wealbk03-第13章

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No　part　of　it　can　be　said　to　belong　to　any　particular　country；

till　it　has　been　spread　as　it　were　over　the　face　of　that　country；

either　in　buildings　or　in　the　lasting　improvement　of　lands。　No

vestige　now　remains　of　the　great　wealth　said　to　have　been

possessed　by　the　greater　part　of　the　Hans　towns　except　in　the

obscure　histories　of　the　thirteenth　and　fourteenth　centuries。　It

is　even　uncertain　where　some　of　them　were　situated　or　to　what

towns　in　Europe　the　Latin　names　given　to　some　of　them　belong。　But

though　the　misfortunes　of　Italy　in　the　end　of　the　fifteenth　and

beginning　of　the　sixteenth　centuries　greatly　diminished　the

commerce　and　manufactures　of　the　cities　of　Lombardy　and　Tuscany；

those　countries　still　continue　to　be　among　the　most　populous　and

best　cultivated　in　Europe。　The　civil　wars　of　Flanders；　and　the

Spanish　government　which　succeeded　them；　chased　away　the　great

commerce　of　Antwerp；　Ghent；　and　Bruges。　But　Flanders　still

continues　to　be　one　of　the　richest；　best　cultivated；　and　most

populous　provinces　of　Europe。　The　ordinary　revolutions　of　war　and

government　easily　dry　up　the　sources　of　that　wealth　which　arises

from　commerce　only。　That　which　arises　from　the　more　solid

improvements　of　agriculture　is　much　more　durable　and　cannot　be

destroyed　but　by　those　more　violent　convulsions　occasioned　by　the

depredations　of　hostile　and　barbarous　nations　continued　for　a

century　or　two　together；　such　as　those　that　happened　for　some

time　before　and　after　the　fall　of　the　Roman　empire　in　the　western

provinces　of　Europe。