wn; the old is but a small part of it, and few
merchants reside there. The ships of greatest burden come up within two
miles of the city; the lesser ships, whereof there be a great number, and
the great boats, come up within the town to the very doors of their
houses, by the branches of the Elbe, to the great advantage of their
trading.

This city is much greater than Luebeck, fuller of trade and wealth, and
better situated for commerce, being nearer to England, the Netherlands,
France, Spain, and all the southern and western parts; and they are not
to pass the Sound in coming home again. The staple of English cloth is
here, and the cloths being brought hither for the most part white, it
sets on work many hundreds of their people to dress and dye and fit them;
and the inhabitants of all Germany and other countries do send and buy
their cloth here. At this time of Whitelocke's being here, there lay in
the Elbe four English ships which brought cloth hither; one of them
carried twenty-five pieces of ordnance, the least fifteen, all of good
force; and the English cloth at this time in them was estimated to be
worth L200,000 sterling.

In consideration of this trade and the staple of English cloth settled
here, which brings wealth to this city, the Government here hath granted
great privileges to the English merchants residing in this place, and
they are part of the company or corporation of Merchant Adventurers of
England,--an ancient and honourable society, of which Whitelocke had the
favour honorarily to be here admitted a member.

_June 16, 1654._

[SN: The judicial institutions of Hamburg.]

Whitelocke, being, through the goodness of God, well recovered of his
distemper, went abroad this day, and was shown the Town-house, which is a
fair and handsome building, of the like fashion, but more large and
beautiful, than that at Luebeck, and much better furnished. Here are many
chambers for public councils and tribunals; some of them have their
pillars covered with copper, and pavements of Italian marble; they have
also rich hangings, and chairs of velvet, blue, and green, and rare
pictures. The Chamber of Audience, as they call it, is the court of
justice, where the Right-herrs, who are in the nature of sheriffs, do sit
to despatch and determine the causes of the citizens; and if the cause
exceed the value of a hundred dollars, an appeal lies to the Senate, as
it doth also in all causes criminal.

From the Senate th