ABSTRACT
It stands out as one of the great dramatic scenes of medieval Venetian history. Feeling death approaching, the 80-year-old Doge Tomaso Mocenigo calls to his bedside the leading nobles of Venice and gives his political testament. After a brief invocation of the Trinity and the obligations of the Dogate, he turns to the subject at hand — the state of the Republic. As if running for re-election he reviews the accomplishments of his reign: reduction of the public debt, regular return on state bonds, and commercial prosperity encouraged by a period of peace. Statistics are copious and precise, including the number of sailors on the galleys and weavers of silk as well as data on the level of trade and of state income.
