or five hundred years, during which Venice
reaped the fruits of her former energies, consumed them--and expired.

[Footnote 38: Napoleon Bonaparte.]

Let the reader therefore conceive the existence of the Venetian state
as broadly divided into two periods: 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 of the people on the one side, and the authority of
the doge on the other.

Then the first period, of nine hundred years, presents us with the
most interesting spectacle of a people struggling out of anarchy into
order and power; and then governed, for the most part, by the
worthiest and noblest man whom they could find among them, called
their Doge or Leader, with an aristocracy gradually and resolutely
forming itself around him, out of which, and at last by which, he was
chosen; an aristocracy owing its origin to the accidental numbers,
influence, and wealth of some among the families of the fugitives from
the older Venetia, and gradually organizing itself, by its unity and
heroism, into a separate body.

This first period includes the rise of Venice, her noblest
achievements, and the circumstances which determined her character and
position among European powers; and within its range, as might have
been anticipated, we find the names of all her hero princes--of Pietro
Urseolo, Ordalafo Falier, Domenico Michieli, Sebastiano Ziani, and
Enrico Dandolo.

The second period opens with a hundred and twenty years, the most
eventful in the career of Venice--the central struggle of her
life--stained with her darkest crime, the murder of Carrara--disturbed
by her most dangerous internal sedition, the conspiracy of
Falier--opprest by her most fatal war, the war of Chiozza--and
distinguished by the glory of her two noblest citizens (for in this
period the heroism of her citizens replaces that of her monarchs),
Vittor Pisani and Carlo Zeno.

I date the commencement of the fall of Venice from the death of Carlo
Zeno, 8th May, 1418; the visible commencement from that of another of
her noblest and wisest children, the Doge Tomaso Mocenigo, who expired
five years later. The reign of Foscari followed, gloomy with
pestilence and war; a war in which large acquisition