6。　Hume；　History　of　England；　ch。　xxxv。
  7。　M。　I。　Sartorius；　Geschichte　der　Hansa。
  8。　II　Edward　III；　cap。　5。
  9。　Rymer's　Foedera；　p。　496。　De　Witte；　Interest　of　Holland；　p。　45。
  10。　Hume；　History　of　England；　chap。　xxv。
  11。　Edward　IV；　cap。　iv。　The　preamble　to　this　Act　is　so
  characteristic　that　we　cannot　refrain　from　quoting　it　verbatim。
  'Whereas　to　the　said　Parliament；　by　the　artificers　men　and
  women　inhabitant　and　resident　in　the　city　of　London　and　in　other
  cities；　towns；　boroughs　and　villages　within　this　realm　and　Wales；
  it　has　been　piteously　shewed　and　complained；　how　that　all　they　in
  general　and　every　of　them　he　greatly　impoverished　and　much　injured
  and　prejudiced　of　their　worldly　increase　and　living；　by　the　great
  multitude　of　divers　chaffers　and　wares　pertaining　to　their
  mysteries　and　occupations；　being　fully　wrought　and　ready　made　to
  sale；　as　well　by　the　hand　of　strangers　being　the　king's　enemies　as
  others；　brought　into　this　realm　and　Wales　from　beyond　the　sea；　as
  well　by　merchant　strangers　as　denizens　or　other　persons；　whereof
  the　greatest　part　is　deceitful　and　nothing　worth　in　regard　of　any
  man's　occupation　or　profits；　by　occasion　whereof　the　said
  artificers　cannot　live　by　their　mysteries　and　occupations；　as　they
  used　to　do　in　times　past；　but　divers　of　them　　as　well
  householders　as　hirelings　and　other　servants　and　apprentices　　in
  great　number　be　at　this　day　unoccupied；　and　do　hardly　live；　in
  great　idleness；　poverty　and　ruin；　whereby　many　inconveniences　have
  grown　before　this　time；　and　hereafter　more　are　like　to　come　（which
  God　defend）；　if　due　remedy　be　not　in　their　behalf　provided。'
  12。　Hume；　chap。　xxvi。
  13。　Hume；　chap。　xxxv；　also　Sir　J。　Hayward；　Life　and　Reign　of　Edward
  VI。
  14。　Hume；　chap。　xxxvii；　Heylyn。
  15。　Campbell's　Lives　of　the　Admirals；　vol。　i；　p。　386。
  16。　Our　author　would　appear　to　have　forgotten；　or　else　unfairly
  ignored；　the　exploits　of　the　British　fleet　under　Lord　Exmouth。
  17。　Smith；　Wealth　of　Nations；　Book　III；　ch。　iv。
  Chapter　3
  The　Netherlanders
  In　respect　to　temperament　and　manners；　to　the　origin　and
  language　of　their　inhabitants；　no　less　than　to　their　political
  connection　and　geographical　position；　Holland；　Flanders；　and
  Brabant　constituted　portions　of　the　German　Empire。　The　more
  frequent　visits　of　Charlemagne　and　his　residence　in　the　vicinity　of
  these　countries　must　have　exercised　a　much　more　powerful　influence
  on　their　civilisation　than　on　that　of　more　distant　German
  territories。　Furthermore；　Flanders　and　Brabant　were　specially
  favoured　by　nature　as　respects　agriculture　and　manufactures；　as
  Holland　was　as　respects　cattle…farming　and　commerce。
  Nowhere　in　Germany　was　internal　trade　so　powerfully　aided　by
  extensive　and　excellent　sea　and　river　navigation　as　in　these
  maritime　states。　The　beneficial　effects　of　these　means　of　water
  transport　on　the　improvement　of　agriculture　and　on　the　growth　of
  the　towns　must　in　these　countries；　even　at　an　early　period；　have
  led　to　the　removal　of　impediments　which　hindered　their　progress　and
  to　the　construction　of　artificial　canals。　The　prosperity　of
  Flanders　was　especially　promoted　by　the　circumstance　that　her
  ruling　Counts　recognised　the　value　of　public　security；　of　good
  roads；　manufactures；　and　flourishing　cities　before　all　other　German
  potentates；　Favoured　by　the　nature　of　their　territory；　they　devoted
  themselves　with　zeal　to　the　extirpation　of　the　robber　knights　and
  of　wild　beasts。　Active　commercial　intercourse　between　the　cities
  and　the　country；　the　extension　of　cattle…farming；　especially　of
  sheep；　and　of　the　culture　of　flax　and　hemp；　naturally　followed；　and
  wherever　the　raw　material　is　abundantly　produced；　and　security　of
  property　and　of　intercourse　is　maintained；　labour　and　skill　for
  working　up　that　material　will　soon　be　found。　Meanwhile　the　Counts
  of　Flanders　did　not　wait　until　chance　should　furnish　them　with
  woollen　weavers；　for　history　informs　us　that　they　imported　such
  artificers　from　foreign　countries。
  Supported　by　the　reciprocal　trade　of　the　Hanseatic　League　and
  of　Rolland；　Flanders　soon　rose　by　her　woollen　manufactures　to　be
  the　central　point　of　the　commerce　of　the　North；　just　as　Venice　by
  her　industry　and　her　shipping　had　become　the　centre　of　the　commerce
  of　the　South。　The　merchant　shipping；　and　reciprocal　trade　of　the
  Hanseatic　League　and　the　Dutch；　together　with　the　manufacturing
  trade　of　Flanders；　constituted　one　great　whole；　a　real　national
  industry。　A　policy　of　commercial　restriction　could　not　in　their
  case　be　deemed　necessary；　because　as　yet　no　competition　had　arisen
  against　the　manufacturing　supremacy　of　Flanders。　That　under　such
  circumstances　manufacturing　industry　thrives　best　under　free　trade；
  the　Counts　of　Flanders　understood　without　having　read　Adam　Smith。
  Quite　in　the　spirit　of　the　present　popular　theory；　Count　Robert
  III；　when　the　King　of　England　requested　him　to　exclude　the　Scotch
  from　the　Flemish　markets；　replied；　'Flanders　has　always　considered
  herself　a　free　market　for　all　nations；　and　it　does　not　consist　with
  her　interests　to　depart　from　that　principle。'
  After　Flanders　had　continued　for　centuries　to　be　the　chief
  manufacturing　country；　and　Bruges　the　chief　market；　of　Northern
  Europe；　their　manufactures　and　commerce　passed　over　to　the
  neighbouring　province　of　Brabant；　because　the　Counts　of　Flanders
  would　not　continue　to　grant　them　those　concessions　to　which　in　the
  period　of　their　great　prosperity　they　had　laid　claim。　Antwerp　then
  became　the　principal　seat　of　commerce；　and　Louvain　the　chief
  manufacturing　city　of　Northern　Europe。　In　consequence　of　this
  change　of　circumstances；　the　agriculture　of　Brabant　soon　rose　to　a
  high　state　of　prosperity。　The　change　in　early　times　from　payment　of
  imposts　in　kind　to　their　payment　in　money；　and；　above　all；　the
  limitation　of　the　feudal　system；　also　tended　especially　to　its
  advantage。
  In　the　meantime　the　Dutch；　who　appeared　more　and　more　upon　the
  scene；　with　united　power；　as　rivals　to　the　Hanseatic　League；　laid
  the　foundation　of　their　future　power　at　sea。　Nature　had　conferred
  benefits　on　this　small　nation　both　by　her　frowns　and　smiles。　Their
  perpetual　contests　with　the　inroads　of　the　sea　necessarily
  developed　in　them　a　spirit　of　enterprise；　industry；　and　thrift；
  while　the　land　which　they　had　reclaimed　and　protected　by　such
  indescribable　exertions　must　have　seemed　to　them　a　property　to
  which　too　much　care　could　not　be　devoted。　Restricted　by　Nature
  herself　to　the　pursuits　of　navigation；　of　fisheries；　and　the
  production　of　meat；　cheese；　and　butter；　the　Dutch　were　compelled　to
  supply　their　requirements　of　grain；　timber；　fuel；　and　clothing
  materials　by　their　marine　carrying　trade；　their　exports　of　dairy
  produce；　and　their　fisheries。
  Those　were　the　principal　causes　why　the　Hansards　were　at　a
  later　period　gradually　excluded　by　the　Dutch　from　the　trade　with
  the　north…eastern　countries。　The　Dutch　required　to　import　far
  greater　quantities　of　agricultural　produce　and　of　timber　than　did
  the　Hansards；　who　were　chiefly　supplied　with　these　articles　by　the
  territories　immediately　adjoining　their　cities。　And；　further；　the
  vicinity　to　Holland　of　the　Belgian　manufacturing　districts；　and　of
  the　Rhine　with　its　extensive；　fertile；　and　vine…clad　banks；　and　its
  stream　navigable　up　to　the　mountains　of　Switzerland；　constituted
  great　advantages　for　the　Dutch。
  It　may　be　considered　as　an　axiom　that　the　commerce　and
  prosperity　of　countries　on　the　sea　coast　is　dependent　on　the
  greater　or　less　magnitude　of　the　river　territories　with　which　they
  have　communication　by　water。（1*）　If　we　look　at　the　map　of　Italy；　we
  shall　find　in　the　great　extent　and　fertility　of　the　valley　of　the
  Po　the　natural　reason　why　the　commerce　of　Venice　so　greatly
  surpassed　that　of　Genoa　or　of　Pisa。　The　trade　of　Holland　has　its
  chief　sources　in　the　territories　watered　by　the　Rhine　and　its
  tributary　streams；　and　in　the　same　proportion　as　these　territories
  were　much　richer　and　more　fertile　than　those　watered　by　the　Elbe
  and　the　Weser　must　the　commerce　of　Holland　exceed　that　of　the　Hanse
  Towns。　To　the　advantages　above　named　was　added　another　fortunate
  incident　　the　invention　by　Peter　B鯿kels　of　the　best　mode　of
  salting　herrings。　The　best　mode　of　catching　and　of　'b鯿kelling'
  these　fish　（the　latter