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第9章

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begun to decline; the Dutch found occasion for building 2;000 new



vessels annually。



    From the period when all the Belgian and Batavian provinces



were united under the dominion of the House of Burgundy; these



countries partly acquired the great benefit of national unity; a



circumstance which must not be left out of sight in connection with



Holland's success in maritime trade in competition with the cities



of Northern Germany。 Under the Emperor Charles V the United



Netherlands constituted a mass of power and capacity which would



have insured to their imperial ruler supremacy over the world; both



by land and at sea; far more effectually than all the gold mines on



earth and all the papal favours and bulls could have done; had he



only comprehended the nature of those powers and known how to



direct and to make use of them。



    Had Charles V cast away from him the crown of Spain as a man



casts away a burdensome stone which threatens to drag him down a



precipice; how different would have been the destiny of the Dutch



and the German peoples! As Ruler of the United Netherlands; as



Emperor of Germany; and as Head of the Reformation; Charles



possessed all the requisite means; both material and intellectual;



for establishing the mightiest industrial and commercial empire;



the greatest military and naval power which had ever existed  a



maritime power which would have united under one flag all the



shipping from Dunkirk as far as Riga。



    The conception of but one idea; the exercise of but one man's



will; were all that were seeded to have raised Germany to the



position of the wealthiest and mightiest empire in the world; to



have extended her manufacturing and commercial supremacy over every



quarter of the globe; and probably to have maintained it thus for



many centuries。



    Charles V and his morose son followed the exactly opposite



policy。 Placing themselves at the head of the fanatical party; they



made it their chief object to hispanicise the Netherlands。 The



result of that policy is matter of history。 The northern Dutch



provinces; strong by means of the element over which they were



supreme; conquered their independence。 In the southern provinces



industry; the arts; and commerce; perished under the hand of the



executioner; save only where they managed to escape that fate by



emigrating to other countries。 Amsterdam became the central point



of the world's commerce instead of Antwerp。 The cities of Holland;



which already at an earlier period; in consequence of the



disturbances in Brabant; had attracted a great number of Belgian



woollen weavers; had now not room enough to afford refuge to all



the Belgian fugitives; of whom a great number were consequently



compelled to emigrate to England and to Saxony。



    The struggle for liberty begot in Holland an heroic spirit at



sea; to which nothing appeared too difficult or too adventurous;



while on the contrary the spirit of fanaticism enfeebled the very



nerves of Spain。 Holland enriched herself principally by



privateering against Spain; especially by the capture of the



Spanish treasure fleets。 By that means she carried on an enormous



contraband trade with the Peninsula and with Belgium。 After the



union of Portugal with Spain; Holland became possessed of the most



important Portuguese colonies in the East indies; and acquired a



part of Brazil。 Up to the first half of the seventeenth century the



Dutch surpassed the English in respect of manufactures and of



colonial possessions; of commerce and of navigation; as greatly as



in our times the English have surpassed the French in these



respects。 But with the English Revolution a mighty change developed



itself。 The spirit of freedom had become only a citizen spirit in



Holland。 As in all mere mercantile aristocracies; all went on well



for a time; so long as the preservation of life and limbs and of



property; and mere material advantages; were the objects clearly in



view; they showed themselves capable of great deeds。 But



statesmanship of a more profound character was beyond their ken。



They did not perceive that the supremacy which they had won; could



only be maintained if it were based on a great nationality and



supported by a mighty national spirit。 On the other hand; those



states which had developed their nationality on a large scale by



means of monarchy; but which were yet behindhand in respect of



commerce and industry; became animated by a sentiment of shame that



so small a country as Holland should act the part of master over



them in manufactures and commerce; in fisheries; and naval power。



In England this sentiment was accompanied by all the energy of the



new…born Republic。 The Navigation Laws were the challenge glove



which the rising supremacy of England cast into the face of the



reigning supremacy of Holland。 And when the conflict came; it



became evident that the English nationality was of far larger



calibre than that of the Dutch。 The result could not remain



doubtful。



    The example of England was followed by France。 Colbert had



estimated that the entire marine transport trade employed about



20;000 vessels; of which 16;000 were owned by the Dutch  a number



altogether out of proportion for so small a nation。 In consequence



of the succession of the Bourbons to the Spanish throne; France was



enabled to extend her trade over the Peninsula (to the great



disadvantage of the Dutch); and equally so in the Levant。



Simultaneously the protection by France of her native manufactures;



navigation; and fisheries; made immense inroads on the industry and



commerce of Holland。



    England had gained from Holland the greater part of the trade



of the latter with the northern European states; her contraband



trade with Spain and the Spanish colonies; and the greater part of



her trade with the East and West Indies; and of her fisheries。 But



the most serious blow was inflicted on her by the Methuen Treaty of



1703。 From that the commerce of Holland with Portugal; the



Portuguese colonies; and the East indies; received a deadly wound。



    When Holland thus commenced to lose so large a portion of her



foreign trade; the same result took place which had previously been



experienced by the Hanseatic cities and by Venice : the material



and mental capital which could now find no employment in Holland;



was diverted by emigration or in the shape of loans to those



countries which had acquired the supremacy from Holland which she



had previously possessed。



    If Holland in union with Belgium; with the Rhenish districts;



and with North Germany; had constituted one national territory; it



would have been difficult for England and France to have weakened



her naval power; her foreign commerce; and her internal industry by



wars and by commercial policy; as they succeeded in doing。 A nation



such as that would have been; could have placed in competition with



the commercial systems of other nations a commercial system of her



own。 And if owing to the development of the manufactures of those



other nations her industry suffered some injury; her own internal



resources; aided by founding colonies abroad; would have abundantly



made good that loss。 Holland suffered decline because she; a mere



strip of sea coast; inhabited by a small population of German



fishermen; sailors; merchants; and dairy farmers; endeavoured to



constitute herself a national power; while she considered and acted



towards the inland territory at her back (of which she properly



formed a part) as a foreign land。



 

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