s the Great was, his extending Christianity, and some
degree of civilization, to the north of the Danube; {40} thus bring-

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{40} The people to the north of the Danube had never been subdued
by the Romans. In the time of Charlemagne they were Pagans, and in
a most rude state of barbarism.
-=-

[end of page #44]

ing the borders of the Baltic Sea within the limits of the civilized
world.

Charlemagne paved the way for the greatness of the Flemings, the
Saxons, and the Hans Towns, which began to flourish a few centuries
after his time; but his own country was never in a more abject
situation than soon after his decease.

The Danes took and burned the city of Paris, and they conquered,
settled, and gave its name to the present country of Normandy. {41}

It would throw no light on the subject of the present inquiry to notice
the quarrels, the feuds, and revolutions, that took place during the dark
ages, and the reign of the feudal system, previously to the time of the
crusades; when a wild romantic spirit extended civilization a little
more widely than before, and laid the foundation for a new order of
things, and a new species of wealth and power, different from those of
the ancient world, the extent of which was bounded by the fertile
regions of the south.

The first holy war took place in the eleventh century, and commerce
and industry were introduced into the north of Europe very soon after.
The Danes, who alone had power by sea in those times, exercised it by
piracies and seizing all merchant vessels; particularly such as passed
the Sound, from the Baltic to the North Sea. This rendered it necessary
for the cities that had commerce to carry on to associate for the sake of
protection, as the Arabian merchants had formerly done by land, and
do to this day, to prevent being robbed by those who live by hunting
and depredation.

This gave rise to the famous Hanseatic League, which began to
become formidable towards the end of the twelfth century. {42}

As men living in northern countries have many wants unknown to
those of the south, so the industry that began on the borders of the

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{41} They were equally successful in England, but that country was
not then to be considered as making any part of that world, with the
revolutions of which this inquiry is connected.

{42} There is a dispute relative to this: but, as no writers give it a
later date, and some give it an earlier one, it is certain that it m