Section 195. The Hanse. II

In Russia the Hanse found a valuable and most virgin field⁠ for its commercial enterprises. Thence it drew⁠ large supplies of timber, flax, hemp, ropes, skins, furs, wax, and tallow; bestowing in return⁠ (for the trade was only one of barter), salt, herrings, and coarse cloth, for the mass of the peasants; and⁠ 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 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, but as a warehouse⁠ for the goods. The chief exports from this quarter were⁠ timber, resin, sperm oil, and, above all⁠, salted fish—a (S. 53, N. 9) commodity⁠ in great demand at a time when Europe was still Catholic and fasted faithfully on the appointed days. The Hanse had⁠ two other large factories, one in Bruges, employing three hundred agents, and another in London.

Year by year⁠ the Hanse grew more rich and powerful. New branches of business were opened up, new factories were founded. Kings and princes were glad⁠ 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 the Diet, to ask⁠ 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 a policy of forcible aggression and imperious monopoly. Not only were foreigners, in⁠ their voyages to (S. 72, N. 4) the Hanse towns, compelled to employ Hanseatic ships, but⁠ the commerce of the north-east and west of Europe was almost exclusively in the hands of the league.

and most virgin field = and hitherto quite unused field.

beziehen, insep. comp. irr. v. tr.

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.

Repeat the preposition gegen here.

Place ‘in — contact’ after ‘Sweden’.

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

= but was also used as a (als) warehouse.

bestanden aus.

= but especially. The prep. aus must be repeated here.

Artikel, m.; in — demand, welcher ... in großer Nachfrage stand.

Supply the adv. noch here.

Von Jahr zu Jahr.

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

= appeared before (vor).

erbitten; favours, Gunstbezeugungen; in return, dafür.

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

auf.

but ... was, sondern es befand sich auch; of = in.