nhabited by a
tribe of heathen Sclavonians, were subdued by some German princes; and
the Teutonic order some time afterwards, having conquered Prussia,
extended a line of at least comparative civilization as far as the gulf
of Finland. The first town erected on the coasts of the Baltic was
Lubec, which owes its foundation to Adolphus count of Holstein, in 1140.
After several vicissitudes it became independent of any sovereign but
the emperor in the thirteenth century. Hamburgh and Bremen, upon the
other side of the Cimbric peninsula, emulated the prosperity of Lubec;
the former city purchased independence of its bishop in 1225. A colony
from Bremen founded Riga in Livonia about 1162. The city of Dantzic grew
into importance about the end of the following century. Konigsberg was
founded by Ottocar king of Bohemia in the same age.

But the real importance of these cities is to be dated from their
famous union into the Hanseatic confederacy. The origin of this is
rather obscure, but it may certainly be nearly referred in point of time
to the middle of the thirteenth century,[591] and accounted for by the
necessity of mutual defence, which piracy by sea and pillage by land had
taught the merchants of Germany. The nobles endeavoured to obstruct the
formation of this league, which indeed was in great measure designed to
withstand their exactions. It powerfully maintained the influence which
the free imperial cities were at this time acquiring. Eighty of the most
considerable places constituted the Hanseatic confederacy, divided into
four colleges, whereof Lubec, Cologne, Brunswic, and Dantzic were the
leading towns. Lubec held the chief rank, and became, as it were, the
patriarchal see of the league; whose province it was to preside in all
general discussions for mercantile, political, or military purposes, and
to carry them into execution. The league had four principal factories in
foreign parts, at London, Bruges, Bergen, and Novogorod; endowed by the
sovereigns of those cities with considerable privileges, to which every
merchant belonging to a Hanseatic town was entitled.[592] In England the
German guildhall or factory was established by concession of Henry III.;
and in later periods the Hanse traders were favoured above many others
in the capricious vacillations of our mercantile policy.[593] The
English had also their factories on the Baltic coast as far as Prussia
and in the dominions of Denmark.[594]

[Sidenote: Rapi