Touching the trade of this place, Whitelocke learnt that as they are very populous, so few are suffered in idleness, but employed in some way or other of trading, either as merchants, artificers, shopkeepers, or workmen. They have an exchange here, though not a fair one, where they daily meet and confer about their affairs and contracts. The several branches and arms of the river Elbe, which pass along by their houses, afford them the better means and advantages for bringing in and carrying forth their commodities. There is a partition between the old and the new town; 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.]