The injuftice often occafioned by this mode of proceeding, cannot fail to excite in our bofoms the livelieft indignation, and at the fame time caufe us to refle& with pleasure on being born in a country, where the guilty alone have reafon to fear, and innocence is fure of protection and fecurity.

The hiftory of Albano, young noble man of Venice, who lived about the middle of the fixteenth century, furnishes an affecting inftance of the cruelty arifing from the jealoufy of the Venetian government. Endowed with the ftricteft integrity, and happieft talents, he was beloved and esteemed by the Patricians, and almost idolized by the people. But notwithstanding his rank, his unblemished character, his fignal atchievements in defence of his country, and his unwearied exertions for her welfare, Albano incurred the fufpicion of concerting meafures against the state ;---a suspicion which his too delicate, or rather romantic, fenfe of honour prevented him from clearing up, and fubjected him to a difgrace and punishment more intolerable even than death itself.

It was obferved by one of the fpies, that, conftantly, about the hour of midnight, Albano, muffled up in his cloak, with the moft fludious care, entered the houfe of the French ambaffador.-By the rigid laws of Venice, no nobleman is allowed to vifit a foreign minifter, unless on fome well-known business, and by the permillion of the fenate; fo apprehentive are they, left any innovation fhould be planned, or any change of the conftitution be attempted.

The myfterious manner in which Albano repeatedly vifited the envoy's houfe, could no, therefore, fail of attracting the most curious attention of the vigilant fpies of the Venetian government; and his conduct was foon reported to the illuftrious magiftrate, the bofom friend, as it happened, of Albano.-Surprifed at the relation, and with all the anxiety which the most ardent friendship could excite, Friuli hefitated to believe the account, though minutely and circumflantially delivered; and to he affured of its truth or falfehood, directed a faithful agent of his own to watch the footsteps of the unfufpecting Albano. At the expiration of fome days he received a confirmation of thefe nightly vifits, and of the fecret and difguifed manner in which they were always made. Agitated by the most painful fenfations for his friend's fituation, but at the fame time remem

bering the duties he owed to the ftate, the mind of Friuli became the prey of the deepest sorrow and distraction.

Still unwilling to believe, that the beloved companion of his earliest days, the friend of whofe honour and patriotifm he had ever entertained the most exalted idea, the ornament of the ftate, and the idol of the people, could harbour even a thought inimical to his country, he refolved before the execution of thofe laws, he was fworn to maintain, to be himself a witness of the criminal vifits imputed to Albano..

Too foon was he convinced that the

relations he had received were well founded: for several fucceffive nights, at the most filent hour, in the moft ftudied concealment of dreis, did he observe Albano approach the houfe of the French refident, and, on a fignal given, admitted into it with the utmost precaution and secrecy.

The welfare of the republic, the high fenfe of the duties with which he was invefted, and incontrovertible proof he had himself obtained, would not permit Friuli longer to delay calling on the tranf greffor of the laws to answer for his mifconduct, or explain his myfterious behaviour. Friuli's patriotifm, glowing and fincere, impelled him to ftruggle against thofe feelings, which friendship eagerly and anxiously fuggefted, and feverely did he fuffer from this conflict. With the fharpeft anguifh, he beheld his dearest friend expofed to the unrelenting vengeance of the fevereft laws, and his foul fickened within him at the dreadful profpect of the event. Stifling, however, all fenfations which oppofed the interefts of his country, he determined faithfully to difcharge the duties of his office.-Having paffed a melancholy and fleepiefs. night, the next morning his orders were iffued for convening the fupreme council, and his warrant for apprehending the unfortunate Albano.

These orders were punctually and fpeedily obeyed; and Friuli prepared himself to appear before the council, and difciofe the facts which conflituted his accufation.

The council, compofed of the nobleft, wifeft, and moft venerable Venetians, bore on their countenances the impreffion of the profoundeft grief, when they underftood on whofe fate they were to decide. An awful pause, a filence, more expreffive than eloquence it felf, enfued. The eyes of all spoke most forcibly, but their tongues were mute.

Friuli,

Friuli, his whole frame trembling, his voice half choaked by the, rifing tumuts of his breaft, broke the fearful filence by addreffing the auguft affembly.

He began by oblerving, that he at once perceived the eyes of the whole council turned toward him, expreffive of their aftonishment and forrow that Albano fhould be accused, and that he should be his accufer. Would to God, exclaimed he in the bitterness of his foul, that I had perished 'ere I had feen this day. He continued, that when he looked on that grave and honourable body of men, whom he was then addreffing, he was confident that he beheld in them the zealous and stedfaf friends of the facred conftitution of Venice; those who would not only bravely defend it against all attacks from an open enemy, but with equal rigour and alacrity repel and punith every infidious endeavour, fecretly to impair or deftroy it-In every other refpect, he moft humbly confeffed, he was their inferior; but in the love of his country, in unabated zeal for its profperity, in inflexible rigour against its enemies, he proudly declared, he could yield to no one; and, while the big drops ftarted into his eyes, added, that day would confirm what he had aflerted, and prove it not the oftentatious language of vanity.

They beheld, he obferved, at their bar him who was once the ornament of the republic, the brighteft example of all that was excellent or great, the honoured and beloved companion of their councils, not only accused of having actually violated the laws of Venice, but labouring under a heavy suspicion of concerting measures hoftile to her fecurity. And by whom accused? By one whofe life would have been cheerfully devoted to preserve him whom he accufes; by one, who, had he liftened only to the voice of friendship, must have sheltered him from the purfuit of justice, and shielded him from her uplifted fword; by one, who in vindicating the laws of his country, yielded up at once the peace and happiness of his future days. Oh my country! cried the wretched Friuli, what do I not facrifice to thy welfare or to thy fafety? I offer up as a victim, the friend of my bofom, the far better part of myfelf. A purer or brighter flame never burnt on the altar of friendship, than that which warms my breaft, but at thy call, my country! I ftifle its influence, and extinguish every fenfation, which can interfere with thy fecurity.

He then entreated their pardon for the prefent diftraction of his mind; and endeavouring to reprefs the tumuits of his agitated bofom, proceeded to lay be-. fore them the particulars of the transaction which formed the charge.

It was a long time, Friul added, before he could be induced to give any credit to the information he had received; but the repeated nightly vifits of Albanowere too certain. He obferved, that the mere going to the ambaffador's houfe unauthorifed, was contrary to the established laws; but when the unfeafonable hour, the ftudious concealment of drels, and the exceffive caution ufed in the admittance, were confidered, nothing lefs could arise than a most violent fufpicion of something detrimental to the fiate being in agitation. Notwithstanding, however, this unfavourable light in which Albano ftood, Friuli entreated of the council, that in confideration of his friend's former unblemished character, and glorious fervices to his country, they would permit him to offer any exculpatory matter, and hear him explain a tranfaction which, at prefent, they could view only in a criminal light.

He hoped the council would allow he' had that day difcharged the duty repofed in him by the laws; and unequivocally evinced that no facrifice was in his eyes too great, when required by the good of the ftate. He again intreated them to bring back to their remembrance the obligations which Venice owed to the accufed, for his exertions in her behalf at home and abroad. He concluded by exhorting them never to forget, that to temper juftice with mercy, was most pleafing and acceptable in the fight of heaven.

The whole affembly were greatly affected by the addrefs of Friuli, whofe conflict between duty and affection equ ally excited their pity and admiration. After a fhort interval, Albano was called on to anfwer to the charge which he had heard made againft him, and with a ferene countenance, in a firm tone of voice, with equal modefty, dignity, and grace, Albano began his addrels to the council,

He affured them, that he then felt more for his accufer, whom he was once permitted to call his friend, than he did for himself: that the fituation of Friuli quas, and must be, more diftreffing than his own, let the iffute of that day prove to him ever fo difaftrous.

Of what had been alledged respecting his vifits to the ambaffador's houfe, he freely

freely admitted the truth; and if in fo doing he had offended against any law, even though dormant or obsolete, he, of courfe, was fubject to its penalty. But, he obferved, that no guilt had been proved, or could be fixed on him from the fact, except it were connected with the fufpicion of his being engaged in concerting meafures detrimental to the ftate. It was a hard thing, he faid, to contend with fufpicions; facts could be answered, refuted, denied or explained; but as to fufpicions, he know not how to repel them, otherwife than by requefting of that affembly, to whom individually he had long been known, to look back on the tenor of his whole life, and to examine most strictly and severely, whether, at any period of it, the smalleft ground could be difcovered to warrant a fufpicion of treachery in him. He modeftly reminded them of his fervices to the republic, that he had unremittingly labour ed to promote its intereft and exalt its glory. He invoked heaven to witness that neither in deed or thought, had he ever conceived or formed any one meafure unfriendly to the government, and as pure and immaculate toward his country did he at that moment ftand, as at any period of his life. He denied that a firmer friend to Venice, or a more ftrenuous fupporter of its conftitution than himself, exifted.

He felt himself, he said, so much fupported by his own integrity and innocence, that he moft cheerfully fubmitted his caufe, his honour, and his life, into the hands of that illuftrious affembly, trufting they would, by their unanimous decree, efface from his character the blemish which had that day been caft upon it, by the moft unmerited fufpicions.

After fhortly deliberating with the other members, the prefident informed Albano, that enough had been lain before the council to fatisfy them that he had not only tranfgreffed one of the fundamental laws of Venice, but acted in fo queftionable and myfterious a manner as to render it indifpenfable for him to account for his conduct, and disclose its motives; to explain the real cause of his vifits to the French minifter, and ingenuously confefs the reason of his induft rious endeavours to conceal them: that he had incurred very fevere penalties by the fact, which he had admitted, but that in confideration of his former fervi ces, they were inclined to relax the rigour of the law, provided he would impart to them the true inducement to his

fecret vifits, from which they should otherwife conclude that fomething ini mical to the government had been intended.

Albano thanked the council for their lenity and proffered favours, at the fame time declaring he could not, with the approbation of his own heart, explain the particular circumftances of his conduct. In the most animated language, and in the most folemn manner, he difclaimed any defign against the well-being of his country, and ended with affuring the affembly that be the issue what it might, no power on earth fhould wreft from him him his motives: on that subject he would preferve the profoundest and most invincible filence.

It is fcarcely poffible to defcribe the grief and aftonifhment of the whole affembly on hearing this declaration; the cool tone and determined manner in which it was made, left them no reason to hope, that any thing would ever fhake the refolution he had juft expressed.

Albano was ordered to withdraw, The council, after examining his conduct in every point of view, difcovered in it much to blame, and more to fufpect: his refufal to enter into any explanation of it, feemed to confirm the opinion of all, that fomething very criminal must be attached to it. Whatever their firft prepoffeffions therefore might have been, they did not now hesitate to impute to him the crime of plotting against the fafety of the ftate. The council had already departed widely from the general practice, on fimilar occafions, and had, in confequence of his virtues and fervices, difplayed a clemency, feldom, if ever exercifed by the Venetian government.

Under that famous fquare in Venice, known by the name of St. Mark, are dungeons so deeply funk, as to be confiderably below the level of the fea; thro' an aperture at the top, the wretched vice tim of state-suspicion is let down, never more to return; through this, his miferable and feanty food is conveyed, through this alone, the air fluggish and damp from the maffive and enormous arches raifed over the opening, with difficulty works its way to fupport the hated existence of the devoted victim below.

Thus immured, carefully and cruelly prevented from availing themselves of all means of putting a period to this undefcribable ftate of horror, in total and almoft palpable darknets, for ever cut off from the world, without the fainteft or most distant hope of ever again seeing

their friends, their families, their deareft connections, nay of ever more beholding any object on earth, these victims of fulpicion endure torments far more agonizing and exquifite than the most terrific death,

In one of those deary cells, was Albano condemned to pass the remainder of his days. The decree once paft was irrevocable; the execution of it followed clofe, and without being permitted to bid adieu to his relatives, his expecting family, his anxious friends, without any preparation for fo dreadful an event, was this unhappy nobleman conveyed to thofe fcenes of horror and of darknese, and in the flower of his age, and the vigorous exercife of the moft brilliant faculties, buried alive, and for ever shut out from the voice and fight of human kind.

Notwithstanding the fecrecy and difpatch with which this bufinefs was tranfacted, the populace of Venice foon felt the abfence of their patron, their benefactor, their friend. Bred up in fubmiffion the moft humble to their rulers, they dared not clamour for, and demand their protector, or even to murmur against thofe, by whofe means they had the ftrongest reafons to fuppofe they were deprived of him. But their forrow was not lefs poignant or fincere because it was filent; the whole city ceafed not to la, ment and deplore his fate.

The ftern patriotifm even of Friuli, could not fupport him under the grief excited by this dreadful fentence. He contemplated with horror the fituation to which he had reduced his much loved friend.

The picture was too fhocking for him to look on; the emaciated countenance of Albano, wherein were marked the deep lines of hopeless expectation, and the traces of approaching diffolution, conftantly appeared to Friuli's imagina tion; the defpair of his eye, the faint fweat on his brow, the convulfion of his altered features, and the juft, though gentle, reproof from his dying lips, all paffed in terrible review across his agitated mind, and forbad him to enjoy either repofe at night, or tranquillity by day, His health impaired, and his spirits worn down by unceasing forrow and remorfe, he furvived but a fhort time, and by his death proved that his friendship equalled in firength and fincerity, his love and zeal for his country.

How long the ill-fated Albano dragged out his miserable existence in thefe regions of woe cannot be known. The

moft profound filence was ever preserved on this occafion, and no one dared to enquire after the fate of the prisoner, or ventured even to name him.

Many years had elapfed after the period of Albano's confinement, when a priest was called to adminifter fpiritual confolation to a lady at Paris, in her laft moments, and perform thofe offices which her religion taught her to require. Among other matters which the dying Adelaide disclosed to her confeffor, was the following incident; that nearly twenty years before fhe had refided at Venice in the house of the French ambaffador, accompanying his wife thither, to whom he was related, and whose friendship she had poffeffed from her earlieft age; that during her abode there fhe became acquainted with a young Venetian, of whofe title fhe was ignorant, but of fuperior birth and quality; that his perfonal accomplishments, united with the charms of his conversation, fubdued her heart; and though the had unwarily yielded up her honour, yet every fucceeding day feemed to add to their paffion, and ftrengthen their attachment; that as he could not unite himself to her by the bonds of marriage, without degradation, the most private mode of visiting her was adopted, and, through the affiftance of a faithful domeftic, he was conftantly introduced into the houfe at the hour of midnight; but that fuddenly, without any information whatever, he ceafed to come to her; that, distracted by a thoufand conjectures and fears, her health began daily and vifibly to decline, upon which it was thought adviseable that the fhould return to her native country, where fhe, at length, regained her health, though never her tranquillity.

Adelaide, faint and exhaufted by the recital, had scarcely received the abfolution, which the implored, and by her fincere penitence feemed to deferve, when the breathed her laft figh.

Hence it became most apparent that the unfortunate Albano was innocent of every crime againft his country; and that his vifits, which were conftrued as proofs of his machinations against the ftate, were made to a beautiful and be-loved miftrefs. He preferred enduring the miferies of perpetual confinement in a dungeon, (so horrible, that the eye of the humane Howard was not allowed to explore it) to the risk of exposing to the reproachful voice of the world, her whom he adored. In the admiration of his ho

nour