. Things that occurred to them, was the opening a Trade 
to the Eaft- Indies, for which they thought their Coun- 
try, at leaft, as well fkuated, as either Great-Britain 
or Holland. In order to make Trial of this, they 
firft of all formed a private Company, without Patent, 
Charter, or even Licence from the imperial Court, which, 
notwithftanding, was thought to have advifed them to this 
Method, and furnifhed them with Pafsports. They had, 
however, but very indifferent Succefs at the Beginning, 
one of their Ships being taken on the Coaft of Africa , 
richly laden, on the 8th of December , 1718, by the 
Dutch. 
This Accident had very probably dafhed their Hopes 
in the very Beginning, if they had not been encouraged 
by Vienna , with a Promife of Letters Patent, and Leave 
immediately given them to take in Subfcriptions. The 
Emperor went yet farther, and demanded Satisfadlion of 
the States-General for this "Infiilt offered to a Veffel pro- 
vided with his Pafsport ; but before that Complaint was 
well laid before them, a frefh Occafion afforded room for 
another, the Dutch having feized a fecond Ship, and 
Brewing very little Inclination to give Satisfaction for ei- 
ther. Upon this, the Merchants at Ofiend applied for 
Commiffions, that in cafe of any farther Infults, they 
might, at leaft, be in a Condition of defending them- 
felves. This being looked upon as a very reafonable Re- 
queft, was readily granted them, and in Confequence 
thereof, one of their Veffels, well armed, took a Dutch 
Ship, and brought her into OJiend. The States did not 
fail to make loud Complaints of this to the Governor-Ge- 
neral of the Aujirian Low-Countries, who anfwered, that 
the Merchants of OJiend had done no more than they 
were entitled to do by virtue of his Imperial Majefly’s 
Commiffion, in order to obtain Satisfaction for their 
Loffes. 
This gave fo much Credit to the new Company, that 
in the Year 1720, they equipped five large Ships for the 
Indies , and the Year following, they fitted out fix more, 
three for China , one for Moca , another for Surat , and the 
Coaft of Malal ar , and the fixth for Bengal. This irri- 
tated the Dutch to fuch a Degree, that they immediately 
feized a Veffel richly laden by the Merchants of Bruges , 
and ordered her Cargo to be fold, notwithftanding the 
Applications of the Imperial Minifters at the Hague to 
prevent it. This Misfortune was followed by another, an 
Englijh Privateer taking very foon after on the Coaft of 
Madagafcar , an OJiend homeward bound Ship, very rich- 
ly laden from the Indies 7 which fo difcouraged the new 
Company, that they ordered a new Ship they were then 
fitting out, to be laid up. 
But in the Months of May and June 1722, they re- 
ceived two Ships from the Indies , and in the Month of 
September , two more, the Cargoes of which being expofed 
to Sale, went off at fo good a Rate, that they found 
themfelves not only indemnified for all their Loffes, but 
likewife in a Condition to carry on their Commerce with 
greater Spirit and Succefs than ever. The only Thing 
they wanted, was a legal Eftablifhment ; for, tho* the 
Imperial Court had for a long Time flattered them with 
the Hopes of Letters Patent, yet they had hitherto de- 
layed them, to avoid a down-right Quarrel with the Mari- 
time Powers. 
2. After the Arrival, however, of thefe laft mentioned 
Ships, the Company having Money in their Hands, and 
very powerful Friends at the Court of Vienna , refolved to 
negleCt nothing that might put their Affairs on the beft 
Foundation poflible, and with this View, they fent fome 
of their Diredors to Court, very well furnifhed with In- 
ftrudions, as alfo with other Credentials, no lefs neceffary 
at that, and moft other Courts, viz. Bills for confidera- 
ble Sums of Money. Thefe Gentlemen managed their 
Affairs with fuch Diligence and Prudence, that they ob- 
tained a Promife of a Charter as extenfive as they could 
wifh, or any Company in Europe had ever received, the 
Plan of which was immediately drawn, and gave them 
entire Satisfadion. 
This Charter was to have confifted of feVeral Articles, 
importing firft, that the Diredors Ihoiild be fixed to the 
Number of Eight, to be chofen out of the weakhieft* 
moft reputable, and beft experienced Merchants in the 
Low-Countries ; that they fhouid be allowed four thoufand 
Florins a Year Salary 1 that none of them fhouid continue 
above fix Years, or be capable of being re-chofen, till 
they had been a full Year out of Office. Secondly, That 
a general Court of the Proprietors fhouid be held every 
Year for the Choice of Diredors, when the Company 
fhouid name twenty-four, out of which Lift the Empe- 
ror fhouid choofe Eight. Thirdly, That the Court of 
Dire.dors, the Treafury, and Books of Account belonging 
to the Company, fhouid remain the firft three Years at 
Antwerp , and the next three Years either at Ghent or 
Bruges-, but that their Sales fhouid be conftantly made either 
at OJiend or Bruges . Fourthly, That the Company's Ca- 
pital fhouid confift of ten Millions of Florins, and fhouid 
be divided into ten thoufand Adions, of one thoufand 
Florins each. Fifthly, the Prizes which the Veffels in the 
Service of the Company fhouid take in Time of War, 
were to belong entirely to the Company, and were to be 
fold, and difpofed of for their Profit. Sixthly, All the Am- 
munition, PrOvifions, Artillery, and naval Stores, requi- 
fite for the Forts and Fadories of the Company, were to 
be exempted from all kinds of Duties and Impofitions in 
their Paffage through the Territories, either of his Impe- 
rial Majefty, or of any of the Lords, or Ecclefiaftical 
Communities in the Low-Countries . Seventhly, That all 
the Goods tranfported on Board the Ships of the Com- 
pany, fhouid pay for all Cuftoms and Duties Inwards and 
Outwards, four per Cent, and no more, till the Expira- 
tion of the Month of September 1724, and from that Time 
fix per Cent, for ever. 
The Emperor likewife promifed, in which he alfo kept 
his Word, to fend a Perfon veiled with a publick Cha- 
rader to the Great Mogul , in order to fettle an Alliance 
with him, and to return him Thanks for the Permiflion 
he had granted the Company, not only to ered a Fadory, 
but alfo a Fort, to proted their Commerce in his Domi- 
nions. The Profped his Imperial Majefty had of enrich- 
ing his Subjeds in the Low-Countries , and augmenting 
the Revenues he drew from thence, by fixing fo extenfive 
and profitable a Commerce there, engaged him to aflure 
the Agents of that Company of ftill greater Favours. He 
even intimated, that he would remit all Cuftoms and Du- 
ties for three whole Years, and would likewife make the 
Proprietors a Prefent of three hundred thoufand Florins 
in ready Money, to indemnify them from any Loffes they 
might fuftain on the firft Eftablifhment of their Com- 
merce. 
When all this good News came at once into the Aujiri- 
an Netherlands, it raffed fuch a Spirit, not only among 
the Merchants, Bankers, and other Perfons concerned in 
Trade, and in Money; but alfo among the Nobility and 
Gentry who had Fortunes and Eftates in this Part of the 
World ; that they file wed an eager Inclination to exert 
themfelves to the utmoft in the Support of the new Com- 
pany, of the Succefs of which, there feemed to be now 
no longer any Doubt. It may not be amifs, however, to 
obferve, that it was not the Inhabitants only of thefe Pro- 
vinces, and other Subjeds of his Imperial Majefty, that 
encouraged this Undertaking, but Strangers alfo, parti- 
cularly the Englijh , French and Dutch , who were chiefly 
concerned in the Shipping, and in the Management of 
the Company’s Affairs, notwithftanding that they very 
well knew, they could never profper, but at the Expence 
of their native Countries, and of the Eftablifhments for 
the fame Commerce long ago ereded in them, and which 
hitherto had been carried on with fo great Profit and Re- 
putation. 
3. We need not wonder, therefore, that the ereding 
this new Company at OJiend , fiiould occafion, as it did, 
fuch Noife and Oppofition throughout all Europe , fo as- 
to render the Subjed of this Section as remarkable a Part 
of the general Hiftory of this Age, as any that finds a 
Place therein 5 but it muft, however, feem a little ftrange 
at firft Sight, that the warmeft Friends, and moft faithful 
Allies of his Imperial Majefty, fhouid be the moft vio- 
lent in this Oppofition. One would have imagined, that 
the Emperor had the fame Right in his Dominions, that 
other Princes and States have in theirs i and that how con- 
3 trary 
