The Cabots to 1495

Venice, Archivio di Stato: (i) Senato Terra, Reg. VII, fol. 109v; (ii) Privilegi, Reg. II, fol. 53. Italian texts printed by H. P. Biggar, The Precursors of Jacques Cartier (Ottawa, 1911), pp. 1–6, with English translation. (i) The Grant: 29 March 1476

That a privilege of citizenship, both internal and external, be made out for John Cabot on account of fifteen years’ residence, as usual. Ayes, 149. Noes, o. Neutrals, o.

(ii) Terms of the privilege

That since whoever has resided in Venice continuously for fifteen years or more, and during that period has fulfilled the duties and borne the charges of our government, is to be henceforward a citizen and one of our Venetians, and is to enjoy for ever and everywhere the rights, liberties and immunities exercised and enjoyed by the other Venetians our citizens: wherefore as the prudent man [name inserted] has notified us by proper and clear proofs which have been carefully verified by the magistrates of our municipality, that he has inhabited Venice continuously for fifteen years, conducting himself towards us and our duchy faithfully and worthily, with wholehearted devotion, and submitting regularly to the duties and charges of our government, things worthy of reward, we have received and do receive the said person, the proper formality having been observed, as a Venetian and our citizen within and without, and have created and do create him a Venetian and our citizen within and without, and desire him to be and act and be held and treated as a Venetian and our citizen in Venice and without, everywhere, in such a manner that the said person may for the rest freely enjoy and make use of all the liberties, rights and immunities that the other Venetians, 191our citizens, have and enjoy within and without, it being understood that he cannot himself trade or carry on trade through others by sea or in the German warehouse or with Germans, unless he has given security for this to our government within the year. In witness and more complete evidence whereof we have caused the present privilege to be drawn up, and our leaden seal to be affixed thereto. Given in our Ducal Palace on… in the year of our Lord’s incarnation.…