576 ITALY. 



in writing, with the evidence against them. But the tribunal of state 

 inquisitors, which consisted only of three members, and which was ia 

 the highest degree despotic in its manner of proceeding, had the 

 power of deciding, without appeal, on the life of every citizen belong- 

 ing to the Venetian state. ...the highest of the nobility, even the doge 

 himself, not being excepted. To these three inquisitors was given the 

 right of employing spies, considering secret intelligence, issuing or- 

 ders to seize all persons whose words or actions they might think re- 

 preiiensible, and afterwards trying them, and ordering them to be exe- 

 cuted, when they thought proper. They had keys to every apartment 

 of the ducal palace ; and could, whenever they pleased, penetrate into 

 the very bed-chamber of the doge, open his cabinet, and examine his 

 papers; and, of course, might command access to the house of every 

 individual in the state. They continued in office only one year, but 

 were not responsible afterwards for their conduct whilst they were in 

 authority. So much distrust and jealousy were displayed by this go- 

 vernment, that the noble Venetians were afraid of having any inter- 

 course with foreign ambassadors, or with foreigners of any kind, and 

 were even cautious of visiting at each other's houses. 



All the orders of Venetian nobility are dressed in black gOwns, 

 large wigs, and caps which they hold in their hands. The ceremony 

 of the doge's marrying the Adriatic once a year, by dropping into it a 

 ring from his bucentaur, or state barge, attended by those of all the 

 nobility, was intermitted, for the first time for several centuries, on 

 Ascension-day 1797; and the bucentaur has since been taken away 

 from Venice by the French. The inhabitants of Venice amount to 

 about 140,000. The grandeur and convenience of the city, particularly 

 the public palaces, the treasury, and the arsenal, are beyond expres- 

 sion. Over the several canals of Venice are laid near 500 bridges, the 

 greatest part of which are of stone. The Venetians still have some ma- 

 nufactures in scarlet cloth, gold and silver stuffs, and, above all, fine 

 looking-glasses, all which bring in a considerable revenue to the own- 

 ers ; that of the state, annually, is said to have amounted to 8,000,000 

 of Italian ducats, each valued at 38^ cents of our money. Out of this 

 were defrayed the expences of the state, and the pay of the army, 

 which, in the time of peace, consisted of 16,000 regular troops (al- 

 ways commanded by a foreign general) and 1 0,000 militia. They kept 

 up a small fleet for curbing the insolence of the piratical states of 

 Barbary. The French, however, pressed into their services the ships 

 they found here; and likewise carried away immense quantities of 

 arms and military stores from the arsenal. 



The Venetians have some orders of knighthood, the chief of which 

 are those of the Stola d'Oro, so called from the robe they wear, which 

 is conferred only on the first quality ; and the military order of St. 

 Mark, of which in the proper place. 



In ecclesiastical matters, the Venetians have two patriarchs ; the 

 authority of one reaches over all the provinces, but neither of them 

 has much power: all religious sects, even the Mtihomedan and pa- 

 gan, are here tolerated in the free exercise of their religion. 



The Venetians are a lively, ingenious people, extravagantly fond of 

 public amusements, with an uncommon relish for humour. They are 

 in general tall and well made ; and many fine manly countenances are 

 met with in the streets of Venice, resembling those transmitted to us 

 by the pencils of Paul Veronese and Titian. The women are of a fine 

 style of countenance, with expressive features, and are of an easy ad- 



