The Early Celebrity Of
Bruges As A Commercial City Has Already Been Noticed; Its Regular Fairs In
The Middle Of The Tenth Century; Its Being Made The Entrepot Of The Hanse
Association Towards The End Of The Thirteenth.
It naturally partook of the
wealth and commercial improvement which Flanders derived from her woollen
manufactures, and was in fact made the emporium of that country at the
beginning of the fourteenth century; and within 100 years afterwards, the
staple for English and Scotch goods.
When the increased industry of the
north of Europe induced and enabled its inhabitants to exchange the produce
of their soil, fisheries, and manufactures, for the produce of the south of
Europe, and of India, Bruges was made the great entrepot of the trade of
Europe. In the beginning of the sixteenth century its commercial importance
began to decline, but the trade which left it, did not pass beyond the
limits of the Netherlands; it settled in a great measure at Antwerp, which,
as being accessible by sea, was more convenient for commerce than Bruges.
This city, however, would not have fallen so easily or rapidly before its
rival, had it not been distracted by civil commotions. From it the commerce
of the Netherlands, and with it of the north of Europe, and the interchange
of its commodities with those of the south of Europe and of Asia, gradually
passed to Antwerp; and about the year 1516, most of the trade of Bruges was
fixed here, the Portuguese making it their entrepot for the supply of the
northern kingdoms.
Even before this time the ships of the Netherlands seem to have been the
carriers of the north of Europe; for in 1503, two Zealand ships arrived at
Campveer, laden with sugars, the produce of the Canary Islands. Antwerp,
however, continued till it was taken by the Spaniards, and its port
destroyed by the blocking up of the Scheldt, to be most distinguished for
its commerce, and its consequent wealth: - its situation, its easy access by
sea, joined to the circumstance of its being made the Portuguese entrepot
for spices, drugs, and other rich productions of India, mainly contributed
to its commerce. Merchants from every part of the north of Europe settled
here, and even many of the merchants of Bruges removed to it, after the
decline of their own city. Its free fairs for commerce, two of which lasted
each time six weeks, attracted merchants from all parts, as they could
bring their merchandize into it duty free, and were here certain of finding
a market for it. In it also bills of exchange on all parts of Europe could
be easily and safely negotiated. We have already mentioned the most wealthy
merchants of England and France, in the fifteenth century: there existed at
Antwerp, in the sixteenth, a firm of the name of Fugger, whose wealth was
very great, and indicates the extent of their commercial dealings. From
this firm the Emperor Charles V. had borrowed a very large sum, in order to
carry on an expedition against Tunis. In the year 1534, Charles, being at
Antwerp, Fugger invited him to an entertainment at his house, made a fire
in his hall with cinnamon, and threw all the emperor's bonds into that
fire. About eleven years afterwards, the same merchant gave an acquittance
to Henry VIII. of England, for the sum of 152,180_l_. Flemish, which
the king had borrowed of him. The Fuggers had a licence from the king of
Portugal to trade to India; and they used to send their own factor in every
ship that sailed thither, and were the owners of part of every cargo of
pepper imported.
In the year 1541, it contained 100,000 inhabitants: soon afterwards the
persecutions on account of religion in Germany, England, and France, drove
many people thither, and of course increased both its population and
wealth. If we may believe Huet, in his History of Dutch Commerce, it was,
at this time, not uncommon to see 2500 ships at once lying in the Scheldt.
The picture, however, which Guicciardini draws of Antwerp in 1560, when it
had reached the zenith of its prosperity and wealth, - being that of a
contemporary author, and entering into detail, - is at once much more
curious and interesting, and may be depended on as authentic. It is also
valuable, as exhibiting the state of the manufactures, commerce, &c. of
most of the nations of Europe at this period.
"Besides the natives and the French, who are here very numerous, there are
six principal foreign nations, who reside at Antwerp, both in war and
peace, making above 1000 merchants, including factors and servants, viz.
Germans, Danes, and Easterlings - that is, people from the ports in the
south shores of the Baltic, from Denmark to Livonia - Italians, Spaniards,
English, and Portuguese of these six nations; the Spaniards are the most
numerous. One of those foreign merchants, Fugger, of Augsburg, died worth
above six millions of crowns; there are many natives there with from
200,000 to 400,000 crowns."
"They meet twice a day, in the mornings and evenings, one hour each time,
at the English bourse, where, by their interpreters and brokers, they buy
and sell all kinds of merchandize. Thence they go to the new bourse, or
principal exchange, where, for another hour each time, they transact all
matters relating to bills of exchange, with the above six nations, and with
France; and also to deposit at interest, which is usually twelve per cent.
per annum."
"They send to Rome a great variety of woollen drapery, linen, tapestry,
&c.: the returns are in bills of exchange. To Ancona, English and Flemish
cloths, stuffs, linen, tapestry, cochineal; and bring in return such spices
and drugs as the merchants of Ancona procure in the Levant, and likewise
silks, cotton, Turkey carpets, and leather. To Bologne they export serges,
and other stuffs, tapestry, linen, merceries, &c. and bring in return for
it, wrought silks, cloth of gold and silver, crapes, caps, &c. To Venice
they send jewels and pearls, English cloth and wool, Flemish drapery,
cochineal, &c. and a little sugar and pepper:
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