ſlight oppoſition he had met with, procured a law to be paſſed, that all the members of the grand council ſhould hold their places for life, and tranſmit them to their poſterity, and that their elections by the people's electors ſhould ceaſe. This eſtabliſhment of an hereditary legiſlative nobility, no doubt ſhocked the citizens in general, but chiefly thoſe of ancient families, who were not at that moment members of the grand council; to ſilence theſe, the moſt powerful of them were received into the grand council, and others were promiſed that they ſhould be admitted at a future time. Commerce and wars ſoon turned the attention of the reſt of the people from all thought about the loſs of their privileges. Some few, however, ſome time alter formed a plan, not to convene the people in a body, and new-model the conſtitution, but to aſſaſſinate the doge and council all together. The plot, which was carried on by the plebeians, was discovered, and the chiefs executed. Another originated amongſt the nobles, ſome of them of the grand council, who being of very ancient families, could not bear to ſee ſo many citizens raiſed to a level with themſelves, and others of the moſt diſtinguiſhed of theſe, who were not of the grand council, and had not been received afterwards according to promiſe. This produced a ſkirmiſh in the city, but ſome of the conſpiring nobles were killed, the reſt routed, and many executed, but it was thought prudent to admit ſeveral of the moſt diſtinguiſhied families. Theſe two conſpiracies produced a council of ten, upon which were afterwards engrafted the ſtate inquiſition.
Great care is taken in Venice, to balance one court againſt another, and render their powers mutual checks to each other. The college called
