Endnotes

[Footnote 1: "All the foreign merchants who resided at Bruges, with the
exception of a few Spaniards, established themselves here about the year
1516, to the great disadvantage of Bruges and to the advantage of
Antwerp."--Le Guicciardini, Description of the Low Countries. Arnhem,
1617, p. 113.]

[Footnote 2: C. Schibanius, in his Origines Antwerpien Sum, says that he
has often seen in the Scheldt twenty-five hundred vessels, many of which
were detained at anchor for two or three weeks before being able to
approach the wharf.]

[Footnote 3: The stables, and coach-houses used by this company for
transportation still exist at Antwerp. Although they are now occupied as
barracks, they preserve their original name--Hessenhaus.]

[Footnote 4: See the statistics of population given by Schibanius in the
History of Antwerp, by Mertens & Torfo, Part IV., ch. v.]

[Footnote 5: The inhabitants of Antwerp are experienced and skilled in
commercial affairs, and although they may not have left their own country
the greater part of them, even the women, can speak four, five, and
sometimes seven different languages.]

[Footnote 6: "The nobles of Netherlands do not engage in commerce like the
Italian noblemen from Venice, Florence, Genoa, and Lucca."--L.
Guiccardini, Description of the Low Countries, p. 140.]

[Footnote 7: "Two well-known Italian merchants, both of noble birth,
natives of Lucca, who were great friends." Van Mertens, History of the
Low Countries, Vol. I.]

[Footnote 8: The bailiff (schoat) was the representative of the prince in
the prosecution of crimes. He alone, and his agents by his orders, could
make arrests, except in cases of flagrant crime or of persons lying in
wait. This high functionary was also called the margrave, because the
margrave of the Low Countries was, in virtue of that office, the bailiff
of the city of Antwerp.]