In the mean time, the trade of Germany was rising in consequence. Some commer cial cities, confederating together, formed .a commercial league, known by the name of the Hanseatic League, the object of which was, by combining their resources, to form a fleet for the protection of their trade with other coun tries. These cities not only associated among themselves, but also formed alliances with other states, as England and France, and had a code of laws Which were respected and oh. served, under the name of the Lex Nleicateris, for a long date throughout all Europe. In this manner the Hanse Towns acquired a con siderable share of influence, and were respect ed by all the sovereigns in Europe. The kings of France and England granted them considerable privileges, exempting their ves sels in case of shipwreck from all demands whatsoever, either on the part of the admiralty or of private persons, and respecting their flag in times of war. This good understanding between them and the states of Europe was considerably increased by the freedom with which they lent their money to different prin ces in time of need, particularly during the crusades, when they gave powerful succours both in ships as well as in money. This con federacy did not, however, always retain its moderation ; for, as they increased in wealth and power, sd they grew ambitious and do mineering, and more than once they ventured to se themselves up against the states of Ger many; in consequence of this, the German, princes gradually withdrew the cities that were subject to themselves from 'the confederacy, an d thus effected its dissolution. The only cities which now retain the name of Hanse Towns, and some other vestiges of the Han seatic league, are Hamburg, Bremen, and Lubeck.
The next important change in the state of European commerce was brought about in Portugal and Spain, by means of the discove ries which took place in the fifteenth and sub sequent centuries. To the apiritand enterprise of Emanuel,King of Portugal, we are indebted for the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, which was effected by Vasco de Gann, in 1498, and by opening a new way to the In dies afforded to the Portuguese an opportunity of making conquests and settlements which secured to them the commerce of India, which the Venetians had hitherto enjoyed through the medium of the Arabians. The discovery of America by Columbus, which followed quickly after, paved the way for a still greater extension of mercantile enterprise, which, though at first enjoyed only by the Portuguese and Spaniards, was at length shared by other states. The Dutch, an enterprising people, were the first who wrested from the Spaniards a portion of their conquered possessions, and made so good a use of the advantages they gained as to become oneof the greatest trading people in Europe. By the help of increasing wealth, they converted their little fishing vil lages into large and populous cities and towns. Although their country was far from being fertile, and their native commodities few or none, yet by commerce they succeeded in fill ing their storehouses with all the productions and manufactures of the world.
Having given this general sketch of com merce from its earliest beginnings, we must not close this account without making men tion of the commerce of Great Britain, which, though among the last to avail itself of this source of wealth and aggrandizement, has by slow and gradual steps raised its com merce to a pitch which has never been, and probably never can be, surpassed by any na tion. It appears that a commercial intercourse with Britain was begun at a very early period, and that the Phoenicians and Carthaginians traded with this island for the tin of Cornwall, but it is probable that the native Britons did not for many ages take any active part in this traffic, or make any attempt to share in the advantages of commerce beyond the giving their commodities to such as wished to trade with them. They had nothing better than leather or wicker boats, which were too slight to enable them to leave their shores, even so as to cross the Channel.
The Saxons made considerable endeavours to extend their intercourse with foreign nations, particularly in the time of Alfred the Great, who sent people as far as the East for com mercial purposes, as also for the sake of pro curing information. After the Conquest, our
princes were for a long time too much engag ed in political and military concerns to turn their attention to this subject, and little was done beyond that of giving encouragement to foreigners to settle in England or to have deal ings with her. One provision of Magna Charta held forth indemnity and protection to foreign merchants in the passage to and from Eng land, as also during their stay there.
Safe conducts were afterwards given to the English going abroad, which afforded them the opportunity of carrying on a traffic for their commodities with foreign nations. In conse quence, we find that staples or markets were established both there and on the continent, where wool, lead, and other productions, were bought and sold ; and as encouragement was given to the Hanseatic League, a trading company was in consequence formed in the reign of Edward I. first called the Company of Merchants trading to Calais, Sm., after wards the Merchant Adventurers of England, or the Company of Merchant Adventurers trading to Hamburg. This company, which is the first of the kind in England, was incor porated by Edward I. in 1296. In the reign of Edward III. commerce and manufactures both met with considerable encouragement, but the intercourse of foreigners with Eng land was now more encouraged than that of Englishmen with foreign nations. In con sequence the staple or mart was confined to certain towns, where, by the statute of the staple, as it was called, it was ordained that foreigners might resort for the purchase of our commodities, but Englishmen were prohibited under great penalties from exporting any themselves. A number of other laws were made for the establishment and government of the staple, which formed that branch of the English law since known by the name of the Law-Merchant. For the encouragement of msnufadurers protection was given to cloth makers to come from foreign and reside there. In the reign of Ed VI. the princi ple of confining her commerce within the limit of the country was, m consequence of the re cent discoveries, somewhat altered. An in tercourse with Ramie was commenced by means of some English adventurers, who go ing on a voyage of diaeovery in order to find out a north-east passage to ChM; came to the port of Archaned, where they were well re ceived by the Muscovites, whence they after wards formed a company and received a char ter to secure to themselves the trade to Russia_ This company was incorporated in the reign of Philip and Mary, under the name of the Ramie Company. The reign of Elisabeth was still more favourable to commercial ad ventores of every kind. Drake, Sir Walter Rale*h, and limey de Clifford, Earl of Cum berland, distinguiibe themselves by their discoveries ; besides which, sere companies were formed under the ampioes of this cmem The Eastland Com pany was incorporated under the title of the Company of Merchants to the East ; the Tur key or Levant Company was also incorporated in 1561 ; but the most important of all the companies which had hitherto been formed was the East India Company, which wan first established by charter in 1600. In the reign of William M. a new East India Company was formed, which was for a time a rival to the old one, but in 1703 the two sampans' s were consolidated into one; since which they have experienced comiderable ricistioades, and in coosequence of the numerous wars in which they have been engaged, their affairs were at one time so reduce 3 that they were obliged to apply to the government for wisest' anise, in can seeeqq wind' they have lost much of their tindependence, and are necessarily subject to more control than they were formerly. Eng lish commerce continued to increase from the reign of Elisabeth until the last war, when England had at one time almost the whole trade of the universe in its hands, with the exception of what fell to the share of the Americans. The imports of England have sometimes exceeded thirty millSos, and the exports fifty millions.