32 A. D. 1560. 



lue, camblets, flax thread, wax, pitch, madder, tallow, fulphur, and 

 frequently wheat and rye, faked flefh and fifli, butter and cheefe, all 

 forts of mercery, of metals, filk, thread, &c. to a large amount ; filver 

 in bullion, and worked up into filverfmith's work ; arms of all forts, 

 and ammunition ; houfehold furniture, and tools of all kinds • and 

 every thing elfe produced by human induilry and labour, to which 

 (fays our author) the meaner people of Spain have an utter averfion. 

 Of Spain, Antwerp takes jewels and pearls, gold and filver in great 

 qua itities, cochineal, farfaparilla, guaiacum, faffron, filk raw and 

 thrown, and worked up into various fluffs, velvets, taffeties, fait, alum, 

 orchil, fine wool, iron, cordovan leather, wines of variovis kinds, oils, 

 vinegar, honey, melalTes, Arabian gums, foap, fruits both moill and 

 dried, in vafc quantities ; wines and fugars from the Canaries *. 

 ' To Portugal, Antwerp fends filver bullion, quickfilver, vermilion, 

 copper, brafs, and latten, lead, tin, arms, artillery and ammunition, 

 gold and filver thread, and fuch other wares before named as they 

 fend to Spain. From Portugal, Antwerp brings pearls and pretious 

 fi:ones, gold, fpices to the value of above a million of crowns annual- 

 ly, drugs, amber, mufk, civet, ivory in great quantities, aloes, rhu- 

 barb, anil, cotton, China root, and many other pretious things from 

 India, with which the greateft part of Europe is fupplied from Ant- 

 werp ; alfo fugars from the ifland of St. Thome, under the equinoc- 

 tial line, and from other iflands on the African coafts ; Brafil wood 

 for dyers; Malaguetta, or Gumea grains, and other drugs from the 

 well coaft of Africa ; fugar alfo, and good wines from Madeira. And 

 from Portugal itfelf, Antwerp brings their fait, wines, and oils, woads, 

 feeds, orchil, many forts of fruits both moid and dried, preferved and 

 candied, to a great value. 



' Lafl:ly, to Barbary, Antwerp fends woollen cloth, ferges, linen, mer- 

 ceries innumerable, metals, &c. And Antwerp brings from Barbary, 

 fugars, azure or anil (as the Portuguefe call it), gums, coloquintida, 

 leather, peltry, and fine feathers.' 



Thus we have a fummary view of the exports and imports of Ant- 

 werp, the moft eminent city for commerce then in Europe. The port 

 of Armuyden, on the ifland of Walcheren, was, in Uuicciardin's days, 

 the place of rendezvous for the fliipping of Antwerp, where, fays he, 

 there have been often iccn 500 large fliips together, bound to or re- 

 turning from diftant parts of the world. He adds, that it was ufual for 

 ,500 ihips to come and go in one day, and 400 to come up the Scheldt in 

 one tide ;. that 10,000 carts were conllantly employed in carrying mer- 

 chandize to and from the neighbouring countries, befide many hun- 

 dreds of waggons daily coming and going v/ith pafiengers ; and 500 



Spain had not at this time received any fugars from the Weil Indies. 



