A. D. 1659. 477- 



by increafing the tolls in the paflages into the Baltic, called the Sound, 

 and greater and lefler Belt ; the two commonwealths of England and 

 Holland, and the court of France, had entered into a joint treaty at the 

 Hague, not only for obliging Denmark and Sweden, tlK^n at war, to 

 agree to the above peace, but by the YIth article of that treaty it was fti- 

 pulated, ' that no new duty, toll, or other import, on account of beacons, . 



* light-houfes, anchorages, or any pretences whatever, be for the future 

 ' railed in the Sound or the two Belts, by any perfon whatfoever, upon 



* the faid three ftates, or either of them, or upon their fubjeds. And 

 ' with refped to the duties or tolls which are paid there by virtue of 

 ' the treaty made at London between the late proteclor (Oliver) and 

 ' the crown of Denmark, and of another treaty made between the faid 

 ' crown and the United provinces in 1645, they fhall never be augment- 

 ' ed upon the three ftates, nor on any of them, for any caufe or pretext 



* whatever. And if it happens that there are more favourable and ad- • 

 ' vantageous conditions in one of the faid treaties than there are in the : 



* other, with regard to the toll, or the manner of raifmg it, the faid 



' three ftates, and each of them, fliall for the future enjoy the more fa- - 

 ■* vourable conditions equally ; as alfo all other privileges and exemp- - 



* tions ; and (hall be guarantees thereof one to the other.' 



It feems that, before this definitive treaty, the Danes often varied the ; 

 tolls they exaded from ftiips pafling the Sound. Sometimes they laid a 1 

 rofe -noble on every ftiip, belide one per cent for laftage ; fometimes ■ 

 three and one-half per cent ; and at other times a thirtieth part of all '■ 

 the cargo was demanded and taken. Queen Elizabeth fent four folemn . 

 embaffies to Denmark in order to get thofe tolls moderated, and fixed at 

 fome certainty; though all to very little purpofe. The Swedes like-- 

 wife had fometimes pretended to a toll for their caftle of Helfingburg, on 

 their fide of the Sound : but now this joint treaty and mutual guarantee 

 of the three potent ftates before mentioned feemed to put an end to all , 

 new demands or impolitions whatever. 



The advantageous peace concluded this year at the Pyrenees with the ■ 

 declining kingdom of Spain gave the French full leifure to improve their . 

 foreign commerce, and more efpecially their trade to Turkey for 

 woollen goods; which, by the help of Spanifli wool, they foon after 

 brought to fuch perfeftion, that they have long fince been enabled, in a 

 great meafure, to get ground of the Engliih Levant, or Turkey com- 

 pany, as well as of the Dutch and Venetians ; their very able ftatef- 

 man Colbert having foon after this time moft afliduoufly applied himfelf . 

 thereto, without fparing any expenfe for the improvement of every 

 branch of commerce ; fuch, for inftance, as premiums, remiflion of 

 cuftoms and taxes, warehoufes rent-free, &c. \et in order to get their 

 woollen cloth at firft introduced into Turkey, they are faid to have 

 made ufe of the names of the Engliih traders thither, and of the repu.-.- 



