About this time, when the
Florentines wished to form an alliance with Venice against Filippo
Maria Visconti, they were for the moment refused, in the belief,
resting on accurate commercial returns, that a war between Venice and
Milan, that is, between seller and buyer, was foolish. Even if the duke
simply increased his army, the Milanese, through the heavier taxation
they must pay, would become worse customers. 'Better let the
Florentines be defeated, and then, used as they are to the life of a
free city, they will settle with us and bring their silk and woollen
industry with them, as the Lucchese did in their distress.' The speech
of the dying Doge Mocenigo (1423) to a few of the senators whom he had
sent for to his bedside is still more remarkable. It contains the chief
elements of a statistical account of the whole resources of Venice. I
cannot say whether or where a thorough elucidation of this perplexing
document exists; by way of illustration, the following facts may be
quoted. After repaying a war-loan of four million ducats, the public
debt ('il monte') still amounted to six million ducats; the current
trade (it seems) to ten millions, which yielded, the text informs us, a
profit of four millions. The 3,000 'navigli,' the 300 'navi,' and the
45 galleys were manned respectively by 17,000, 8,000 and 11,000 seamen
(more than 200 for each galley).
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