136 A Century of Science 



lands in the sixteenth century exhibiting practically 

 such toleration in matters of religion as the Brit 

 ish islands attained only much later, and after 

 prolonged and distressing struggle. From the 

 time of Edward III. commercial intercourse with 

 the great Dutch and Flemish cities was one of the 

 most potent civilizing influences at work in Eng 

 land. It was a liberalizing influence in religion and 

 in politics, and must be named among the causes 

 which made the eastern counties preeminent for 

 heresy. In later days, when the Dutch provinces 

 had saved their Protestantism and recovered politi 

 cal freedom, they adopted a policy of toleration 

 so broad as to seem to most contemporaries very 

 eccentric. Their noble country was stigmatized 

 as &quot;the common harbour of all heresies&quot; and a 

 &quot; cage of unclean birds.&quot; How it harboured here 

 tics escaping from England is something that no 

 American is ever likely to forget. 



If, after this glance at European conditions, we 

 cross the Atlantic and observe the group of twelve 

 colonies that were planted during the seventeenth 

 century, we find that five of them were especially 

 notable for pursuing from the outset a policy of 

 toleration, a policy favourable to liberal thought. 

 These five, naming them in order of seniority, were 

 New Netherland, Maryland, Rhode Island, and 



