stimulated　to　enterprise；　and　the　spirit　of　enterprise　was　diffused
  over　the　whole　kingdom。（13*）
  After　the　Hansards　had　continued　for　some　years　to　be　entirely
  excluded　from　a　market　which　they　had　for　three　centuries
  previously　possessed　as　exclusively　as　England　in　our　days
  possesses　the　markets　of　Germany　and　the　United　States；　they　were
  reinstated　by　Queen　Mary　in　all　their　ancient　privileges　owing　to
  representations　made　by　the　German　Emperor。（14*）　But　their　joy　was
  this　time　of　short　duration。　Being　earnestly　Desirous　not　merely　of
  maintaining　these　privileges；　but　of　increasing　them；　they　made
  strong　complaints　at　the　beginning　of　the　reign　of　Elizabeth　of　the
  treatment　to　which　they　had　been　subjected　under　Edward　VI　and
  Mary。　Elizabeth　prudently　replied　that　'she　had　no　power　to　alter
  anything；　but　she　would　willingly　protect　them　still　in　the
  possession　of　those　privileges　and　immunities　which　they　then
  possessed。'　This　reply；　however；　did　not　satisfy　them　at　all。　Some
  time　afterwards　their　trade　was　further　suspended；　to　the　great
  advantage　of　the　English　merchants；　who　now　had　an　opportunity　of
  showing　of　what　they　were　capable；　they　gained　control　over　the
  entire　export　trade　of　their　own　country；　and　their　efforts　were
  crowned　with　complete　success。　They　divided　themselves　into
  'staplers　and　merchant　adventurers；'　the　former　carrying　on
  business　in　some　one　place；　the　latter　seeking　their　fortune　in
  foreign　cities　and　states　with　cloth　and　other　English
  manufactures。　This　excited　the　jealousy　of　the　Hansards　so　greatly；
  that　they　left　no　means　untried　to　draw　down　on　the　English　traders
  the　ill　opinion　of　other　nations。　At　length；　on　August　1；　1597；
  they　gained　an　imperial　edict；　by　which　all　trade　within　the　German
  Empire　was　forbidden　to　English　merchants　The　Queen　replied　（on
  January　13；　1598）　by　proclamation；　in　consequence　of　which　she
  sought　reprisals　by　seizing　sixty　Hanseatic　vessels　which　were
  engaged　in　contraband　trade　with　Spain。　In　taking　this　step　she　had
  at　first　only　intended；　by　restoring　the　vessels；　to　bring　about　a
  better　understanding　with　the　Hansards。　But　when　she　was　informed
  that　a　general　Hanseatic　assembly　was　being　held　in　the　city　of
  L黚eck　in　order　to　concert　measures　for　harassing　the　export　trade
  of　England；　she　caused　all　these　vessels　with　their　cargoes　to　be
  confiscated；　and　then　released　two　of　them；　which　she　sent　to
  L黚eck　with　the　message　that　she　felt　the　greatest　contempt　for　the
  Hanseatic　League　and　all　their　proceedings　and　measures。（15*）
  Thus　Elizabeth　acted　towards　these　merchants；　who　had　lent
  their　ships　to　her　father　and　to　so　many　English　kings　to　fight
  their　battles；　who　had　been　courted　by　all　the　potentates　of
  Europe；　who　had　treated　the　kings　of　Denmark　and　Sweden　as　their
  vassals　for　centuries；　and　invited　them　into　their　territories　and
  expelled　them　as　they　pleased；　who　had　colonised　and　civilised　all
  the　southeastern　coasts　of　the　Baltic；　and　freed　all　seas　from
  piracy；　who　not　very　long　before　had；　with　sword　in　hand；　compelled
  a　king　of　England　to　recognise　their　privileges；　to　whom　on　more
  than　one　occasion　English　kings　had　given　their　crowns　in　pledge
  for　loans；　and　who　had　once　carried　their　cruelty　and　insolence
  towards　England　so　far　as　to　drown　a　hundred　English　fishermen
  because　they　had　ventured　to　approach　their　fishing　grounds。　The
  Hansards；　indeed；　still　possessed　sufficient　power　to　have　avenged
  this　conduct　of　the　queen　of　England；　but　their　ancient　courage；
  their　mighty　spirit　of　enterprise；　the　power　inspired　by　freedom
  and　by　co…operation；　had　passed　from　them。　They　dwindled　gradually
  into　powerlessness　until　at　length；　in　1630；　their　League　was
  formally　dissolved；　after　they　had　supplicated　every　court　in
  Europe　for　import　privileges；　and　had　everywhere　been　repulsed　with
  scorn。
  Many　external　causes；　besides　the　internal　ones　which　we　have
  to　mention　hereafter；　contributed　to　their　fall。　Denmark　and　Sweden
  sought　to　avenge　themselves　for　the　position　of　dependence　in　which
  they　had　been　so　long　held　by　the　League；　and　placed　all　possible
  obstructions　in　the　way　of　its　commerce。　The　czars　of　Russia　had
  conferred　privileges　on　an　English　company。　The　order　of　Teutonic
  knights；　who　had　for　centuries　been　the　allies　as　well　as
  （originally）　the　children　of　the　League；　declined　and　was
  dissolved。　The　Dutch　and　the　English　drove　them　out　of　all　markets；
  and　supplanted　them　in　every　court。　Finally；　the　discovery　of　the
  route　to　the　East　indies　by　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　operated　most
  seriously　to　their　disadvantage。
  These　leaguers；　who　during　the　period　of　their　might　and
  prosperity　had　scarcely　deemed　an　alliance　with　the　German　Empire
  as　worthy　of　consideration；　now　in　their　time　of　need　betook
  themselves　to　the　German　Reichstag　and　represented　to　that　body
  that　the　English　exported　annually　200；000　pieces　of　cloth；　of
  which　a　great　proportion　went　to　Germany；　and　that　the　only　means
  whereby　the　League　could　regain　its　ancient　privileges　in　England；
  was　to　prohibit　the　import　of　English　cloth　into　Germany。　According
  to　Anderson；　a　decree　of　the　Reichstag　to　that　effect　was　seriously
  contemplated；　if　not　actually　drawn　up；　but　that　author　asserts
  that　Gilpin；　the　English　ambassador　to　the　Reichstag；　contrived　to
  prevent　its　being　passed。　A　hundred　and　fifty　years　after　the
  formal　dissolution　of　the　Hanseatic　League；　so　completely　had　all
  memory　of　its　former　greatness　disappeared　in　the　Hanseatic　cities
  that　Justus　M鰏er　asserts　（in　some　passage　in　his　works）　that　when
  he　visited　those　cities；　and　narrated　to　their　merchants　the　power
  and　greatness　which　their　predecessors　had　enjoyed；　they　would
  scarcely　believe　him。　Hamburg；　formerly　the　terror　of　pirates　in
  every　sea；　and　renowned　throughout　Christendom　for　the　services
  which　she　had　rendered　to　civilisation　in　suppressing　sea…robbers；
  had　sunk　so　low　that　she　had　to　purchase　safety　for　her　vessels　by
  paying　an　annual　tribute　to　the　pirates　of　Algiers。　Afterwards；
  when　the　dominion　of　the　seas　had　passed　into　the　hands　of　the
  Dutch　another　policy　became　prevalent　in　reference　to　piracy。　When
  the　Hanseatic　League　were　supreme　at　sea；　the　pirate　was　considered
  as　the　enemy　of　the　civilised　world；　and　extirpated　wherever　that
  was　possible。　The　Dutch；　on　the　contrary；　regarded　the　corsairs　of
  Barbary　as　useful　partisans；　by　whose　means　the　marine　commerce　of
  other　nations　could　be　destroyed　in　times　of　peace；　to　the
  advantage　of　the　Dutch。　Anderson　avails　himself　of　the　quotation　of
  an　observation　of　De　Witt　in　favour　of　this　policy　to　make　the
  laconic　comment；　'Fas　est　et　ab　hoste　doceri'；　a　piece　of　advice
  which；　in　spite　of　its　brevity；　his　countrymen　comprehended　and
  followed　so　well　that　the　English；　to　the　disgrace　of　Christianity；
  tolerated　even　until　our　days　the　abominable　doings　of　the
  sea…robbers　on　the　North　African　coasts；　until　the　French　performed
  the　great　service　to　civilisation　of　extirpating　them。（16*）
  The　commerce　of　these　Hanseatic　cities　was　not　a　national　one；
  it　was　neither　based　on　the　equal　preponderance　and　perfect
  development　of　internal　powers　of　production；　nor　sustained　by
  adequate　political　power。　The　bonds　which　held　together　the　members
  of　the　League　were　too　lax；　the　striving　among　them　for　predominant
  power　and　for　separate　interests　（or；　as　the　Swiss　or　the　Americans
  would　say；　the　cantonal　spirit；　the　spirit　of　separate　state　right）
  was　too　predominant；　and　superseded　Hanseatic　patriotism；　which
  alone　could　have　caused　the　general　common　weal　of　the　League　to　be
  considered　before　the　private　interests　of　individual　cities。　Hence
  arose　jealousies；　and　not　unfrequently　treachery。　Thus　Cologne
  turned　to　her　own　private　advantage　the　hostility　of　England
  towards　the　League；　and　Hamburg　sought　to　utilise　for　her　own
  advantage　a　quarrel　which　arose　between　Denmark　and　L黚eck。
  The　Hanseatic　cities　did　not　base　their　commerce　on　the
  production　and　consumption；　the　agriculture　or　the　manufactures；　of
  the　land　to　which　their　merchants　belonged。　They　had　neglected　to
  favour　in　any　way　the　agricultural　industry　of　their　own
  fatherland；　while　that　of　foreign　lands　was　greatly　stimulated　by
  their　commerce。　They　found　it　more　convenient　to　purchase
  manufactured　goods　in　Belgium；　than　to　establish　manufactories　in
  their　own　country。　They　encouraged　and　promo