A. D. 1656. 467 



ters of the coafls of that fruitful ifland, and of the whole cinnamon 

 trade; as they before were of the nutmegs, mace, and cloves. Pepper 

 was now the only fpice that remained uningrofl'ed by them, becaufe it 

 grows in too many diftant parts of India to be ingrofled by any one 

 potentate. In 1658 the Dutch took Manaar and Jafnapatnam from the 

 Portuguefe, by which, and other conquefts needlefs to be enlarged on, 

 the Portuguefe were foon confined to their fettlements on this fide of 

 cape Comorin. And thus the Dutch made themfelves ample amends 

 for their Wefi:-India company's lofi^es at Brafil. 



The old ftadthoufe at Amfterdam being thought too mean for the 

 grandeur of that mofl opulent city, the two great commercial compa- 

 nies of the Eafi: and Weft Indies undertook to ered a new one : it was 

 begun in 1648, and. completed in this year 1655 ; and may truely be 

 termed the pride and glory of that city and province, being by far the 

 mofl; noble and fuperb ftrudure in all Europe of that kind ; ferving for 

 a fenate-houfe and bank. Whole volumes have been employed in the 

 defcription of its architedure and beauty. 



1 6^6. — Charles Guftavus king of Sweden, being now at war with 

 John Cafimir king of Poland ; the ftates-general of the United pro- 

 vinces, apprehenfive of the difidvantage of that war to the commerce 

 of their fubjeds in the Baltic, fent thither Admiral Opdam with a fleet, 

 which, over-awing both thofe kings, brought on the treaty of peace at 

 Elbing in Prufiia. This condud of the Dutch was agreeable, as we 

 have before noted, to the general tenor of their politics, with regard to 

 preferving an equilibrium between the potentates bordering on the 

 Baltic fhores. 



The commerce of Amfterdam was by this time fo much increafed 

 that, for the enlargement of that city, a great fpace of ground was now 

 inclofed and built on. And the whole city, thus enlarged, was now 

 furrounded with new walls of brick with ftone gates. This, it is ap- 

 prehended, is the laft great enlargement of Amfterdam, in refped of 

 private buildings ; but it received a great addition to the ftrength of its 

 fortifications when the French invaded Holland in the year 1672. 



No marvel then if the Grand-penfionary De Witt, in his book of the 

 Intereft of Holland, in the year 1669, obierves ' that Amfterdam is a 

 ' city of greater trafhc, and Holland a richer merchandizing country 



* than ever was in the world. Their fi.tuation for an eafy and quick 



* communication with all the coafts of Friefeland, Overyflel, Guelder- 

 ' land, and North-Holland ; their fituation alio for receiving the 

 ' fifliery, and for a repofitory for all forts of merchandize to be after- 



* wards re-fhipped to all parts of the world, as demands may offer, and 

 ' for fetting out fliips to freight, are great advantages. Then their ac- 

 ' quiring the whole fpice trade of India, and a great Weft-India trade ; 

 ' the whale fiftiery ; die trade in Italian wrought filks, which the Ger- 



3N2 



