uatuor_. Till 1427 the church received the income as of _lire dei
piccoli_, but on bringing a suit on the subject it was adjudged that
_lire ai grossi_ were to be understood. (_Delle Mem. Venet. Ant._ II.
18.) This story, however, cuts both ways, and does not decide our
doubt.

[16] The form of the name _Ysabeta_ aptly illustrates the transition that
seems so strange from _Elizabeth_ into the _Isabel_ that the Spaniards
made of it.

[17] I.e. the extent of what was properly called the Dogado, all along the
Lagoons from Grado on the extreme east to Capo d'Argine (Cavarzere at
the mouth of the Adige) on the extreme west.

[18] The word rendered _Guilds_ is "_Scholarum_." The crafts at Venice
were united in corporations called _Fraglie_ or _Scholae_, each of
which had its statutes, its head called the _Gastald_, and its place
of meeting under the patronage of some saint. These acted as societies
of mutual aid, gave dowries to poor girls, caused masses to be
celebrated for deceased members, joined in public religious
processions, etc., nor could any craft be exercised except by members
of such a guild. (_Romanin_, I. 390.)

[19] A few years after Ser Marco's death (1328) we find the Great Council
granting to this Peter the rights of a natural Venetian, as having
been a long time at Venice, and well-conducted. (See App. C, _Calendar
of Documents_, No. 13.) This might give some additional colour to M.
Pauthier's supposition that this Peter the Tartar was a faithful
servant who had accompanied Messer Marco from the East 30 years
before. But yet the supposition is probably unfounded. Slavery and
slave-trade were very prevalent at Venice in the Middle Ages, and V.
Lazari, a writer who examined a great many records connected
therewith, found that by far the greater number of slaves were
described as _Tartars_. There does not seem to be any clear
information as to how they were imported, but probably from the
factories on the Black Sea, especially Tana after its establishment.

A tax of 5 ducats per head was set on the export of slaves in 1379,
and as the revenue so received under the Doge Tommaso Mocenigo
(1414-1423) amounted (so says Lazari) to 50,000 ducats, the startling
conclusion is that 10,000 slaves yearly were exported! This it is
difficult to accept. The slaves were chiefly employed in domes