He meaneth that she is coÌ„mandresse of the Adtiatique seas In fine this noble goodly and magnificent citie is become Queene of the sea and inhabited by people of sundry nations and traffiqued to by marchants from out all partes of the world There a man may heare all languages and see all diuersitie of garments it is said that the onely Tribute which the state rayseth of wine Sixe hundred thousand pound sterling salt and other thinges amounteth to two millions of Duckets besides the other tributes and rentes which they rayse of such Citties as are vnder their subiection The first created a Duke in the yeare of our Lord 700. before time their commonwealth was gouerned by Tribunes but afterwardes by reason of discord between themselues many attempts enterprised against theÌ„ by the Lombaras by commoÌ„ general confent they elected a Duke to maintaine them in concorde and to defende their liberty but in succession of time misliking their gouernment they put many of their Dukes to a shamefull death they slew Vrsus their third Duke in a sedition and put out both the eyes of Theodore his Munster calleth this Theodore Diendome sonne after he had likewise ruled them awhile they hanged Obleno their 10. Duke vpon a gibbet and afterwardes tare him to pieces they murthered the thirteenth in the church and burned the fourteenth in his pallace the yeare 958. they put the fifteenth into a cloister they banished the 28. and stoned to death the 45. called Rinaldo they imprisoned the 46. and beheaded the 55. These and other thinges are written of the Venetians and their Dukes but Gasper Contareno that hath written expresly of the commonwealth of Venice being himselfe a Senator of the City toucheth not at all the miserable end of these Dukes his attire is no whit different from that which kings doe vse for his garmentes are all of purple or rich cloth of golde hee weareth on his heade a royal diademe made of linnen which is inuironed with a hoode of purple aboute which there goeth a little crowne of golde when hee entreth into the Senate he hath his throne gorgeously adorned and the Senators speake vnto him with their heades bare standing vp as before a Prince all letters sent and receiued are directed and signed to and by the Duke The lawes are published in his name and their coyne stamped with his name and image in fine the Duke in all things representes the person of a king before his subiectes saue that he hath not the bridle of ful authoritie in his owne handes to make him appeare with the greater magnificence and pompe they allow him out of the common treasure 1500. Crownes which he may not turn to his particular vse but on such things as pertaine to the greatnes and traine of a prince otherwise his heires should be sure to pay the amends of so great dishonour after his death hee must of his owne charge maintaine a great troupe of seruantes to follow him when hee goeth abroade and to make euery yeare foure Bankets to the Senators and Gentlemen Vpon Ascention day according to the custome of his Predicessors hee goeth aborde a fine ship curiously trimmed and set sorth and in company of the Bishop The ship is called the Biâ—entorie and other Senators launcheth out into the Sea throwing a ring into the same with expresse words that hee marrieth the Sea in perpetuall Dominion and rule The Bishop also vseth certain ceremonies which being ended they departe the election of the Duke is in such sort by lot that no mans ambition brybery or subornation may stand him any way in steade presently vpon his choice hee is borne by the marriners with great pomp to the place of S. Marke throwing al the while money about in the streetes till such time as he come to the place where the Diademe is put on his heade Touching their rents riches common treasure reuenewes tributes exactions and customes that they leuie out of the Cities that are vnder them it is not easie to giue a iust reckoning but it is written that they do sometimes charge their subiectes with very heauie tributes Charlemaine graunted great priueledge to the Venetians for which notwithstanding they were vnthankefull and secretly sent aide to Nicephorus Emperour of Constantinople that was his enemie whereat Charlemain being agrieued sent his sonne Pepin whome he had made king of Italie to be reuenged so that Pepin leuying a great Armie chased them to the Rialto where hee intended to assault them and to that ende made a great long bridge but by reason of tempestuous weather his bridge brake and his enterprise failed In the yeare of our Lord 810. certaine marchantes brought the body of S. Marke from Alexandria to Venice The body of S. Mark when brought vnto Venice in whose honour they did build that most goodly
neuerthelesse elected by the Fathers and constrained to take vpon him the gouernment which he did with great comfort to the citie but with maruelous discouragement to himselfe because it had beene foretold him that whensoeuer hee should come to bee Duke the commonwealth shold labour with extreame affliction to preuent which hee bent his whole endeuour and care to the well discharging of his dignity but diuine deliberations are not to bee resisted for not long after he found himself entangled with many dangerous warres as with the Tryestines and Leopola Duke of Austria and with Francisco de Carrara a most sharpe and bitter enemie to the very name of the Venetians who had contracted against them a League which the King of Hungarie the Patriarke of Aquilia and the whole commonwealth of Genoua insomuch that besides a general reuolution and change of Fortune through the whole state the Genoweses encroched so neare vpon Venice that they tooke from it the cittie of Chroggia threatning vtter ruine and subuersion to the whole state but in this greatest downefall and calamitie such was the constant vertue and resolute courage of the Venetians and their prince that assembling the remainder of their force together they assailed with such fiercenesse the Genoweses in Chroggia that they did not onely recouer the cittie but also discomfit their enemies in a famous ouerthrow to the maruelous glorie of their Duke who was there in person they brought backe with them to Venice 4142 Genowes prisoners who in manner all ended there their liues and 2600. Padowans besides the Duke brought with him among many other ensignes banners and standardes the shield of the Captaine generall of the Genoweses as a chiefe Trophei the same being made of hardned leather according to the fashion of that time but very gorgeously guilted and embosted with the picture vpon it of S. George a horsebacke being the arms of the cōmonwelth of Genoway the D. ended his daies in the 15. year of his Dukedom hee was buried in S. Stephens church with this Epitaph written in Gotish letters vpon his Tombe Hic sacer Andreas stirps Contarena moratur Dux patriae precibus senior qui Ianua ciues Marte tuos fundens victor classe potitus Amissam Veneto clugiam pacemque reduxit 63. Michaell Morosimi anno 1381 MIchaell Morosimi dyed the fourth moneth of his rule of the plague vnder his picture in the pallace is written Paucadamus patriaefestina morte repressi 62. Antonio Veniero anno 1381. ANtonio Veniero next succeeded being then captaine generall for the state in Candia a man of such seueritie and iustice that he sharpely punished his owne sonne for hauing committed a youthfull insolence he succoured the Emperour Emanuell against the Turkes hee maintained and preserued the Duke of Mantua in his state against the Duke of Milan hee obtained the Isle of Corfu not long afterfalling into infirmitie he departed this life 63. Michaele Steno anno 1400. THe funerals of the former Duke being sumptuously performed Michaell Steno was elected Duke being procurator of S. Marke aged 69 yeares rich and greatly respected for his vertue in his time the commonwealth possessed themselues of Vicenza Feltro Bassano Belluno Verona and Padoua hauing liued thirteen yeares in this dignitie hee ended his dayes 64. Tomazo Mocenigo anno 1413. TOmaZo Mocenigo conquered a great part of Friuilti from the king of Hungary and hauing ruled tenne yeares departed this life 65. Francesco Foscari anno 1423. NEuer any mans election was dearer vnto the citie then this of Francesco Foscari insomuch that they reuelled and feasted a whole yeare for ioy therof presently vpon his creation the king of Denmarke at his instant and earnest request was adopted into the number of the Venetian Gentlemen the said king and Ihon Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople met both at one time in Venice the Emperour to craue succour against the Turke the king to take passage thence towardes Ierusalem with intent to visite the Sepulchre of Christ shortly after there met also the Despot of Rascia and the Duke of Mylan the one to request mony and meanes of defence against the Turke the other to entreate the Senate to take vpon them the decision and arbitrement of certain differences between him and his cosins lastly the prince being 84. years of age in respect of his impotencie was dismissed of gouernment and dyed within two dayes after 96. Pasquall Malipiero anno 1457. PResently vpon the election of this prince there was a law made that the Duke might not at any time to come thereafter be depriued in his time the art of Printing was thether brought out of Germany but they writ that it had beene in vse in China 500. yeares before he liued onely foure yeares 67. Christophoro Moro Anno 1462. ANd in his place was elected Christophoro Moro procurator of S. Marke aged 72. yeares a man held in great reputation for his wisedome integrity he made sharp wars vpō the Turke in Greece with diuerse variable successes in the end he dyed in the ninth yeare of his rule 68. Nicholo Trono anno 1471 ANd Nicholo Trono was enstalled Duke he established Hercole da Esle in his Dukedome of Ferrara he made confederation with the king of Persia against the Turke hee got into his handes the kingdome of Cipres by reason of the tutorshippe of the young king committed vnto him and hauing liued little lesse then two years ended his dayes 69. Nicolo Marcello anno 1473. IN his place was established Nicholo Marcello procurator of S. Marke aged 76. yeares he ouerthrew an armie of the Turkes at Scutari and hauing giuen an excellent tast of his gouernmēt to the people was taken out of this world after hee had ruled 15. month es 70. Pietro Mocenigo anno 1474. PIetro Mocenigo being procurator of S. Marke and of the age of 69. years was chosen in his room he had spent the greatest part of his yeares in great and principal employments abroad for the commōwealth chiefly in the wars wherof there is a particular treatise written by Coepio Coriolan that liued in those times he liued onely 14. monethes after his enstalment 71 Andrea Vendramino anno 1476. ANdrea Vendramino was 84. years of age when he was elected Duke he had beene in his youth one of the most beautifull and comely Gentlemen of Venice and in all respects accordingly accomplished hee made war against the Turke and defended Croy in Albana which they had besieged constraining them to raise their siege with great ouerthrow and discomfiture but while there was a treaty of peace entertayned the Duke departed this life in the 20. moneth after his election 72. Giouani Mocenigo anno 1477. GIouani Mocenigo after great domage receiued by the Turke concluded a peace with him he got Corinto in Dalmatia he made war vpon Ferrara he sent Roberto of Saint Seuerin against Ferdinand king of Naples finally he dyed in the 7. yeare of his rule 73. Marco Barbarico anno 1485.
MArco Barbarico succeeded him being 73. yeares of age he was wholy enclined to peace and bent to the maintenance thereof his whole intentions but death cut him off in the very first yeare 74. Augustino Barbarico anno 1485. AVgustino Barbarico was elected to succeede his brother Marco he banded with the other Italian princes against Charles eight of Fraunce then newly by solicitation of Lodowicke Sforce entred into Italy for the recouery of the kingdome of Naples to which he pretended title in his time the Portugals first found out the voyaging into the Indies to the exceeding preiudice of Venice who before had thence al their spices with which in a manner they furnished all the western prouinces of Christendome hee dyed in the 15. yeare of his Dukedome and in his place was elected 75. Leonardo Loridano anno 1501. NEuer was the commonwealth of Venice nearer to shipwracke then in this princes time for the greatest princes of Christendome did solemnly at Cambray combine themselues in league against their state as the Pope the Emperour the king of Fraunce the king of Spaine and the Dukes of Mantua and Ferrara euery one of which powred down armies vpon them they were ouerthrowne in a memorable battell at Ghiaradada and in an other at Vincensa so that they were faine to abandon in a manner al that they possessed vpon the firme land to be shared and diuided by the Conquerours yet neuertheles fortune turned about her wheele againe in such sort that they recouered themselues wherein the histories of that time do attribute exceeding much to the wisedome and vertue of their prince Finally being nere to 90. yeares of age hee fell into an infirmitie by reason of a fall which he had receyued dyed in the yeare 1521. His body was honourably entombed in the Church of S. Iohn and S. Paule 76. Antonio Grimani Anno 1521. ANtonio Grimani had beene first a Procurator and depriued of that dignity and banished to Cherso yet afterward was recalled againe and restored to his first dignitie and shortly after elected Duke which honour he enioyed onely a yeare two monthes and two dayes and then dyed 77. Andrea Gritti Anno 1523. IN his place was elected Andrea Gritti a man in deed excellent in all prefection worthy of that dignity The great matters that passed in his time are so excellently and copiously written by Giouius Guicciardin and others of that time that it were in vaine here to make any abridgement of them He ruled 15. yeares seuen monthes and then dyed at the age of 83. yeares 78. Pietro Lando Anno 1538. PIetro Lando being confirmed Duke maintayned his commonwealth neutrall betweene Charles the Emperour and Francis the French King who were intangled together in a most fierce and cruell warre and thought there was scarcely any prince in Christendome but followed the one side or other yet neuer coulde they notwithstanding many earnest solicitations made by them both draw the state of Venice to fauour the one more then the other Hauing ruled 7. yeares he dyed 79. Francesco Donato An. 1545. FRancesco Donato being Procurator of S. Marke was a man of great eloquence singular capacity of spirit and therefore his election applauded of the multitude with great ioy he did many laudable things and lastly died in the seuenth yeare of his rule and was succeded by Marcantonio Treuisano 80. Marcantonio Treuisano Anno 1553. THis Duke was maruellously religious iust in all his words and actions and of so extraordinary a charitie towards the poore that he gaue them in a manner all that hee had neuerthelesse his end was strange and pitifull for at the end of his first yeare he fell downe sodainly dead as he was kneeling before the altar at Masse the inscription vnder his picture in the pallace is thus Religionis amantissimus Anno circn̄acto moriens in gremio patrum ante aras in celum vnde veneram vitae integer euolaui 81. Francesco Veniero Anno. 1554. THe next placed in the Ducall throne was Francesco Veniero being then 64. yeares of age he liued onely two years in his place was elected Lorenzo Priuli 82. Lorenzo Priuli Anno 1556. LOrenzo Priuli was a man wholly giuen to religion quietnesse there was no great thing done in the time of his Dukedome which he onely enioyed three yeares and then departed this world 83. Hieronimo Priuli Anno 1559. HIeronimo Priuli as wel in regard of his owne vertue as the happy and quiet gouernment of his brother Lorenso was with generall applause established in his roome In his time was celebrated the Councell of Trente he died in the 8. yeare of his rule 84. Pietro Loredano Anno 1567. PIetro Loredano was a senator of great grauitie wise religious and of singular integritie and soundnesse in his actions in his time the famous Arsenall of Venice wherein all their store of powder munition was contained was casually set on fire the noise whereof was so extremely hideous that it was heard 40. miles off presently also ensued the calamitous war of Selim Emperor of the Turks who vpon the death of his father Soliman aspiring to some honourable conquest tooke armes against the Senate pretending title to the kingdome of Cypres vtterly forgetting his fathers admonitions his promise made to the Senate and the long amitie that had beene betweene them In fine hee inuaded Cypres with a mighty armie tooke after long siege the two great Citties of Nicosia Famagosta practising all kinds of imaginable crueltie vppon the poore Christian captiues in the meane time while the Venetians were busied in preparation of forces to encounter him the Duke not able to withstand the affliction of age sicknesse and so many troubles yeelded vp his breath in his fourth yeare of gouernment 85. Aluigi Mocenigo Anno 1570. THe next thought worthy of this high honour was Aluigi Mocenigo a man accomplished in all vertues that to so great a dignitie were requisite he appointed Sebastiano Veniero Generall of the Venetian forces to vnite himselfe with Marc-Antonia Colona Generall for the Pope D. Iohn d' Austria for the king of Spaine who together gaue that mighty and memorable ouerthrow to the Turkes at Lepanto in manner in the very place where Augustus Caesar vanquished Anthony his Competitor In his time Henry the third King of Fraunce returning vppon the newes of his brothers death out of Polonia passed through Venice where being ariued he was receiued and entertained of the Duke and Senate with maruellous ioy pompe and magnificence Finally this Duke to the great discomfort of the common-wealth died in the seuenth yeare of his rule 86. Sebastiano Veniero Anno 1577. PResently vpon the death of Mocenigo Sebastiano Veniero in reward of his glorious victorie against the Turkes was without contradiction of any of the Electors enstalled in the Dukedome with greater gratulation and applause then euer before time had beene seen at the election of any former Duke The Pope sent a solemne ambassage to congratulate with him and withall sent him in token of his worthinesse and vertue the Rose of Gold a present neuer sent but to mighty princes and such as had employed themselues in the churches defence but all this honour and his life also ended within a yeare after that hee had receiued the Ducall diademe euen at such time as hee was busie about the preparation of a sumptuous and triumphall feast which he intended to make in honor of his wife the princesse Cecilia Contarina The Archduke of Austria in admiration of his vertue sent an Ambassador of purpose to the Senate to demand his picture 87. Nicolo da Ponte Anno 1578. NIcolo da Ponte was fourescore and eight yeares olde at time of his election he was a Doctor of Law a knight and Procurator of S. Marke and had passed with exceeding commendation through all the offices and dignities of his commonwealth He died in the yeare 1585. and in his place was elected Pasqual Cenoca 88. Pasqual Cenoca 1585. FINIS
of Theyras who presentlie doe condemne for false fryuolous impossible whatsoeuer is not within the narrow lymits of their own capacitie included therein to excuse their owne ignorance by the disgrace of a better experience for mine own part therefore though no mans conceipt weaker or vnapter to apprehend then mine yet I euer held it decent to yeeld a respectiue gesture and due reputation to him that vpon his owne Wise and discrere speech beautifieth the hearer and delighteth the speaker knowledge taketh vpon him to deliuer vnto the hearers matter mouing them to maruell and such as common experience sometimes fayleth to approue of which sort vnlesse the partialitie of my affection deceiue mee there is not any that doth more beautifie the speaker or delight the hearer then the description of forreine regions the manners customes of farre distant countries the diuetsitie of their complections humor diet and attire and such like other singularities especially if they come from the mouth of a wise and well speaking traueller to whose tongue I could willingly endure to haue mine eares enclined while he distilleth into them the sweet liquors that he hath industriously extracted out of the painefull fruits of his forrein trauell nothing is here farther from my meaning then those who hauing gotten a fonde affected phrase of speech or some conceited toyes in their habite would be accounted great trauellers because perchaunce they haue seene the clocke at Strasburge or can talke of Maddona Margaritas pantables such being seconded with no farther vertue might much better haue spent their time at home but I speake of the wiser sort who returning amended in knowledge and not corrupted in manners nor disguised in behauiour haue by well spending their time abroad enabled and made themselues fit to doe their countrie seruice when occasion requireth such in mine opinion are to bee esteemed if for nothing els yet in regard that neglecting nearer waies of gaine by which we see at home euen the meanest capacities do arise vnto wealth and credite they expose themselues to many daungers content themselues with all vnease runne through all difficulties subiect to reprehension and vncertaine of reward neither caring to please their bodyes nor to fill their purses so they may enrich their mindes with a perpetuall directed entent to their countries good of which sometimes they are but slenderly requited yea and oftentimes through enuie of their sufficiencie dâ—pressed and malitiously censured for the most part being vsed like whetstones who giuing edge to others are themselues still kept bare the cause whereof as I take it proceedeth through the miraculous fertilitie of this age wherein wee liue which bringeth soorth men so rarely qualified and of such ripe pregnant conceipts that they can gather out of their soft beds and full dishes at home better abilitie to iudge bolder audacity to speake and a quicker insight to discern and censure other mens sufficiences then others can in many yeares trauell abroad with many carefull thoughtes industrious penuries and paineful inconueniences belonging vnto that life attaine vnto it was not so in Homers time for he vnder the person of Vlisses indeuored to deseribe and patterne forth the most perfect and accomplished Gentleman of Greece hee did not praise him for the nimblenesse of his tongue the gainesse of his cloathes nor the Vlisses praised by Homer for hauing seene many countries and the fashions of many men boldnesse of his face no nor for his superficiall smattering in many bookes but he said Multornm mores vidit vrbes making that the foundation whereupon to build the rest of his prayses in fine how succesles soeuer their vertuous endenours fall out there is no kind of people with whome I do willinglyer conuerse as being fruitfull and pleasing in their discourses so also through their acquaintance with the ciuilitie of other nations moderate and offenceles in their behauiour of which sorte it hath been my happinesse to be beholding to many of sundry nations for their friendly conuersation who neuer were so willing at any time to speake as I euer was ready to receiue their discourses with an attentiue eare wherein I alwaies especially obserued one thing that whether they with whom I conferred were Englishmen French men Spaniards Germains Polonians yea or Italians borne in the bordering prouinces as of each sort I haue beene acquainted with many though sundrie of them had been in the farthest parts of Asia and Affrica yet comming once to speake of the cittie of Venice they would inforce their speech to the highest of all admiration as being a thing of the greatest worthinesse and most infinitely remarkable that they had seen in the whole course of their trauels Some of the youthfuller sort would extoll to the skies their humanitie towardes straungers the delicacie of their entertainments the beauty pomp daintines of their women finally the infinite superflutties of all pleasure and delightes Other of a grauer humor would dilate of the greatnes of their Empire the grauitie of their prince the maiesty of their Senate the vnuiolablenes of their lawes their zeale in religioÌ„ and lastly their moderation and equitie wherewith they gouerne such subiected prouinces as are vnder their dominion binding them therby in a faster bonde of obedience then all the cytadels garrisons or whatsoeuer other tyrannicall inuentions could euer haue brought them vnto These and such like reportes haue from time to time kindled within me so greate a desire to acquaint myselfe with the particularities of this famous Cittie that though during the time of my trauell destinate to more vnhappy courses I was not so fortunate as to bee a beholder of the glorie thereof yet I haue not omitted from time to time to gather such obseruations as well by reading the best and choicest authors entreating there of as also by conference with sundry wel experienced gentlemeÌ„ as might not onely satisfie the curiositie of my own desire but also deliuer vnto other a cleare and exact knowledge of euery particularitie worthy of note that thereunto appartaineth which cannot as I imagine the noblenesse of the subiect considered but bee All other excellent gouernments comprehended within that of Venice pleasing and agreeable to the best conceipted spirits who may out of this one commonwelth of Venice gather and comprehend the fruite of all whatsoeuer other gouernments throughout the world that are of any same or excellency for in the person of the Venetian prince who sitting at the helme of this citie shineth in all exterior ornamentes of royall dignitie neuerthelesse both he and his authority being wholy subiected to the lawes they may see a straunge and vnusuall forme of a most excellent Monarchie Then what more perfect and liuely pattern of a well ordered Aristocraticall gouernment can there in the worlde bee expressed then that of their Councell of Pregati or Senators which being the onely chiefe and principall members of all supreame power yet haue not any
ariuall at Venice the beautie and magnificence thereof were stricken with so great an admiration and amazement that they woulde and that with open mouth confesse neuer any thing which beforetime they had seene to be thereunto comparable either in glory or goodlinesse Yet was not euery one of thē possessed with the like wonder of one same particular thing for to some it seemed a matter of infinit maruaile and scarcely credible to behold so vnmeasurable a The causes of their admiration diuers quantity of all sorts of marchandise to be brought out of all realmes and countries into this Citie and hence againe to be conueyed into so many straunge and far distant nations both by land and sea Others exceedingly admired the wonderful concourse of strange and forraine people yea of the farthest and the remotest nations as though the City of Venice onely were a common and generall market to the whole world Others were astonished at the greatnesse of the empire thereunto belonging and the mightinesse of their state both by land and sea but the greater part of the most wise and iudiciall sort were rather in themselues confounded with amazement at the new and strange manner of the situation of this Citie so fitte and conuenient for all thinges that it seemed vnto them a thing rather framed by the hands of the immortall Gods then any way by the arte industry or inuention of men And for this onely cause deemed the Citie of Venice to excell all those that in this age are to be found or at any time euer were Neither altogether without reason for surely if you looke into former ages likewise into this wherein we liue you shall hardly find any cittie comparable with this of ours eyther for greatnes of Empire frequencie of people or aboundance and magnificence of thinges But No city eyther now or in any other age cōparable in all points with the citie of Venice especially for situation neuer was there since the memorie of men any citie seated in so opportune a place so secure and exceeding the beliefe of men Some in building of Cities imagined they had well and sufficiently done if they had chosen a place hard of accesse or difficult for their enemies to besiege or assault the same whereby it commeth that sundry Citties are seated on the toppes of high hilles with sharpe and vneasie passages or else in moorish and fennish places some again for other diuers respects haue imagined nothing to be preferred before an apt and commodious seate fitte to conuoy in and out all such thinges as appertaine to the making of a Cittie plentifull and magnificent aswell in matters of necessitie as delicacie Of which both points ioyntly you shall find few that haue beene carefull fewer that haue attempted it but vnlesse I be deceiued neuer any one that hath in all points accomplished it But the situation of Venice being rather to be attributed to some diuine prouidence then to any humane industry is beyond the beliefe of all those that haue not seene this cittie not onely most safe and secure both by land and sea from all violence but also in the highest degree opportune commodious to the aboundance of all thinges that are behoouefull to the citizens as also for traffique of all sortes of marchandise in manner with all nations of the worlde The situation of the citie of Venice For it is seated in a remote and secrete place of the Adriatike sea where on that side where the sea beholdeth the continent there are mightie great lakes fortified with an admirable artifice of nature For twelue miles off from the continent the sea beginneth to be shallow and among those flats lakes there ariseth vp a shore or banke like vnto a hill which seruing as a fortresse against the waues violences of the sea maketh all the inwarde harbor being very wide spacious so secure that not onely the vehemence of the sea when through the rage of any tempest it ariseth is repressed and kept backe but also the ships that arriue are debarred of free and easie entrance in so much that if they be not of very light burthen they are forced to cast anker at the mouth of the passages or entries and thence when the weather is calme and quiet being guided by skilfull pilots or rather by certaine particular men experimented in those shallowes and channels they may at length come vnto the cittie by a narrow crooked and intricate way where the water is of greater depth the same in a manner euery day altering and chaunging according to the tides of the sea The banke which ariseth behind these shallowes reacheth almost threescore miles and incloseth the lakes within Neuerthelesse the same is not so entire but that there is a rupture in seuen places thereof which maketh an entry to the roade within and it is six miles off from the Continent In this manner therefore are the lakes of the Citie of Venice inclosed partly with firme ground partly with Ryalta this banke and shallowes in middle of the which in that place which of our auncestors was called Rialta and as yet retaineth the name was the Citie of Venice builded at such time as the Hunnes vnder the conduct The cause of the first building of the City of Venice of Atyla did spoile with fire and sword the territory of Venetia a noble prouince of Italie which bordered vpon those lakes in which calamitous time the citizens of Padua of Aquilea of VderZo of Concordia and of Altina being all faire and goodly cities of Venetia such of them as were chiefe in riches and nobility did first get themselues with their families into certaine Ilands or rather little hilles which did appeare out somewhat aboue the sea and there built them places of abode in which as in a secure hauen they auoyded the ragefull tempest of the Hunnes There were likewise in that troublesome season certain castles built vpon the banke of which I made mention to which the inhabitantes of that coast repaired leaning their ancient homes spoyled and ruined by the Hunnes seeking there a safe abode for their wiues and children and as I may say for their houshold Gods Afterwards in the times of the kings Charles and Pepin all such as scatteringly inhabited these places by common consent retyred themselues vnto the Ryalta as into a place of greater security much more commocious then any of the rest so that in the end by the concourse of such as coulde auoide the ruines of Italy wrought by the cruelty of barbarous nations Venice by degrees augmented it selfe into that greatnesse in which we now do see it It is manifest therefore that the seat of this Citie must needes bee exceedingly secure in regarde that the first building thereof was vndertaken by men who to auoid the calamities of Italy in midst of so great a miserie remained there in most sound and quiet safetie with their Venice hath
remained vntouched from the violence of any enemy since the first building there of which is aboue 1100 yeares families But which is more since those times which we haue not read hath happened to any other city from the first building therof euen vntil this time being now a thousand and one hundred yeares it hath preserued it selfe free and vntouched from the violence of any enemie though being most opulent and furnished aswell of gold and siluer as of all other thinges that might yea euen from the farthest parts of the world allure the Barbares to so rich a bootie and spoile So that I doe not disalow their opinion that haue deemed the Citie of Venice to excell and go beyond all other Cities But yet there is one thing more in this citie which not onely in my iudgement farre exceedeth all those thinges which wee haue spoken of but likewise in all their opinions that do not account a Citie to bee the walles and houses onely but rather the assemblie and order of the citizens chiefly and with greatest worthinesse to challenge that name and this is the true reason manner forme of commonwealthes through which men enioy a happie and quiet life This is that rare and excellent thing wherein Venice seemeth to shine and to surpasse all antiquitie for though it is apparant that there hath beene many commonwealthes which haue farre exceeded Venice as well in empire and greatnesse of estate as in militarie discipline and glory of the wars yet hath there not beene any that may bee paragond with this of ours for institutions lawes prudently decreed to establish vnto the inhabitantes a happie and prosperous felicitie the proofe whereof is made manifest by the long continuance thereof in such security and happinesse which when I consider with my self I am wont greatly to wonder at the wisedome of our ancestors at their industry the vertue of their minds their incredible loue and charity towardes their country There were in Athens Lacedaemon and Rome in sundry seasons sundry rare and vertuous men of excellent desert and singular pietie towardes their country but so fewe that being ouerruled by the multitude they were not able much to profite the same But our auncestors from whome wee haue receyued so flourishing a common-wealth all in one did vnite themselues in a consenting The nobility of Venice not so ambitious of their owne as of their countries honor desire to establish honour and amplifie their country without hauing in a manner any the least regarde of their owne priuate glorie or commodity And this any man may easily coniecture that the nobilitie of Venice was neuer so ambitious of any priuate matter pertayning to themselues as they were alwayes infinitely zealous of the honour commodity and aduancement of their country in regarde that there are in Venice to bee found none or very few monuments of our auncestors though both at home and abroad many things were by them gloriously atchieued and they of passing and singular desart towards their countrie There are no stately â—ecchi di naui tombes erected no military statues remaining no stemmes of ships no ensignes no standrads taken from their enemies after the victory of many and mighty battailes Andreas Contareno Duke of Venice I wil among innumerable others touch onely the example of Andraeas Contareno an ancestor of mine who being prince of our commonwealth in the Genowes war the greatest and most dangerous that euer we endured did not onely preserue our countrey with his singular wisedome and maruellous greatnesse of courage but did so vtterly ouerthrow our enemies they triumphing euen then as it were in an assured victory that they in a manner were all eyther slaine or taken prisoners Finally hauing so mightily preserued his country and amplified and established the commonwealth hee passed out of this life or dayning by testament that on his sepulcher which at this day is to be seene in S. Stephens church there should not be placed any armes or ensignes of our familie neither which is more is there so much as the name of so great a Duke engraued but rather by his modestie is it come to passe that the sepulcher of so famous excellent a prince is in a manner vtterly vnknowen I imagine this to be a most certain argument that our auncestors delighted not in vaineglorie or ambition but had only their intentiue care to the good of their country and common profite With this then exceeding vertue of mind did our auncestors plant and settle this such a commonwealth that since the memory of men whosoeuer shal go about to make compare between the same the noblest of the ancients shal scarcely find any such but rather I dare affirme that in the discourses of those great Philosophers which fashioned forged coÌ„monwealths according to the desires of the mind there is not any to be founde so well fayned and framed for which cause I thought I should doe a thing very gratefull to strangers if I shoulde describe the order of so renowned a commonwealth especially because in this time among the number of so many men learned and of pregnant wits ripe in the knowledge of all things and excelling in eloquence I see not any that hath vndertaken this honorable taske To which though I know the weakenesse of our stile cannot yeeld any ornament yet the same is of it selfe so noble that it is able not onely to yeeld dignitie to it selfe but also to the vnworthinesse of my speech Being therefore determined to write of this our commonwealth to the end that euery one may know whether the same be well or ill disposed I thinke it best to take my beginning from hence That man is by nature made a ciuile creature but alone by himselfe neither able to liue well not to liue at all which euery daies necessitie and the manner of victuailing and clothing approueth and for this cause euen from the beginning did men enter into ciuile societie and therein continued to the ende that so they might liue happily and commodiously which is that with mutuall helpe and diligence they might obtaine the chief good incident to men so long as the course of this their mortal life endureth wherunto the whole reason of ciuil institution pertaineth that by the easiest way No life happy and blessed but that which contayneth in it the vse of vertue possible the citizens may be made possessors of a happy life But a life happie and blessed is so tearmed of great Philosophers the which containeth in it selfe the vse of vertue which they do approue with most assured reasons and vndenyable arguments Now the vse of vertue appeareth as well in the offices of warre as in the functions of peace which notwithstanding though the praise of warre and the manner of discipline thereunto belonging be necessary to a Citie for the preseruation of the libertie and defence of the confines and contayneth in it selfe great dignitie
so wise and vertuous and of such stedfast constancic that no perturbation were able to make his mind recoile from his duetie yet neither on this condition were the rule of man to be wished for before the gouernment of lawes for he being of a mortall fraile nature could not long enioy that function when lawes as I said do in a manner concurre with eternitie By these I thinke it sufficiently persuaded that the souerainty of gouernment should be recommended not to men but to lawes to whose will yet some few thinges may be permitted that are not well in lawes to bee comprehended neuerthelesse it is necessary that there bee A Gardian of the lawes made a certaine Gardian as Liestenant and minister of the laws who may gouerne the commonwealth according to the rule of the lawes And because all those thinges that come into iudgement cannot be comprehended in lawes that he then be an arbiter ruler of those matters that are in question now againe returneth that controuersie of constitution of lawes which Whether a few or the whole multitude be to bee preferred to the defence of of the lawes to some might seeme already decided that is to say whether one or a few or the whole multitude be to be preferred to the defence of the lawes to iudge those things that do not fal into the comprehension of lawes And though in the opinion of many men the kingly domination is of highest esteeme and greatest account neuerthelesse I shoulde thinke that though the principalitie of one alone that should lawfully and by right challenge to himselfe the dignity of a king if the matter be by it selfe considered shoulde seeme of all other the best yet in regarde of the breuitie of life and mans fraile disposition which for the most parte enclineth to the worser parte the gouernment of the multitude is farre more conuenient to the assemblie of citizens which experience the mistresse of all thinges doth elegantly teach vs because that wee haue not read that there was among auncientes any souerainty of a king neyther haue wee in our time seene any that had not soone declyned into tiranny on the contrary side many commonwealthes that haue continued prosperously many ages and flourished both in peace and warre yet is the whole multitude of it selfe vnapt to gouerne vnlesse the same be in some sort combined together for No ciuil society can remain perfect vnlesse the same be in a vnity contained there cannot bee a multitude without the same bee in some vnitie contayned so that the ciuill society which consisteth in a certaine vnity will bee dissolued if the multitude become not one by some meane of reason so that the best philosophers and those that haue learnedlyest written of the ordering of a commonwealth iudged that in the gouernment therof there should be a temperature betweene the state of nobility popular sort to the ende that the inconueniences of either gouernmental one might be auoided and the commodities of both ioyntly inioyed for which cause they doe highly The common-wealth of the Lacedemonians gouerned by the king the Ephores the Senate The same wholly instituted to the offices exercises of war commend the commonwealth of the Lacedemonians in which the kings the Ephores the senates made a certain mixture so that it is hard to decipher vnder what sort of gouernment the same can be placed onely this they reprehend that it was onely instituted to the offices of war without any regard of the offices of peace quietnesse wherby it came to passe that the same being glorious and renowned in many excellent vertues so soon as euer it began to liue at quiet presently declined at length vtterly fell to ruine which also and for the same cause befell the Romaines neyther was the euent thereof vnforeseene of sundry of the chiefe Senators The cause of the ruine of the Lacedemonian Romane commonwealth among the which Nasica was of opinion that Carthage though enuious of the Romane greatnesse and as it were in competencie withall ought not to haue beene ruined to the end that Rome might still haue an enemie with whom to occupie it selfe in armes lest their enemie and corriuall being taken away the common-wealth being instituted to warre and the youth nourished in armes they shoulde turne their weapons vpon themselues which counsell of Nasica though it was then refused of the Senates and the contrary decreed neuertheles the euēt proued the same to haue bin most wise prudent for Carthage being destroyed presently in a manner they burst out into ciuill warres through which at length the same being the most flourishing mighty commonwealth that euer was fel downe to the ground and that Citie abounding in such opulency as being in manner Queene of the worlde became a pray to the barbarous But to come now at length to our determined taske it appeareth that our auncestors which instituted the commonwealth of Venice were men indued with admirable wisedome and vertue in that they omitted nothing which might seeme to pertaine to the right institution of a commonwealth for first they ordayned the whole life and exercise of their citizens to the vse and office of vertue and alwaies with greater regard and reckoning applyed their minds to the maintenance of peace then to glorie of warres The Venetians applyed their minds more to the maintenance of peace then to the glory of wars bending alwaies their chiefest care and studie to the preseruation of ciuill concorde and agreement among themselues not in the mean time neglecting warlike offices such I meane as were fitte and conuenient for our Citie of which the situation is such that it serueth well and is commodious for warres by sea but vnfitte for warres by land for neyther squadrons of horsemen nor troupes of footmen can by any meanes be accomodated thereunto as by my former description thereof may easily bee coniectured Besides they vsed such a moderation and temperature and such a mixture of all estates that this onely cittie retayneth a princely soueraigntie a gouernment of the nobilitie a popular authority so that the formes of them all seeme to be equally ballanced as it were with a paire of weights as more plainely hereafter shall appeare But now finally to come to the institutiō of our Venetian commonwealth the whole authority of the city frō whose decrees and lawes aswell the senate as all other The great councell in which consifteth the whol authority of the common-wealth of Venice magistrates deriue their power and authority is in that councell into which all the gentlemen of the Citie being once past the age of 25. yeares are admitted and sundry of them not yet come to that age so that they be full twentie which priuiledge they obtaine by the benefite of lottes of which hereafter we will discourse the whole manner Now first I am to yeeld you a reckoning how and with what wisedome
equall with the number of the names writē in the first euery one hauing his marks the fift part of these balles is guilded with gold the rest with siluer the prince taketh out of the first potte the name and then out of the next potte the ball which if he be of the golden sort the young man whose name was drawen hath presently the authority of publike power and is admitted into the great counsaile but if it be of the siluered he leeseth for that time his right and expecteth his fortune of the yeare to come vnlesse in the meane time hee accomplish the 25. yeare of his age for euery gentleman comming to that age hath presently the right of a citizen and is made pertaker of the publike authoritie by this meanes the fift part of the noble yong men that put themselues to this tryall is euery yeare admitted and enabled to giue his voyce with the other citizens but if it so happen that the father or grandfather of any gentleman eyther in regard of absence or other cause had neuer vsed this publique right nor his name neuer beene registred in the common booke that contayneth the names of all the nobilitie lest there should be any fraud vsed or lest any bastard shoulde vnder hande enter into this company of No bastard admitted for noble gentlemen they would not that this matter should bee iudged and determined of onely by the office of the aduocatory magistrates but it is prouided for by a lawe that they should proue their nobilitie by witnesses and publike writings and that the aduocators should make The counsell of the ◅ report ouer to the forty men and so the cause being vnderstood and throughly examined and debated of by the forty men it is at length iudged whether the party pretending is to be admitted for noble or no. But to the end that no one shoulde scotfree aduenture the triall of this iudgement it was also prouided that whosoeuer should vndertake this proofe of his nobilitie shoulde first bring vnto the magistrate fiue hundred crownes of gold by them to be put into the treasure in case the pretendant speed not in his suit Such was the diligence of our ancestors to the end that this congregation of nobility should no way be defiled For which cause those very citizens which are nobly borne and haue past their 25. yeares obtaine not yet the authority of giuing their voices till being so presented before the magistrates they proue the accomplishment of the age by the othe of their father mother or neere kinseman and also by two witnesses that they were born of that gentleman who they say was their father not bastards nor of a mother any way reproched Now that we haue expressed the whole manner by which the citizens do enter into the publike authoritie I thinke it worthy to be marked that our ancestors did deeme it a thing of great moment for the maintenance of the citizens in vnitie and loue if they did often meet and assemble together Therefore as wel by lawes as by prescription of time it is an ancient custome that this The great coūcel assembled euery eight day great counsaile should be assembled euery eight day sometimes oftner The especiall office of which is to create all the magistrates aswell those that administer iustice in the cittie and inioy other offices in the commonwealth as the senate the tenne the Pretors the Captaines and treasurers of castles and Citties which are vnder the fellowship of the Venetian empire as also the gouernors of sortresses the General of their nauie their ambassadors captaines of their gallies and finally to conclude all in a word all those whosoeuer abroad or at home haue charge vnder the commonwealth Likewise all such lawes as pertain to the constitution of the cōmonwealth are enacted by the authority of this councell which is especially vsed to be done when the Duke is dead there being no new successor as yet created But this shal be spoken of more hereafter Now we wil expresse the whole manner of creating The order of the Session house magistrates Euery holliday in manner about noone this great councell is assembled into a great and spacious Ten very long benches in the hall where the great councell is kept hall which we will call the Session house There are in the same ten exceeding long benches equalling in manner the length of the hall the cittizens sit downe euery one when they come where it pleaseth them for there is no place appointed to any except to some Magistrates of chiefe authority as the Duke the Counsellors the three presidents of the fortie which sit on a higher seate onely haue authoritie to make report ouer to the great Councell After these the Aduocatory magistrates and the three heads of the tenne sit downe in their appointed places in the midst of certaine benches that are also somewhat higher then the rest are close adioyning to the wall of the hall at length very farre from the Duke are the seates of the olde and new auditors of whom we will speake more hereafter But the rest of the citizens as I said sit downe without any place appointed where it pleaseth them Then at an appointed houre the dores of the Session house are shut fast the keyes brought to the Tribunal of the prince there laid at his feete Then the chiefe Chauncellor which though it be not an honor of the nobilitie yet it is of very great dignity standeth vp from a high eminent place declareth what roomes and offices are vacant then to be prouided for which being pronounced he passeth straight from that place to the Tribunal of the Prince and there with a loude voyce citeth the Magistrates being Presidentes of the sessions as is saide before that they should come to the Prince or to the Counsellors if the prince be away They being summoned do presently come and there with oth do promise to do their vttermost diligence that the lawes may be obserued and that they will not in these offices pronounce any citizen that shall any way haue violated the decrees but that they will cause such a one to be seuerely punished according to the rigor of the lawes which ceremony being ended euery one returneth to his place except one of the aduocators and one of the heades of the tenne which go to the farthest part of the hall right opposite against the princes seat there sitte downe in appointed places The other aduocators sitte downe on the right fide of the session house and the other heads of the tenne right ouer against them on the left side In like manner doe the olde and new auditors place themselues in the farthest seate of the hall which as I said is far distant from the place of the prince some on the right hand some on the left to the ende as it should seeme that by this manner seating
are celebrated which being ended they go aborde the ship againe and returne to Venice attending on the Prince home to his house where they dyne with him The fourth and last banquette pertayneth to the young cittizens who the twelue Kalendes of Iuly on the day dedicated to the two Martyres Vitus and Modestus doe with solemne pompe wayte vpon the Prince to the Temple of those Martirs which is situate neere to the great channell that diuideth the cittie in the middest which channell is for that tyme conioyned with a bridge made vpon two galleyes least otherwise to make that iourney would cost a very long and laboursome circuit and compasse The church being visited and the solemnities in the church finished they attend vpon the prince home to his pallace where they are receiued with a royall magnificent banket There are to these bankets admitted dauncers iesters and excellent singers to recreate delight the guestes and withal certaine sports and playes are intermingled which doe moue exceeding mirth and pleasure and this ancient custome is still obserued in the common-wealth of Venice though somewhat moderated For by this means the citizens in a manner of euery degree yea equals with equalles are entertayned at the princes table which seemeth exceedingly well ordered and disposed as well for the dignity of the prince as also for nourishing maintayning loue and good will among the citizens But because euery citizen that is a gentleman cannot euery yeare receiue this grace of being inuited it is by an olde law ordained least any one should seeme to be left out that the prince should in the winter time sende to euery citizen that hath priuiledge of A strange ceremony obserued by the Duke of Venice but now the same is altered the wild ducks changed into a peece of siluer coyne voyce in the greater Councell fiue wild duckes as a portion or share of the publike banket which likewise is a great meane to the Duke of winning the loue and goodwill of the citizens In these chargeable expences doth the Duke yearely consume and spend a great part of that money which hee receiueth out of the common treasure so that though the Duke would be couetous yet cannot hee in a manner staine with any basenesse the noblenesse dignity of the place he holdeth Here because the whole power and authority of the prince is in a manner already expressed of vs it shal not be amisse to declare in what season and time the beginning was of creating a Duke in Venice and finally what is the order of the sessions in his election The beginning of creating a Duke in Venice Immediately from the first beginning of the Cittie when the noblest citizens of the Venetian prouince their greatest citties as Aquileia Altina Concordia Vderzo Padoua and many other of great opulencie and richesse being ruinated by the Hunnes vnder the conduct of Attyla their Captaine who filled Italy with fire and blood did assemble themselues in those flattes of the Adriatique sea where Venice since was builded euery one of them had chosen for his mansion those places which were nearest to the country which hee had abandoned it came to passe that there were by them built about two and twentie townes partly vpon that shore or bank which encloseth the inner lakes partly vppon certaine hillockes which appeared out aboue the lakes But in the beginning when those townes were neither of themselues sufficiently fortified and fenced neither euery of them so furnished with shipping that it was able to resist the incursions of theeues and pirates they thought it meete seeing their fortunes were all alike to gouerne their matters by a common councell as well for the prouision of corne wine fruites and other necessaries as also the securitie of their persons and families thereby to auoide the daunger of pyrates and rouers to which in regarde of their weake scattered vnfortified townes they lay in a manner open Therefore when firsteuery towne had chosen from out his other citizens a chiefe and sufficient man calling him by Euery towne did chuse a Tribune the name or title of Tribune they generally altogether ordained that vpon certain appointed daies these Tribunes should meete and consult together the common businesse but finding in the end an inconuenience in the varietie of so many opinions and authorities and suffring withal many incommodities they thought nothing would doe better then to lay the whole charge of the generall and common affaires vppon some one particular man whom all the rest should acknowledge as their prince and ruler It was therefore by generall consent of the xxij townes concluded and agreed that The princes seate assigned him in the towne of Heraclea there should one Duke or Prince be chosen his seate assigned him at the beginning in the towne of Heraclea situated on the inner side of the lakes in a certaine Ilande neere to the mouth of the riuer Piaue which in our time by inundation of the flouds is now ioyned to the firme lands But afterwards this place seeming vnfit because it was farre off so that many times afore the prince could haue aduertisement the Pyrates had already entred the lakes oppressed at vnwares the inhabitants spoiled their shipping Therefore they thought The princes seat transposed to Malamoco it better that the prince leauing Heraclea shoulde plant his seat in Malamoco a towne seated vpon the midst of the banke whence the Duke might easily soon haue inckling of any whatsoeuer attempt of the Pyrates and Pipin inuaded Italy with small adoo bee at hand wheresoeuer his presence The princes seat lastly reduced to Venice should be requisit But at length when Pipin euen in those very beginnings of the Venetian citie threatned seruitude slaughter they abandoning in a maner the rest of the townes they came altogether to Rialta thither also was the seate of the prince translated by which meanes Venice in time encreased and grew into that greatnesse in which we now do see it so that by a perpetuall continuing custome euen from the beginning there alwayes was a prince and gouernour of the Venetian commonwealth At first for a while their authority was greater but afterwardes being by vse of time and experience taught they began with holesome statutes and lawes to abridge his power bringing it by degrees into this temperature in which wee now doe see it The manner of choosing the Duke of Venice The manner of chusing a successor to the deceased Duke was at the first altogether simple and without ceremony for our auncestors being men of great soundnesse and integritie free from all ambition did euery one in his particular draw backe from accepting a matter of so great a charge so that by a generall crie acclamation of the people he was proclaimed prince that was reputed to be the honestest wisest man But after those times the Citie and people
they go to their lots againe and so in that maner stil reiecting that which hath fewest bals the controuersie is at length brought onely betweene two of which the one must of necessity haue aboue halfe the suffrages and then the same is by the decree of the senate authorized and allowed One matter being dispatched they beginne with another vnlesse it bee too late in the day alwaies obseruing the same manner as is aforesaid The manner of giuing audience dispatching Ambassadors If there come an Ambassador from any prince to the commonwealth of Venice he is receyued of the Duke the counsellors and the whole colledge and doth before them expresse his ambassage which being hearde they do for that time dismisse him demanding space to consult vpon the matter which hauing done in sort forme as you haue heard they then demand the opinion of the Senate To which the Duke first declareth the effect of the Ambassadors demande and then the opinions are read of all those that haue authoritie to make report to the senate finally in manner as before The senate determineth what aunswere shall bee made vnto the Ambassadors demand who being called in a Secretary readeth vnto him the decree of the Senate vpon which hee is dismissed This is in effect the whole summe manner and forme that the Senate vseth in The councel or colledge of the tenne their consultations decrees and councels and therefore now I thinke it requisite in this place to say somewhat of the councell of the tenne of which you haue often heard me make mention This councell or Colledge of the tenne is among the Venetians of great and eminent authority and of which any man may boldly say that the whole safetie of the commonwealth dependeth I will therefore touch the beginning and originall thereof to the ende that the whole manner and course of the same may be the easilyer conceyued Our elders did with a maruellous in manner diuine prouidence foresee that as in mans bodie through the corruption and putrefaction of one humor many most daungerous diseases doe commonly happen which growe in time to bee the causes of death so also in a commonwealth there are sometime wicked and disloiall citizens that are causes thereunto of great troubles and calamities whiles they aspire rather to the pride of a wicked and vniust commandement then to the praise of an honest and quiet obedience carried away in those damnable endeuors eyther with ambition and desire of rule or oppressed with intollerable debt or otherwise hauing committed some haynous wickednes or crime for which they stand in doubt of punishment such as we reade was in Rome Cateline Silla Marius and finally Iulius Caesar who hauing by tyranny gotten the commonwealth did in a manner bring it to vtter desolation and ruine The like we reade of sundry common-wealthes Sundry great and famous common-wealths ouerthrowen by the infidelity ambition of some their priuate citizens of the Greekes yea and those sometimes famous and of great glory which by the vndermining ambition and treachery of some their wicked and vnfaithfull citizens were brought into seruitude and bondage But in these times of ours Italy it selfe hath yeelded vs sufficient examples all the cities whereof in a manner that were eyther gouerned by the people or by the nobility being brought vnder the yoke or tirany of someone of their citizens For which cause our prudent elders laboured to establish this commonwealth of ours in all perfection and beauty and to strengthen the same with such so holesome lawes that it might as much as in mans wisedome lyeth preuent the inconuenience of so monstrous and miserable a fall for they Nothing more to be feared then intestine broiles and cauil dissentiō imagined that there was not any thing so much to bee doubted and feared as an intestine enemy or ciuill strife sedition among the citizens Calling therefore to minde that among the Lacedemonians the Ephores were mighty and of great authority and among the Athenians the Areopagites and so likewise among the Romaines the Decemuiri or tenne men insomuch The cause of the creation of ten in the city of Venice that they made lawes they thought it not amisse by imitation of their example though in an vnlike cause to create in this our citie some magistrate of authority and power whose office aboue all other things should be to haue especiall care to see that among the citizens should not arise any strife or dissention whereby there might ensue any scandall or vprore and to preuent factions or the attemptes of any wicked citizen that shoulde conspire against the liberty of the common-wealth of which sort of mischiefe if there should by euill destiny any creepe into the commonwealth they then to haue absolute authority to punish and chasten the same least otherwise the commonwealth might thereby receiue harme But so great an authority and puissance coulde not haue beene committed to few without danger neither if to many woulde it then haue been formidable therefore to auoide the one and the other inconuenience they ordayned and established this Colledge of tenne They continue in this office a yeare and haue adioyned vnto them the Duke and the sixe Counsellors so that the whole Colledge commeth to make vp the iust number of seuenteene citizens to whome this great power and authoritie is giuen Of these tenne there are three euery month chosen and elected by lotte who are Presidentes of the Colledge and The heads of the Tenne by common phrase of speech called the heades of the tenne and they haue authority to assemble the whole Colledge of the tenne and to make report vnto them They haue aparte by themselues a chamber wherein they assemble when they sitte in councell They haue also vnder them priuate and particular officers as Porters Vshers and certayne that are allowed for their garde So that there is not any other Tribunall of magistrates gone vnto with greater obseruaunce and ceremonie Thither resort allthose that haue any thing to do in their Colledge They likewise reade all letters written to the Colledge and make report of them to the same for doing of the which with the greater sufficiency one of those Presidents alone by himselfe hath not authority to make report but they must bee eyther two to make reporte of the same matter or els foure Councellors For the same cause also and to auoide the rashnesse and temeritie that some fewe of them might otherwise vse in alteration of any thing it is ordayned that if they will cancell or vndoe any thing that is already established and fully confirmed they must at least haue the Suffrages of two partes of the Colledge for confirmation of that which they shall doe which otherwise is helde to bee voide and of no effect They haue also an order that the offendor is The offender neuer suffred to come into the Colledge not any friend or Lawyer
Iudges is pronounced and executed which the other being reiected hath in fauour thereof more then halfe the suffrages No one citizē nor magistrate allowed for an absolute iudge or arbitrator in any thing Here me thinketh I shall not doe amisse to acquaint you with two statutes wisely enacted by our ancestors The first is that they would not by any meanes that any citizen no nor magistrate should bee an arbitrator without appeale in any thing but that the supreme right iudgement of all things shoulde belong to the councels or colledges And the other no lesse profitable then the former is that the Iudges should not openly with their tongue pronounce their opinions but secretly by suffrages the maner of which you haue heard either of which in my opinion grounded vpon exceeding reason First for so great an authority in determining matters to haue been cōmitted to one magistrate as it had beene dangerous so if now the matter fall by chaunce otherwise then well out the Citie cannot find fault with any particular citizens And with as great wisedome was it ordained that iudgementes and decrees should not bee openly with speech pronounced for the Iudges by this inuention of secret suffrages doe iudge much more freely then they woulde haue done if they had beene to deliuer their iudgementes with their tongue in which case sometimes eyther through ambition they wold haue been seduced from iustice or els feared the offence of their well deseruing friendes or els doubted the indignation and mislike of some greater person withal this commodity ther is that euery Iudge followeth his own iudgemēt without depending vpon the authority of any other Iudge which might easily happen that hee that had before spoken were reputed to be graue and wise which point hath not been omitted of excellent Philosophers but now seeing the whole manner of iudgementes is of vs expressed wee will returne to the forty iudges of Capitall causes of which I had begunne to speake Their Colledge was instituted of our City to the ende that the Aduocators making report vnto them of Capitall causes by their deliberation wicked men and malefactors might receiue condigne correction punishment for vnlesse it be in great and waightie matters and such as the commonwealthes may bee interessed by the decision of them the Aduocators doe neuer consult with the Senate and verie rarely with the great Councell but all Capitall causes are brought to this Colledge of the forty whose sentence is helde for ratifyed and firme without admitting any appeale Their office lasteth eight moneths after that they haue before spent sixteen moneths in determining of ciuill causes For there are in the common wealthes of Venice three The office of the forty criminall Iudges Courtes or Colledges euery one consisting of Forty iudges two of them are for the iudging and determining of ciuile causes and the thirde of which wee speake for Capitall but they are in this sort distributed that these forty Capitall Iudges so soone as they haue finished their lymited time of office do returne priuately into order and forthwith other forty are chosen into their places by the session of the great Councell and yet the forty new chosen doe not presently come to the iudging of Capitall causes but in place of these former Capitall Iudges doth the other Colledge of Forty succeede that did in the meane space of these eight moneths exercise the iudgemēt of ciuile causes within the City And againe in their place doth succeede the other Colledge of forty which also in this eight moneths space had the handling of ciuil-foreyne causes and in their place do succeed these last forty newly created and so by turne they passe from foreyn causes to causes of the city and lastly to those which are capital in which iudgements from one as I say to another they continue two years These three courts of iudges haue their three peculiar appellations The first of forreyne causes is called the new Colledge the second of homeciuil causes the old and the third that iudgeth vpon life and death the criminal Colledge these last forty beside the high power of their iudgement in capital offences and crimes are also admitted into the Senate and haue in that honorable Councell also their authority of sufrages They haue besides three heads or presidentes of their company which are euery two monethes chosen new by Lot and in their turnes they sit with the Duke and Councellers and haue with them equal authority of making report ouer of whatsoeuer they shal please eyther to the Senate or to the great Councell the same neuerthelesse in such manner as I tolde you before neyther without reason are these forty yonger men mingled with the Senators which are for the most part olde men in regarde that the heate of their nature maketh a temperature with the others coldnesse yet are not these young men equall in number to the olde men but much fewer onely inough to put some heat into the cold deliberatiōs of the Senate which somtimes exceeding in matters of some nature is necessarie Besides by this grant of Senator like authority to the forty there may seeme to bee in some forte a communication of the commonwealths gouernmēt with the lower and meaner sort of citizens such as for the most part they are that do exercise this office of the forty wherein our auncesters haue seemed to vse obserue a certaine kinde of popular lawe for to euery of these three Colledges of forty men there is a certain rated allowance of mony appointed and giuen for euery day that they shall assemble and meete and therefore very seldome do those that are rich require this office and if they should they would as easily be repulsed The honor thereof being without difficulty granted to the needier sort prouided alwaies that their life beare with it the fame of an honest conuersation by which meanes the pouerty of meane gentlemen is not only in some sort prouided for but alsoo the gouernment and administration of the common wealth is aswell in some sort communicated with the meaner and poorer sorte of Citizens as with those that are highliest remarkable eyther for riches or nobilitie which custome hath a reference to the popular estate By these thinges you may perceiue that there appeareth in eueriy parte of the Venetian common wealth that moderation and temperature which in the beginning of this worke I tolde you our auncesters did so highly indeuour to establish which is that the popular estate should haue an intelligence and mixture with that of the nobilitie yet the same in that order seasoned that the parts of the Nobilitie should bee both more in number and mightier in sway We haue now in my opinion sufficiently discoursed both of the Aduocators as also of the forty criminall Iudges who are to that ende instituted that they should carefully looke into all such offences as are any way notorious eyther through the qualitie of the
benefit and commoditie was so exceedingly of our ancesters respected through dearth and scarsity of corne might fall into the extremitie of Famine There are therefore appointed three maysters or ouerseers of this matter of corne whose Magistracie endureth sixteene monthes their office charge is carefully to prouide that the Citie bee neuer at any time afflicted with the scarcitie of corne of which if at any time they stand in doubt they presently repaire vnto the Duke and to the Colledge of the Sages and there the matter being well debated doe at length determine what course is therein best to be taken Sometimes there is a certaine rewarde and recompence out of the common treasure appointed to those that shall from farre countries transport any corne to Venice Sometimes they bargayne with merchantes for the vndertaking to bring by a certayne time such quantity of corne as they shall agree vpon to Venice from out of forraigne regions and for the same to be payed out of the publike treasure which promise vnlesse the marchantes faithfully performe they are by the senate amerced in a great summe of money And whereas the commonwealth buyeth this corne deerely and at a great rate it selleth the same againe to the common people very good cheape and at a small price suffring sometimes therein a great and exceeding losse There are besides this many other excellent lawes and decrees concerning this matter of corne which if I should perticularly rehearse I should digresse farther from my purpose then were fit Now followeth that Magistrate to whose prouidence and care all such thinges as tend to the health and holesomenesse of the citie do appertain His chiefest office is to foresee that there come not into the citie any contagious infection which if at any time it happen to creepe in as sometimes it chanceth then to take such diligent and carefull order that in as much as may bee the same come not to spreade any further To which ende there are certaine goodly commodious houses built in the lakes three miles off from the citie and adioyning neer vnto them there are gardens of great pleasure into which houses if any of the people fall sicke he is presently conueyed with his whole familie and those that haue had any cōuersation with him that is so fallen sicke to the end they infect not others must also leauing their owne mansions be remoued to other publique houses built to the same vse but in a part without the citie quite contrarie to the other where they are constrained to remaine the space of fortie daies if during which time they continue sound and well then they are suffred to returne to the citie and to their dwelling places There is also a great care had of their housholde stuffe least by the contagion thereof any one should get infection This Magistrate likewise hath a care that there bee not any stinking or rotten meate or any other vnholesome thing solde that might any way offend or bee noysome to the health of the Citie Finally his onely care is to preuent infection and sicknesse and to preserue purenesse and health within the citie This office was instituted not long before our time whereas before the cittie was sundry times so mortally afflicted with the plague that whole families flying the infection thereof leauing their proper habitations forsooke the towne went to the next countries vpon firme lande But since the creation of this new magistrate Gods goodnesse be thanked there hath not beene in a manner any pestilence at all though sometimes as in such a maruellous concourse of people out of all partes can hardly bee auoided some houses haue beene infected but by the diligence of this magistrate and especially Gods fauour assisting him therein the disease hath not taken roote nor been suffred to spread it selfe abroade The gouernment and manner of the Arsenall Now we come to speake of the honourable gouernment of our Arsenall the same being a singular ornament not onely to Venice it selfe but generally such is the statelinesse and glorie thereof an honour and dignitie to all Italy because it is a matter of infinite magnificence and maiestie and worthy of all admiration The Arsenall is built on that side of the citie which of all others is neerest to the maine sea hollowed out into three bosomes or to speake more properly into three diuided entries into euerie of which the sea entreth by one onely gate the same being so large that it is capable of the greatest Gallies This gate is fortified on each side with two strong Towers which are ioyned together with a mightie drawbridge and a huge percullisse which are neuer opened but vpon the occasion of letting Gallies out or in There is no other passage to go into the inner partes of the Arsenall but onely by this gate The first bosome or entrie within the same though it be the least of the three yet notwithstanding it is very great and spacious being roofed couered and tyled round about on euery side in manner of certain vaults vnder which the gallies that are come from sea do repose til new ocasion fall out of employing them safe free from the annoyance eyther of wind or weather so that they continue many yeares sound and good likewise vnder these vaultes doe they build their new Gallies and mende and make vp their old a worke surely of great goodlinesse and glory and most fitte and commodious for the maintenance of a nauie Next this bosome or gully there is an inwarder maruellously great and large ordered round of euery side with such vaultes as I spake of of which vaultes you shall not see any one emptie but in those that are wide two Gallies and in the narrower one at least The third being not much inferior to the second in largenesse was but a little before our time added to the two former and is compassed about with goodly wals and builded with many vaults which though they bee not all as yet finished yet dayly they are diligently in hande about the ending and accomplishing thereof There is onely one way by which men go from one to the other and on the outside they are compassed all about with one wall distinguished here and there with certaine towers in the which there are nightly watches kept to preuent the daunger of fire the treachery of any ill disposed person or any other casualtie whereby so goodly and excellent a worke might come to be spoyled or defaced Within the walles are certaine roomes replenished with all manner of Nauale instruments all kindes of artificers thereunto belonging haue there their workehouses and shops There great quantities of brasse are melted for the making of their artillerie likewise there are also made infinite prouisions of gunpowder so that within the Arsenall there wanteth not any thing which appertayneth to the affaires of the sea There you may beholde an infinite number of workemen euery one exercising his owne particular
not omit anything that might tend to the common benefite and good of their Countrie The end of the fourth booke The Fift Booke of the Magistrates and commonwealth of Venice SEing that the whole forme and order of the gouernment of our common wealth is in manner of vs already expressed and the office and order of the magistrates within the Cittie I thinke I shall not doe a thing vnpleasing or vnfitte for the matter I haue in hand if I speake somewhat of The gouernment abroade the magistrates abroad The gouernment of the watâ—es those I meane that haue rule and authority in such citties as are vnder the subiection of the state of Venice then of our militare charges The offices of the citizens that are not nobly born gouernments and lastly of the offices of the other cittizens that are not within the order of nobilitie which being declared and made manifest I may and that as I trust without reprehension conueniently and with the conclusion and shutting vp of this worke The manner vsed by the Venetians in gouerning such Cities as are vnder their subiection Ouer the nobler Citties of the state there are appointed foure magistrates one onely Gouernour doth iustice to all determining and sentencing all causes aswell ciuile as criminall This Gouernour hath alwaies sitting with him in iudgement men skilfull in the lawes whose counsell he vseth though the whole authoritie rest in himselfe Besides him there is a Captain generall commander ouer the souldiers of that territory aswell those that are in garrison in the citties as those that are encamped or lodged abroade in the countrie ouer them hath the Gouernour no charge at all but onely the Captaine generall besides the care of the Castell the walles and the Gates are committed to the Captaine likewise of the rentes and tributes aswell of the citie as of the whole countrie belonging vnto it besides these there is a Treasurer or two that administreth payeth and recouerth the publike money and keepeth the bookes and register of the publike accountes but he doeth not any thing without the commandement of the Captaine and sometimes both of the Captain and the Gouernour which manner of administration seemed much more fit then if both the authority and the handling of the money should haue beene committed to one of them alone whereby the publike treasure might much more easily haue beene embezeled and mispent but the money that remaineth ouerplus aboue the charges of the Prouince is carried to Venice and deliuered to the Treasurers of the Citie to whose office as I saide before the publike money is brought from all partes The fourth magistrate of authority in euery principall Cittie is the Liuetenant of the Castles in some places there is but one and in some more they command ouer those souldiers that are in garrison of the Castles and haue the charge of such weapons victuall artillery and munition as are within the Castle yet the Lieutenant hath not so absolute authority within the Castle but that he is alwaies subiect to the commandement of the captaine generall to whose authority and power all things of that kinde are wholy attributed but in lesser citties or townes there is no captaine generall all thinges being there vnder commandement of the Gouernour Likewise in such townes as are within the precinctes of greater citties the Gouernour onely administreth right to the townsmen and no other magistrate though the Treasurers captains haue also authority throughout the whole Territory of the chiefe Citties from all these Gouernours appeale may be brought to the new Auditors sometimes also the Aduocators were wont to sit with the Gouernours vpon sentences of life and death but because thereby iudgements were oftentimes delayde and lewd persons in the meane time not punished there was a lawe made by the colledge of the ten that the Aduocators should not haue any farther authority in such iudgements as were giuen by the gouernour but that he should onely vse the aduise of such Doctors of law as before I said were to sit with him in iudgement And this in my opinion already saide may suffice concerning the magistrates by whome our commoÌ„ wealth is gonerned both abroade and at home But seeing there is aswell a reckoning to bee made of managing warres as of maintaining peace which whosoeuer wholy do reiect cannot as Plato sayth in his Polytiques long defend and maintaine themselues in freedome and libertie But those that haue left vnto their posterity the true directions of a commonwealth commended the vse of both to the end that in times of warre they should not bee vnfit for the exercises thereof and that in peace they might liue in honest exercises vnder the lawes and statutes of their Country so that alwaies the vertue and exercises of warre haue a reference to the studyes of peace as being of the two the most excellent and desirable for such is the verie force working and operation of nature it selfe in euery thing that first it should couet and seeke that which is to it selfe conueuient and then resist and defend themselues from that which is contrarie thereunto which in all liuing creatures that are created with any perfection of nature is easie to bee discerned for there is none of them which wanteth a desire leading him to that which to his nature is most agreeable and likewise there is adioyned to the same a force and abilitie to be angrie which Plato placeth in the heart to the end that through the stirring therof euery creature might be prone to resist and repell that which is to his nature noysome and contrarie the first seedes then of eyther of these partes being by nature placed in the mindes of men as being of all other creatures the most perfect ought of ciuile men to be embraced that they may bring forth the fruites of eyther effect that is both of warre and peace which course was not neglected of our ancesters howsoeuer to some it seeme otherwise for though the citty being builded in the sea and at the first for many years careles of extending their dominion and rule ouer the continent did not apply themselues to land wars yet did they with maruelous glory of successe bend themselues to warres by sea atchiuing therewith many notable exploits aswell in defence of their owne liberty as in reuenge of iniuries done theÌ„ by their enemies and many great and glorious deeds of the Venetians do yet remaine in ancient recorde many triumphes and victories wrested by sea from fierce and puissant nations whereby it is easie to coniecture of the mightinesse of the Venetians by sea in forepassed times but in the end yeelding to the instaÌ„t petition of the oppressed bordering people who could not endure the rapines and cruelties of seuerall tyrants that had brought them into subiection they sent forces into the mayneland and expelling the tyrants did with an infinite applause and willingnes of the people receiue all
those Prouinces of their olde consideration into their protection as though they had neuer beene disunited thereby setting them free from out the seruitude of insolent strangers which being the remainder ofspring of those Barbarians that had wrought that general deuastation in Italy had then nestled themselues and helde the people in a most cruell and miserable bondage This increase therfore of dominion being added to the former greatnesse of the city their desire and indeuour was not onely to comfort and cherish this new receiued people with wholesome and profitable lawes but also to finde out meanes whereby to maintaine and preserue their recouered freedome and tranquilitie but the situation of their City being in the sea on the other side vtterlie diuerted their mindes from wholy applying themselues to land wars aswel through the inconueniency of the City thereunto as also for the auoiding of ciuill disturbance and tumult for of necessity those citizens to whose lot the managing of these saide wars should haue befallen might haue spent the greater parte of the yeare vpon firme land aswell to ride and practise their horses as also to inure and exercise themselues in sundry manners of skirmish and kinds of fight and withall for their better skill in military and martiall affaires it should haue beene necessary for them when occasion of employment wanted at home to frequent forrein warres thereby aswell to confirm their courages as to strengthen their bodies and so to enable themselues in that function for the seruice of their country whereas otherwise without this kinde of exercise they would haue beene vntill eyther to command as captaines or to obey his scutchions But now this their continual frequentation of the continent and diuorcement as it were from the ciuile life would without doubt haue brought forth a kinde of faction different and disioyned from the other peaceable Citizens which parcialitie and diuision wold in time haue bred ciuile warres and dissentions within the City I omit in the meane time to speake of those high and ambitious thoughtes that such would haue entertained as did see themselues mighty in armes followed with affecting troupes of vnquiet souldiers who according to the nature of men enclining still to the worse might easily bee stirred to mischiefe which The ouerthrow of Rome proceeding through the mightines of her owne Cittizens onely cause among the Romains as many of their ancient histories do notably remember wrought strange effectes in sundry of their Cittizens prouoking them to disobey and set at nought the lawes of the Senate and their country and finally Iulius Caesar exceeding the limites of all respect to tyrannize ouer that commonwealth to which hee did owe all duty and obedience To exclude therfore out of our estate the danger or occasion of any such ambitious enterprises our auncesters held it a better course to defend their dominions vppon the continent with forreyn mercenarie souldiers than with their homeborn citizens to assigne them their pay and stipende out of the tributes and receipts of the Prouince wherein they remayned for it is iust and reasonable that the souldiers shoulde be maintained at the charge of those in whose defence they are employed and into their warfare haue many of our associates been ascribed some of which haue attained to the higest degree of commandement in our Straungers receiued into the Venetian nobility Bartholomeo Coglione captain generall of the Venetian armie army for the exceedingnes of their deserts been enabled with the title of citizens gentlemen of Venice amongst which the name of Bartholomeo Coglione of Bergamo is yet honorable among vs who after many great exploits prosperous successes being captaine general of our army hauing amplified enlarged the boundes of the Venetian Empire was in eternall memory of his great and glorious actions honored of our commonwelth with his statue on horseback set vp and erected in the fayrest and goodliest place of our Citty The Cittizens therefore of Venice for this only cause are depriued of the honors belonging to warres by land and are contented to transferre them ouer to straungers to which ende there was a lawe solemnely decreede that no Gentleman of Vevice should haue the charge and commaundement of aboue fiue and twentie souldiers though the same law hath not beene in these times of ours altogether obserued but through the course of custome in a manner abrogated by reason of the many and sundrie warres wherewith we haue beene encombred so that nowe when wee haue any warres by land there are some of Legates or proueditors our Gentlemen sent into the Armie who therein doe beare office and authority while the warre endureth as namely the Treasurers and Legates who neuer stirre from the side of the Captaine Generall of our Armie who is alwaies a straunger which hath no authority to doe or deliberate any thing without the aduice of the Legates The warre being ended eyther Magistrate returneth home giuing vppe his authority and putting himselfe into order and this is wholy the manner of the Venetians warfare by land But for warres by sea and nauigation both our citie is much more thereunto opportune and cōmodious as also our people much more thereunto by nature addicted and enclined for our Citty lying seated in the sea needeth not greatlie feare any harme from forreyne land armies and as for it selfe to haue fostred or nourished forces to send vnto lande warres thereby to wrong or prouoke the bordring people that had not onely beene vniust but also very incommodious onely from sea therefore was their daunger and the same great if they should not haue beene throughly furnished with meanes of defence Therefore did the Citie turne all their care to strength and puissance by sea trayning vp their youth framing their whole manner of life thereunto The education of the Venetian gentlemen For the education of their gentlemen hath alwayes beene such that from their infancie till such time as the heares of their beards beginne to appeare they should be vnder the tutorship of schoolemaysters and instructed in learning according to their capacities and from thence forward except some fewe wholly addicted to some profession of learning they shoulde apply themselues to nauigation being thereunto as it were euen drawen by their owne inclination and nature Many do saile into farre regions as well by trafique to increase their substance as also by experience to gain the knowledge of the gouernment lawes conditions customes of other countries Many put themselues into the gallies of warre there enuring and practising their bodies to labour and their minds to the knowledge of the excellent arte of Nauall discipline in which the Venetians haue as I say alwaies beene worthily renowned And there is an ancient law continuing euen till these times of ours in force and vigor that there should be a yearely Encouragement for yong gentlemen to to frequent the sea stipend allowed out of the common
poore would make these to bee their executors and wholy referre the bestowing thereof to their discretion insomuch that some of these fellowships in greatnesse of matters committed to their charge do scarsely giue place vnto the Procurators of that marke which is one of the most honourable offices belonging to the Patrician of which none though he be a brother No Patrician may be head of these fiue fellowships of the fellowship may attaine to any of the precedentships thereof that dignitie belonging onely to the plebeians wherein also they imitate the nobility for these heades of societies doe among the people in a certaine manner represent the dignitie of the procurators but to the end that neither their societies nor their heads may any way be daungerous or cumbersome to the common wealth they are all restrained vnder the power and authoritie of the Councell of ten so that they may not in any thing make any alteration nor assemble together vnlesse it be at appointed seasons without their leaue and permission such honours doe the plebeians of eyther sort attaine vnto in this commonwealth of ours to the end that they should not altogether thinke themselues depriued of publike authority and ciuile offices but should also in some sort haue their ambition satisfied without hauing occasion either to hate or perturbe the estate of nobilitie by which equall temperature of gouernment our common wealth hath attained that which none of the former haue though otherwise honorable and famous for from the first beginning till this time of ours it hath remained safe and free this thousand and two hundred yeares not only from the domination of Straungers but also from all ciuile and intestine sedition of any moment or weight which it hath not accomplished by any violent force armed garrisōs or fortified towers but onely by a iust and temperate manner of ruling insomuch that the people do obey the nobilitie with a gentle and willing obedience full of loue and affection farre from the desire of any straunge change of which this time of ours hath made euident proofe for when all the greatest princes of Christendome had combined themselues together with intention vtterly to ouerthrow deface and abolish the greatnesse glorie the very name of the Venetians and that our armie had beene vanquished by Lewes king of France neare to the Cittie of Cassano in the territorie of Cremona with incredible slaughter and the Almaines of one side and Iulius Bishop of Rome threatning and besieging vs with their armies and all our dominions vpon the maine land being reuolted from the Venetian gouernment In this our extremitie and generall perturbation the people of Venice were so farre from attempting any thing against the Nobilitie that weeping they threw themselues at their feete offering their liues and goodes to the defence of the common wealth and in effect reforming it for hauing easily recouered Iadoua through the great loue and affection of the inhabitants towardes vs when Maximilian the Emperour raising euery where forces came with a mighty Armie to besiege the same Cittie many not onely of the Gentlemen but also of the plebeians waging sundrie souldiers at their owne charge went vnto the defence thereof indeuoring themselues there in such noble and valorous sort that the Emperour was constrained to withdraw his Army without deliuering so much as one assault to the Cittie neither with greater adoe were the rest of the Cittie 's recouered they all flocking againe to the Venetian Empire as to a wished hauen of all securitie and calmenesse an excellent argument of a iust domination to gouerne those that are desirous and willing so to be gouerned which that it falleth not out so without cause as any man may perceiue that shall marke the course of our proceedinges for we leaue to euery The equity temperance of the Venetians gouernment citty that commeth into the fellowship of our gouernment their own municipate lawes and statutes and the Cittizens euery one in their owne citties obtaine many great and honorable places and not a few towns of those abroad in the countrie are gouerned by magistrates of their owne chosen among themselues as for those citties that are of greater fame and in which our gouernours do rule there do alwaies sit with them in Iustice Doctors of the law with whome our gouernours are to consult before they determine any thing which is both a matter of great honour and reputation as also of great gaine and commoditie vnto them these manner of offices may not bee executed by any of the Nobilitie of Venice but are eyther chosen from among the plebeians or else and that in a manner alwaies from out the citties subiected to our fellowship And therfore it may easilie appear that this our commonwealth is tempered with that moderatiō which seemeth chiefly and neerest to imitate nature For in the body of a liuing creature the office of looking about and seeing is attributed onely to the eyes and the other lesse noble offices left vnto the other members that are depriued of the vse of seeing obaying and not dissenting from that which by the eyes they are enformed but going and bending themselues thether whether they are by them directed and so the whole frame of the body is preserued and maintained in an excellent vnity and agreement which not vnlike reason is the supreme rule of thinges in the common-wealth of Venice committed to the Gentlemen as to the eyes of the citie and the vnnobler offices to the people both together making a happie and wel compacted bodie The eyes of the commonwealth not onely seeing for themselues but for all the other members and the other partes of the citie not so much regarding themselues as willingly obeying the direction of the eyes as being the principallest partes of the common-wealth whereas whatsoeuer commonwealth shall suffer it selfe to be carried away into that folly and madnes as to many it hath happened that the people will challenge vnto it selfe the office of seeing vsurpe the exercise of the eyes necessarily the whole commonwealth must tumble into a downefall and ruine And on the other side if the gentlemen shal onely prouide for their owne good neglecting that of the other members stirring thereby the people to enuie indignation it were impossible that it should go wel eyther with the one or the other Our ancestors therefore by the imitation of nature haue prouided both for the one and the other inconuenience and haue therein vsed the iust temperature and excellent moderation that none vnlesse he be worse then a detractor may any way blame or finde fault with a gouernment so vertuously established and so temperately maintayned which I beseech the Almighty and euerliuing God long to preserue in happinesse and safetie For if it bee credible that any good thing commeth to men from God then can there nothing bee more assured then that this great felicity is happened to the Citie of Venice through
the onely blessing of his bountifull goodnesse The end of the last booke of the Commonwealth and Magistrates of Venice Sundry Notes and Collections which I haue gathered as well by reading and obseruation as also by conference with Venetian Gentlemen skilfull in the state of their countrey for the better vnderstanding of sundry points eyther not at all touched in the former discourse or else so obscurely that the reader being a stranger cannot thereby rest fully satisfied especially if he haue a curious desire to know euery particular of their gouernment But this being added vnto the former I doubt not but the state of the whole shal be so cleerly and exactly deliuered vnto him as though if it were possible he should see the same in a glasse THe Citie of Venice is seated vpon certaine Islands within the lakes of The situation of the Citie of Venice described by Donato Gianotti a Florentine more plain particular in mine opinion then that of Contaren us the Adriatique sea directly ouer against that place where the riuer Brenta that runneth along the territory of Padoua not long since entred into those lakes for the better knowledge of the nature and manner of which lakes you must vnderstand that the Prouince of Marca Treuizana which the ancients called Venetia whence this happie and famous Citie deriueth her beginning lyeth so low along the shore of the Adriatique sea that what through the waters of many riuers that fall from the maine lande as also the ouerflowinges of the sea which enter in through the gappes and breaches of that huge and mightie banke which they call Lito Maggior a great space thereof within the said banke remayneth Lito Maggior fennish and in water which space resembleth a bended bow the hollownesse of the land compassing and embracing the same being the bowe and the string being this great banke I speake of seruing as a bulwarke or rampire against the violence of the sea reaching from the point of the saide sea otherwise called Sinus Adriaticus and so extending it selfe in a manner still The banke extendeth it selfe 60. miles in a direct straight line till it come to ioyne with the shore of the mayne lande vnder Brondolo This banke hath here and there certaine gappes at which the sea at full tydes entreth in and at low and ebbing water goeth out againe and through them likewise doe those riuers that runne into the lakes passe into the sea Those openings are also called Portes or Hauens because they giue entry and passage to such ships as come and go from all partes of the world The principallest of them are those of Brondolo of Chioggia of Malomocco of Castella of S. Erasmo Lito Maggior and the Treports All that space then which is betweene the said banke the firme land is the same which we call the lakes of the Adriatique sea which yet are not so wholly drowned in water but that there are therein many vncouered dry places which are those Islands in which the bordering people saued themselues from the tempestuous barbarous furie of the Gothes and Vandales and being there assembled together did lay the foundation of this noble Citie which where it is neerest is fiue miles off from the maine lande and two from the banke it was in times past ten miles off from the maine land the lakes then stretching to that place vppon the Brente which as many thinke was then for that cause called Ora Lacus Ora Lacus and is now called Oriago But now notwithstanding Oriago all possible diligence vsed by the Venetians to the contrary all the way is quite dryed vp between that Leccia Fusina towne and Leccia Fusina where the boates that come from Padoua to Venice or go from Venice to Padoua are lifted ouer the banke or ssuce that keepeth the fresh water and the salt from meeting by certayne instrumentes like vnto our Cranes The citie of Venice is diuided into two partes with a channell which they call Il Canal grande one parte of The great channel that parreth the citie of Venice in two which looketh towardes the South and the West and the other towardes the East and the North. The channell slideth through in forme of the letter S. marked contrarily as here you see it S. it runneth ouer all with conuenient depth and breadth as Arnus doth through Florence and Pisa Tiber through Rome and the Adice through Verona They say that this channell was first made by the Brente when it entred into the sea by the breach in the banke called Porto di Castella before such Many other channels enter into the great channells time as the course thereof was stopped and diuerted at Leccia Fusina Many other channelles also of conuenient greatnesse with which Venice is adorned as other cities are with streetes haue recourse into the same for the most parte of these you must go by boate vnlesse it bee some that haue a little pathe on one of the sides and Streetes in Venice some on both sides but they are few There are also in Venice many lande streetes which they cal Calli but they are nothing faire for besides that they are neyther long nor straight they are so very narrow that two men can scarce go together in one of them side by side Bridges ouer the lesser channels Ouer the chanels there are made many little bridges of stone that do ioyne one streete to another yet not so thicke but that sometimes when you would go from one place to another which is but hard at hande you must fetch a great circuit about Vpon the great channel there is but one only bridge and the same of wood standing in the most frequented part of the citie for it ioyneth the Bialto which is the place where the marchantes meet with the streete that leadeth to the high Church where the Dukes Pallace standeth But because euery one that woulde passe the channell shall not neede to come to this bridge so farre Diuers ordinarie passages or ferries ouer the great channel about out of his way there are in diuers places certaine ordinary ferry boats vpon which pooremen do attend to set ouer such as shall require them they are appointed what number of persons they shall ferry ouer at once and withall what they shall take of euery passenger Likewise all the other lesser channelles are full of little boates which they call Gondolas to passe vp and downe along the Citie which the Venetians doe vse in steed of horses Mules and coaches The gentlemen haue many seruing to their owne vse and many besides wherewith their seruants gaine them money so that the number of those boats is exceeding great The beauty of the citie is much better perceyued by water then by land for the channels be vniuersally large all the fayrest buildinges of the citie are seated vpon them The fayrest shew of the
citie answereth vpon the water which though the answere also vpon the streetes for euery one hath two entries one by water another by land yet the fayrest shew is commonly still to the water There are also sundry very faire houses whose principall front is to the streete but the narrownesse of the streetes hindereth and eclipseth the magnificence of their sight Much garbage and filthinesse falleth from the citie into the channels which is carryed away by the flowing and ebbing of the water and yet that alone would not serue the turne but that they are also continually cleansed and taken away Tâ—e ayre of Venice very healthy In times passed as Victruuius writeth the ayre of Venice by reason of the lakes was thought to be vnholsome but now they hold that the ayre of Venice Padoua is purer and more healthy then in any other parte of Italie in so much that there is not in any place to be found more lustly old men well coloured of good complexions Donatus distinguisheth the inhabitants of Venice into Three sorts degrees among the Venetians three parts viz. Plebeyans citizens Gentlemen The Plebeians he tearmeth to be those that exercise base arts vtterly vncapable of office or degree in the common-wealth the citizens to be marchantes men of a degree aboue the other capable of certaine popular offices and the gentlemen to bee those of the great councell Lords of the state c. as aboue But this distinction is particular vnto himselfe contrary to Sabellicus Contarene and the rest who onely diuide them into two Plebeians and Patritians viz. the common people and the gentlemen The first beginnings of the city were in the year 421. The beginnings of the citie the first part that was builded thereof was the church of S. Iames that is now to be seene in the Rialto In the yere 1342. Andrea Dandulo being Duke there A great plague died of the pestilence so great a multitude of people in Venice that to repeople the same againe they were faine to grant to all such as would come dwell within Venice after two yeares habitation freedome of their citie Their number of fighting men There are reckoned to be twenty thousand houses in the Citie so that according to their computation allowing out of euery family two they are able to arme fortie thousand fighting men and in former times haue done so The gentlemen of the state abrode and at home are thought to be 3000. They are absolutely Lordes of the citie and whole estate both by sea and land The children and brethren of the Duke liuing and of the Dukes that are deceased are alwayes helde in very great honour and much respected The balles which they do vse in the great councel are eyther of Copper or Tin of which some are guilted some siluered Whosoeuer is chosen Elector for any office may if he shall so thinke good name himselfe in the same and so stand to the comprobation of the suffrages as in the former treatise is mentioned When any waightie matter is to bee handled in the great councell as the establishment of a new law or the definitiue determination of any great iudgement there must of necessitie be 600. gentlemen in the hall foure Councellors or else the same may not passe Signori delle Pompe There are certaine magistrates of whom the former treatise maketh no mention called Signiori delle pompe who are diligently to looke into the reformation of apparell and moderation of excesse generally in all other expenses and finally to see all such lawes strictly obserued as are in those behalfes prouided Censors There are likewise of late instituted and created with great authoritie two Censors whose office is chiefly to represse the ambition of the gentlemen to looke with seueritie into their faultinesse There was a law lately propounded by them in the great councell and by the same with great allowance ratified and enacted that thence forward there should bee no congratulation vsed at breaking vp of the Councell with those that had obtayned offices and honours which still remayneth in vigor and force for before time euery man at the opening of the Councell woulde presse to take them by the hand that were elected for Magistrates protesting with many vowes that they were glad in their harts of the honour and aduauncement befallen them yea euen those would say so that had giuen their suffiages against them which was by the Censors iudged to bee a great abuse and vnworthy of the Venetian nobilitie being in all other things so graue honorable Vpon the death of the Duke the six high counsellors do presently enter into the pallace the eldest counsellor supplying the place of the deceased Duke and dispatching sundry things that do appertain vnto the royall office All letters that in the mean time the state sendeth forth are entituled vnder the name of the gouernors all such as are sent vnto them are so directed superscribed They neuer stirre out of the Pallace till the creation of the new Duke The great gates also of the Pallace are closed and onely a wicket left open for people to go in and out keeping there also a guarde of men the same rather for a solemnitie and auncient custome then any needfull occasion For there is in the Cittie of Venice no greater alteration at the death of their Duke then at the death of any other priuate Gentleman onely the magistrates doe not in the meane while assemble about the dispatch of affaires till the creation of the new Duke hauing no leysure by reason of their busines thereabout to attende to any thing else The Dukes funerall The body of the dead Duke being adorned with royall garments is brought into a lower hal which they cal Sala de Pioueghi where it is kept three dayes together there are twentie Gentlemen all attyred in skarlet appointed to accompany the corps into the said hall and to sit round about it which likewise they do the following dayes at the end whereof his funerall is solemnised with all requisite pompe and magnificence After the buriall of the Duke the great Councell is presently assembled and in their first sitting there are chosen fiue Correctors and three Inquisitors the office of the Inquisitors is diligently to examine the life and Their office continueth but a yeare after the Dukes death actions of the passed Duke and whether he had obserued their countrie lawes if they finde him faultie they are bound to accuse him and the penalty by him deserued lighteth alwaies vpon his heires who yet are no otherwise punished then onely by the purse they amerced the heyres of Loredanus one of their late Dukes in 1500. Crownes onelie because he had not vphelde his dignity with such maiesty and magnificence as he should haue done and yet otherwise all they acknowledge him to haue beene a very wise and well deseruing prince The
glorious church which is now there to be seene In the yeare 1202. they gat the Iland of Crete now The times of their conquestes called Candia which did before pertaine to the Emperour of Constanstinople also vnder Otto the 3. Emperour of that name they adioyned to their dominion many other Ilands and cities principally Parence Pole Arbu Coricte Corcyre now called Corphu Pharo also nowe called Lesima and many other citties where Pyrats had their receipt Some few years after the Turke began to make wars vpon them and taking from them the fayre cities of Tirachum in Albany and Croy in Slcauonia did so abase them and bring them to such a diffidence of their strength that to obtaine his frendship they were faine to giue him 13. fayre cities which they had conquered and wonne from the Emperour of Greece besides Cosdre a most goodly cittie of Albany in the yeare 1400. they got Vincensa that appertaitained to the Vicount of Mylan in the year 1472. they got Padoua and Verona from the Romaine Empire in the yeare 1402. they possessed themselues of the realme of Cipres some say by a detestable and vnchristian practise which was in order as followeth The heires males of right and lawfull line fayling The historie of the vniust practise vsed by the Vene tians in their possession of Cipies in Cipres Lews D. of Sauoy hauing married Charlot the lawfull daughter to king Ihon was called and receiued of all with great joy as their king Iaques bastarde brother to the said Charlot finding himselfe too weak to resist the said Duke of Sauoy fled with his friends into Alexandria to demaund aide of the Souldan Iaques was a young Gentleman of two and twentie yeares of age of a comely stature and very beautifullpersonage the Souldan was moued with his presence and prayers promising him succour did presently apparrell him with royall ornamentes proclaming him his tributarie king of Cipres and withall commaunded the Duke of Sauoy to get him home into his owne countrie who sent him backe a very submisse embassage with fauour and humble wordes offering him his perpetuall loue and seruice and a yearesy tribute and withall a yearely pension of tenne thousand crownes to Iaques during his life the matter was long debated of in the Councell of the Souldan who was sundry times inclining to the acceptation ofthese offers but in the ende such were the perfwasions and instant meanes vsed by Iaques to the contrarie especially hauing by solicitation gained the Venetians and Mahomet Emperour of the Turkes to fauour his party that the Souldan granting fully to his request tooke his oath and sent him into Cipres with a great army of men when at his first ariuall he constrained Lewes with such Frenchmen as were with him to retire himselfe into a Castle which also in time he made him to abandon and so became Lord of the whole Iland shortly after he married the daughter of a Gentleman of Venice called Marcus Cornarius which daughter was after the death of Iaques adopted by the Senate and by this meanes they possessed themselues of the Realme for she being great with child at the death of her husband the Venetians as tutors retired her vnto them and tooke adminstration of the Realme some will say that they poisoned the child afterwards as likewise they had done the father before others write otherwise that they did not get the realm by so great wickednesse but that after the death of the father and the sonne they succeeded in the Realm by way of adoption and inheritance Venice hath in circuit eight Italian miles and is seated within the flats of the sea there is a naturall Sebastian Munster in his card of Venice The circuit of the citty Ilands about it banke in the sea high and eminent that defendeth the towne from the impious fury of the waues and giueth passage and porte in sundry places to the saylers chiefly at two Castles and at Chosa an episcopall City distant from the towne fiue and twentie miles vppon the way to Ferrara there are about Venice 25. Ilandes which are in manner all enhabited of Monkes the rest is to be seenein the Carde Seb. Munster The number of bridges and boates This City of Venice hath threescore and two parishes and one and forty Monasteries it hath as manie Channels as streetes there are foure hundred publike Bridges besides particulars there are of boats for all vses eight thousande in the Arsenall which is rounde about inuironed with walles there are continually foure hundred men which are dayly imployed in mending and making of Galleis and other things pertaining to the Sea in the Isle of Meurano fast by they make very cleare and goodly glasses commonly Christall glasses called Christal glasses which are thence transported into all countries Notes out of Girolamo Bardi THe first that euer inhabited vpon that Iland called the Rialto where Venice now standeth was one Giouani Bono a poore man that hauing there a simple cottage did liue with his family by taking of fish afterwardes Radagasso with an armie of Gothes entring into Italy sundrie from of the firme land fled into this poore mans house for safety of their liues and among the rest one Entinopus a carpenter of Candia who found meanes to build himselfe there a house maintaining himselfe afterwards by the making of small barkes and boates After Radagasso Alaricus comming like a tempest into Italy there fled so many ouer thether as that at length there were built foure twentie seuerall houses of bordes and reedes but in the yeare of our Lord 418. the fury of the warres being somewhat mitigated the most part of these fugitiues had gotten themselues into Padoua whereof a suddain hearing great and fearefull rumors of newe intended entries into Italy by Aiulfo king of the Vissigots with a mighty multitude of Barbarians by a generall consent they agreede to make some firme place within these lakes and thereupon to build a citty which they presently effected vpon the foresaide Iland gathering into the same the people that were dispersed about the other Ilandes and withall making it of the best defence they could they called it by the name of Venice the beginning of this Citties foundation was laide in the yeare 421. vpon the 25. day of March about noon there were three Consuls chosen by those of Padoua to haue the ouersight and charge the rest whose names were Alberto Faletro Tomaso Candiano and Zeno Daulo this is a breuiat drawn out of the ancient Records of Padoua Afterwardes the ruine and desolation of manie fayre citties vpon the maine land gaue a speedy mightinesse and encrease to this new erected citie insomuch that many of the noblest land inhabitantes fled thether with their treasures and richest moueables transporting euen their goodly pillers carued stones and other matter to build withal to Venice erecting thereunto themselues new and stately mansions so that in the end delighted with the security
delighted much in architecture and made the famous steeple of S. Marke he ouerthrew the Pirates of Ancona and tooke Guiscardo their captaine prisoner he made Pola and Parenso Tributary he made a league with William King of Sicilia he created his sonne Domenico Earle of Zara. He dyed in the eyght yeare of his rule 38. Vital Michaele II. anno 1156. VItal Michaele second of that name was enstalled in the Dukedome the yeare 1156. He made league with his ancient enemies of Pisa he dismanteld the city of Tracia and the fortresses of Raguse and going in person against Emanuel the Emperour hee tooke Scio from him Lastly vpon his returne to Venice hee was slaine in a sedition 39. Sebastiano Zani anno 1173. SEbastiano Zani was the first that was elected by xi persons appointed therunto by the people so that his election was orderly not with tumult as that of the former princes he was 70. yeares old when hee was chosen his countenance and disposition was pleasant and his riches great beyond measure He was the first that at his election threw money about the streets according to the custome of the Greekish Emperours the same to this day being still obserued in Venice By his meanes there were created also certaine Magistrates with high authoritie somewhat thereby to bridle the puissance of the Dukes being afore that time in manner absolute as namely the sixe Counsellors In his time Pope Alexander the third came vnto Venice being chased out of Rome by Frederic Barbarossa the Emperour in whose defence the Venetians made wars vpon the Emperour with a mighty nauie with which they discomfited his fleet vpon the coast of Istria taking Otto his third sonne being Generall thereof prisoner by whose intercession and means to his father there was an attonement concluded the Emperour appeased the Pope againe restored with all solemnity to his dignity insomuch that the Emperour came in person to Venice and there in the church of S. Marke putting off his imperiall garmentes bowed himselfe downe to kisse the Popes feet who keeping in the meane time his grauity pronounced the wordes of the Prophet Super Aspidem basiliscum ambulabis conculcalbis Leonem Draconem to which the Emperour aunswered Non tibi sed Petro the Pope presently replying Et mihi Petro. Afterwardes the Pope in acknowledging the fauors that hee had receiued of the Signeory of Venice did honour the same againe with many benedictions priuiledges and ceremonious dignities as a sword a scepter a chayre of gold a torch of Virgin waxe all sanctified with many blessings stil thence after to be borne before the Duke among the rest vpō the victorie obtayned by the Duke at sea against the Emperours son he gaue the ring which he ware vpon his finger vnto the Duke with expresse condition that hee should yearely with such a ring spouse the sea in token of a true and perpetual dominion ouer the same which ceremonie is euen till this time obserued with great solemnitie euery Ascention day Besides these the Pope granted many great indulgences to the church of S. Martin in Venice to S. Iohns church in Istria The Signeorie of Venice afore this time was vnacquainted with those externall pomps honorable titles which by prerogatiue frō the Pope they then obtained from that time to this haue strictly obserued In fine this prince hauing by many notable deedes exceedingly enobled his country dyed full of glory in the sixt yeare of his rule leauing by testament a great and infinit riches to the Signeorie of S. Marke vnderneath his picture in the pallace is written this inscription Ducatum titulis dotaui ingentibus atque Papa liber minis fit Frederice tuis 40. Orio Mastropetro Anno 1178. NExt after this worthy personage was chosen Orio Mastropetro In his time Andronicus the Emperour released the Venetian Marchants that had beene retained by Emanuel his predecessor He renewed the league of amity with Bela K. of Hungarie he brought Zara that had rebelled into obedience he tooke Tolomeyda sent a nauie to the conquest of the holy land he ouerthrew the Saladine then renouncing the Dukedome made himselfe a Fryer and died 41. Henrico Dandolo Anno 1192. THe next elected was Henrico Dandolo a man aged in yeares but fresh in courage and highly honoured for his great deserts he recoured Raguse to the Signeorie and hauing done many notable things dyed in the 13. yeare of his rule at Constantinople 42. Pietro Zani Anno 1205. PIetro Zani son to Sebastian succeeded with election and generall approbation of the whole Citie in his time came Ambassadors from Athens to doe homage obedience to the senate he married the Ladie Constance daughter to Tancredi King of Sicilia In his time were the foure horses of brasse that are yet to be seeene in S. Marke sent from Constantinople to Venice it is certainely written that they were caste and engrauen by Luippus the famous workeman and giuen to the Romaines by Tyridates King of Armenia and from Rome brought at last to Constantinople by Constantine the Emperour Finally the Duke gaue vp his dignitie putting himselfe to a priuate life died after the 24. yeare of his Dukedome 43. Iacomo Thiepolo Anno. 1229. IN his roome was enstalled Iacomo Theopolo He raysed the siege of Constantinople he made truce with the Genoweses by mediation of Pope Gregory for nine years he sent 25. Gallies into Puglia vnder the name and authoritie of the Pope and threescore to aide the Genoweses against the Emperour Fredericke Being olde hee surrendred vp the Dukedome in the 20. yeare of his rule and afterwardes comming to die was buried in the Church of S. Iohn and S. Paule 44. Marino Morosino Anno 1249. MArino Morosino followed next after in whose time began the custome of hanging shieldes vp in the church of S. Marke with the armes of the Dukes as images still representing their memory He dyed in the 4. yeare of his rule 45. Rimeri Zeno. Anno 1252. RImeri Zeno being elected Duke sent a nauie into Soria against the Genoweses in his time Michael Paleogolo recouered the Empire of Constantinople he dyed in the 16. yeare of his rule 46. Lorenzo Thiepolo Anno 1268. IN place of this last Duke was chosen Lorenzo Thiepolo sonne to Iacomo the Duke being at that time Gouernor of Fano He married a young Lady of a great and noble house in Dalmatia he maried his two sonnes Iacomo Pietro to two great Ladies the first to a princesse of Slauonia Lady of many Castels and townes and the other to a Lady of great riches and nobility in Vicensa which forraigne alliances were no whit at all pleasing to the Senate insomuch that after his death they made a law whereby they restrained both the prince and his children from allying themselues by mariage with strangers in his time Fano Bologna and other bordering cities reuolted from the state of Venice but they were
by him chastised brought againe to obedience at the end of sixe yeares he dyed and was buried in the same tombe with his father in the church of S. Paule and S. Iohn 47. Iacomo Contarino Anno 1275. NExt to the deceased prince was Iacomo Contarini with vniuersall applause enstalled in the Dukedome being Procurator of S. Marke and at that time 80. yeares of age in his time was the law made that none should haue any entry into the great councell or haue any part at al in the gouernment vnlesse he were able to proue himselfe to be borne and begotten in lawfull matrimony growing afterwardes into a great indisposition of bodie at the request of the fathers hee renounced the Dukedome who prouiding him of honourable meanes to liue created in his place 48. Giouani Dandolo Anno 1280. THe enstalment of this Prince was memorable by meane of two great and dangerous accidents that presently ensued the one by the swelling and inundation of waters the other by a terrible earthquake eyther of which did exceedingly endamage the state in his time were coyned the first duckets of Gold which are now called Zechines He died in the tenth yeare of his rule 49. Petro Gradenigo Anno 1290. NEuer was there any Duke of greater expectation hope then this Petro Gradenigo as being in deed a man of rare singular courage wisedome eloquence at his first entrance inot gouernment hee suppressed a great and dangerous conspiracie intended against him he fought at the first prosperously by sea with the Genoweses but afterwardes was by them ouerthrowen in Dalmatia and likewise in the streightes of Gallipolis after which there was a peace concluded in time of this Duke it was ordained that none should bee capable of the Dukedome by election vnlesse he were of the great councell likewise then was first the beginning of the councell of the tenne he sent a nauie into Greece which returned victoriously with many prisoners and rich spoiles after which he dyed not without the suspition of poyson his body was carried to Murano and there buried in the church of S. Ciprian 50. Marino Giorgio Anno 1311. MArino Giorgio followed next a man singularly respected for his holinesse and integritie of life but being 81. years of age he soone departed this world 51. Giouani Soranzo Anno 1313. ANd in his place was elected Giouani Soranzo being 72. yeares of age a man of an vnfirme and lowtish complexion but of a subtill and craftie disposition he recouered many citties to the Signeorie that had been alienated by his predecessors and departed this worlde after he had ruled 18. yeares 52. Francesco Dandolo Anno 1328. IN his place was elected Francesco Dandolo in whose time there was at one instant threescore sundry Ambassadors from seuerall princes and commonwealths in Venice desiring to haue such controuersies as were among them ended and decided by the Senate such was then the same of the vncorrupted iustice of the Fathers He made a league with sundry christian princes against the Turke he had wars with the Princes of Scala with whom in the end hee made peace to his owne aduantage he liued in rule 11. yeares 53. Bartolomeo Gradenigo Anno 1339. ANd in his steed Bartholomeo Gradenigo was created Duke vpon whose entring into gouernment the waters arose so high that the city was in exceeding danger of drowning Candia rebelled but was again subdued he liued onely three yeares 54. Andrea Dandolo anno 1343. THe next that was honored with this dignitie was Andrea Dandolo procurator of S. Marke a man very wise and learned and hauing before time proceeded Doctor in the lawes he wrote a very large and copious Chronicle not onely of his owne Country but also of the whole world hee liued in deare and familiar frendship with Petrarke he confederated himself with Pope Clement and sundry other Princes hee sent a nauy against the Turkes which tooke Smyrna he obtained trafficke for Venetian marchantes into Aegypt hee liued twelue years and had vnder his picture in the pallace this inscription Alta trium probitas mihi quarto suggeret instar Qui de Dandalea prole suere duces 55. Marino Faliero anno 1354. NExt in ranke was exalted to the Dukedome with exceeding fauour of the one and forty Electors Marino Faliero hauing long before by the Senate beene employed in forraine gouernments and besides ennobled with the title of Earle of Val de Marino hee was 80. yeares olde very rich of an excellent wit well speaking but passionat and cholerike beyond measure insomuch that for a scorne or wrong which hee imagined to beedone to his reputation he entred into a practise to tyrannize ouer his countries liberty and to make himselfe absolute prince rather as they write moued thereunto with a humor of reuenge then desire of dominion being without children and withall so aged but the end was hee was taken and beheaded in the very same place where he receiued the Ducal diademe his picture was not suffered to stand in the Pallace among the others the place remaining yet bare and void where it should haue stoode 56. Giouaui Gradenigo anno 1355. THe former vnhappy prince being buried and his conspiracie being suppressed in a manner before it was publikely known Giouani Gradenigo was chosen in his place a mā of 76. years of age of profound memory and skilfull in the lawes but vnseemely of his person withall somewhat noted of couetousnes hee liued only a yeare three monethe and foutteene dayes 57 Giouani Delfino anno 1356. GIouani Delfino being proueditor within the citty of Treues at that time besieged by the king of Hungary was by the Senate in his absence elected D. of Venice presently in Embassage sent to the Hungarian by the Venetians to giue safe conduct and free passage to their prince but he barbarously triumphing in hauing enclosed a Duke of Venice within those walles attributing that casuall vnexpected accident to a great glorie of his owne vncurteously denyed the Senates request which Delphine vnderstanding tooke an occasion to make a sally out of the town and in despight of the enemie recouered Mergara where hee was receiued of the fathers with great ioy and vnder him ceased the difference of those wars the king voluntarily surrendring vnto him the title and clayme to Dalmatia hee dyed in the 4. yeare of his rule 58. Lorenso Celsi anno 1361. LOrenso Celsi was next elected who conquered Candia that rebelled he dyed in the fourth yeare of his principalitie 59. Marco Cornaro anno 1365. ANd Marco Cornaro was chosen Duke being procurator of S. Marke 80. years of age noble in bloud and much reuerenced and respected for the many imployments which he had honourably discharged in seruice of his country he was wise stout eloquent and a great louer of his Countrie he liued only two years 60. Andrea Contarini anno 1367. ANdrea Contarini being exceedingly loath to accept this dignitie and to that end withdrawing himselfe to Padoua was
and goodlinesse yet the common sence of men doth not allow these offices of warre by which the ruine and slaughter of mankinde is procured to be for themselues desired and that all other ciuile offices should be thereunto referred for it were the token of an vnciuile disposition or rather of a man hating humanitie to wish for warres slaughters burnings for this onely cause that he might be famous in matters of warre and adde thereunto if it please you that he might be honored with the name of a great captain wherefore all philosophers of greatest marke haue Warre is to be desired for the cause of peace in this one point agreed that warre is to be desired for the cause of peace and that the whole function of militarie vertue and the commendation thereof ought to be referred to the offices of peace wherefore that gouernour of a commonwealth that would be accounted worthy of praise as the saying is a man perfectly accomplished ought to vse that temperature to maintaine that order that the whole commonwealth may seeme accommodated to vertue and withall that it bee rather thought to attend to the exercises of peace then to the offices of warre yet in the meane time not contemning such thinges as pertaine to the discipline of warres because many times the militare vertue so that the same be vsed without iniurie is necessary to defend and to enlarge the confines But things being once ordered as we haue said it is wont then to be doubted of whether it bee better that one or few haue the gouernment of the whole citie or rather the whole multitude as many doe describe the estate of that which ought properly to be called a commonwealth And truely to me it seemeth exceedingly well and wisely said of them Howsoeuer the successe hath allowed the gouernment of Venice either in regard of the smalnesse of their territory or the strong situation of their citie yet there was neuer any example of any other great cōmonwealth but that did soone perish by the plurality of commāders all great philosophers chiefly extolling the monarchy all course of times examples confirming their opinion that deemed the gouernment of men to bee vnfitly granted to one alone but that there should bee a thing more diuine to whom this office should be giuen as out of many sorts of creatures may be gathered For a sheep gouerneth not a flock of sheep nor an oxe nor an horse a heard of oxen or horses but a creature more excellent defendeth and gouerneth them which is man which is a thing manifest to al men of how much more worth he is then those brute creatures by the like reason if so it might be brought to passe should man be gouerned by som thing more diuine excellent thē man but seeing in worldly things which are with sence perceiued there is nothing found more excellent thē man man being a certaine diuerse creature consisting of different parts as hauing the inferior forces of his mind cōmon as it were with brutish creatures but with the superior powers therof participating in a manner with the immortal Gods that rightly ought amongst men to obtain the place of gouernment rule which is in man highest of greatest participation with dignity which is as all men do acknowledge the mind being by nature grafted in vs as a beame of the heauēly brightnes therfore euil shal that commonwealth be prouided for that That ought amongst men to obtaine the place of gouernment and rule which is in mā highest of greatest participation with diuinitie shal be committed to the gouernment of a man whom many times those inferior and brutish powers doe perturbe call backe from the true path of reason but that office is rather to be committed to the mind pure and void of perturbations wherefore by a certaine diuine counsell when by other meanes it might not mankinde through the inuention of lawes seemeth to haue attained this point that this office of gouerning assemblings of men should be giuen to the minde and reason onely the same being free from passion which among many other the infinit blessings gifts of heauen is not to be accounted in the lowest but rather the highest ranke if we will truely consider the vtilitie of lawes for first in enacting them many wise men meete together who by long vse growen skilfull in many things by comparing the inuentions and examples of others with their owne experience do at length after long consultation determine that which shall seeme best vnto them their minds being then directly bent to vertue free from hatred friendship or other perturbation the cause of no The excellency of lawes priuate man being interessed in the establishing of laws which in courses of mans iudgement often happeneth But after that lawes once are enacted if any then transgresse them chaunce to suffer the punishments that they inflict he cannot in reason blame any man and in this case it is not to be feared that any sedition or rancor growne among the citizens being the greatest most dangerous contagion of cōmonwealths whereas contrariwise when any man is punished by the iudgement of men not fortified with lawes great grieuous enmities do sundry times ensue for it scarcely can be chosen but that we remaine ill affected towards him of whom we haue receiued harme so that I cannot well resolue whether mankind be more beholding for any other The inuention of lawes was by the ancients consecrated vnto the immortall Gods thing to nature the mother of all things then it is for this inuention of lawes which was of the ancients and not vnworthely consecrated to the immortall Gods but which serueth more meruailous Aristotle ptince of philosophers in that booke of the world which he did dedicat to great Alexāder found not any thing to which he might likelier resemble God thē to an autentike law in a Citie rightly gouerned so that the opinion of this great philosopher was in manner that God was the same in the vniuersity of things as an ancient lawe in a ciuill company and in his bookes wherein hee entreateth of a commonwealth he tearmeth law to be a mind without appetite which is to say pure cleare and free from the infirmitie of any passion whereby any man of how slow conceit soeuer may perceiue the fitnesse necessitie of that of which we spake before that is that something more diuine then man shoulde rule and gouerne the companies of men for a man being aduanced to this office of gouernement as men endued with wisedome and integrity are rare and they for the most part may erre in iudging and decerning things through the force of their affections which do perturbe and diuert the mind from her true course and intention it followes of necessitie that thinges cannot go so currant as they should yea though it might be so that wee might find out a man
do excell the rest in vertue the chiefest honors are due as being most worthy aboue the equalitie of the rest and so likewise equall rule and dignitie belongeth to those that are in vertue equall and in ciuill industry and this is the true measure perfect rule to distinguish men As therefore the choise of electors by lot is popular so doeth it also sauor of a noble better gouernment that they should bee chiefliest aduanced in honor that do chiefliest surmount the rest in vertue iudgement and counsell and that the vnworthier should receiue the repulse Whereby you may plainly perceiue that in this manner of our gouernment there is mingled with a popular shew the forme of a nobler rule yet vsed with such temperature that the same doth not exceed nor go beyond the mean manner of the popular authority For in choice of the electors onely chance ruleth of which dignitie the worst and basest may without hurt or detriment of the commonwealth be partakers in equall power with the best worthiest citizens but in the essentiall distribution of honors and dignities chaunce hath no power at all the same being wholly done by a deliberate election aduised iudgement And here me thinketh I ought not to ouerslip in silence that in those sessions which do concerne the bestowing of offices to which men of the greatest wisedome honesty diligence are required the senate of it selfe maketh vp a fift order to the 4. The senate when any principall office is to be prouided for hath authority to create a fift competitor before expressed orders of electors For whiles the other electors seperated in conclaues or places appointed for that purpose do pronounce such to be competitors as they shal in their iudgements think meet thē if so be the sessions do concerne any such especial office as beforesaid the senate doth also withdraw it selfe into an inner chamber and there euery Senator hath power to name such one as he shall please in the office of which the present question is and whosoeuer shall chance to haue most voyces in his fauour is elected in this cabinet of the Senate and created the fift Competitor whereby it plainely appeareth that in this common-wealth of ours the forme of an Aristocracie is much more excellent then the popular gouernment But the manner and meanes of this kind of councell is hitherto vnlesse I be deceiued of vs sufficiently expressed and made plaine Let vs now come to that part of the commonwealth the which not vnlike to a well tuned dyapason in musicke where the base is to the treble aptly proportioned carrying with it the shew of a Monarchie hath notwithstanding a correspondency with the popular gouernment and finally a middle sort of Magistrates being betweene them both interposed doth grow as it were into a wel concenting harmony of an excellent commonwealth The end of the first booke The Second Booke of Venetian Commonwealth and Magistrates THe exterior shew of the prince in the Cittie of Venice deliuereth to the eyes of the beholders the person of a king and the very resemblance of a monarchie Therefore it shal not in my opinion do amisse if hauing described that assembly of citizens which representeth the forme of a popular estate though for the dignity of the matter vnsufficiently yet considering the slendernesse of our forces not altogether vndiligently if we now take vpon vs to expresse the first reason that moued our wise vertuous auncestors to place one man onely at the helme of their commonwealth and also when and what was the beginning of this royall and princely institution No man I suppose is ignorant of that which is so often of vs in this worke repeated which is that a Cittie is a certaine ciuill societie sufficing within it selfe of such thinges as are necessarie to the leading of a happie and quiet life and there is no question to be made but that euery ciuill societie is contained and linked together in a certaine vnitie and by distraction and breach of that vnity is againe as easily dissolued For nothing hath sooner ouerthrowne the mightie and opulent estate of many great glorious citties that hereto fore haue perished then homebred discord and ciuill dissention Now a vnitie cannot well be contayned vnlesse one being placed in authoritie aboue not onely the vulgar multitude but also all the rest of the citizens and officers haue authoritie to combine them together being scattered disioynted and to bind them as it were all into one entire body which the great philosophers that were the searchers out and as it were diuers into the secretes of Nature did notably marke and obserue as well in the constitution of the whole worlde as also of this Microcosme or little worlde which is Man For they well founde out that in this vniuersitie of thinges the many and disagreeing motions of each particular thing according to the nature thereof were all vpheld and maintayned vnder one heauenly and eternall mouer and so likewise all causes vnder one the first cause of all things and as in a liuing creature there are many and diuers members whose functions are sundrie and different yet neuerthelesse are all comprised vnder one onely life member which is the hart and are by the same as it were gathered held in a vnity so likewise if the multitude be not so ordered digested that it may acknowledge one head and superior in whose heart shal rest principallie engraued an especiall care to conserue the common good the perfection of ciuill agreement whereunto the actions as well of euery priuate citizen as publike magistrate as to the last chiefe principal end ought to be directed surely the same cannot long time continue but drawing diuers waies must needs fal to decay ruine for if the charge of the common good be not principally to some one committed of necessity the too intentiue care that euery one will haue of the particular office wherein hee is imployed must needs turne to the common hinderance as for example The officers for prouision of corne wil cause out of all parts great quantities to be brought to the citie procuring onely the cheapenes and plenty thereof which perchance woulde not proue so profitable to the publike tolles The officers likewise of the nauie and sea matters which are among vs of great estimation credit would industriate themselues peraduenture too much thereabout in building great numbers of gallies in gloriously adorning thē with all sorts of cost warlike instruments spending therin whatsoeuer of the cōmon treasure they could get into their fingers through which ouer costly diligence the rest of the publike receipts wold hardly suffice to repair castels wals of towers to pay garrisons to defray other publike charges By which meanes the commonwealth not cohering wel together might easily sustain detriment not by the faultines but by the too much carefulnes of the citizens whilest euery one
vnpleasing but that the reward which is honor following sweetneth the same according to the opiniō of great philosophers so that Aristotle saith in his Ethikes seeing those that do rightly holily performe their office in gouernment haue more respect to the profite of other men then their owne there cannot by any other meanes be returned vnto them a due and equiualent recompence but onely by making them to exceed all the rest in honor and dignity Moreouer the dignity of this prince causeth all the other citizens exceedingly to feare his reprehension and performe the offices in which they are placed with the greater fidelity care There are to the prince adioyned sixe counsellors of Sixe counsellors chosen out of sixe quarters of the citie sixe tribes into which the Citie is diuided euery tribe chusing one Their office continueth eight monethes they are continually at the princes elbow nothing is said vnto the prince but they do heare it no letters are sent forth but such as shall seeme good and alowable to foure of those counsellors who also doe in the letters subscribe their names yet not in those letters which are sent forth but in those which are first written by the secretaries of the commōwealth which are reserued the coppies of them sent forth In which also it is to be noted that those letters which are sent not by the decree of the councell but by the commandement of the Prince and Counsellors as they neuer contain but matters of small importance so are they of small authority For as wee haue often saide all authoritie and power is onely to bee attributed to the councell no one magistrate hauing of himselfe any ample authoritie But of the counsellors we will speake more hereafter now I will returne to the prince or Duke The Prince therefore being honored with this kingly apparance and shewe because oftentimes it fell out that priuate wealth suffised not to maintayne so great dignity and pompe there is allowed vnto the Duke out of the common treasure yearely three thousand and fiue hundred crownes of gold and to the end least some one couetous of increasing his substance should neglect the honour dignitie of the common-wealth conuert that money to his priuate vse there are certaine charges imposed vpon him which at his owne cost he must see defrayed with an especiall care of the seruice dignity of the commonwealth which if through auarice or sparing of money he neglect there is so great a fine and amercement set vpon the heade of his heires that whiles by increasing his priuate wealth and dispensing with his honour and dignity hee shall think to enrich them he shall in a manner vtterly vndoo them besides the leauing of an eternall blot and ignominy to his posteritie He maintayneth of his owne charge many seruants or as you would say of his guard but yet such as weare no weapons Hee alwaies vseth costly garments he dwelleth in a pallace wonderfully adorned with goodly chambers and tapistry abounding with vessels of siluer and all other such furniture as is beseeming the degree of a prince Foure times a yeare he maketh a solemne and sumptuous banket to Foure times a yeare the Duke banketteth the citizens aboue threescore citizens the same being ordered and set forth with all the magnificency that may be Wher in our predecessors brought into our commonwealth the auncient order of the inhabitantes of Lacedemon and Crete whose commonwealthes were noble and glorious but with a much better moderation and order for they because they thought the often meeting of the citizens was a mean to combine them together in friendship instituted certaine publike feastes at the charge of the common treasure to which the citizens assembling had meanes one to be acquainted with the other and withal by so friendly a meeting to confirm a new friend ship But seeing that they all went confusedly together those assemblies could not be without troubles tumultes and besides when those that were to feast banket the rest did desire to do it with daintinesse and magnificence there could not but ensue a great wast of the common treasure Therefore with a certain amendment moderation is that ancient manner brought in vse among the Venetians and the whole care and ordering thereof committed to the prince Foure times a yeare therfore are the citizens banqueted of the prince with fare truely honorable and daintie and yet for the exceedingnesse thereof not to be enuied neyther doth euery one come vnorderly as it pleaseth him but those whome the prince shall vouchsafe to call vnlesse it bee the Counsellors the Aduocators the Presidents of the xl men the Presidents of the tennes who in preheminence of their offices are vsually present at the princes bankets the other citizens come not but inuited These foure feastings are in this sort diuided that the elder and worthiest citizens being inuited doe in the winter time vpon S. Stephens day assemble themselues in the publike pallace appointed for the princes habitation and with a solemne pompe waite vpon the prince from thence to the church of S. Marke and there bee present with him at Masse which being ended then they waite vppon him backe to his house againe and there be pertakers of his banquet Likewise in the moneth of Aprill on the day of Saint Marke whose memory is with exceeding honour solemnized of the Venetians as entituling him their patron and defender euer since the reliques of his body were brought vnto Venice from forth of Alexandria a noble Citie of Aegypt the cittizens of lesse age and dignitie inuited of the prince doe in like manner after the solemnities in the church are ended conuay him home and dine with him Thirdly vppon Ascention day being the day of the great fayer at Venice they are inuited and admitted to the Princes banket that are fully arriued and entred into that age which we call Virilis or mans estate These also doe early in the morning waite vpon the Duke from his house and go aborde a ship gorgeously trimmed and set forth reserued onely to that vse and is by the Venetians called Bucentoro so soone as they are passed the marishes and come to behold the plaine and open sea by an ancient indulgence of the high Bishops who honoured this commonwealth of ours in regard of many notable exploites by it atchieued against the The Dake of Venice marieth the sea with a ring of gold enemies of the Christian faith the prince throwing a ring of golde into the sea vseth in a manner these speaches that with that ring hee doeth betroth himselfe to the sea in token of a true and perpetuall Empyre To this there are added certayne ceremonies by the Patriarch of the Cittie which being ended they lande at the Church dedicated to Saynt Nicholaus a thing of great antiquitie built vppon that shore or banke which diuideth the sea from the lakes There the holy misteries
increasing to a greater mightinesse state it seemed a thing not conuenient to the greatnes of so noble a cōmonwealth to commit to the rash wauering voice of the multitude a matter of so great waight honor and dignity It was therfore decreed that there should be chosen out 11. of the most sufficient citizens that this authority of creating the prince shold be wholy vnto thē cōmitted but afterwards as with their empire their ambitiō increased there were appointed certain seueral parliaments or sessions a kind of intricate way found out in this election of the Duke which least there should be any thing wanting in my vndertaken taske I wil briefly expresse The Duke being deade and his obsequies deuoutly and honourably solemnized the Counsellors who presently vpon the princes death during the interregne or vacancy betaking themselues to the publike pallace appointed for the princes habitation do call assemble The Dukes actions examined after his death together the great councell In that first assemblie after the Dukes decease there are according to the maner of the sessions before expressed 5. citizens created whose office is diligently to looke into to examine the actions of the deceased prince and if they found any thing done by him against the lawes and statutes then by opinion and authoritie of the councell to cancel and disanull the same If he haue receiued a bribe of any man or haue been sparing in that due and ordinary expence which belongeth to his dignitie then vpon the report of these fiue cōmissioners there is such a fine and amercement imposed vpō his heires as the lawes command the penaltie is onely money which is leuied vpon the Princes inheritance caried into the treasure house In the same session are likewise chosen fiue other citizens who immediatly vppon their election doe retire themselues into an aparted roome or conclaue adioyned to the session house out of which they doe not depart till after many matters well debated they doe at length determine whether there is any thing that in their opinion ought to be taken away or added to the princes authoritie The matter being well discussed among them the councel is called together again which being done they then come forth of the conclaue for before they may not and euery of them declareth his opinion to the Councell concerning the authority of the prince and then it being of the whole assembly together aduised on it is by suffrages decreed which shal be most for good of the commonwealth And that decree is presently registred among the lawes which the following Prince is bound to obserue The authority and power of the prince being once setled and determined the next day after is spent in that intricate kinde of sessions in which the Prince is accustomed to bee chosen No citizen allowed in those sessions which concerne the election of their prince vnder the age of 30 yeares All the citizens that are aboue thirtie yeare olde do assemble and meet together for no one vnder that age is by an auncient institution of the commonwealth admitted into that Councell or sessions then the citizens are all of them numbred and so many as they are in number so many little balles are throwen into a potte of which thirtie are golde and the rest siluer The pot is placed iust before the tribunal of the sessions where the Counsellors do stand and by the same standeth a little boy which pulleth out the lottes The citizens are called and doe come vnto the potte euery one according vnto the ranke and order in which he sitteth but no one is suffred as in their other sessions the custome is to put his hand into the potte onely the boy which standeth by draweth out for each of them his ball Those that chaunce vpon a siluer ball do presently depart forth of the sessions but hee whome fortune shal fauor with one of those that are of gold is presently in a high voice published and pronounced by the secretary and immediately goeth his waies apart into the inner roome and all his kindred and neere allies doe presently arise out of their places and all go together into one part or corner of the hall There they are numbred and so many as they are so many siluer balles are 30. chosen out of the whole multitude drawen out of the potte and giuen them vpon which without delay they depart out of the hall so that onely thirtie to whose lot the golden balles do befall are chosen and elected out of the whole assembly of citizens and that being done the councell is dismissed These 30. reduced to 9. After they are all departed those thirtie come again out of the conclaue trie once more their chaunce by lottery afore the Counsellors so that of their number onely nine whom this new lottery shall fauour are made Electors and the rest being dismissed they go againe into a closet appointed for the purpose and there are locked in alone no one no not a seruant suffred to The 9. chuse 40. speake with them nor they may not thence depart till they haue chosen fortie men of which fortie no one can of them be declared as elected and chosen vnlesse he haue first sixe balles or suffrages in his fauour so that if there bee foure of the nine contrary to him hee may not be elected So soone as they are once agreede in the choise of these fortie men they sende word thereof vnto the Counsellors by the publique guardian or Porter presently the Counsellors vnlesse the day bee very farre spent doe call and assemble the great councell which being altogether in the Court there is a list brought out of the closet wherein the names are written of the Electors and then the chiefe Secretary ascending the Tribunall doth with a high voyce pronounce the names of the fortie elected cittizens of which euery one as he heareth himselfe named doeth arise from his seate and going to the Tribunall of the Counsellors doeth there sitte downe and then goeth thence into an appointed closet or inner roome but if any one chaunce to be away he is presently enquired for by the Counsellors and the Presidentes of the fortie and sought for with great diligence throughout the cittie So soone as hee is founde out hee is immediatly by those Magistrates brought into the sessions and thence into the Conclaue to his fellowes without suffring him to speake or talke with any man by the way thereby to exclude all ambition and subornation out of the sessions which the will of our auncestors was shoulde be handled with all vprightnesse and sinceritie By this meanes the fortie designed cittizens doe come together vnawares and being come together the Councell is presently dismissed Then these fortie doe come forth agayne out of the closet into a large and open hall before the counsellors and there by the same manner of lotterie as is The 40. reduced to 12. before
are presently called into the court who first doe with all reuerence and honor salute the new prince The fame of which presently flyeth through the citie in euery parte whereof you may behold the citizens making ioy and throwing vp The solemnities that follow the election of the prince their prayers to heauen for this prince that his gouernment may bee fortunate and happie to the common-wealth All his parents and kinsefolkes come presently vnto the Court congratulating with him of this his great honor and dignitie in meane while the coyners are set a worke to stampe money with the face name of the prince and all thinges busily prepared that the future pompe requireth in which season the Duke and the Counsellors doe apparell themselues and being apparelled and in order doe so discende out of the Court and go directly vnto the Church of Saint Marke being neere thereunto adioyning a church of wonderfull goodlinesse and magnificence and resplendishing in all sortes and varietie of rich ornaments and pompous architecture They do first religiously with great veneration adore the mighty name of God then do all ascend vp into a high stately seat made all of Porphire stone whence the eldest of the electors maketh a speech vnto the people wherein he declareth the creation of the newe Duke vttering withall some few wordes in a modest commendation of him After whom the Duke also maketh an oration in which after hauing spoken discreetly a few things concerning himselfe hee there promiseth and voweth to obserue all such things as shal become a vertuous prince with greater care of the good of the commonwealth then of any his owne priuate commodity chiefly that he will beare himselfe in matter of iustice most holily and strictly with endeuour that equall right may be administred to all men that hee will not spare his priuate substance his labour no nor his life if by any incommodity of his the estate of the commonwealth might bee assisted or remedied Finally he humbly prayeth vnto God vnto S. Marke vnder whose patronage the Citie of Venice is and to all the Saints that they will be all fauourable and helpefull vnto him in the well discharging of this great and honourable office His wordes are receiued of the people with a great applause And at the ende therof they do all discend from off the high seat or scaffold and do place the Duke before the high altar where laying his hand vpon the Gospell he doth binde himselfe by solemne oth to God to his commonwealth that he will not omit the performance of any such thing as the Duke of Venice is bound vnto by the lawes This being done the Electors that hitherto remained with the Duke doe all depart he mounteth vp into a pulpit of wood taking with him one of his kinsemen such as ofall other he holdeth deerest which pulpit the mariners such as are best esteemed doe take vppon their shoulders and with a great shoute and ioy doe carry the Duke sitting therein throughout the whole place of S. Marke who from out the pulpit throweth money coined in his owne name round about him There is no certaine summe herein limited but euen according as the substance of the Duke may beare the same being wholly referred to his disposition and pleasure but once the people be not negligent in gathering it vppe At length hauing gone about the place when they come before the staires of the princes pallace they there stay the pulpit and the prince descendeth out The apparell which the Duke weareth and likewise a siluer potte in which the money so throwen about among the people was kept belongeth by an auncient custome vnto the mariners that did so beare the Duke vpon their shoulders The Duke mounting vp the degrees of the pallace is there receiued of the Counsellors and there by them crowned with the foresaid Miter which is as it were the Dyadem or ornament of the Prince This is the order of the whole pompe The day following the Senate is assembled in the Court and the Duke maketh an oration giuing thankes to God to the fathers for this aduancement and honour which he had receiued promising withall that his diligence trauaile shal neuer be spared for the commonwealths commodity The like oration hee maketh before the whole assembly of citizens in the first sessions that is held after his creation Hauing now sufficiently spoken of the Duke or prince of our commonwealth it remaining that briefly wee speake somewhat concerning the Counsellors to the end that you may vnderstand what their authority is and how farre it extendeth There are alwaies as I said before sixe Counsellors The office authority of the 6. Counsellors present by the princes side out of euery quarter of the citie one for the whole citie is diuided into sixe quarters or tribes three of the which are on this side of the great channell which diuideth the citie and three on the other out of each of these quarters is chosen one counsellor in the sessions according to the manner before expressed in the choyce of other magistrates Their office continueth onely eight monethes in which iointly with the Prince they take care of all such affaires as pertain to the commonwealth But the whole maner handling of the sessions an auncient ordinance passeth chiefly through their hands Likewise if report is to be made vnto the great councell of any matter and by authority therof to be confirmed they are to make report thereof as those to whose authority that right only belongeth yet somtimes the Presidents of the 40. are adioyned to thē who otherwise were insufficient without power to make report ouer to the councell No other magistrate the Duke onely alwaies excepted hath this authority They may likewise if it please thē make report of any thing to the Senate or the tenne men but the charge of assembling the Senate and reporting to the same chiefly belongeth to the Preconsultors like as the office of the Presidentes of the tenne is to assemble the tenne to make report vnto them the manner of which shall hereafter be more largely handled But the Councellors are endued with greater priuiledge as those that haue in the senate equall authority with the Preconsultors and in the courtes of the tenne men with the presidentes of that Court for the space of eyght monthes they are alwaies present with the Duke and do exercise these offices of which I haue made mention But foure monthes they are present or rather Presidentes of the fortie men who haue the handling of waightie and capitall matters which are by their iudgement decided determined of as shall hereafter more plainly be declared Now seeing that which concernes the great councell which representeth in this common-wealth popular estate and that likewise of the prince which beareth the person of a king is handled of vs though vneloquently yet faithfully with diligence the vndertaken worke
to plead for him neuer suffred to come into the colledge when they are to giue iudgement of him nor any friend kinseman or Lawyer for him to pleade his cause which priuiledge is granted to offendors in any other court whatsoeuer where their cause is handled The manner vsed in their iudgements is in this sort The offendor is examined of the Presidents of the colledge and his confession written then the matter is reported to the Colledge the presidents of which the other Iudges that are present do plead as well in the behalf of the accuser as of the offendor neuer determining of any great matter but with an exceeding moderation of iudgement In the beginning the charge onely of preuenting and remedying all such things as any way should offend the ciuil agreement of the commonwealth was committed to the care of the tenne But afterwardes certaine other grieuous enormous offences as making of false money sodomie and such like were also brought vnder the seuerity and censure of this sharpe and stricte manner of iudgement And in these times of ours this authority of the tenne hath yet much more enlarged his bounds for they haue power giuen them to set amercements vpon sundry offences and to punish those that shall blaspheme the name of God or of the blessed Virgine and it is likewise or dayned that whatsoeuer secrete matters that should concerne the state of the commonwealth any way that such I say should bee brought and disclosed vnto them who neuerthelesse do not determine any thing of great moment without the opinion of the Senate To the end therefore that a few citizens should not alone haue such successiue authority in so waighty affaires there are called and admitted into this colledge the Sages of the first and seconde order likewise the Fifteen senators ascribed to the colledge of the ten who are called Adiunctes Aduocators and procurers of S. Marke whose office is held in great estimation and reuerence There are besides fifteene Senators ascribed to this Colledge who are called Adiunctes but all these here rehearsed haue not the priuiledge of suffrage but onely the seuenteen first and these fifteene Adiunctes so that the whole number of those that haue authority of suffrage are two thirty The rest are depriued of this power and priuiledge though otherwise they be present at all their businesse The fifteene Adiunctes were not accustomed to be elected neyther of the Senate neyther of the sessions of the great Councell but the tenne men did of themselues make choyce of fifteene such Senators as they best liked for their assistantes and companions though now the same is altered and the fifteene are chosen by the sessions of the great Councell as the other magistrates are That there hath great vtilitie redounded to the commonwealth of Venice through this councell Colledge of tenne experience it selfe hath made most manifest plaine For two hundred ten yeares since Marino Phalerio that then was Duke hauing turned all his thoughtes to tiranny and vsurpation was likely to haue giuen a great deadly blow to the liberty Marino Phalerio Duke of Venice publikely beheaded of our commonwealth if by the graue authority wisedome of the tenne he had not beene oppressed put downe and receiued the rewarde of his impiety wickednesse for by their iudgement and sentence hee had his head publiquely stricken off and with him sundry other citizens of great nobility that together with him had conspired the ruine of their countries libertie and besides his memory was deliuered to posterity with an eternall blot of dishonour and infamy For in those places where the pictures of our princes are curiously set forth and painted with Epitaphes and remembraunces of those vertuous deedes which they haue done in the behalfe and seruice of their countrey the seate of Marino Phalerio is left bare without any picture at all saue onely a few verses signifying vnto the reader that this Duke was for his offences because I will not vary the wordes as they stand written stricken with the axe a conspiracie without doubt of passing wickednesse and exceeding daunger in apparance not vnlikely to haue wrought the vtter ouerthrow of the commonwealth if by the authority of the colledge of ten the same had not beene presently extinguished Likewise sundry other citizens that being tickled with this rumor of ambition had published certaine plausible lawes to draw vnto them the good willes of the people were ouertaken by the authority of this colledge presently cut off whereby it is come to passe that through the power of this Colledge alwaies assisted by the goodnesse of God no such pernicious infection hath as yet beene able to eate into our commonwealth Thus the principal partes of our commonwealthes are by vs already expressed but now to the end that our vndertaken work may be in euery part perfect and accomplished we will speake somewhat of the remaining magistrates as well those to whose handes is committed the administration of iustice as those that haue the handling ordering of the publike rents and withall of the manner of gouerning those cities that are vnder the Venetian commonwealth as also of their captaines nauies armies both by sea and by land Lastly I will make mention of certaine statutes ordinances by which the danger of the common peoples mislike in that they also haue not part in gouerning the commonwealth is cleerly auoided with their great satisfaction and contentment I will likewise shew that the training and exercising the youthes to the exercises of warre is not in the Citie neglected as some suppose But before I proceed farther to these particular demonstrations I thinke it not beside the purpose to aduertise the reader that in this manner of the Senates consultation of which I haue spoken and likewise in that of the Colledge of Tenne there doth plainely appeare a certain mixture of the lawes of a popular state with the gouernment of a nobilitie For whereas the senate cannot deliberate of any thing if first report therof be not made vnto them of the Sages therein appeareth a state of nobilitie but that the Sages haue not any power vnlesse they consult with the Senate and haue by authority thereof their opinions confirmed tasteth altogether of a popular gouernment so that this iust mixture temperature which maketh the perfect measures and meanes of gouernment to be vnited in the true forme and shape of a commonwealth is founde not onely in the whole body together but also in euery parte and particular member of this our commonwealth But returning whence I digressed I will first of all handle that part which pertayneth and belongeth vnto Iustice All right iustice therfore which is wont to be administred of magistrates is diuided into two parts for eyther it consisteth in the punishmentes of lewde wicked men that shall in any notable sorte trespasse impiously against God and traiterously against their
likewise grow to an exceeding weakenesse and empouerishment by the drying vp and decay therof in so much that they made a solemn decree that what citizen soeuer should be cōuicted of hauing abused or defrauded the commō treasure shold be to al posterity defamed with a perpetuall note of dishonor and the same perpetualy euery yeare should to his eternal shame be renued For vpō a certain appointed day the great councel is solemnly assembled and there in a publike oration made by one of the Aduocators all such as haue beene conuicted of this crime as named with titles of reproach to the end that the shame and infamie of so foule a fact may neuer growe out of date or be forgotten The magistrates who haue charge ouer the treasure are of two sortes But returning to the purpose The magistrates who haue charge ouer the Treasure are of two sortes as likewise is the treasure it selfe for eyther it consisteth of the publike rentes reuenewes and tributes or else when great and important occasions shal so require the same is raised of taxes and subsidies that are leuied according to the abilitie of the citizens which oftentimes hapneth when warres with which our city hath been much afflicted do grow vppon vs eyther by sea or land as when the Turke incrochingly assaileth our dominions whose mighty puissance and formidable attempts aswell against vs as against the whole commonwealth of Christendome wee alone not without exceeding charge and detriment haue resisted and kept at a baye many yeares or else when christian princes not brooking the greatnes of the Venetian empire haue conspired against the same as in the fifteenth yeare before this in manner all the greatest princes of christendome were strongly linked leagued and confederated against vs but God be thanked their endeuours were withstoode and our affaires though for a while declining were yet at length restored into their former estate flourishing erected grearnesse Seeing then that this common treasure consisteth of two kindes two likewise are the kinds of magistrates to whose charge they are committed The one for the subsidies leuied of the people and the other for the common rents and tributes These tributes are leuied eyther of goods transported out of the City or els of such as are brought into the same others the like also are collected and gathered out of those other citties that are vnder the Venetian dominion The tributes Tolles and customes of the citie aswell through the great aboundance of marchandize and infinite assembly of marchants as also the innumerable multitude of people that dwell within the same are farre greater then a man would imagine and as the kinds of these matters marchandize are diuers so likewise are the officers ouer them instituted ordained as it best seemed vnto thē to whose supremecharge superintendance they belong to acquaint you with the particularities peculiar offices of euery one of which would rather breed a vaine and werisome tediousnes then any necessarie or pleasing delight for which cause I thought it not amisse to ouerslippe those magistrates whose offices are not of continuance but are onely instituted vppon occasions In summe the chiefest point belonging to all these officers is to be heedefull that no parte of this commō treasure be embezeled misemployed or carelesly regarded all controuersies likewise arising about this money are by them iudged and determined so soo e as they haue gathered in their mony they carie The Gouernour◠of the publike rents the same to the gouernours of the publike Rents for so is this magistrate called to whose presidence this matter is committed which because it is a very great and a very honorable charge the same is not wont to be giuen but vnto the noblest citizens which to the end they should the more willingly of themselues desire or at least not refuse the same being profered as the burthen and care there of is great and weightie so are there thereunto many both profitable and honorable The creation of the vnder Officers belongeth to the gouernours the common Treasure authorities annexed for the creatiō of all such vnder officers as are paid out of the common treasure as Serieants Somners Purseuants Ordinarie gardes and therest of that kinde lyeth wholy in their power whome hauing satisfyed and payd they bring the rest The Treasurers of the Chamber of the City that remaineth to the Treasurer at the Chamber of the City to which magistrate finally is brought the whole summe of the common money collected eyther within or without the towne by whatsoeuer officer or treasurer and they do againe imploy the same vpon publike vses according to the order and direction of the Senate keeping a Register both of their receipts and paymentes which office because it requireth a painefull trauell and continuall diligence the same is wont to be giuen to the yonger sort of the nobilitie prouided alwayes that they be such whose sincerenesse and integrity of life do no way degenerate from the noblenesse of their stocke to the ende that the publike mony bee not priuately misemployed and these treasurers of the City haue in manner as greate authority in the Senate as the other lawfull Senators Peculiar Officers appointed ouer such mony as is leuied by taxation but as for the money which in the necessities and distresses of the commonwealth is leauied of the citizens by way of taxation though at length the same come as to the treasurer of the town Chamber yet are there peculiar and proper officers thereunto assigned sometimes vpon an occasion of collecting a summe of money the Senate maketh a decree for the raising thereof without any clause of restirution interest or vtilitie to returne backe to those of whome it is leuied which happeneth neuerthelesse very seldome for commonly or rather alwaies vnlesse extreame occasion require the contrarie the Senate as their chiefest care is directed to the generall good of the commonwealth so also haue they a most especiall and singular regarde of the particular estate of the citizens The summe that is to be leuied being determined time appointed for the payment thereof euery one bringeth in as much thereof as he was rated at which is exacted and gathered in by the gouernors of the rentes and by them brought to the Treasurers of the Chamber But oftentimes vpon these taxations of money the Senate limites and appointes a time for restitution thereof vnto the Citizens with some allowance Interest allowed vnto the citizens for such money as is leuied of them also of profite and interest for the same and to that ende are there certaine rentes and determinate tributes assigned and made ouer but afore our time the Senate sundrie times were wont to make a decree concerning this exacted summe of money that there should not be made any mention of restitution nor any time thereunto appointed vnlesse the same should be for the generall good and benefite of the common wealth
onely the magistrate which was called president of the lones and as yet retayneth that name recorded President of the Lones in a booke the seuerall summe contributed by euery particularr cittizen and in the meane time till the same were repayed there were allowed fiue crownes in the hundred to euery one of those that had beene taxed and thereunto were sundrie rentes appointed so that in those ancient warres it was an easie matter to leuie mony by this manner of taxation and surely in my opinion it was a thing very iust and reasonable that somewhat should bee againe restored vnto them out of the common reuenew that had in the necessarie times of the common wealth spent and empayred their substance for as the partes ought to haue regarde to the safety of the whole so in naturall reason also ought the whole to defend and preserue the partes in asmuch as may bee from all inconuenience and wrong and to participate with them some part of the common nouriture thereby to restore enharten them but in our time this debt of leuied mony was so excessiue and great that the very interest thereof after the rate I spake of amounted to three hundred thousande Crownes by the yeare which payment being of late by reason of the extreame necessities and dangerous warres wherewith the commonwealth was enuironed withholden and kept backe now finally some foure yeare since there was a statute and decree enacted by the Senate the motioners and perswaders thereof being Dominico Treuisano Andrea Gritti Duke Venice a graue and honorable Councelor and Andrea Gritti a Senator of singular prudence and integrity who now to the generall contentment and exceeding happines of our commonwealth wee acknowledge for our Duke and Prince that there should not thence forwarde be any mention made of paying any yearely interest neither that any suits kinde of subsidy or contribution shoulde thereafter be registred or enrolled in the common bookes and yet least the citizens should thinke themselues defrauded it was prouided that they should be paide their principall and likewise the interest due vntill the day of the decree for satisfaction of which they appointed out not onely An Officer appointed for the payment of the rownes debtes a great part of their tributes but also the whole possessions belonging to the common wealth in the teritorie of Rouigo The medling in which busines happened partly to my lot in regarde of an office that I then bare instituted of purpose before our times to diminish and lessen the debts of the common wealth or if it were possible vtterly to extinguish them of which I wil speak somewhat hereafter and so a great part was discharged of those heauie and vnmeasurable debtes with which the commonwealth was burthened and likewise the estate of the priuate citizens not left vnconuenientlie regarded yet alwaies so that the generall good was first prouided for and then the priuate which order is discended euen to our times from our auncesters from hand to hand Now then to turne our speech thether againe wherein we digressed The Presidentes of the lones are those that do gather together the money wherein the Cittizens are taxed at such times as the commonwelth needeth their helpe of which when in their bookes they haue taken a particular note and reckoning then finally they deliuer the same ouer to the Treasurer of the Chamber of the Citty from whome it belongeth to their charge to exact such summes of money as were yearely accustomed to be yeelded in steade of rent to the priuate Cittizens and likewise to register vp in their bookes both the receipt and expence thereof But this money which by the Senates decree is leuied of the Cittizens and is after a certaine time to bee restored vnto them againe was wont both to bee collected and repayed by a certaine peculiar Magistrate thereunto appointed Now this office Officers that do seaze and sell the goods of those that do not at the time appointed pay the mony in which they are taxed belongeth wholy to the Gouernours of the Rentes There is also an other money-Magistrate not to bee omitted to whose office it appertaineth to search seaze and to sell openly the goodes of such as do not at the time appointed pay the summe of mony at which they are taxed There are also other money-Magistrates that do seeke out the endebted Cittizens and do aswell peruse the bookes of account of priuate men as also those of the common welth to the end that the treasurie and common welth may not any way bee defrauded which for auoiding tediousnesse I will ouerpasse because they are not of any moment to that order and gouernement of our common wealth which I haue taken vpon mee to describe Presidents ouer the coyne or mintmaisters Besides these heretofore mentioned there are also certain other magistrates whose offices are of greate auaile to the commoditie quietnesse honour health and happinesse of our Countrie and therefore not to be ouerslipped in silence First are the maisters of the coyne aswell golde as siluer the currant goodnesse of which as yet entertaineth the willing trafique of straungers so is it comfortable and commodious to the Citizens within themselues then the cornmaisters and health maisters of Venice both being Corn masters Helth masters Presidentes of the Arsenall of great and exceeding consequence as likewise are the worshipfull Presidentes of the Arsenall Then are there certaine officers such as among the Romains Aediles were called Aediles to whose care belongeth the mending and repayring of the streetes and Bridges and other the like matters of that kinde and office exceedinglie requisite and necessarie in this common wealth of ours and lastly the office of those whome Procurators the Venetians call procurators being of great dignity and singularly auailable to the City Of the Presidents of the money or Mintmaisters I knowe not what I should say more then that their chiefe charge and care is that the gold and siluer be not coyned in any baser allay then that which by the law is appointed neither that the same beare any whit lesse weight then it should doe which hath beene of vs all most religiously obserued insomuch that the money of Venice is of great account and runneth currant aswell among the barbarous Nations as it doth in Christendome For whereas all other Christian Princes in a manner cause their mony to be stamped in a baser allay to the end to make it stretch the farther ours haue alwayes herein most constantlie retayned that dignitie which they receyued of their auncesters The magistrate that hath the charge for the prouision of corne is exceedingly necessarie to this city of Venice because there being but a small quantitie of corne to be gathered out of the territorie of Venice and the cittie being most populous and round about encompassed with lakes of necessitie there is greate care to bee had of these prouisions least the people whose
treasure to two young men of the nobilitie in euery armed galley onely thereby to breed in them a skilfulnesse in matters pertayning to the sea for the better attayning to the which there are ordinarily certaine offices assigned vnto them in the exercise of which they do both profit themselues and become better enabled to the discharge of greater matters But to euery of the greater gallies there are These as I suppose are those which they call Galleasses commonly assigned eight young men of the nobilitie with a yearely great allowance and stipend eyther out of the common or priuate mens treasure accordingly as those Gallies are destinated eyther to the warres or marchandise and this to no other end but onely to accustome them to sea seruices it is also ordayned by a law hauing principall relation to the common vtilitie that euery priuate merchant shall in the ship wherewith he trafiqueth allow a yearly pensiō to one or two yong gentlemen according to the burthen and abilitie of his ship To which young men is also granted a liberty priuiledge that they may within the galleyes of burthen or shippes of priuate men to which they are assigned carrie a certaine quantity of marchandise without paying for the lading thereof any custome or tolle if they haue not or will not carry any themselues they may sel and passe ouer their right to do the same to any other that they shall thinke good wherein there was not onely a regard had to the exercise of the youth but also to the pouerty of many of the meaner citizens that are in any sorte distressed so that any man may easily perceyue that the institution of our youth to warlike exercises was not as some do suppose neglected of our auncestors but that there were two hundred yong men of the nobilitie at least trayned vp in these shippes and Gallies at other mens charges and besides there was not any of the gentlemen but that was eyther brought vp to learning or els to this seafaring and maritime discipline benefiting thereby not onely their country but also sundry times exceedingly increasing their wealths and substance These ancient lawes and goodly institutions do still continue euen till this time of ours though sundry young men being since the increase of our dominion corrupted eyther with ambition or ryot haue neglected their countrie customes and withall the number of citizens is so increased that through these late afflictions of the warre and the many charges growing vpon them there are many more fallen into pouertie then by the benefite of this law may bee sufficiently relieued for such is in all worldly thinges the course of nature that nothing may bee among men perpetuall But all thinges howsoeuer they seeme at the first perfectly and well ordained yet in course of time nature still slyding to the worse they had neede to be mended and renewed euen as a mans bodie satisfied with his dinners appetite will not yet maintaine his health vnlesse it be seconded with a supper so in euery thing there must be a reliefe and reparation added to the wearing and alwaies downe declining course of nature of which remedy herein also if it please God we wil haue regard so that there may not any necessary prouision be wanting in this commonwealth of ours But hitherto of these thinges now we will speake of those officers and magistrates that haue charge at sea ouer our shippes and nauies This Captain they call Sopracomit◠Euery Galley being furnished and in order for the warres hath for Captaine thereof a Gentleman of the state who hath power and authoritie ouer all that are in the Galley saue onely that hee cannot punish with death euen as in land warres a captayne or a Coronell hath authoritie ouer those that are vnder their companies or regiments so hath this Captayne of the Galley ouer the mariners and all thinges that are in the Galley or tending to the prouision thereof Gallies set forth by the Venetians to cleere the sea from pyrates The Venetians do yearely arme forth certain Gallies though there bee not any other necessitie yet to make the sea safe and secure from pyrates and to defend from their oppression honest merchantes that crosse the seas about their businesse without doing wrong to any man Besides these Captains of the Galleyes there is a Legate The Legate or lieuetenant of the nauie ouer the whole nauie who hath full and whole authoritie ouer the same and ouer the particular Captaines of euery Galley He as a Lieutenant generall of the armie if the Captayne generall bee not present hath power of life and death and authoritie to direct the nauie whether it shall please him This magistrate is commonly created in time of peace and hath in his handes the charge of the Gallies of war but if the occasions of the commonwealth doe so require and that there be a great nauie indeede to bee set out then there is appointed preposed ouer the whole nauie a Captaine generall with high and preheminent A Captain generall ouer the nauy in manner like vnto the Romain Dictator authoritie not onely ouer the same but also ouer all maritime prouinces in manner as great as that the Romain Dictator was wont to haue saue onely that this in all things obeyeth the authority of the Senate and the decrees of the commonwealth Neuertheles his power is singularly great as wel ouer the nauy Legates captains and Lieuetenants of the same as also ouer all gouernors and magistrates that haue gouernment or superintendence in any of the Islandes or maritime places in so much that when the Captaine generall of the nauie shall come to any Citie the cleargie is presently to meete him with solemnitie and the keyes of the gates and castels are to be deliuered vnto him The authoritie of all the other gouernors for that time ceaseth and whosoeuer in whatsoeuer cause may appeale from any other magistrate to the Captaine generall who onely if it shall so please him may administer iustice dispose of the publike money and alone himselfe exercise the office and authority of all the rest There is among the Venetians no magistrate of higher power and therefore hee but seldome and vpon most vrgent occasions created for not rashly but vpon most waighty groūded consideration is this mighty dignitie inuesting a priuate citizen with so great and absolute an authority committed to any one No General or Captaine may returne into Venice with armed hand Heere that law is not to be omitted by which it was ordayned that no Generall Legate or Captaine of a nauie may enter into the citie of Venice with his armed Gallies no not vpon his returne homewarde but presently vpon his arriuall at Histria which prouince is a hundred miles distant from Venice hee is to deliuer vnto the mariners their stipend and pay and there to dismisse them and thence the Gallies are wont to bee brought vnto
of the place hauing their children borne brought vp there they resolued there perpetually to remaine there are in Venice 72. as they cal them Parochiae that are equall in manner vnto Bishoprickes ouer which are elected graue and reuerent pastors chosen out of that quarter and particion of the city wherein their churches stand these churches haue great goodly rents belonging vnto them are exceedingly adorned with Organs images instruments and all other magnificent ornamentes The Arsenall is in compasse without the wals 3. miles about resembleth in it self a little world hauing within it such varietie ofseuerall handicrafts and trades that it is in manner vnpossible for any to comprehend them in his minde that hath not seene them with his eyes insomuch that the marquesse of Guasto who was generall The Marques of Guasto his speech touching the Arsenal vnder the Emperour Charles the 5. in Italy hauing gon vp and downe in it from morning to night at his comming forth sware that he had rather be Lord of the Arsenall then of 4 of the best citties of Italy all manner of armes weapons artillerie sayles powder anchors tacklinges and whatsoeuer else to be imagined pertaining to the war and the Galleis themselues are not onely kept and preserued within the Arsenall but also wrought and framed there do dayly worke within it 1580. men who haue all wages according to their decrees who when they are so old that they can worke no longer are there also entertained so long as they liue The prince being dead his bowels are taken out and his body embawmed after which hee is kept three dayes openly in the hall attended on with Senators as you heard before his herse being couered ouer with cloth of gold and his sword and his spurres of gold lying athwart vpon him then in carrying him to his buryall the fraternities of the towne are assembled the seuerall companies of the chanons and clergie with an innumerable number of torches many of which are carried by the Iesuites in middle of which followeth the beere whereon the body of the prince reposeth in such sort as you hearde next after followeth the officers and chiefe seruantes of the princes family all apparrelled in blacke with great hoodes ouer their heads and drawing a long traine after them representing a maruelous shew of mourning and sorrow then next after follow the Senators all in skarlet and graine signifying the citty to be free therefore ought not to mourn at the death of any prince how vertuous soeuer With this pomp they passe on to the place of S. Marke where ioyning with the beere to the great dore of the church they lift it vp nine times as in taking perpetuall leaue thereof and thence go vnto the church of S. Giouani Paulo where for the most part the Dukes lie buried and there reposing the bodie vpon a high place of estate brightned with a number of flaming torches round about the Signeurie sitteth downe and there in the pulpit is made a solemne funeral oration in commendation and honour of the dead prince The funenerall being ended the Senators returne to the pallace and presently proceed to the choice of a new Duke There are certaine officers of which Contareno speaketh nothing at all or els very sparingly and some that haue been instituted since his time of all which I think it not necessarie briefly to say somewhat for the better satisfaction of the reader and first of those whom they call Cathaueri These are Iudges of the confiscations and exactors of the publique duties they were created in the yeare 1280. They succeed in the goods of those that die intestate if they haue no lawfull heires They gather in those penalties as are by the other Iudges inflicted vpon offendors They are Iudges ouer the officers of shipping They make publike sales in name of the commune they are Iudges of such thinges as are founde at sea or treasures that are found at land They heare such differences as do arise between pilgrims that go to the holy land and the matters of the ships wherein they go the names of the pilgrims are registred in their office and they are newly put in authoritie about the determination of such causes as concerne the inhabitants of Cipres Sopra Castaldi There are other called Sopracastaldi whose office is to serue executions vpon iudgement so that they are called Iudges of executions They haue the selling of such goods as are attached by executions haue the hearing of all such differences as do arise about such attachments executions contradictions c. They are euery morning at S. Markes they haue also place in the Rialto They were instituted in the yeare 1471. Because there might errour be committed in the execution of iudgements it was ordayned that the prince should heare the appeales from the executions of the former officer but because his person was to be busied about greater affaires there were certaine Superiors ordayned that might censure the doings of the Sopracastaldi And because they might also sometimes erre in their deliberations it was likewise ordayned that from them also might the partie agreeued appeale to the Aduocators They were created in the yeare 1485. Signeore all aque There are certaine officers ouer the water called Signore all aque They haue charge of such things as appertayne to the Lakes to the cleansing of the channels Sig alla Sanita Mountbanks are certaine that shew their drugs in the market places vaunting of great cures they haue done with long tales persuading the people to buy their ware and those boats that are vpon the great channell are vnder their authoritie Besides those other things mencioned in the former treatise that belongeth to the office of the healthmaisters they haue authority to giue licence to phisicions to practise and to Mountebanks Chiarlatanes to go vp and downe the countrey and to preach in the markets to them also is brought the register containing the number of all publike women within the towne Finally so great is their authoritie that in time of sicknes they haue power to punish with death Doana de Mare are officers of the custome who are to looke to such marchandise as is brought in by the common gallies and ships and not to suffer any thinges to passe till all duties and custome be discharged Signori della Pace There are also fiue peacemaysters who are to iudge between them that giue one another blows or wounds or do offer any other kind of wrong or do vse any villanie in speech their office is to appease strife and to make attonement and friendship as much as in them lieth Iustitia vecchia are certaine magistrates that haue power authority to do right vnto those that do pretend hyre wages or reward they punish those that do falsifie waightes measures or such like They put a price vpon such hearbes and fruits as are to be sold
likewise in their office are written vp the names of all such boyes as doe for wages tie themselues to the seruice of maysters They were wont to deale in the matter of wools butnow since the increase of that marchandise there is appointed a particular officer ouer the same Al manner of trades are vnder this office They that keepe shoppes haue the allowance of the signes from hence They may be appealed from to the Cathaueri and to the old Auditors according to the causes Consoli di Marcantanti to this office is all manner of marchandise subiected wherein there is eyther buying or selling They proceed briefly by way of extension Sopraconsoli are those that haue to doe with Marchantes that breake bankerout and with matters of pawnes They grant protection to such as are indebted whereby their bodies may be kept free frō prison they proclaime with a very solemne ceremony those that are fugitiue for debt limiting thē a certain time of returne which if they doe not they then sell all such goodes of theirs as they can lay their hands on and therewith pay the creditors as farre as it will stretch The fugitiues vppon their returne are bound fully and wholly to present all their goodes into this office of which they then receyue a protection for a month in which time they haue libertie to agree with the creditors if they can if not then the Sopraconsulles are to make their agreement for them alwaies prouided that afore the satisfaction of any creditors the dower of the parties wife the rent of his house and the money belonging to the Signeorie if he haue any thereof in his handes are still first deducted Iustitia Noua is an office to which belongeth the ouersight of Innes and Tauernes to reforme their abuses to see that their wines be not mingled or corrupted this office was instituted in the yeare 1261. There are also certaine officers ouer the Salt called Signori al Sale Ragione Vecchie are certaine that are appointed to entertaine such strangers and embassadors as the state will haue honoured and to defray such charges as thereby shall arise to the state out of the common treasure Ternaria Vecchia is an office that exacteth the custome of Oyles and haue superintendence of all things thereto appertayning Signori alla Grassa are such as do ouersee the abuses in Cheese salt meates Suet and such like and haue power to punish those that commit any falshood or abuse thereabout Signori dipanni a ora haue the charge and ouersight of Goldweauers and such as do make cloth of Golde Tissue and such like to the end there be no falshood vsed which if they find they haue authoritie to take the cloathes away and to cut them in peeces Proueditori di Commune are certaine magistrates instituted of purpose for the common good They are to see that such shippes as be made be well wrought great and capable fit to the proportion and that at their setting forth they be not ouerburthened They are to repaire the streets to paue them to keep the bridges of the Citie in good order all the lesser schooles and fraternities are vnder them as the greater are vnder the Counsell of tenne They looke into the abuses of all handy crafts and punish such as vse deceipt They haue charge ouer the ordinary ferries They looke into the priuiledges of the communalty and taxe the prices of bookes The Citie of Venice is diuided into sixe parts which they call Sestieri three of one side the great channell and three on the other their names are thus Castello S. Polo S. Marco S. Croce Canareio Dorso Duro The names and number of the parishes and Monasteries contayned vnder Castello Parishes 1. S. Pietro di Castello 2. S. Biasio 3. S. Martin 4. S. Giouani in Bragola 5. S. Antonin 6. S. Trenita 7. S. Seuero 8. S. Prouolo 9. S. Giouani nouo 10. S. Maria formosa 11. S. Marina 12 S. Lio. Other Churches 1 S. Giouanide Forlani 2 S. Philippo e Giacomo 3 S. Georgio de Greci Monasteries 1 S. Domenico 2 S. Francesco della Vigna 3 S. Antonio 4 S. Giouani e Paulo Cloysters of Nunnes 1 S. Maria delle virgini 2 S. Daniel 3 S. Anna 4 S. Ioseph 5 S. Maria celeste 6 S. Sepolchro 7 S. Lorenso 8 S. Giouani Laterano 9 S. Zaccaria The names and number of the parishes and Churches vnder S. Marke Parishes 1 S. Marco 2 S. Geminian 3 S. Moyse 4 S. Maria Zobenigo 5 S. Mauritio 6 S. Vitale 7 S. Samuel 8 S. Angelo 9 S. Benedetto 10 S. Paternian 11 S. Fantin 12 S. Luca 13 S. Saluatore 14 S. Bartholomeo 15 S. Giulian 16 S. Basso Monasteries 1 S. Stefano 2 S. Saluatore Cloysters of Nunnes 1 S. Rocco 2 S. Margarita Other Churches 1 S. Theodore 2 S. Maria della Faua 3 S. Maria in Broglio 4 S. Scola della Giustitia The names and numbers of the parishes and Churches vnder Canareio Parishes 1 S. Lucia 2 S. Hieremia 3 Marcuola 4 S. Maria Magdalena 5 S. Marcilian 6 S. Fosoa 7 S. Felice 8 S. Soffia 9 S. Apostoli 10 S. Cancian 11 S. Maria noua 12 S. I. Chrisostome 13 S. Lunardo Monasteries 1 S. Iob. 2 S. Maria de serui 3. S. Maria del horto 4. S. Maria del de Crocechiers Cloisters of Nunnes 1 S. Lucia 2 S. Catherina 3 Corpo di Christo 4 S. Luigi 5 S. Hieronimo 6 S. Maria di miracoli The names and number of Churches vnder S. Paulo Parishes 1 S. Paulo 2 S. Tomaso 3 S. Sti◅ 4 S. Augustin 5. S. Boldo 6 S. Aponal 7 S. Siluestro 8 S. Giouani 9. S. Matheo 10 S. Giacomo Monasteries 1 S. Mario de Frati minori The names numbers of parishes and Churches vnder Sancta Croce Parishes 1 S. Croce 2 S. Simeon grande 3 S. Simeon Apostol◠4 S. Giouan decollato 5 S. Giacomo dell'orio 6. S. Stai 7. S Maria mater Domini 8 S. Cassano Another Church 1 S. Nicolo de Tolentino Cloysters of Nunnes 1 S. Croce 2 S. Andrea 3 S. Chiara The names of sundry little Islandes contayned vnder this quarter of the citie that are inhabited by Fryers Monkes Nunnes and other religious people 1 S. Helena 2 S. Andrea della certosa 3 S. Georgio maggiore 4 S. Clemente 5 S. Maria delle gratu 6 S. Spirito 7 S. Francesco dal diserto 8 S. Giacomo di Paludo 9 S. Nicolo del Lito 10 S. Christoforo dellapace 11 S. Michaele 12 S. Georgio d' Alega 13 S. Angelo de Concordia 14 S. Secondo 15 S. Seruolo 16 S. Erasmo 17 S. Lazaro 18 S. Lazaretto nouo 19 S. Lazaretto vecchio The names numbers of parishes and Churches vnder Dorso duro Parishes 1 S. Nicolo 2 S. Rafaelo 3 S. Basilo 4 S. Margarita 5 S. Pantalaone 6 S. Barnaba 7 S. Trouaso 8 S. Agnese 9 S. Vido 10 S. Gregorio 11 S. Eufemia della giudeca Frieries 1 Giacomo della giudeca 2 I. Capuccini 3 S. Gio.
della giudeca 4 S. Sebastian 5 Li Carmeni 6 S. Maria della Carita 7 Li Giesuati Nunryes 1. S. Biassio Catoldo 2. S. Croce della Giudeca 3. S. Cosmo Damiano 4. Le Conuertite 5. S. Marta 6. S. Maria Maggior 7. Il Spirito Santo 8. Ogni Santi Other religious houses 1. The Iesuites 2. La Trinita 3. Le Citelle Abaies and Priories belonging to the citie 1. S. Georgio Maggior 2 S Nicholo Da Lio. 3. S. Gregorio 4. S. Giouani Della Giudeca 5. S. Thomaso de Borgoinoni 6. S. Andrea della Certosa 7. S Helena 8. S. Giauani del Tempio 9. La Trinita 10. La. Misericordia 11. S. Giouan Euangelista 12. S. Giouan Lateran The name and number of the Hospitals within the Citie 1. L' Hospital di Giesu Christo a Sant Antonio 2. S. Pietro e S. Paulo 3. La Pieta 4. La. Casa di duo 5. S. Bartolomeo da Castello 6. S. Martin 7. I. Crosechieri 8. La Misericordia 9. La Carita 10. S. Giouan Euangelista 11. S Croce 12. S Andrea 13. S. Vid o 14. Volto Santo 15 S. Ras aell 16 S Zanepolo 17 Incurabili 11 S Lazaro 19. Le Bocchole 20 Lazaretto Vecchio 21 Lazaretto nouo The six Fraternities which they call Scuole grande 1. S. Marco 2 La Carita 3. La Misericor dia 4. S. Giouan Euangelista 5. S. Roco 6 S Theodora In a generall reuiew of the people made some fewe yeares since in Venice there were reckoned this number of all sorts as followeth Fifty nine thousande three hundred forty and nine men sixty seuen thousande fiue hundred thirty and one women youthes betweene the age of six and of twenty years to the number of fifty eight thousande foure hundred and twelue two thousand one hundred fourescore and three Fryers two thousande fourescore and two Nunnes one thousand one hundred fifty and seuen Iewes The whole summe of all amounteth to the number of 190714 A briefe description of some particularities in the City worthy to be knowne The length of the great channell is a thousande and three hundred paces and in bredth ouer forty paces it is wonderfully beautified on eyther side with most sūptuous and goodly pallaces you cannot go ouer it a foot but at one bridge onely which is at the Ryalto There are thirteen seuerall ferries or passages which they call Traghetti The bridges that ioyne the little Isles together are in number 400 some of wood and some of stone There belong to the chanels 8000. Gondalas and aboue The steeple of S Marke is 280. feet in height and euery square containeth forty feete in bredth it is distant from the Church 80. feet and hath the same to be wrought with such curiositie of workemanship that the like is scarsely to be found in any other pane of the world Francesco Sansouini AMong sundrie others that haue writtē of Venice Francesco Sansouini is one of the latest who very particularly but in my opinion somewhat superfluously hath touched not onely the customes of the Citie and the liues of the princes but also the antiquities ceremonies foundations monumentes and epitaphes of euery seuerall church out of whose great volume I haue onely extracted those fewe notes seruing to my purpose the rest I haue omitted as tedious and not greatly needfull to be knowne Venice encompasseth in circuite eight miles being diuided into 70 rapes or diuisions which 70 churches commonly called parishes euery one of the which is the head of that rape or diuision wherein it standeth It contayneth likewise 59 monasteries 31. of Eryers and 28. of Nunnes besides a great number of goodlie schooles and most ample and statelie Hospitals The chanels runne through the cittie as the veines of bloud do through a mans body making in their course here and there innumerable little Hands some naturally and some by art which are conioyned together by sundry bridges at least 450 in number all of free stone adorned euery where with most princely buildinges and beautifull pallaces to which there is most commodious passage both by land and water there are belonging to these chanels betweene eight and nine thousand little boats called Gondalas ready both by day and night to doe seruice to such as shall set them a worke The ayre of Venice is exceedingly good because it The ayre of Venice pure and good The reasons of the purenes thereof is continuallie purged with the ebbing and flowing of the tydes carrying euery six howres away with it whatsoeuer is corrupt or vncleane besides the multitude of fiers dissolueth al noysome vapours and the free scope of the windes blowing euery where vnhindered maketh the ayre most sounde and holesome besides much is attributed to the saltnes which being by nature more hot lesse colde engendreth a most equall and sweete temperature so that straungers with great amazement do not any where beholde men more venerable and of greater age full of flesh straight bodyed of goodly presence and more vigorous constitution But aboue all other thinges this is most straunge that this aire by a speciall priueledge of nature doth agree with the cōplections of all such straungers as resorte thither of what nation or vnder what climate soeuer they bee borne whether the same be subtile and persing or thick and foggy Round about them there is taken such innumerable Fish quantities of all excellent sortes of fish that not onely the inhabitantes haue plenty of fish taken twise euery day but they also furnish the adioyning citties vpon the continent aswell those that are vnder their dominions as others Wildfoule The like maruelous abundance they haue of wildfoul so different in kind and so diuers in colour that it is straunge to see their seuerall sortes their variety being such that wee haue seene aboue 200. seuerall kindes of them painted most exactly in their liuely and naturall colours by Marino Malipero the most exquisite and ingenious man of his time in that arte This city aboue all other is most worthy to bee admired as being singular by her selfe and brooking no comparison with any other for what other citty soeuer that hath beene eyther pleasant by situation or glorious in goodlines of buildinges yet it had some resemblance or likenesse with others But onely this being seated in the middle of waters hath not any thing vppō the earth to which it may be resembled the rare situation thereof being such that it inioyeth both the commodities of the water and the pleasures of the land secure by being not seated vpon land frō land assaults and free by not being founded in the depthes of the sea from maritime violence so that whereas other citties do keepe and defend their cittizens with walles towers and gates this being naked and without ramparts is not only as I said secure it self but rendreth also with admirable prouidence such citties secure as do sleepe vnder the watch of her winges Steeple of S. Marke Among many other rare edifices sumptuous aswell in the
fetch him from Rauenna to Venice in triumphes with 200. sayle inuesting him presentlie in the roya ltie of their Dukedome hee put away his first wife Giouanna and married the Lady Voldrada daughter to Marquis Guido whose dowry was great and rich Girolomie Bardi calleth her Vadetta sayeth that she was daughter to Alberto L. of Rauenna not onely in mony and Iewels but also in Castles and fortresses insomuch that growing insolent therewith hee called in mercenarie souldiers to the guard of his pallace and person in fine his manners were so outragious and himselfe grew so odious to the people that assēbling themselues in a fury they slew both him his little sonne within his pallace which they burned to the ground 23. Pietro Orseolo Anno. 976. THis great outrage being committed they elected Pietro Orseolo for their prince who being of a noble family and from his youth wholy giuen to deuotion was maruelous vnwilling to accept this high dignitie fearing least the same wold be a hinderance to the contemplature life which he chiefly desired he had by his wife Foelicia one sonne and no more like to him both in name and condition he repayred the church of S. Mark and the walles of Grado and succoured Bari against the Sarazens at length falling into acquaintance with one Guarino Abbot of S. Michaels of Cusano in Gascoyne hee grew so farre in loue with the reuerence of his person and the integrity of his conditions that determining to abandon the world hauing first distributed great gifts among the poore he departed one night in disguised garments with the said Giouani which Giouani Gradinigo and Giouani Morosmo his sonne in law and Romualdo Marino of Rauenna without saying a word thereof eyther to his wife or sonne he tooke with him much money which he bestowed in adorning the church of S. Michaell wherein hee made himselfe Monke and at the end of nineteene yeares dyed not without fame of doing many miracles hee was aged fifty yeares when hee entered into religion 24. Vitale Candiano anno 978. THe flight of Duke Orseolo being discouered Vitale Candiano sonne to Pietro the third was substituted in his place but falling into a grieuous infirmitie he renounced the Dukedome vowing that if he recouered to make himselfe a Fryer which hee performed and afterward comming to end his dayes hee was buried in the Church of S. Hilary 25. Tribuno Memo anno 479. TRibuno Memo beingelected Duke was so vexed with ciuill discord that was betweene the two mightie families of the Morasins and Calopins that renouncing the Dukedome he betooke himselfe to religion wherin he shortly finished his dayes and was buried in Saint Zacharies church 26. Pietro Orseolo anno 991. IN his place was chosen Pietro Orseolo sonne to that other Pietro whose life was so religious and holy he Conquered in a manner all Dalmatia and hauing done many other notable thinges especially in erection of Churches and sumptuous monumentes for Saintes hee dyed in the eighteenth yeare of his rule 27. Ottone Orseolo anno 1009 SVch was the peoples loue to the Father that they confirmed the gouernment to his sonne Ottone being a young man of eighteene yeares of age but of a very goodly personage and of a most exeellent spirite he married the sister of Geta king of Hungarie hee was excellentlie learned and of great liberality but in the end by the conspiracie practise of Dominico Flabanico hee was driuen out of Venice and confined to Constantinople in the seuenteenth yeare of his rule where shortly after hee dyed 28. Pietro Centranico anno 1026. IN place of Ottone was created Pietro Centranico or as some call him Barbolano but the city being then in tumult and hee vnpleasing to the people Orso brother to Ottone being then Patriarke of Grado by raising a faction tooke him prisoner and cutting off his beard constrained him to make himselfe a Fryer sending in the meane time for his brother Ottone to Constantinople hee himselfe by the consent of the people till then supplying the Ducall roome which Dominico Flabanico and his adherents that had been cause of Ottones banishment vnderstanding presentlie fled the citie but newes being brought of Ottones death Orso willingly surrendred vp the scepter and Domenico returned and that with such happy successe that he was presently elected Duke of Venice 29. Domenico Flabanico anno 1032. DOmenico Flabanico by reason of many yeares long experience was well acquainted with the world and subtle in his proceedings he ordained by a general consent of the rest that thence forward no Duke might admit any partner in gouernment and withall that none of the Orseoles might euer after bee capable of the Ducall dignitie hee ruled openly tenne yeares 30. Domenico Contarino Anno 1043. DOmenico Contarini was with exceeding contentment of the whole people elected Duke being of a noble family and withall of a very gentle and curteous disposition he did many notable thinges and dyed in the 26. yeare of his rule 31. Domenico Syluio Anno 1071. DOmenico Syluio presentlie vpon his election married the sister of Nicephorus Emperour of Constantinople at whose perswasion he made warre vpon Robert Duke of Puglia but being ouerthrowne in a great battel at Duraizo hee was chased out of Venice 32. Vitale Falero Anno. 1083. ANd in his stead was chosen Vitalo Falero who by reason of certain donations from the Emperour was the first that entituled himselfe Duke of Dalmatia and Croatia finally hauing ruled thirteene years hee dyed and was buried in the church of S. Marke 33. Vitale Michaele Anno 1096. VItale Michaele being installed Duke did many thinges gloriously in the wars against the Infidels in Asia and hauing onely ruled fiue years was succeeded by Ordelaffo Faliero 34. Ordelaffo Faliero Anno 1102. VVHo hauing married a wife of rovall parentage did assist Baldowin king of Ierusalem with a hundred sayle of shippes in his warres against the infidels and lastly he was slaine in an encounter at Zara hauing ruled 19. yeares 35. Domemco Michaele Anno 1119. DOmenico Michaele at instance of Pope Calisto went to Ioppo that was besieged by the Turkes whom he raysed from the same hauing with him two hundred sayle of ships he tooke also Tyre and gaue it to the Patriarch of Ierusalem and vpon his returne hee tooke from Emanuel Emperour of Greece the cities of Scio Samo Rodes Metellino and Andro and returned victorious to Venice where in the xi yeare of his rule hee deceased 36. Pietro Polani Anno 1130. PIetro Polani sonne in law to the former Duke began his rule in the yeare 1131. a man so singularly respected for his wisedome and integritie that the Emperors Corradus and Emanuel did chuse him for an Vmpier and Arbitrator of such differences as were betweene them hee conquered Fano and ouerthrewe those of Padoua and Pisa Lastly in assembling a mighty nauie in fauor of Emanuel the Emperour he fell sicke and died 37. Domenico Morosmi Anno 1148. DOmenico Morasmi
them the three heades of the Forty for as they goe along the Councellers and the saide heades are vpon the right hand and the Procurators vpon the left they haue euery one a dwelling place or else forty Ducates a yeare allowed them They all are admitted into the Senate but not into the Councell of tenne saue onely nine of the eldest and best respected they cannot obtaine any other office vnlesse it be of the chiefe sages or else the Giunta to the councell of tenne and when there is a captain generall of the army or a proueditor of the campe to be chosen there is a law made in the Senate that whosoeuer is a procurator may obtain that dignitie which is so ordained to the end that such great and weightie charges should be executed by men of great estimation and honour they may not come into the great counsel but onely by the election of the Duke which is lately graunted by a speciall decree they were wont to stand in the Court without the great Councell when the same was assembled and there to stay during the continuance of the Councell within the pallace to the end that if any disorder should happen they might be at hand to amend it and this in likelihoode was the occasion that they were first forbidden to enter into the Councell but not this custome of assembling themselues and staying in the courte while the councel sitteth is no longer obserued which proceedeth through the quiet and generall securenesse of the cittie insomuch that they thinke it altogether needlesse for the Procurators to be morein one place then in another These three councels of the Forty are exceedingly well discoursed of in the former treatise neuerthelesse for the full and cleare vnderstanding of their seuerall offices and dignities I thought good to set here downe some particularities by him omitted the recitall of which though perchance in his opinion he deemed needelesse yet I iudge them not vnnecessarie to those that doe desire to haue a perfect knowledge of the Venetian gouernment The first of these three councels of forty are as you haue heard the new for ciuile matters abroad the second for ciuile matters within and the third is called the crim inall councell which is not onely aboue all causes criminall both at home and abroade that are brought vnto it by vertue of appeale but also doth of it self determine many entire causes that are not touched of any other magistrare the forty are chosen in the great councell and must all passe the age of 30. yeares the other offices any gentleman may attaine at the age of 25. years the election is not made all in one day but in eight seuerall dayes sitting in euery of which they chuse fiue vpon the choice of these new forty they are straight admitted into the new ciuile councell and doe enter thence into the old ciuile councell and they of the old ciuile presentlie into the criminal as you heard before so that passing 8. moneths in either their whole time of authority is 2. yeares there are ouer euery of these 43. heades and two vnder heades which authority they hold onely two moneth s a peece the heads of the last forty which are the criminall Iudges are they that do ioyn with the Duke councellors with thē do represent the person of the Venetian gouernment These heads vnderheads are all elected by lot There are also in the great Councell three manner of Magistrates created that do bring in and propound causes euery one to the forty appointed him the first are the three Aduocators of the common which doe bring in the causes to the Criminall forty The second are the three old Auditors that doe bring in the home ciuile causes to the old ciuile Forty The thirde are the three new Auditors that do bring all forrein ciuile causes into the new ciuile Forty The Aduocators of the common is a dignity of great account and neuer graunted but to men of greate yeares wisedome and experience his chiefest charge is to see the lawe strictly obserued and therefore in iudgement he is alwaies against the offender There are also many that are Aduocators whose office is to pleade in causes eyther of accusing or defendiug accordingly as they are eyther by the plaintife or defendant entertained it is not of necessity requisit that they be Doctors of law or that they haue therein much studyed onely that they be skilfull in the statutes ordenances of the commonwealth they must all be gentlemen for there is an ancient law that none may plead before the magistrate vnlesse he bee a gentleman and therefore there are in the great Councell chosen 24. Aduocators 20. for the offices of the palays and 4. for the Ryalto of which euery one that goeth to law is bound to entertayn one and to pay him a certain fee and he likewise is bound to defend his cause who entertaineth him the place where they plead is somewhat high they haue at their feet the notary of the 40 with such writings as they mean to produce diuerse times amid their pleading they command him to reade now one Chapter now one writing and then another as the cause requireth The time that eyther partie is allowed for speech is an hower and a halfe besides the time that is spent in reading the writinges in so much that when the Aduocate speaketh there is an houre glasse helde vpright and when the writinges are read the same is turned vpon one side to the ende the sand shoulde not fall through and then is turned vpright againe when he beginneth to speake When eyther part hath alleadged his reasons that sentence is to be giuē the youngest of the fortie causeth euery of the Iudges to sweare that he will giue that sentence which in his conscience he shall thinke to be iust then they go to their suffrages in manner as you may see in the former treatise All causes that are brought vnto the Aduocators are registred vp by their secretarie one first the other next so forth in order as they come and looke in what order they are registred in the same are they by them brought in and propounded to the fortie except it be some which though they come last yet they are still first dispatched as the case of prisoners of burialles of medicines of corne of rewardes of Orphlins of neere kindred as if the brother should pleade with his brother or the father with his sonne these causes are alway first heard and likewise all such as any way pertaine to the office or administration of the Procurators The dominion of the Venetians is diuided into two partes the one by sea the other by land out of eyther of which they receyue a great yearely in-come Of the two they account the firme lande reuenewe to bee the greater especially their possessions in Lombardie are maruellous rich and auayleable vnto them where besides many other