I. THE QUARRY 19

government on the island of the Rialto,* to the moment when the General-in-chief of the French army of Italy pronounced the Venetian republic a thing of the past. Of this period, Two Hundred and Seventy-six† years were passed in a nominal subjection to the cities of old Venetia, especially to Padua, and in an agitated form of democracy of which the executive appears to have been entrusted to tribunes,‡ chosen, one by the inhabitants of each of the principal islands. For six hundred years, during which the power of Venice was continually on the increase, her government was an elective monarchy, her King or Doge possessing, in early times at least, as much independent authority as any other European sovereign, but an authority gradually subjected to limitation, and shortened almost daily of its prerogatives, while it increased in a spectral and incapable magnificence. The final government of the nobles under the image of a king, lasted for five hundred years, during which Venice reaped the fruits of her former energies, consumed them,-and expired.

§ 4. Let the reader therefore conceive the existence of the Venetian state as broadly divided into two periods:¹ the first of nine hundred, the second of five hundred years, the separation being marked by what was called the “Serrar del Consiglio;” § that is to say, the final and absolute distinction of the nobles from the commonalty, and the establishment of the government in their hands to the exclusion alike of the influence

* Appendix 1: “Foundation of Venice” [p. 417].

† Appendix 2: “Power of the Doges” [p. 418].

‡ There is no “appearance” in the matter. Each tribe or group of people had its own natural captain, and I don’t trace any subjection to the land cities, now. See again the new history. But the main truth of the statement remains: the government was at first democratic, agitated, and weak. [1879].²

§ Appendix 3: “Serrar del Consiglio”³ [p. 418].

¹ [See St. Mark’s Rest, §§ 59-65, for another division of Venetian history-into the four periods of (1) formation, A.D. 421-1100; (2) establishment, 1100-1301; (3) meditation, 1301-1402; and (4) luxury, 1421-1600.]

² [In place of this note, editions of the complete work give the following reference:-

“Sismondi, Hist. des Rép. Ital., vol. i. ch. v.”]

³ [This famous measure, known as the Serrata del Maggior Consiglio (or closing of the Great Council), was passed in 1297.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]