aSa A. D. 1016. 



in the Upper Hartz (the Hercynian forefl of antient geography). They 

 were worked till the year 1 1 8 1 , when they were ruined by war, and ne- 

 glected till the emperor Otto again worked them in the year 1 208, when 

 another war again involved them in ruin, from which they were reco- 

 vered in the fixteenth century by Erneft prince of Grubenhagen, who 

 gave great encouragement to all who would engage in working them, 

 and built a town for the accommodation of the labourers. Thefe mines 

 ilill yield a confiderable revenue to the houfe of Brunfwick. IR/mius^s 

 Mem. of the houfe of Brunfwick, p. 258.] 



The citizens of London were now of fuch confequence, that they, in 

 conjunction with the nobles who were in the city, chofe a king for the 

 whole Englifli nation. The objett of their choice was Edmund Iron- 

 fide, the fon of the late king Ethelred, who, after a brave flruggle, 

 wherein he was well fupported by the city of London, at laft funk un- 

 der the fuperior power of Cnut, who had fuccecded his father Swein in 

 the command of the Danifli army, and had been chofen king by the 

 Danes and a great part of the Englifh. 



During the war between Edmund and Cnut, the later, in order to get 

 his fleet above the bridge to befiege the city of London, dug a ditch, or 

 canal, fufficient to carry the fhips, on the fouth fide of the river, by 

 which he pafled the bridge, and kept the city clofely inverted, till it was 

 relieved by the arrival of Edmund. 



1 01 8 — Cnut, now the acknowleged fovereign of all England, in order 

 to reward his Danes, and induce them to return quietly home, levied 

 eleven thoufand pounds of filver from the city of London *, and feven- 

 ty-two thoufand from the reft of the kingdom ; a moft wonderful fum 

 to be collected in a country already fo drained by the great and fre- 

 quent extorfions of his father. Of all his forces Cnut retained only forty 

 Danifli fliips ; fo well was he fatisfied of the good will of the Englifh. 



1020 — The citizens of Amalfi, whofe fpirited commereuil exertions 

 have already been repeatedly noticed, were now in very great favour 

 with the rulers and people of the Mohamedan countries in the Eaft, 

 ' bccaufe they imported many articles of merchandize hitherto un- 

 * known in thofe countries.' They had already obtained permiflion to 

 eftablifh houfes, or fadories, in the maritime towns ; and, becaufe they 

 had no houie in Jerufalem, the calif of Egypt gave them a letter to the 

 prefident of that city, who afligned them fufficient ground for building 

 upon. The merchants immediately built two monafteries and an hof- 

 pital for travelers, whereupon many Chriftians repaired to the holy city 

 on account of religion as well as of trade. An hofpital for men, dedi- 

 cated to St. John, and anodier for women, dedicated to St. Mary Mag- 

 dalen, were afterwards added. The keepers of the former became fam- 



• ilorence of Worcefter makes the fum paid by London fifteen thoufand pound*- 



