HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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derived but very short-lived honour from his sanguinary elevation. The citywas besieged by the Venetians, and earl Baldwin ; Myrtillus contrived to makehis escape, and Constantinople, after a siege of eighty days, once more receivedits former conquerors. Earl Baldwin was immediately elected to fill the im-perial throne, and in gratitude for that service which the Venetians had con-tributed towards his elevation to the dignity, he not only conferred on them aHthe first offices of the state, but the subsequent conquests made in Thraceduring the ensuing spring, as well as that of Candia itself, with other islands inthe Archipelago, contributed, through the imperial bounty, to augment thepower, and enlarge the territories of Venice.

So boundless was the munificence and gratitude of Baldwin, that very soonafter this time, permission was granted to the Venetians that they might under-take the conquest of all those Grecian islands which they thought would repaythe trouble, and the expence of reducing them to subjection ; so that at this anamay be dated the foundation of that very extensive power and national weightwhich the Venetian republic not long afterwards acquired. The powers of thestate were considered as insufficient to procure food sufficient to satisfy the ambi-tion of the people. Licences were granted to private individuals, who immedi-ately equipped petty armaments proportioned to their means, and the magnitudeof their undertakings. A multitude of persons, who, in consequence of the in-dulgence they experienced, had settled in the character of merchants throughoutthe Grecian empire, united in fitting out a fleet, which rendering the actionsof war consonant to those of trade, may be considered as a partnership concern-The terms established by this community for the purpose of carrying intoeffect a newly introduced species of speculation, were, that every person whoseproperty amounted to a certain sum, should furnish a ship of a given descrip-tion and force ; and so by a proportionate scale, that those more wealthyshould contribute two, or even more, while others less affluent, either fur-nished an inferior vessel, or contributed a proper quota towards the mainte-nance of one in the superior class. As the expencc became thus made ageneral, though private concern, the profits resulting from it were apportionedproperly to each man’s contribution. Allured by the hope of gain, many wereinduced to exceed their own means, and even exhaust their credit in supportof the undertaking- The armament was formidable, and its success propor-tionably extensive. Lemnos, Andros, and all the other islands in the Archi-pelago, which had not previously formed, a part of the Venetian dominions,

were