The Commerce Of The League Was Also Curtailed In The Baltic, Where It Had
Always Been Most Formidable And Flourishing, By The English, Who, In The
Beginning Of The Fifteenth Century, Gained Admission For Their Vessels Into
Dantzic And The Ports Of Sweden And Denmark.
The only port of consequence
in the northern nations, to which the ships of the League were exclusively
admitted, was Bergen, which at this period was rather under their dominion
than under that of Norway.
In the middle of the sixteenth century, however,
they abandoned it, in consequence of disputes with the king of Denmark.
About the same time they abandoned Novogorod, the czar having treated their
merchants there in a very arbitrary and tyrannical manner. These, and other
circumstances to which we have already adverted, made their commerce and
power decline; and, towards the beginning of the seventeenth century, they
had ceased to be of much consequence. Though, however, the League itself at
this period had lost its influence and commerce, yet some cities, which had
been from the first members of it, still retained a lucrative trade: this
remark applies chiefly to Lubeck and Hamburgh; the former of these cities
possessed, about the middle of the seventeenth century, 600 ships, some of
which were very large; and the commerce by which Hamburgh is still
distinguished, is in some measure the result of what it enjoyed as a member
of the Hanseatic League.
We shall now turn our attention to the Italian states: Venice and Amalfi
were the first which directed their labours to the arts of domestic
industry, the forerunners and causes of commercial prosperity. New wants
and desires being created, and a taste for elegance and luxury formed,
foreign countries were visited. Muratori mentions several circumstances
which indicate a revival of a commercial spirit; and, as Dr. Robertson
remarks, from the close of the seventh century, an attentive observer may
discern faint traces of its progress. Indeed, towards the beginning of the
sixth century, the Venetians had become so expert at sea, that Cassiodorus
addressed a letter to the maritime tribunes of Venice, (which is still
extant,) in which he requests them to undertake the transporting of the
public stores of wine and oil from Istria to Ravenna. In this letter, a
curious but rather poetical account is given of the state of the city and
its inhabitants: all the houses were alike: all the citizens lived on the
same food, viz. fish: the manufacture to which they chiefly applied
themselves was salt; an article, he says, more indispensable to them than
gold. He adds, that they tie their boats to their walls, as people tie
their cows and horses in other places.
In the middle of the eighth century, the Venetians no longer confined their
navigation to the Adriatic, but ventured to double the southern promontory
of Greece, and to trade to Constantinople itself. The principal merchandize
with which they freighted their ships, on their return-voyage, consisted of
silk, the rich produce of the East, the drapery of Tyre, and furs; about a
century afterwards, they ventured to trade to Alexandria. Amalfi, Genoa,
and Pisa followed their example; but their trade never became very
considerable till the period of the crusades, when the treasures of the
West were in fact placed in their hands, and thus fresh vigour was given to
their carrying trade, manufactures, and commerce.
There are a few notices, however, respecting the commerce of Venice, and
the other states of Italy, prior to the crusades, which it may be necessary
very briefly to give. About the year 969, Venice and Amalfi are
represented, by contemporary authors, as possessing an equal share of
trade. The latter traded to Africa, Constantinople, and, it would appear,
to some ports in the east end of the Mediterranean; and Italy, as well as
the rest of Europe, entirely depended on these two states for their supply
of the produce of the East. At the beginning of the eleventh century, the
citizens of Amalfi seem to nave got the start of the Venetians in the favor
and commerce of the Mahomedan states of the East: they were permitted to
establish factories in the maritime towns, and even in Jerusalem; and those
privileges were granted them expressly because they imported many articles
of merchandize hitherto unknown in the East.
In the middle of the same century, Pisa rose into eminence for its
commerce; it traded principally with the Saracen king of Sicily, and with
Africa. The Genoese also, at this period, are represented as possessing a
large portion of the trade of the Levant, particularly of Joppa.
As the most lucrative branch of commerce of all the Italian states was that
in the productions of the East, and as these could only be obtained through
Constantinople or Egypt, each state was eager to gain the favor of rulers
of these places. The favor of the Greek emperor could be obtained
principally by affording him succours against his enemies; and these the
Venetians afforded in 1082 so effectually, that, in return, they were
allowed to build a number of warehouses at Constantinople, and were
favoured with exclusive commercial privileges. Dalmatia and Croatia were
also ceded to them.
We now come to the period of the crusades, from which may be dated the
rapid increase of the commerce and power of the Italian states. As none of
the other European powers had ships numerous enough to convey the crusaders
to Dalmatia, whence they marched to Constantinople, the fleets of Venice,
Pisa, and Genoa were employed for this purpose. But before they agreed to
lend their fleets, they bargained, that on the reduction of any city
favorable to commerce, they should be permitted to trade there without duty
or molestation, and be favoured with every privilege and protection which
they might desire. In consequence of this bargain, they obtained, in some
places, the exclusive right over whole streets, and the appointment of
judges to try all who lived in them, or traded under their protection.
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