176 A. D. 1585* 



For three days together the Spanifh foldiers wallowed in the plunder of 

 the city, from which they carried off at leaft two millions of piftoles, 

 befides which, an incalculable quantity of rich merchandize and furni- 

 ture was deftroyed by fire. Almoft 3000 of the inhabitants fell by the 

 fword, 1500 were burnt or trodden to death, and as many were drown- 

 ed in the Scheld. 



The ruin of this famous city gave the finifhing blow to the com- 

 merce of the Spanifh Netherlands. The filhing trade removed into Hol- 

 land. The noble manufadures of Flanders and Brabant were difperfed 

 into different countries. The woollen manufadure fettled moftly in 

 Leyden, where it ftill flourifhes. The linen removed to Harlem and 

 Amfterdam. About a third part of the manufadurers and merchants 

 who wrought and dealed in filks, damafks, taffities, bays, fayes, ferges, 

 ftockings, &c. fettled in England, becaufe England was then ignorant 

 of thofe manufactures : and the reft of the merchants of Antwerp, 

 (more efpecially the proteftants) would probably alfo have fettled 

 in England, but that foreign merchants paid double cuftoms, and 

 were alfo excluded from all companies or focieties of commerce, as 

 were alfo foreign journeymen from fettin-g up to be mafter-workmen, 

 or even partners in any trades but fuch as the Englifli were unacquainted 

 with. And thus, through the madnefs of Spanifh popifli bigotry, and of 

 arbitrary power, commerce and manufactures, driven from their Nether- 

 lands, proved the means of enriching moft of the countries of Europe 

 weft and north of the Mediterriuiean fea. A moft ferious memento ta 

 all nations ! 



To this perfecution of the Flemifti proteftants the kingdom of Swe- 

 den is faid to be indebted for its greateft improvements. They firft 

 taught the Swedes to make iron cannon, and other iron, copper, and 

 brafs manufadures; for before this time moft of the Swedifti iron was 

 only run into pigs and fent to Dantzic, and other parts of Pruflia, to 

 be forged into bars; juft as the Englifti formerly fent their wool into 

 Flanders, to be made into cloih by the Flemings. 



Malynes, in his treatife intitled Free trade, (8vo, 1622, p. 68) ob- 

 ferves, that no nation trafficked fo much to Antwerp, in bulk of ftaple 

 commodities, as England. This, fays he, is afferted by Botero, who 

 relates, that, two years before the taking of Antwerp, all the merchan- 

 dize of Chriftendom which were vended there in one year being valued 

 by the officers of that city, the Englifli merchandize alone amounted to 

 four fifths of the whole 1 



Though Antwerp was the moft opulent city in the weftern parts of 

 the world, yet as moft part of its commerce was carried on by the 

 ftiips of foreign nations, it had not much fliipping properly of its own, 

 compared with thofe of modern London and Amfterdam. So that when. 

 it was facked, the ftiipping removed with the nations they belonged to> 



