chronicler whose steps we are following, in his belief in the doctrine
of necessity. "Now it was fated," he tells us, "that my Lord Duke Marino
was to have his head cut off. And as it is necessary, when any effect
is to be brought about, that the cause of that effect must happen,
it therefore came to pass"--that Bertuccio Israello, Admiral of the
Arsenal,[8] a person apparently of no less impetuous passions than
the doge himself, and who is described as possessed also of egregious
cunning, approached him to seek reparation for an outrage. A noble
had dishonoured him by a blow; and it was vain to ask redress for
this affront from any but the highest personage in the state. Faliero,
brooding over his own imagined wrongs, disclaimed that title, and gladly
seized occasion to descant on his personal insignificance. "What wouldst
thou have me do for thee?" was his answer: "Think upon the shameful gibe
which hath been written concerning me, and think on the manner in which
they have punished that ribald Michele Steno, who wrote it; and see
how the Council of XL respect our person!" Upon this, the admiral
returned--"My Lord Duke, if you would wish to make yourself a prince,
and cut all those cuckoldy gentlemen to pieces, I have the heart, if you
do but help me, to make you prince of all the state, and then you may
punish them all." Hearing this, the duke said--"How can such a matter
be brought about?" and so they discoursed thereon.

(_To be concluded in our next._)

[6] Lord Byron's conception of Faliero's character and motives
appears to us to be mistaken; but what is to be said to the
countless impertinences and ingraftments upon history which
M. de la Vigne has introduced into his French play on the
same subject?