A, D, 1095. 311 



powering them to eled their own magiflrates, and to make laws for 

 their internal government ; and alfo conferring on them feveral excluf- 

 ive privileges with refpeft to their trade or manufadures, which might, 

 perhaps, be proper at the time, but which the progrefs of knowlege 

 and liberality has in many inftances quietly fuftered to fink into oblivion, 

 or at leall difufe. The inhabitants of cities and towns, reflored to the 

 condition of men, ventured to acquire property ; their numbers were 

 augmented by the acceffion of many refpedable perfons from the coun- 

 try ; and in procefs of time towns, inftead of being defpifed, as the re- 

 ceptacle of the meaneft and rudefl clafles of the people, were diftin- 

 guifhed from the upland, or landward, villages, as the leats of fcience 

 and urbanity, as well as of commerce. 



In the trading cities of Italy navigation, and all the arts and manu- 

 fadures conneded with it, were already confiderably improved. As it 

 was from them that the warriors of the weftern nations generally took 

 their pailage for the Holy land, they were greatly enriched by the fums 

 paid for the tranfportation of fo many myriads of men, women, and 

 children, horfes, and baggage, and for the fupplies of provifions and all 

 kinds of military ftores and neceflliries, which they alone furnifhed to 

 the crufaders. By thefe profitable employments, which continued for 

 about two centuries, a very confiderable part of the treafure of the cru^ 

 faders centered in thofe cities, and invigorated their induftry and com- 

 mercial exertions : and by their example, together with the circulation 

 of their wealth, the indultry of the reit of Italy was aroufed, and called 

 into profitable employment. Such were the beneficial effeds of the 

 holy wars to thofe cities, which continued to manage the greateft part 

 of the commerce of Europe, till the difcovery of America and a dired 

 route to India placed the weftern nations, till then at the extremity of 

 the world, in the moft favourable pofition for the commerce of both 

 hemifpheres, and Italy, from being the center of the adive commerce 

 of the weftern world, came to be almoft in the fituation of an inland 

 country, unconneded with, and out of the track of, the moft important 

 navigation. 



Even the countries which furnifhed the moft numerous armies for the 

 holy wars, and confequently fuffered moft from depopulation and im.- 

 poverifhment, were, in time, roufed from the lethargy, into which they 

 had fallen almoft immediately after their governments were eftabliflied 

 upon the fubverfion of the Roman dominion. The powers of the hu- 

 man mind, though funk into the loweft abyfs of ignorance and bigotry, 

 could not fail to be ftimulated by the fight of countries, comparatively 

 enlightened, and enjoying many of the comforts derived from know- 

 lege and induftry. The weftern pilgrims faw with furprife the refine- 

 ments and opulence of the commercial cities of Italy, and were utterly 

 aftoniflied, when they beheld the magnificence and fplendour of Con- 



