the ſeigniory, was originally compoſed of the doge and ſix counſellors; to theſe were added ſix of the grand council choſen by the ſenate, and called the ſavii or ſages; then five more for land affairs, and then five for ſea affairs, in the room of whom, five young noblemen are now choſen every ſix months, who attend, without a vote, for their education; to theſe were added the three chiefs of the criminal court, from a jealouſy of the power of the college, which is both the cabinet council, and the repreſentative of the ſtate, giving audience and anſwers to ambaſſadors, to agents of towns, and generals of the army; receives all petitions, ſummons the ſenate, and arranges its buſineſs.
There is one inſtance of a doge's concerting a conſpiracy, to ſhake off the controul of the ſenate; but as it was an old man of fourſcore, whoſe young wife, on whom he doted, was not treated with ſufficient reſpect by the nobility, we need not wonder, that he had not ſenſe enough to think of introducing a regular, well-balanced conſtitution, by a joint concurrence of the people, and the nobility: the whole plan was to maſſacre the grand council; and although he engaged in his deſign ſome of the higheſt officers, and a large party, the plot was diſcovered, the doge himſelf tried, condemned, and beheaded, as ſo infamous a piece of mad villainy juſtly deſerved.
A punctual execution of the laws, is no doubt eſſential to the exiſtence of this ſtate, and there are ſtriking inſtances of perſons puniſhing their neareſt relations, with the moſt unrelenting ſeverity; without this, the doge on one hand, or the people on the other, would ſoon think of a union againſt the ruling nobility. The ariſtocracy is always ſagacious, and knows the neceſſity of a rigorous impartiality, in order to preſerve its
