214 
II ANSE AT I 
in Europe, and fecured the franchifes of the Hanfe-towns. 
It is conjeftured by profeftbr Mallet, who publifhed 
his excellent hiftory of the Hanfeatic League in 1807, 
that the firft germ of this confederacy was put forth 
about the year, 1255. No monuments, however, have 
been preferved, which record the origin and the early 
trarifatlioris of this famed confederacy : but the fuppo- 
fition, which refers its date to the latter part of the thir¬ 
teenth century, cannot be very wide of the truth. The 
union, it is imagined, at firft only embraced the maritime 
towns, and was probably no more than temporary. It is 
obferv'ed by one of the biflorians of the league, “ that 
its commencement was feeble, its progrefs rapid, and its 
fuccefs aftonifhing ; and the confederacy, favoured by 
circumftances,' dexteroufly availed itf'elf of the advan¬ 
tages which fortune threw in its way.” The firft mem¬ 
bers, and their affociates, could not pofftbly forefee that 
They were laying the bafis of a confederacy, which was 
de(lined 01ft day to extend its commerce and its empire 
over the two feas of the North, to give laws to the in¬ 
habitants of their fhores, and which would at pleafure 
humble and exalt emperors and kings. It Was the ma¬ 
ritime cities of Lower Germany that gave rife to the 
Hanfeatic league, and it was navigation that made its 
fortune. This fource had for a long time previoufly 
furnifhed them with fubfiflence, but they did not derive 
power from it till experience, policy, apd vvildom, had 
confolidated and confirmed their, union ; and in which 
the ruderiefs of the times completely concurred. The 
fhores of thq-Baltic, from Lubeck to Ruffia, were inha-- 
bited by pagans. This barbarous population was partly 
converted and partly extirpated through the zeal of the 
kings of Denmark and the dukes of Saxony. New in¬ 
habitants were tranfplanted into the diftrifts which war 
had defolated, and the huts of the barbarians were re¬ 
placed by the cities of Roftpck, Wifmar, and Stralfund. 
About the fame period, Livonia was difcovered; and’ 
the afilfiance which the confederated cities gave to the 
princes, who. were engaged in effedlingthe converfion of 
its inhabitants, caufed many privileges to be granted to 
them, and led to confequences which greatly contri¬ 
buted to their fubfequent profperity. From this time, 
therefore, the navigation of the confederated cities began 
rapidly to advance. Cologne, Lubeck, Hamburg, Saert, 
and Brunfwick,-obtained important franchifes in Eng¬ 
land : their merchants and factors formed a corporation 
in London: they had a fixed refidence and warehoufes; 
and they held deliberative meetings in our metropolis. 
They were long allowed to extend and ftrengthen their 
commercial empire in this ifland ; and they are recorded 
in ofir hiftories as the “ Merchants of the Steel-yard.” 
They were equally favoured in the North : they vifited 
almoft exclufively the ports of Sweden, Denmark, and 
Norway ; and they had penetrated from .Livonia to No- 
vogorod, one of the mod confiderable cities of Raffia. 
We find them all'o employing, an armed fleet againll a 
king of Norway, who difpu’ted the privileges which they 
claimed in his ports: they triumphed, and the prince 
was obliged to re-inftate them in their rights. 
In the thirteenth century, the Hanfeatic league did 
not confill of more than ten or twelve cities, and thofe 
principally iituated on the Baltic. In the century which 
fitcceeded, the alfociation extended from the Scheldt and 
the ides of Zealand to Livonia ; inland cities, and even 
large diftrifts, fo.licited the honour of being admitted 
members; while fmaller cities were allowed to become 
dependants on it, and were alfelfed to the general ex¬ 
pence in proportion to their capacities. In confequence 
of their war with Waldemar III. king of Denmark, they 
were induced Jo perfect their league ; and it is conjec¬ 
tured that the aft pf general confederacy was firft framed 
on that memorable occafion. The firft mention of it 
refers to this'period ; and it was fettled at an aflembly 
of the deputies of cities, held at Cologne in 1364: but 
this great charter is no longer in exiftence. It was at 
C LEAGUE. 
the fame time that the league aflfumed the name of 
Hanfeatic: the word Hanfe, in the language of Lower 
Germany, fignifying Corporation. 
Accounting for the fuccefsful refiftance made by the 
members of the league againft the princes of Scahdina- 
Via, (the cradle, as it is called, of nations, and the coun¬ 
try of the fierce Normans,) M. Mallet obferves, that the. 
ardour which was infpired by newly-acquired liberty, 
the love of gain, and the dread of poverty.and fiavery, 
gave to the inhabitants of the aflociated cities a force 
which more than equalled that of half-peopled exten- 
five provinces. The cities poflefled union, fubordina- 
tion, and pecuniary refources: while in the monarchies 
the feveral orders were.at variance, faction and difturb- 
ances predominated, revolution fitcceeded revolution; 
. and feudal anarchy was at its height. 
The government of mod of the Hanfe-towns was 
formed on the model of that of Lubeck. In this city, 
a fenate compofed of ancient families and wealthy mer¬ 
chants pofiefled that power over the people which re- 
fpect and confidence confer, and which was fufiicient to 
enable it to promote the ^elfare of the (late, but not to 
opprefs it. The author terms this a happy order of 
. things, particularly in a limited republic : it was that 
which was raoft proper for its (ituation and-its circum- 
ftances, mod fuitable to the fpiri.t of'the times, and to 
its foreign and domeltic relations. The hiftOries of this 
period exhibit to us various inftances of the beneficial 
effects of fuch a regimen, and of its connection with a 
ftate of profperity in which commerce could claim bo 
lhare in tiie amelioration. We fee at the fame time the 
armies of the northern princes, which confided of vaffals, 
among whom was no fubordination, who felt no attach¬ 
ment to their chiefs, and who ferved only fora limited 
time; ■ oppofed bn the part of the cities by-valiant; war¬ 
like, and well-armed, burghers, who had not been ener¬ 
vated by opulence, but who were in that ftate of rnode-- 
rate wealth in which liberty is, mod cheriftied. Their 
war operations were combined and direPled by the coun- 
felsof men of mature underftanding and experience, who 
were devoted to their country, refponfible for their mea- 
fures, enjoyed the public confidence, and who (flowed 
that they well underftood the public-interefts, that they 
could treat with foreign princes, profit by their divi- 
fions, and render them refpedtively the inftruments of 
weakening each other. 
To the early exertions of the Hanfeatic confederacy, 
Europe is indebted for the extinction of thofe hordes 
of northern pirates, which fo long ravaged the countries 
of the ifouth, which fo- long- kept l'ociety unfettled, and. 
which threatened univerfal barbarifm. We may judge 
of the terror which thefe vilitations infpired; by a peti¬ 
tion which is to be found in our old liturgies ; “ A furore 
NormannOnm , libera nos, Demine.” As the war which the 
league maintained againft Waldemar king of Denmark 
is a fubjeCt of general hiltory, it maybe proper to re¬ 
mark, that the ftruggle rendered that afiociation at once 
formidable and relpeiftable in the eyes of Europe. It 
obtained the key of the Sound, and the rich herring- 
fifhery on the fouthern coaft of Sweden: at the peace, 
nearly the’whole of Scania, two-thirds of its revenue, 
and all its ftrong places, were made over to the conque¬ 
rors ; a monopoly of the trade was confirmed to them ; 
and in-1370, the league compelled Haquin king of Nor¬ 
way to renounce his crown. To the exclufive pofteflion 
• of the trade of the three kingdoms of-the North by the 
league, we muft add the fway which it bore in Flanders, 
Brabant, Holland, and Zealand ; the chief cities of which 
provinces were at this time included among its mem¬ 
bers ; and at the fame period, the league confided of 
leventy-feveu citie.s.'To the fouth, the commerce of 
the Hanfe-towns was confined principally to Flanders 
and England ; for it had not as yet any eftablifhments in- 
France. Indeed it waf not in thofe days very lafe tol 
navigate on the French coafts, becaufe the barbarous 
