AN HISTOEICAL TRAGEDY,
IN FIVE ACTS.
“ Dux inrjiiieti turbidus AdriD3 .”—Horace.
PREFACE.
The conspiracy of the Doge Marino Faliero is one of the most remarkable events in tlie annals ofthe most singular government, city, and people of modern history. It occurred in the year 1355.Everything about Venice is, or was, extraordinary—her aspect is like a dream, and her history islike a romance. The story of this Doge is to oe iouna in an her Chronicles, and particularly de-tailed in the “Lives of the Doges,” by Marin Sanuto, which is given in the Appendix . It is simplyand clearly related, and is perhaps more dramatic in itself than any scenes which can be foundedupon the subject.
Marino Faliero appears to have been a man of talents and of courage. I find him commander-in-chiefof the land forces at the siege of Zara, where he beat the King of Hungary and his army of eighty thou*sand men, killing eight thousand men, and keeping the besieged at the same time in check ; an exploitto which I know none similar in history, except that of Osesar at Alesia, and of Prince Eugene atBelgrade . He was afterwards commander of the fleet in the same war. He took Capo d’lstria. Hewas ambassador at Genoa and Rome —at which last he received tlie news of his election to the duke-dom ; his absence being a proof that he sought it by no intrigue, since he was apprised of his prede-cessor’s death and his own succession at the same moment. But he appears to have been of an un-governable temper. A story is told by Sanuto , of his having, many years before, when podesta andcaptain at Treviso, boxed the ears of the bishop, who was somewhat tardy in bringing the Host. Forthis, honest Sanuto “ saddles him with a judgment,” as Tliwackum did Square; but he does nottell us whether he was punished or rebuked by the Senate for this outrage at the time of its commis-sion. He seems, indeed, to have been afterwards at peace with the Church, for we find him ambas-sador at Rome , and invested with the fief of Val di Marino, in the march of Treviso, and with thetitle of count, by Lorenzo, Count-Bishop of Ceneda. For these facts my authorities are Sanuto ,Vettor , Saudi , Andrea Navagero , and the account of the siege of Zara, first published by tbe inde-fatigable Abate Morelli, in his “ Monumenti Veneziani di varia Letteratura,” printed in 1796, all ofwhich I have looked over in the original language. The moderns, Daru, Sismondi , and Laugier ,nearly agree with the ancient chronicles. Sismondi attributes the conspiracy to his jealousy; but Ifind this nowhere asserted by the national historians. Vettor Sandi , indeed, says that “ Altri scris*
aero che.dalla gelosa suspizion di esso Doge siasi fatto (Michel Steno) staccar con vio-
lenza,” &c., &c. j but this appears to have been by no means the general opinion, nor is it alluded toby Sanuto , or by Navagero : and Sandi himself adds, a moment after, that “per altre Veneziane me*morie transpiri, che nonil solo desiderio di vendetta lo dispose alia congiura ma anchelainnata abitu-ale ambizion sua, per cui anelava a farsi principe independente.” The first motive appears to havebeen excited by the gross affront of the words written, by Michel Steno on the ducal chair, and W tthe light and inadequate sentence of the Forty on the offender, who was one of their “ tre CapEThe attentions of Steno himself appear to liaye been directed towards one of her damsels, and notto the “ Dogaressa” herself, against whose fame not the slightest insinuation appears, while she ispraised for her beauty, and remarked for her youth. Neither do I find it asserted (unless the hintof Sandi be an assertion), that the Doge was actuated by jealousy of his wife; hut rather by respectfor her, and for his own honour, warranted by his past services and present dignity. .
I know not that the historical facts are alluded to in English , unless by Dr. Moore in his “ View o*Italy .” His account is false and flippant, full of stale jests about old men and young wives,wondering at so great an effect from so slight a cause. How so acute and severe an observer ojjmankind as the author of “ Zeluco” could wonder at this is inconceivable. He knewthat a basin o£water spilt on Mrs. Masliam’s gown deprived tbe Duke of Marlborough of his command, and led tothe inglorious peace of Utrecht —that Louis XIV . was plunged into the most desolating wars, becausehis minister was nettled at his finding fault with a window, and wished to give him another occupa-