FROM THE SPANISH MONARCHY. 



the Genoefe. The netherland mariner has this dif- 

 fcin&ive quality, that he is under fail at every feafon of 

 $he year, and never puts up to winter. 



After the difcovery of the new way to the capes of 

 Africa, and the Portuguefe Eaft-India trade had un- 

 dermined that of the Levant, the Netherlands did not 

 feel the wound that was given the Italian republics. 

 The Portuguefe erected their ftaple in Brabant, and 

 the fpices of Kalcutta were expofed to fale in the mar- 

 kets of Antwerp. Hither flowed the weft indian 

 commodities by which the haughty indolence of the 

 Spaniard repaid the flemifh induftry. The Eaft-indian 

 mart drew hither the moft famous counting-houfes of 

 Florence, Lucca and Genoa, and from Augfburg the 

 Fuggers and the Welfers. Hither the Hanfa now 

 brought their noithern wares, and the englifh com- 

 pany had their fettlements here. Art and nature 

 feemed to vie with each other for making this place 

 the fcene for the difplay of their ftores. It was a mag- 

 nificent exhibition of the works of the Creator and 

 of mankind. 



Its fame was foon fpread over all the world. At the 

 conclusion of this century a fociety of turkifh mer- 

 chants obtained a grant to fettle here, and to deliver 

 from hence over all Greece the products of the Eaft. 

 With the traffic of commodities arofe the traffic of 

 money ; their bills were current in all the ends of the 

 earth. Antwerp, it is affirmed, then tranfacted in a 

 month more and greater affairs, than ever Venice did 

 in two whole years, at the moft brilliant period of her 

 commerce. 



The city was reckoned to contain a hundred thou- 

 sand inhabitants. The multitudes that were inceflantly 



flocking 



/ 



