German Society at the Close of the Middle AgesBax, Ernest Belfort
History
German Society at the Close of the Middle Ages
Bax, Ernest Belfort
Germany -- Social conditions; Reformation -- Germany
"(11) Through the voyaging of German Merchants to Portugal there
ariseth great evil, in that in Lisabon, because of the shipping from
Portugal to the Indies with Spices and other matters, there be great
Storehouses and very bold buying and selling, such as can in no wise
else exist in one place, and therefore in that place ariseth the great
due and enhancement of every manner of Spice and Ware which are borne
away from thence, the same also with the pennyworths which they use
up even in Portugal, and may not succeed with till they be once more
shipped from the Indies to that city. To this end must every Ware that
cometh from Portugal be ventured on the sea by Germans and be bound
upon the Wheel of Fortune; and the voyage to Portugal is well-nigh
more fearsome and dangerous than is that to the Indies. In few years
on this same sea hath the worth of fifteen hundreds of thousands
of Gulden been drowned and perished; and yet nevertheless are the
Merchant folk, who have inherited but little, become so unspeakably
rich. Therefore shall all shipping to Portugal be forbidden; the
Portuguese shall themselves take in hand the venture and their Wares,
and those that they may not keep they shall bring to Germany; for if
one doth not thus pursue them, they must perforce sell at a lesser
price. Others do affirm, indeed, that if the Portuguese do bring their
Wares to Antorff (Antwerp), then would the great Companies find there
also means to buy up the Wares; and the King of Portugal may be moved
to get the Ware to Danzig or Egen Merten (Aigues Mortes) in France,
so that the Germans must fetch them thence. But others would show,
forsooth, that because of his receiving of the metals he cannot spare
Germany, and without them he can do no trade to the Indies; one must
therefore but hinder his receiving of the metals, and thus shall one
compel him not to trade to France.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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