Retrospect of French Literature— Histary. 
occupied the labours of the author for 
many years, and whence we propese 
to extract certain parts, that cannot 
fail to be considered curious by the in- 
habitants of a commercial nation. It 
is divided into separate periods, and we 
shall follow the same mode of investi- 
gation. 
Perrop 1, 
_Wesrern commerce, from the nar- 
LIEST TrMeEs to the 12th century :—the 
Avans, the Burearrans, the Hunea- 
RIANS. 
All these nations who were descend - 
ed from the Huns, and not the Fins, 
became successively masters of the 
trade between Constantinople and the 
countries situate to the north west of 
it. The Ayars, the first who engaged. 
in the western commerce, occupied the 
provinces situate on the Danube, be- 
tween the German and Byzantian em- 
pires; their intercourse was carried on 
between Constantinople on one side, 
and Lorch in Lower Austria on the 
other; the latter not far from the Da- 
nube and the town of Ens, then the 
sce of an archbishop. It thus became 
the staple where the merchandise of the 
Greeks and Germans were interchang- 
ed. The Avars and Vendes, their neigh- 
bours, who had also some share in this 
traffic, carried both Greek and ori- 
ental commodities thither which had 
come from Constantinople to be sent to 
the Low Countries and the North. 
** Commerce at once ealightens and 
adds to the prosperity of a people; but 
it not unfrequently dazzles nations, and 
inspires a taste for luxury that proves 
fatal to them; the history of the 
Avars furnishes an example of this, for 
they became so civilized, as to be cen- 
sidered the most accomplished of all 
the barbarous nations; but this soon 
degenerated into efieminacy, and they 
were accordingly subdued by the Bul- 
garians. When Krem or Krum, the 
chief of the victorious foe, demanded of 
his prisoners what was the cause of the 
decadence of so great a nation? they 
replied that it proceeded from that de- 
generacy which always arose out of 
the spirit of commerce.” * N 
The Bulgarians however seem to have 
followed their example, for they carried 
on the very same trade, and seemed to 
-haveacquired such riches that they excit- 
ed the jealousy of the Greek merchants. 
Two of these residing at Constantincple, 
* Suidas, Bulgari, ed. Keister. t, 1, p. 
5 
2 
679 
called Stourak and Cosmos, conceived 
the idea of depriving them of the com. 
merce of Pannonia, by taking a circuit 
round by Thessalonica, and they suc- 
ceeded by means of a eunuch apper-: 
taining to Zantzas,the father of the Em- 
peror Leo, who procured for them the 
offices of collectors of the customs 
along. the road to Pannonia, and their 
vexatious and interested conduct soon 
produced a war that proved fatal to 
the Greeks.* 
In 1019 the Bulgarians lost their 
liberty, and with it their spirit of enter- 
prize, on which the Hungarians carried 
on the intermediate commerce between 
Constantinople and Germany until the 
middle of the 12th century. During 
this period, they established factories 
inthe capital of the Greek empire, and 
had a superb church built for them 
there; the coins of Byzantium were 
current in their own country, and they 
profited greatly by this intercourse. 
Semlin or Zengme, was one of the 
principal entrepots, or staplé towns, 
i consequence of which it flourished 
greatly. | 
| Perion II,” 
From the 12th Century, towards the 
end of the 13th. 
We are here told that no whole- 
sale trade, (commerce en gros), existed 
between Italy and Germany until to- 
wards the end of the Crusades. Con- 
stantinople exported a variety of 
merchandise, which passed through 
Bucharia, Syria, Egypt, and thence to 
India, and at the same time imported 
many commodities from Hungary, 
Germany,and the Low Couniries. The 
Jialian merchants, particularly the 
Lombards, also carried the merchan- 
dise of the Levant to the fairs of 
France, Germany, and the Low Coun- 
tries. _During the 7th century the 
celebrated fair of St. Denis was visited 
by the Lombard merchants; but these 
were mere reluilers, consisting of jew- 
ellers and sellers of spices, who at the 
same time eilher exercised the trade 
of, or accompanied the money-chan- 
gers, and somewhat resembled the tra- 
velling Milanese, &c. of the present 
days. 
Vente indeed carried on an advan- 
tageous intercourse with the rest of 
Italy, but it was not untilthe end of 
the 13th century, that’ Auxbourg and 
* Leo Grammaticus ed. Paris, p- 477, 
478. seq. : 
. Nurembur 
