Venetian commerce is based upon facts chiefly drawn from Mutinelli's
delightful treatise, _Del Commercio dei Veneziani_.] The corruption
of the citizens at this time is properly attributed in part to the
existence of slavery among them; and Mutinelli goes so far as to declare
that the institution impressed permanent traits on the populace, rendering
them idle and indisposed to honest labor, by degrading labor and making it
the office of bondmen.

While this hateful and enormous traffic in man was growing up, the
Venetians enriched themselves by many other more blameless and legitimate
forms of commerce, and gradually gathered into their grasp that whole
trade of the East with Europe which passed through their hands for so many
ages. After the dominion of the Franks was established in Italy in the
eighth century, they began to supply that people, more luxurious than the
Lombards, with the costly stuffs, the rich jewelry, and the perfumes of
Byzantium; and held a great annual fair at the imperial city of Pavia,
where they sold the Franks the manufactures of the polished and effeminate
Greeks, and whence in return they carried back to the East the grain,
wine, wool, iron, lumber, and excellent armor of Lombardy.

From the time when they had assisted the Longobards against the Greeks,
the Venetians found it to their interest to cultivate the friendship of
the latter, until, in the twelfth century, they mastered the people so
long caressed, and took their capital, under Enrico Dandolo. The
privileges conceded to the wily and thrifty republican traders by the
Greek Emperors, were extraordinary in their extent and value. Otho, the
western Caesar, having succeeded the Franks in the dominion of Italy, had
already absolved the Venetians from the annual tribute paid the Italian
kings for the liberty of traffic, and had declared their commerce free
throughout the Peninsula. In the mean time they had attacked and beaten