Giuseppe Tartini - Lettere e documenti / Pisma in dokumenti / Letters and Documents - Volume / Knjiga / Volume II

418 beg you to convey them on my behalf to the Most Illustrious Signor Dottor Balbi, and as ever I remain Your Reverence’s most devoted and obliged servant Giuseppe Tartini Padua, 27 October 1758 134. Tartini to the magistrate of deputies The musicians of Padua have been taxed in general by His Excellency Foscarini, the former captain: in particular, the musicians of the chapel of S. Antonio, which he considered to form a body. In the edict on the tax the musicians are not explicitly mentioned, nor are they indicated by reasonable interpretation. Indeed, in no mainland city of the most serene dominion, where the edict was also published, interpreted and executed by the respective representatives, can a single taxed musician be found, as well as all in general and as a category, as happens in Padua. The documents necessary to detect this truth are with this Most Excellent magistrate of deputies; therefore it was believed to be superfluous to produce authentic evidence extracted from the other mainland cities. In the ruling Serenissima musicians can indeed be taxed, because for a long time they have legally formed a body, that is to say a fraternity; but that is the only case, nor is there any other example either within or outside the dominion of the Serenissimo . The fact that the former Captain wanted to consider and represent the musicians of Saint Anthony as forming a body is to no avail; because it is publicly known that the musicians of Saint Anthony are nothing but salaried employees. Indeed, if it is deemed that these salaried employees, in the service of Saint Anthony, form a body and juridically name it so, this gives rise to three problems that go against the intentions of the Prince. The first is that on the part of the representative what will have been done of his own decision is what the Prince has hitherto neither wanted nor ordered; i.e. that a body is formed and the tax falls on salaried employees. The second is that the same representative will have wished to oppose the mind of the Prince as explained by the following; that in everything that serves the needs of the Church of S. Antonio the Prince uses indulgence and grants privilege, as happens in the supply by the ruling city of oil, wax, and other things that serve the Church, with exemption of duty, tax, etc. In direct conflict with this pious sentiment of the Prince is the present measure, in which the burden has been placed upon that part which, perhaps more than others,