No other European community of modern times has ever acquired so subtle a sense of its own political existence, has ever reasoned upon its past history so acutely, or has ever displayed so much ingenuity in attempting to control the future.

Venice on the contrary owed but little to the creative genius of her citizens.

In Venice the state was everything: the individual was almost nothing.

We find but little reflection upon politics, and no speculative philosophy of history among the Venetians until the date of Trifone Gabrielli and Paruta.

Their records are all positive and detailed.