II.

In Russia the Hanse found a valuable and most virgin field[1] for its commercial enterprises. Thence it drew[2] large supplies of timber, flax, hemp, ropes, skins, furs, wax, and tallow; bestowing in return[3] (for the trade was only one of barter), salt, herrings, and coarse cloth, for the mass of the peasants; and[4] brocades, jewels, wines, and other articles of luxury, for the wealthy boyards and princes. A factory at Novgorod conducted these transactions. Another factory at Bergen placed the Hanse in direct contact[5] with Norway and Sweden. This was an establishment of considerable magnitude, comprising twenty-two courts, and serving not only as a lodging for the staff of agents and clerks[6], but as a warehouse[7] _for the goods_. The chief exports from this quarter were[8] timber, resin, sperm oil, _and_, above all[9], salted fish—a (S. 53, N. 9) commodity[10] in great demand at a time when Europe was still Catholic and fasted faithfully on the appointed days. The Hanse had[11] two other large factories, one in Bruges, employing three hundred agents, and another in London.

Year by year[12] the Hanse grew more rich and powerful. New branches of business were opened up, new factories _were_ founded. Kings and princes were glad[13] to be on good terms with so influential a body. Ambassadors from the Kings of England, France, Sweden, and Denmark, and even from the Emperor himself, waited on[14] the Diet, to ask[15] favours, and to offer trading privileges in return. The original object of the league—mutual protection—was reasonable and legitimate, but was gradually expanded into[16] a policy of forcible aggression and imperious monopoly. Not only were foreigners, in[17] their voyages to (S. 72, N. 4) the Hanse towns, compelled to employ Hanseatic ships, but[18] the commerce of the north-east and west of Europe was almost exclusively in the hands of the league.

[1] and most virgin field = and hitherto quite unused field.

[2] +beziehen+, insep. comp. irr. v. tr.

[3] bestowing in return = Liter. which it (+sie+, to agree with +die Hansa+) for (+gegen+) ... exchanged. The verb stands, of course, after ‘princes’, and the clause ‘for — barter’ is best placed after it.

[4] Repeat the preposition +gegen+ here.

[5] Place ‘in — contact’ after ‘Sweden’.

[6] for — clerks, +den Beamten und Unterbeamten+, which place after ‘only’. Render ‘as a’ by +zu+, contracted with the dat. of the def. art.

[7] = but was also used _as a_ (+als+) warehouse.

[8] +bestanden aus+.

[9] = but especially. The prep. +aus+ must be repeated here.

[10] +Artikel+, m.; in — demand, +welcher ... in großer Nachfrage stand+.

[11] Supply the adv. +noch+ here.

[12] +Von Jahr zu Jahr.+

[13] +froh+; to be on good terms, +auf freundschaftlichem Fuß stehen+; with — body, +mit dem mächtigen Städtebunde+, which place after ‘glad’.

[14] = appeared before (+vor+).

[15] +erbitten+; favours, +Gunstbezeugungen+; in return, +dafür+.

[16] +zu+; of — monopoly, +der Gewaltherrschaft und des Monopols+; ‘to expand’, here +umgestalten+.

[17] +auf+.

[18] but ... was, +sondern es befand sich auch+; of = in.

_Section 196._

THE HANSE.