Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/638

 582 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE of Ten gradually became perhaps the most potent single factor. In that year a dangerous conspiracy led to the es- tablishment of this new board, which was at first intended as a temporary committee of public safety, but was after- ward retained as a permanent feature of the constitution. Primarily it was a court before which persons dangerous to the State or guilty of gross immorality could be secretly tried and, if it seemed best, secretly executed. This body probably did much to prevent revolutions and to maintain the established form of government, in which there was lit- tle further change during the remainder of the Middle Ages. The Ten usually met together with the doge and his six councilors. Gradually they came, not merely to act as a secret court of treason and criminal tribunal, but, in the case of an emergency or when prompt action was urgent, to take a hand in foreign affairs and in the government of the city. But they never ceased to be a committee of the nobility and responsible to them, for, like most of the Vene- tian magistracies, they were elected annually by the Great Council and could not be immediately reelected. The fear instilled in the public mind by the secret and summary methods of the Council of Ten was perhaps not Good gov- altogether unsalutary. At any rate, it must be ernment of admitted that in general the Venetian aristoc- Venice racy gave the city a very good government and one which was satisfactory enough to the mass of the popu- lation. Its rule was strong and intelligent and left the com- mon people undisturbed and prosperous. The nobles worked hard for the State themselves, setting an example of pat- riotism to others. The State, too, was so closely identified with the business prosperity of the city that every one had a selfish interest in it. Taxes were light; the laws were good, the courts numerous, and the settlement of cases speedy. The city had a special court for foreigners, who often volun- tarily brought their lawsuits to the Venetian courts to set- tle, so high was their reputation. The Church was carefully regulated by the State at Venice and did not exist as a con- flicting and trouble-making jurisdiction. Venice was one of