VII. DIVINE RIGHT 271

There is a high-water mark for you of the waves of Venetian and Western chivalry in the eleventh century. A very notable scene; the northern leader, without rival the greatest soldier of the sea whom our rocks and icebergs bred: of the Venetian one, and his people, we will now try to learn the character more perfectly,-for all this took place towards the close of the Doge Selvo’s life. You shall next hear what I can glean of the former course of it.

81. In the year 1053, the Abbey of St. Nicholas, the protector of mariners, had been built at the entrance of the port of Venice (where, north of the bathing establishment, you now see the little church of St. Nicholas of the Lido); the Doge Domenico Contarini, the Patriarch of Grado, and the Bishop of Venice, chiefly finding the funds for such edifice.

When the Doge Contarini died, the entire multitude of the people of Venice came in armed boats to the Lido, and the Bishop of Venice, and the monks of the new Abbey of St. Nicholas, joined with them in prayer,-the monks in their church, and the people on the shore and in their boats, that God would avert all dangers from their country, and grant to them such a king as should be worthy to reign over it. And as they prayed, with one accord, suddenly there rose up among the multitude the cry, “Domenico Selvo, we will, and we approve,” whom a crowd of the nobles brought instantly forward thereupon, and raised him on their own shoulders and carried him to his boat; into which when he had entered, he put off his shoes from his feet, that he might in all humility approach the church of St. Mark.

82. And while the boats began to row from the island towards Venice, the monk who saw this, and tells us of it,¹ himself began to sing the Te Deum. All around, the voices of the people took up the hymn, following it with the Kyrie Eleison, with such litany keeping time to their oars in the bright noonday, and rejoicing on their native sea; all the

¹ [Domenico Tini: see next page.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]