ITALY. 575 



old government of Genoa was aristocratical, being vested in the no- 

 bility; the chief person was called the doge, or duke; to which dig- 

 nity no person was promoted till he was fifty years of age. Every two 

 years a new doge was chosen, and the former became incapable, dur- 

 ing five years, of holding the same post again. The doge gave audi- 

 ence to ambassadors ; all orders of government were issued in his 

 name, and he was allowed a body-guard of two hundred Germans. 



By the new constitution of the Ligurian republic, framed at Paris 

 in the year 1801, the government is vested in a doge and senate of 

 thirty, and a legislative body of seventy members ; of which one- 

 fifth go out annually. The revenue is said to amount to above 600,000/. 

 but there are great public debts. 



Venice, now a part ot the Austrian territory, was one of the most 

 celebrated republics in the world, on account both of its constitution 

 and former power. The duchy consists at present of the seven pro- 

 vinces of Venice, or the Dogeat, Treviso, Padua, Vicenza, Verona, 

 and Belluno ; which latter is divided into the three districts of Bellu- 

 no, Feldre, and Carode. The city of Venice is seated on seventy-two 

 islands at the bottom of the north end of the Adriatic Sea, and is sepa- 

 rated from the continent by a marshy lake of five Italian miles in 

 breadth, too shallow for large ships to navigate, which forms its prin- 

 cipal strength. Venice preserves the vestiges of its ancient magnifi- 

 cence, but is in every respect degenerated, except in the passion 

 which its inhabitants still retain for music and mummery during their 

 carnivals. They seem to have lost their ancient taste for painting and 

 architecture, and to be returning to Gothicism. They had, however, 

 lately some spirited differences with the court of Rome, and seemed 

 to be disposed to throw off their obedience to its head. As to the con- 

 stitution of the late republic, it was originally democratical, the ma- 

 gistrates being chosen by a general assembly of the people, and so 

 continued for one hundred and fifty years ; but various changes after- 

 wards took place : doges, or dukes, were appointed, who were in- 

 vested with great power, which they often grossly abused, and some 

 of them were assassinated by the people. By degrees a body of he- 

 reditary nobility was formed ; continued and progressive encroach- 

 ments were made on the rights of the people ; and a complete aris- 

 tocracy was at length established upon the ruins of the ancient popular 

 government. The nobility were divided into six classes, amounting 

 in the whole to 2500, each of whom, when twenty-five years of„age, 

 had a right to be a member of the grand council. Before the late re- 

 volution, these elected a doge, or chief magistrate, in a peculiar man- 

 ner by ballot, which was managed by gold and silver balls. The doge 

 was invested with great state, and with emblems of supreme autho- 

 rity, hut had very little power, and was not permitted to go out of the 

 city without the permission of the grand council. The government 

 and laws were administered by different councils of the nobles. 



The college, otherwise called the signory, was the supreme cabinet 

 council of the state, and also the representative of the republic. This 

 court gave audience, and delivered answers, in the name of the repub- 

 lic, to foreign ambassadors, to the deputies of towns and provinces, 

 and to the generals of the army. It also received all requests and me- 

 morials on state affairs, summoned the senate at pleasure, and ar- 

 ranged the business to be discussed in that assembly. The council 

 often took cognizance of state crimes, and had the power of seizing 

 accused persons, examining them in prison^ and taking their answers 



