The commonvvealth and gouernment of Venice. VVritten by the Cardinall Gasper Contareno, and translated out of Italian into English, by Lewes Lewkenor Esquire. VVith sundry other collections, annexed by the translator for the more cleere and exact satisfaction of the reader. With a short chronicle in the end, of the liues and raignes of the Venetian dukes, from the very beginninges of their citie.

Sebastian Munsters description of the Citie of Venice.

VEnice was first the name of a Pro∣uince, 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 excee∣ding 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. At length they began to build vpon these Islands, chief∣ly vpon that which is called Riuo alto, to called, because the water is more deepe then there about the other Is∣landes, 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, Hera∣clia, 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 opu∣lence 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.

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, 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 subiec∣tion.

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 be∣tween themselues, & many attempts enterprised against thē by the Lombaras by commō & general confent they elected a Duke, to maintaine them in concorde, and to

defende their liberty, but in succession of time mis∣liking 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 sonne, after he had likewise ruled them awhile: they hanged Obleno their 10. Duke vpon a gibbet, and after∣wardes tare him to pieces, they murthered the thir∣teenth in the church, and burned the fourteenth in his pallace, the yeare 958. they put the fifteenth into a cloi∣ster, 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 Veneti∣ans and their Dukes, but Gasper Contareno that hath written expresly of the commonwealth of Venice, be∣ing 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 be∣fore 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, other∣wise 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 curious∣ly trimmed, and set sorth, and in company of the Bi∣shop, 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, bry∣bery, or subornation may stand him any way in steade, presently vpon his choice, hee is borne by the marri∣ners with great pomp to the place of S. Marke, throw∣ing 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 ea∣sie 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 vn∣thankefull, and secretly sent aide to Nicephorus Empe∣rour 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 Pe∣pin 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 Ve∣nice, in whose honour they did build that most goodly & glorious church which is now there to be seene.

In the yeare. 1202. they gat the Iland of Crete now called Candia, which did before pertaine to the Empe∣rour of Constanstinople, also vnder Otto the 3. Empe∣rour 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 Py∣rats 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 frend∣ship 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 Alba∣ny, in the yeare 1400. they got Vincensa that appertai∣tained 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 vnchri∣stian practise, which was in order, as followeth.

The heires males of right and lawfull line, fayling 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, bro∣ther to the said Charlot, finding himselfe too weak to re∣sist 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 incli∣ning 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 solicitati∣on gained the Venetians and Mahomet Emperour of the Turkes to fauour his party, that the Souldan gran∣ting fully to his request, tooke his oath, and sent him into Cipres with a great army of men, when at his first a∣riuall; 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 Cor∣narius, which daughter was after the death of Iaques, ad∣opted by the Senate, and by this meanes they posses∣sed themselues of the Realme, for she being great with child at the death of her husband, the Venetians as tu∣tors 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 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, chief∣ly at two Castles and at Chosa an episcopall City, di∣stant 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.

This City of Venice hath threescore and two pa∣rishes, and one and forty Monasteries: it hath as ma∣nie 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 con∣tinually foure hundred men which are dayly imploy∣ed 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 called Christal glasses, which are thence transported into all countries.

Notes

• The Rialto why to called.
• He meaneth that she is cōmandresse of the Adtia∣tique seas.
• Sixe hundred thousand pound ster∣ling.
• Munster cal∣leth this Theodore Diendome.
• The ship is called the Bi••entorie.
• The body of S. Mark when brought vnto Venice.
• The times of their con∣questes.
• The historie of the vniust practise vsed by the Vene tians in their possession of Cipies.
• Sebastian Mun¦ster in his card of Venice. The circuit of the citty & Ilands about it.
• Seb. Munster. The number of bridges and boates.
• Christall glasses.