The Exports To Spain Consisted Chiefly Of Copper, Brass, And Latten,
Wrought And Unwrought; Tin, Lead; Much Woollen Cloth, Both
Flemish and
English; serges, tapestry, linens, flax-thread, wax, pitch, madder, tallow,
sulphur, wheat, rye, salted meat and fish, butter,
Cheese, merceries,
silver bullion and wrought, arms, ammunition, furniture, tools; and every
thing also, he adds, produced by human industry and labour, to which the
lower classes in Spain have an utter aversion. From Spain, Antwerp received
jewels, pearls, gold and silver in great quantities; cochineal,
sarsaparilla, guiacum, saffron; silk, raw and thrown; silk stuffs, velvets,
taffeties, salt, alum, orchil, fine wool, iron, cordovan leather, wines,
oils, vinegar, honey, molasses, Arabian gums, soap; fruits, both moist and
dried, in vast quantities, and sugar from the Canaries.
The exports to Portugal were silver bullion, quicksilver, vermilion,
copper, brass, and latten; lead, tin, arms, artillery and ammunition; gold
and silver thread, and most of the other articles sent to Spain. From
Portugal, Antwerp received pearls and precious stones, gold, spices, to the
value of above a million of crowns annually; drugs, amber, musk, civet,
great quantities of ivory, aloes, rhubarb, cotton, China root, (then and
even lately much used in medicine,) and many other rare and valuable Indian
commodities, with which the greatest part of Europe is supplied from
Antwerp; also, sugars from St. Thomas, under the line, and the other
islands belonging to the Portuguese on the African coast; Brazil wood,
Guinea grains, and other drugs from the west coast of Africa; Madeira sugar
and wines. Of the produce of Portugal itself, Antwerp imported salt, wines,
oils, woad, seeds, orchil, fruits, &c. &c.
To Barbary, Antwerp exported woollen goods, linen, merceries, metals, &c.;
and received from it sugar, azure or anil, gums, coloquintida, leather,
peltry, and fine feathers.
From this sketch of the commerce of Antwerp, when it was at its height, we
see, that it embraced the whole commerce of the world: and that in it
centered all the commodities supplied by Asia, America, Africa, and the
south of Europe on the one hand, and England, the Baltic countries,
Germany, and France on the other. The account given by Guicciardini is
confirmed by Wheeler, who wrote in 1601. He observes, that a little before
the troubles in the Low Countries, the people of Antwerp were the greatest
traders to Italy in English and other foreign merchandize; and also to
Alexandria, Cyprus, and Tripoli in Syria; "beating the Italians, English,
and Germans, almost entirely out of that trade, as they also soon did the
Germans in the fairs of their own country." He adds, that the Antwerp
merchants, being men of immense wealth, and consequently able to supply
Spain for the Indies at long credit, set their own prices on their
merchandize. Antwerp also supplied Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Eastland
with the wares, which France was wont to supply them. He adds, "It is not
past eighty years ago, (that would be about 1520,) since there were not, in
London, above twelve or sixteen Low Country merchants, who imported only
stone pots, brushes, toys for children, and other pedlar's wares; but in
less than forty years after, there were, in London, at least one hundred
Netherland merchants, who brought thither all the commodities which the
merchants of Italy, Germany, Spain, France, and Eastland, (of all which
nations there were, before that time, divers famous and notable rich
merchants and companies,) used to bring into England out of their own
country directly, to the great damage of the said strangers, and of the
natural born English merchants."
Guicciardini informs us, that in his time the port of Armuyden, in the
island of Walcheren, was the place of rendezvous for the shipping of
Antwerp: in it have often been seen 500 large ships lying at one time,
bound to, or returning from distant parts of the world. He adds, that it
was no uncommon thing for 500 ships to come and go in one day; that 10,000
carts were constantly employed in carrying merchandize to and from the
neighbouring countries, besides hundreds of waggons daily coming and going
with passengers; and 500 coaches used by people of distinction. In his
enumeration of the principal trades, it is curious that there were
ninety-two fishmongers, and only seventy-eight butchers; there were 124
goldsmiths, who, it must be recollected, at that time acted as bankers, or
rather exchangers of money. The number of houses was 13,500. With respect
to the shipping, which, according to this author, were so numerous at the
port of Antwerp, comparatively few of them belonged to this city, as most
of its commerce was carried on by ships of foreign nations.
This circumstance, of its having but few ships of its own, may be regarded
as one cause why, when it was taken and plundered by the Spaniards in the
year 1585, it could not recover its former commerce, as the shipping
removed with the nations they belonged to. The forts which the Dutch built
in the Scheldt were, however, another and a very powerful cause. The trade
of Holland rose on the fall of Antwerp, and settled principally at
Amsterdam; this city had indeed become considerable after the decline of
the Hanseatic confederacy; but was not renowned for its commerce till the
destruction of Antwerp. The commerce of Holland was extended and supported
by its fisheries, and the manufactures of Flanders and the adjoining
provinces, which in their turn received support from its commerce.
Guicciardini informs us, that there were in the Netherlands, in time of
peace, 700 busses and boats employed in the herring fishery: each made
three voyages in the season, and on an average during that period, caught
seventy lasts of herring, each last containing twelve barrels of 9OO or
1000 herrings each barrel; the price of a last was usually about 6L.
sterling: the total amount of one year's fishery, was about 294,000L.
sterling. About sixty years after this time, according to Sir Walter
Raleigh, the cod and ling fishery of Friesland, Holland, Zealand, and
Flanders, (the provinces included by Guicciardini in the maritime
Netherlands) brought in 100,000L. annually:
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