“Brave men, powerful people! (I speak here to both of you) what is your object—­to what do you aspire?  What will be the end of your dissensions?  It is not the blood of the Carthaginians or the Numantians that you are about to spill, but it is Italian blood; the blood of a people who would be the first to start up and offer to expend their blood, if any barbarous nation were to attempt a new irruption among us.  In that event, their bodies would be the bucklers and ramparts of our common country; they would live, or they would die with us.  Ought the pleasure of avenging a slight offence to carry more weight with you than the public good and your own safety?  Let revenge be the delight of women.  Is it not more glorious for men to forget an injury than to avenge it? to pardon an enemy than to destroy him?

“If my feeble voice could make itself heard among those grave men who compose your council, I am persuaded that you would not only not reject the peace which is offered to you, but go to meet and embrace it closely, so that it might not escape you.  Consult your wise old men who love the republic; they will speak the same language to you that I do.

“You, my lord, who are at the head of the council, and who govern your republic, ought to recollect that the glory or the shame of these events will fall principally on you.  Raise yourself above yourself; look into, examine everything with attention.  Compare the success of the war with the evils which it brings in its train.  Weigh in a balance the good effects and the evil, and you will say with Hannibal, that an hour is sufficient to destroy the work of many years.

“The renown of your country is more ancient than is generally believed.  Several ages before the city of Venice was built, I find not only the name of the Venetians famous, but also that of one of their dukes.  Would you submit to the caprices of fortune a glory acquired for so long a time, and at so great a cost?  You will render a great service to your republic, if, preferring her safety to her glory, you give her incensed and insane populace prudent and useful counsels, instead of offering them brilliant and specious projects.  The wise say that we cannot purchase a virtue more precious than what is bought at the expense of glory.  If you adopt this axiom, your character will be handed down to posterity, like that of the Duke of the Venetians, to whom I have alluded.  All the world will admire and love you.

[Illustration:  VICENZA.]

“To conceal nothing from you, I confess that I have heard with grief of your league with the King of Arragon.  What! shall Italians go and implore succour of barbarous kings to destroy Italians?  You will say, perhaps, that your enemies have set you the example.  My answer is, that they are equally culpable.  According to report, Venice, in order to satiate her rage, calls to her aid tyrants of the west; whilst Genoa brings in those of the east.  This is the source of our calamities.  Carried away by the admiration of strange things, despising, I know not why, the good things which we find in our own climate, we sacrifice sound Italian faith to barbarian perfidy.  Madmen that we are, we seek among venal souls that which we could find among our own brethren.