ing to many, that any man will accept the office of doge. Theſe ſagacious nobles, who always know at lead the vices and weakneſſes of the human heart better than princes or people, ſaw that there would be generally vanity enough in an individual to flatter himſelf, that he had qualities to go through his adminiſtration without incurring cenſure, and with applauſe; and farther, that the frivolous diſtinction of living in the ducal palace, and being the firſt man in the nation, though it were only the firſt among equals, would tempt moſt men to riſque their lives and fortunes, and accordingly it has ſo happened. There has been an uncommon ſolicitude all along to reſtrain his power: this no doubt was to prevent him from a poſſibilitv of negociating with the people againſt them: on the other hand, there has been uncommon exertions to annihilate every power, every hope in the people: this was to prevent them from having a legal poſſibility of applying to the doge for aſſiſtance. All this together, would not however have ſucceeded, if death, in the ſhape of the inquiſition, had not been made to ſtare both doge and people in the face, upon the firſt thought of conferring together.
The nobles are divided into ſix claſſes. 1. Twelve of the moſt ancient families. 2. Four families that in the year 880 ſubſcribed to the building of the abbey of St. George. 3. Thoſe whoſe names were written in the golden book, in 1296. 4. Thoſe that were ennobled by the public in 1385. 5. Thoſe who purchaſed their nobility for one hundred thouſand ducats in 1646. And 6. The ſtrangers who have been received into the number of nobility: the whole make about two thouſand five hundred.
