890

HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

armament was rendered completely incapable of making the smallest attemptfor the chastisement of the Greek, and the service of the republic. The unfor-tunate, though personally brave Doge became the innocent victim to the rageof the populace, and the injuries offered to the state by Manuel went un-avenged.

Scarcely had the successor to this unhappy man found himself in possessionof his high office, ere he was under an absolute necessity of entering into warwith a no less formidable enemy than Frederic Barbarossa. The defence andprotection of Pope Alexander was the primary cause of the dispute, and huma-nity, zeal for the religion of their ancestors, together with the honour of therepublic, forbad that the Venetians, as the price of their own peace, shouldabandon the fugitive pontiff in the hour of his distress. After the latter hadmade some fruitless attempts to avert the impending storm by negociation, Otho,son to Barbarossa, entered the Adriatic with a strong fleet composed of seventy-five very large gallies, and advanced towards Venice with a professed intentionof attacking the city itself. Notwithstanding the naval force of the state, owingto the attack being sudden, and totally unexpected, was considerably inferior tothat of its enemy, the Doge did not despair, but equipping, with the utmostexpedition, such ships and gallies as were in a condition for sea, resolutely ad-vanced to meet and engage the foe. His intention was not long frustrated,and the most decisive victory rewarded the boldness of the attempt. Forty-eight of the vessels composing the fleet of Otho were either sunk, captured, ordestroyed, while the dismayed survivors considered themselves fortunate inbeing able, by the most speedy flight, to escape from- the fury of their enragedenemies. This victory gave birth to that well known ceremony of state prac-tised bv the Venetians of wedding, as it is called, the Adriatic. “ T ake Ziani,”said the elated Alexander to the victorious Doge, “ this ring, and present it tothe sea, in token of your dominion over it. Enjoin your successors to performannually the same ceremony, that succeeding ages may learn, your valour ac-quired this great prerogative, and has subjugated the ocean, even as a wife issubject to her husband.”

The capture of Otho, who became prisoner to the Doge on this occasion,furthered, the restoration of public tranquillity, and the emperor himself becameso> completely reconciled, as to visit Venice in person. The reign, if it be notoffensive to the principles of republicanism to adopt the term, of Osorio Mastro-pietro, 1 successor to Ziani, was distinguished only by the reduction of some

rebellious