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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

person. Having conquered Apulia and Calabria, he aimed, as a preliminarystep to his future project, at acquiring undisputed possession of Italy, but thedesign was frustrated by the policy and prudence of Pope Alexander the Third;so that although by promises and other arts he had prevailed on Ancona, andmany cities in Lombardy, to incline to his scheme, yet the Papal decree,which pronounced a fulminating interdiction against the union of the twochurches of Constantinople and Rome, caused the immediate revocation ofthe temporary acquiescence. Without having been able to acquire the friend-ship of Ancona, the extensive trade, wealth, and situation of which, renderedit an object of the first magnitude in respect to his designs, he had the addi-tional mortification of being involved in a serious dispute with the republic ofVenice, whose power and consequence was much more important. Theemperor, on some occasion, the particulars of which are not given, havingtaken umbrage at the conduct of the Venetians, caused their effects to beconfiscated, little recollecting that the maritime power of the republic,contracted as its limits were, was far superior to that of the whole Grecianempire. Reflection produced concession, and concession peace, though undersuch terms as loudly proclaimed the impotence of the Emperor of the East.From this period to its final extinction, in consequence of the capture of Con-stantinople itself by the Turks in the middle of the fifteenth century, nearly alltraces of maritime power, if, considering its fallen state, it could be properlyso called, appear to have vanished.

In proportion as the naval greatness of the eastern empire dwindled, anddiminished, that of Venice acquired strength. Its fleet, as already shewn,had the honour of checking the progress and victories of Guiscard at the siegeof Durazzo. The armament was commanded by Dominico Selvo, the thirty-first Doge, in person, but a second conflict terminating disadvantageous^, thisunfortunate captain was deposed from his high office without any enquiry beingmade as to his conduct. Such was the arbitrary and indeed ungrateful conductof the Venetians towards their commanders who were unsuccessful. UnderVitalis Michaeli, the thirty third Doge, the Venetians became strongly in-fected with that rage which induced every country in Christendom partially totake up arms, and send forth their bravest soldiers, who, fighting under oneand the same banner, were distinguished by the general and well known appel-lation of crusaders. The armament equipped by the senate of Venice certainlydid honour to its zeal for the public cause, whatever it might do to its under-standing.