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servants。　Instead　of　vying　with　one　another　in　the　number　and



valour　of　their　retainers；　the　nobility　were　animated　by　another



kind　of　rivalry　more　in　accordance　with　the　spirit　of　civilisation；



inasmuch　as　they　now　sought　to　excel　one　another　in　the　beauty　of



their　houses；　the　elegance　of　their　equipages；　and　the　costliness



of　their　furniture。　As　the　people　could　no　longer　loiter　about　in



pernicious　idleness；　in　the　service　of　their　chieftains　and



patrons；　they　became　compelled；　by　learning　some　kind　of　handiwork；



to　make　themselves　useful　to　the　community。　Laws　were　again　enacted



to　prevent　the　export　of　the　precious　metals；　both　coined　and



uncoined；　but　as　these　were　well　known　to　be　inoperative；　the



obligation　was　again　imposed　on　foreign　merchants　to　lay　out　the



whole　proceeds　of　goods　imported　by　them；　in　articles　of　English



manufacture。'（12*）



　　　　In　the　time　of　Henry　VIII　the　prices　of　all　articles　of　food



had　considerably　risen；　owing　to　the　great　number　of　foreign



manufacturers　in　London；　a　sure　sign　of　the　great　benefit　which　the



home　agricultural　industry　derived　from　the　development　of　home



manufacturing　industry。



　　　　The　king；　however；　totally　misjudging　the　causes　and　the



operation　of　this　phenomenon；　gave　ear　to　the　unjust　complaints　of



the　English　against　the　foreign　manufacturers；　whom　the　former



perceived　to　have　always　excelled　themselves　in　skill；　industry；



and　frugality。　An　order　of　the　Privy　Council　decreed　the　expulsion



of　15；000　Belgian　artificers；　'because　they　had　made　all　provisions



dearer；　and　had　exposed　the　nation　to　the　risk　of　a　famine。'　In



order　to　strike　at　the　root　of　this　evil；　laws　were　enacted　to



limit　personal　expenditure；　to　regulate　the　style　of　dress；　the



prices　of　provisions；　and　the　rate　of　wages。　This　policy　naturally



was　warmly　approved　by　the　Hansards；　who　acted　towards　this　king　in



the　same　spirit　of　good…will　which　they　had　previously　Displayed



towards　all　those　former　kings　of　England　whose　policy　had　favoured



their　interests；　and　which　in　our　days　the　English　display　towards



the　kings　of　Portugal　　they　placed　their　ships　of　war　at　his



disposition。　During　this　king's　whole　reign　the　trade　of　the



Hansards　with　England　was　very　active。　They　possessed　both　ships



and　capital；　and　knew；　not　less　cleverly　than　the　English　do　in　our



days；　how　to　acquire　influence　over　peoples　and　governments　who　did



not　thoroughly　understand　their　own　interests。　Only　their　arguments



rested　on　quite　a　different　basis　from　those　of　the　trade



monopolists　of　our　day。　The　Hansards　based　their　claim　to　supply



all　countries　with　manufactures　on　actual　treaties　and　on



immemorial　possession　of　the　trade；　whilst　the　English　in　our　day



base　a　similar　claim　on　a　mere　theory；　which　has　for　its　author　one



of　their　own　Custom…house　officials。　The　latter　demand　in　the　name



of　a　pretended　science；　what　the　former　claimed　in　the　name　of



actual　treaties　and　of　justice。



　　　　In　the　reign　of　Edward　VI　the　Privy　Council　sought　for　and



found　pretexts　for　abolishing　the　privileges　of　the　'Merchants　of



the　Steelyard。'　The　Hansards　made　strong　protests　against　this



innovation。　But　the　Privy　Council　persevered　in　its　determination；



and　the　step　was　soon　followed　by　the　most　beneficial　results　to



the　nation。　The　English　merchants　possessed　great　advantages　over



the　foreign　ones；　on　account　of　their　position　as　dwellers　in　the



country；　in　the　purchase　of　cloths；　wool；　and　other　articles；



advantages　which　up　to　that　time　they　had　not　so　clearly　perceived



as　to　induce　them　to　venture　into　competition　with　such　a　wealthy



company。　But　from　the　time　when　all　foreign　merchants　were



subjected　to　the　same　commercial　restrictions；　the　English　were



stimulated　to　enterprise；　and　the　spirit　of　enterprise　was　diffused



over　the　whole　kingdom。（13*）



　　　　After　the　Hansards　had　continued　for　some　years　to　be　entirely



excluded　from　a　market　which　they　had　for　three　centuries



previously　possessed　as　exclusively　as　England　in　our　days



possesses　the　markets　of　Germany　and　the　United　States；　they　were



reinstated　by　Queen　Mary　in　all　their　ancient　privileges　owing　to



representations　made　by　the　German　Emperor。（14*）　But　their　joy　was



this　time　of　short　duration。　Being　earnestly　Desirous　not　merely　of



maintaining　these　privileges；　but　of　increasing　them；　they　made



strong　complaints　at　the　beginning　of　the　reign　of　Elizabeth　of　the



treatment　to　which　they　had　been　subjected　under　Edward　VI　and



Mary。　Elizabeth　prudently　replied　that　'she　had　no　power　to　alter



anything；　but　she　would　willingly　protect　them　still　in　the



possession　of　those　privileges　and　immunities　which　they　then



possessed。'　This　reply；　however；　did　not　satisfy　them　at　all。　Some



time　afterwards　their　trade　was　further　suspended；　to　the　great



advantage　of　the　English　merchants；　who　now　had　an　opportunity　of



showing　of　what　they　were　capable；　they　gained　control　over　the



entire　export　trade　of　their　own　country；　and　their　efforts　were



crowned　with　complete　success。　They　divided　themselves　into



'staplers　and　merchant　adventurers；'　the　former　carrying　on



business　in　some　one　place；　the　latter　seeking　their　fortune　in



foreign　cities　and　states　with　cloth　and　other　English



manufactures。　This　excited　the　jealousy　of　the　Hansards　so　greatly；



that　they　left　no　means　untried　to　draw　down　on　the　English　traders



the　ill　opinion　of　other　nations。　At　length；　on　August　1；　1597；



they　gained　an　imperial　edict；　by　which　all　trade　within　the　German



Empire　was　forbidden　to　English　merchants　The　Queen　replied　（on



January　13；　1598）　by　proclamation；　in　consequence　of　which　she



sought　reprisals　by　seizing　sixty　Hanseatic　vessels　which　were



engaged　in　contraband　trade　with　Spain。　In　taking　this　step　she　had



at　first　only　intended；　by　restoring　the　vessels；　to　bring　about　a



better　understanding　with　the　Hansards。　But　when　she　was　informed



that　a　general　Hanseatic　assembly　was　being　held　in　the　city　of



L黚eck　in　order　to　concert　measures　for　harassing　the　export　trade



of　England；　she　caused　all　these　vessels　with　their　cargoes　to　be



confiscated；　and　then　released　two　of　them；　which　she　sent　to



L黚eck　with　the　message　that　she　felt　the　greatest　contempt　for　the



Hanseatic　League　and　all　their　proceedings　and　measures。（15*）



　　　　Thus　Elizabeth　acted　towards　these　merchants；　who　had　lent



their　ships　to　her　father　and　to　so　many　English　kings　to　fight



their　battles；　who　had　been　courted　by　all　the　potentates　of



Europe；　who　had　treated　the　kings　of　Denmark　and　Sweden　as　their



vassals　for　centuries；　and　invited　them　into　their　territories　and



expelled　them　as　they　pleased；　who　had　colonised　and　civilised　all



the　southeastern　coasts　of　the　Baltic；　and　freed　all　seas　from



piracy；　who　not　very　long　before　had；　with　sword　in　hand；　compelled



a　king　of　England　to　recognise　their　privileges；　to　whom　on　more



than　one　occasion　English　kings　had　given　their　crowns　in　pledge



for　loans；　and　who　had　once　carried　their　cruelty　and　insolence



towards　England　so　far　as　to　drown　a　hundred　English　fishermen



because　they　had　ventured　to　approach　their　fishing　grounds。　The



Hansards；　indeed；　still　possessed　sufficient　power　to　have　avenged



this　conduct　of　the　queen　of　England；　but　their　ancient　courage；



their　mighty　spirit　of　enterprise；　the　power　inspired　by　freedom



and　by　co…operation；　had　passed　from　them。　They　dwindled　gradually



into　powerlessness　until　at　length；　in　1630；　their　League　was



formally　dissolved；　after　they　had　supplicated　every　c