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

420 edict of the tax not only are the musicians not expressly mentioned, but they are not even indicated by interpretation. Indeed, the same edict has been published, interpreted and implemented throughout the whole of the Serenissimo dominion, and it is not found that the musicians have been taxed by the respective representatives in any place; of which no legal documents are produced, because the written legal documents necessary to detect this truth are in the hands of the Most Excellent magistrate of deputies, where one will not find a single musician taxed in many other mainland cities. Perhaps they are in the ruling city, but they can be, because for a long time they have legally formed a fraternity (a situation, moreover, with no parallel inside and outside the Venetian state). Furthermore, it is known that the main source of earnings for the musicians is the church and the theatre. This situation is absent in Padua, as there are twenty- four and more churches of nuns, and in none is music made, as per prohibition of the ecclesiastical superior: a peculiarity of Padua alone, as in no other mainland town is there this prohibition. Moreover, on more than one occasion the ruling city has engaged the entire orchestra for the service of this theatre, without even a single Paduan musician having had a place: a situation without parallel in any mainland city where there are musicians suited to the need. These are public facts, by force of which there should have resulted a consequence contrary to what happened, that is to say that if in the other mainland cities there were taxed musicians, in Padua there should be none. So, in Padua the salary of the Ark of Saint Anthony remains the sole source of their earnings. But the intention of the Prince hitherto has certainly not been for the tax to fall on the salary of a body of musicians, because it is not expressed in the edict, and because there is no other example. Indeed, the intention of the Prince is expressed to the contrary on all that serves the needs of the Venerable Ark. Because in the acquisition of oil, wax, and other things from the ruling city for the use of the church, the Prince exempts it from any burden of duty, tax etc. This pious sentiment of the Prince is indeed in opposition to the situation that has occurred, in which the burden has been placed on that party that, although in another capacity, is also employed (and maybe more than the other) in the immediate service of S. Antonio. If then the intention of the Prince should be disclosed, and he absolutely wishes this body of salaried musicians to be taxed, it is surely necessary that the tax is imposed again in a very different way from the method used, both in merit and in order. In merit, because the tax already imposed is indeed disproportionate to the salary of the taxed musician: finding in equal salaries, the disparity of a double tax; in salaries different by half, the same tax; supernumeraries, who have no salary, taxed; salaried musicians exempted from the tax, etc. In order, because the Prince in his edict has had the aim of assigning the tax to bodies or fraternities, so that the burden is proportionally distributed by their respective superiors or members of the bench to the people forming the body or fraternity and the supplicating musicians forming a body of salaried servants; of this body the true and legitimate superiors are the presidents of the Venerable Ark of Saint Anthony: these must be called upon by their respective