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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　term　derived　from　the　inventor）　remained　for



a　long　period　a　secret　known　only　to　the　Dutch；　by　which　they　knew



how　to　prepare　their　herrings　with　a　peculiar　excellence　surpassing



those　of　all　other　persons　engaged　in　sea　fishery；　and　secured　for



themselves　a　preference　in　the　markets　as　well　as　better



prices。（2*）　Anderson　alleges　that　after　the　lapse　of　centuries　from



the　date　of　these　inventions　in　Holland；　the　English　and　Scotch



fishermen；　notwithstanding　their　enjoyment　of　a　considerable　bounty



on　export；　could　not　find　purchasers　for　their　herrings　in　foreign



markets；　eves　at　much　lower　prices；　in　competition　with　the　Dutch。



If　we　bear　in　mind　how　great　was　the　consumption　of　sea　fish　in　all



countries　before　the　Reformation；　we　can　well　give　credit　to　the



fact　that　at　a　time　when　the　Hanseatic　shipping　trade　had　already



begun　to　decline；　the　Dutch　found　occasion　for　building　2；000　new



vessels　annually。



　　　　From　the　period　when　all　the　Belgian　and　Batavian　provinces



were　united　under　the　dominion　of　the　House　of　Burgundy；　these



countries　partly　acquired　the　great　benefit　of　national　unity；　a



circumstance　which　must　not　be　left　out　of　sight　in　connection　with



Holland's　success　in　maritime　trade　in　competition　with　the　cities



of　Northern　Germany。　Under　the　Emperor　Charles　V　the　United



Netherlands　constituted　a　mass　of　power　and　capacity　which　would



have　insured　to　their　imperial　ruler　supremacy　over　the　world；　both



by　land　and　at　sea；　far　more　effectually　than　all　the　gold　mines　on



earth　and　all　the　papal　favours　and　bulls　could　have　done；　had　he



only　comprehended　the　nature　of　those　powers　and　known　how　to



direct　and　to　make　use　of　them。



　　　　Had　Charles　V　cast　away　from　him　the　crown　of　Spain　as　a　man



casts　away　a　burdensome　stone　which　threatens　to　drag　him　down　a



precipice；　how　different　would　have　been　the　destiny　of　the　Dutch



and　the　German　peoples！　As　Ruler　of　the　United　Netherlands；　as



Emperor　of　Germany；　and　as　Head　of　the　Reformation；　Charles



possessed　all　the　requisite　means；　both　material　and　intellectual；



for　establishing　the　mightiest　industrial　and　commercial　empire；



the　greatest　military　and　naval　power　which　had　ever　existed　　a



maritime　power　which　would　have　united　under　one　flag　all　the



shipping　from　Dunkirk　as　far　as　Riga。



　　　　The　conception　of　but　one　idea；　the　exercise　of　but　one　man's



will；　were　all　that　were　seeded　to　have　raised　Germany　to　the



position　of　the　wealthiest　and　mightiest　empire　in　the　world；　to



have　extended　her　manufacturing　and　commercial　supremacy　over　every



quarter　of　the　globe；　and　probably　to　have　maintained　it　thus　for



many　centuries。



　　　　Charles　V　and　his　morose　son　followed　the　exactly　opposite



policy。　Placing　themselves　at　the　head　of　the　fanatical　party；　they



made　it　their　chief　object　to　hispanicise　the　Netherlands。　The



result　of　that　policy　is　matter　of　history。　The　northern　Dutch



provinces；　strong　by　means　of　the　element　over　which　they　were



supreme；　conquered　their　independence。　In　the　southern　provinces



industry；　the　arts；　and　commerce；　perished　under　the　hand　of　the



executioner；　save　only　where　they　managed　to　escape　that　fate　by



emigrating　to　other　countries。　Amsterdam　became　the　central　point



of　the　world's　commerce　instead　of　Antwerp。　The　cities　of　Holland；



which　already　at　an　earlier　period；　in　consequence　of　the



disturbances　in　Brabant；　had　attracted　a　great　number　of　Belgian



woollen　weavers；　had　now　not　room　enough　to　afford　refuge　to　all



the　Belgian　fugitives；　of　whom　a　great　number　were　consequently



compelled　to　emigrate　to　England　and　to　Saxony。



　　　　The　struggle　for　liberty　begot　in　Holland　an　heroic　spirit　at



sea；　to　which　nothing　appeared　too　difficult　or　too　adventurous；



while　on　the　contrary　the　spirit　of　fanaticism　enfeebled　the　very



nerves　of　Spain。　Holland　enriched　herself　principally　by



privateering　against　Spain；　especially　by　the　capture　of　the



Spanish　treasure　fleets。　By　that　means　she　carried　on　an　enormous



contraband　trade　with　the　Peninsula　and　with　Belgium。　After　the



union　of　Portugal　with　Spain；　Holland　became　possessed　of　the　most



important　Portuguese　colonies　in　the　East　indies；　and　acquired　a



part　of　Brazil。　Up　to　the　first　half　of　the　seventeenth　century　the



Dutch　surpassed　the　English　in　respect　of　manufactures　and　of



colonial　possessions；　of　commerce　and　of　navigation；　as　greatly　as



in　our　times　the　English　have　surpassed　the　French　in　these



respects。　But　with　the　English　Revolution　a　mighty　change　developed



itself。　The　spirit　of　freedom　had　become　only　a　citizen　spirit　in



Holland。　As　in　all　mere　mercantile　aristocracies；　all　went　on　well



for　a　time；　so　long　as　the　preservation　of　life　and　limbs　and　of



property；　and　mere　material　advantages；　were　the　objects　clearly　in



view；　they　showed　themselves　capable　of　great　deeds。　But



statesmanship　of　a　more　profound　character　was　beyond　their　ken。



They　did　not　perceive　that　the　supremacy　which　they　had　won；　could



only　be　maintained　if　it　were　based　on　a　great　nationality　and



supported　by　a　mighty　national　spirit。　On　the　other　hand；　those



states　which　had　developed　their　nationality　on　a　large　scale　by



means　of　monarchy；　but　which　were　yet　behindhand　in　respect　of



commerce　and　industry；　became　animated　by　a　sentiment　of　shame　that



so　small　a　country　as　Holland　should　act　the　part　of　master　over



them　in　manufactures　and　commerce；　in　fisheries；　and　naval　power。



In　England　this　sentiment　was　accompanied　by　all　the　energy　of　the



new…born　Republic。　The　Navigation　Laws　were　the　challenge　glove



which　the　rising　supremacy　of　England　cast　into　the　face　of　the



reigning　supremacy　of　Holland。　And　when　the　conflict　came；　it



became　evident　that　the　English　nationality　was　of　far　larger



calibre　than　that　of　the　Dutch。　The　result　could　not　remain



doubtful。



　　　　The　example　of　England　was　followed　by　France。　Colbert　had



estimated　that　the　entire　marine　transport　trade　employed　about



20；000　vessels；　of　which　16；000　were　owned　by　the　Dutch　　a　number



altogether　out　of　proportion　for　so　small　a　nation。　In　consequence



of　the　succession　of　the　Bourbons　to　the　Spanish　throne；　France　was



enabled　to　extend　her　trade　over　the　Peninsula　（to　the　great



disadvantage　of　the　Dutch）；　and　equally　so　in　the　Levant。



Simultaneously　the　protection　by　France　of　her　native　manufactures；



navigation；　and　fisheries；　made　immense　inroads　on　the　industry　and



commerce　of　Holland。



　　　　England　had　gained　from　Holland　the　greater　part　of　the　trade



of　the　latter　with　the　northern　European　stat