The  boafted  fecrecy  of  their  public  councils
proceeds,  in  all  probability,  from  the  fame
principle  of  fear.  If  all  converfation  on  pub-
lic affairs  were  forbid,  under  pain  of  death,
and  if  the  members  of  the  Britifh  Parlia-
ment


234        VIEW  OF  SOCIETY  AND

ment  were  liable  to  be  feized  in  the  night-
time by  general  warrants,  and  hanged  at
Tyburn,  or  drowned  in  the  Thames,  at
the  pleafure  of  the  Secretaries  of  State,  I
dare  fwear  the  world  would  know  as  little
of  what  pafles  in  either  Houfe  of  Parlia-
ment, as  they  do  of  what  is  tranfaded  in
the  Senate  of  Venice.
It  is   not  fafe   for  a  noble  Venetian  to
acquire,  in    a  high  degree,  the   love    and
confidence  of  the  common  people.  This  ex-
cites the  jealoufy   of  the  Inquilirors,  and
proves  a  pretty  certain  means  of  excluding
him  from  any  of  the  high  offices.     A  Go-
vernment which  difplays  fo  much  diflruft
and  fufpicion  where  there  is  little  or  no
ground,  will  not  fail  to  fliew  marks  of  the
fame   difpofition   where,    in    the   general
opinion,  there  is  fome  reafon  to  be  circum-
fpe(fl.    Ecclefiaftics,  of  every  denomination,
are  excluded,  by  the  confliiution  of  Venice,
from  a  place  in  the  Senate,  or  holding  any
civil  ofBce  \vhaiever  j  nor  is  it  permitted

tbem.
MANNERS   IN   ITALY.  23s

them,  diredly  or  indiredly,  to  intermeddle
in  State  affairs.  In  many  inftances,  they  arc
deprived  of  that  kind  of  inflaence  which,
even  in  Proteftant  countries,  is  allowed  to
the  clergy.  The  Patriarch  of  Venice  has
not  the  difpofal  of  the  oiBces  belonging  to
St.  Maik's  church  :  all  the  Deans  arc
Qamed  by  the  Doge  and  Senate.
