for the Republic did not acknowledge that this condition of disfavor had
gone into effect; she could not therefore personally request the Pope to
change an attitude which put only himself in the wrong. But when there
was a hint of "absolution," which the cardinal in his zeal would also
ask the Holy Father to pronounce, Venice was silent from displeasure.
She had done no wrong; she would neither ask nor accept absolution.

The Senate might indeed be weary of these interminable discussions and
unending compliments, and glad of a respite in which to turn to other
matters. But there were no idle hours in that august assembly, though it
might chance that some whimsical phase of statesmanship lightened, by
way of entr'acte, the severity of their deliberations. They were,
possibly, not unpleasantly aware of the irony of the situation when a
letter from their governor in Constantinople announced "the extreme
solicitude of the Turkish Government for the life and welfare of the
Holy Father," who had so furthered their interests by widely inciting
discord among the nations of Christianity that, seeing therein a mark of
the special favor of Allah, the sultan had ordered prayers and
processions for the continued welfare of his Holiness!

The singular jealousy of the Venetians for the solidarity of their
government, with their no less singular jealousy of individual
aggrandizement, together with the rare perception of mental
characteristics that was fostered by the daily culture of the councils
in which every noble took his part, led them constantly to ignore their
selfish hopes in order to choose the right man for the place. These
sentiments, acting and reacting upon each other, had secured their
political prosperity; but a disaffection was beginning to make itself
felt in the Senate which led ultimately to over-limitations of power and
such multiplied checks and suspicions that noble living and wise ruling
became impossible.

It was a time of suppressed excitement, and there had been a grave
discussion as to the growing power of the Ten, against which some of the
senators had dared to express themselves openly; for many of these
strong men were beginning to feel that their government weighed upon
them like a Fate, crushing all liberty and individuality; and of secret
trials without defense there were tragic memories haunting the annals of
that grave tribunal.

But so great were the complications of the involved Venetian machine