Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/508

480 FERDINAND AND ISABELLA. PART II. it in later times. ^^^ The precious metals, instead of flowing in so abundantly as to palsj the arm of industry, served only to stimulate it. ^^^ The foreign intercourse of the country was every day more widely extended. Her agents and con- suls were to be found in all the principal ports of the Mediterranean and the Baltic. ^^'^ The Span- ish mariner, instead of creeping along the beaten track of inland navigation, now struck boldly across the great western ocean. The new discoveries 125 It is only necessary to no- tice the contemptuous language of Philip II. 's laws, which designate the most useful mechanic arts, as those of blacksmiths, shoemakers, leather-dressers, and the like, as " oficios vilcs y baxos.'" A whimsical distinction prevails in Castile, in reference to the more humble occupations. A man of gentle blood may be a coachman, lacquey, scullion, or any other me- nial, without disparaging his nobil- ity, which is said to sleep in the mean while. But he fixes on it an indelible stain, if he exercises any mechanical vocation. "Hence," says Capmany, " I have often seen a village in this province, in which the vagabonds, smugglers, and hangmen even, were natives, while the farrier, shoemaker, &c. was a foreigner." (Mem. de Barcelona, lom. i. part. 3, p. 40 ; tom. iii. part. 2, pp. 317, 318.) See also some sensible remarks on the sub- ject, by Blanco White, the ingen- ious author of Doblado's Letters from Spain, p. 44. 126 "The interval between the acquisition of money, and the rise of prices," Ilunic observes, " is the only time when increasing gold and silver are favorable to indus- try." (Essays, part 2, essay 3.) An ordinance of June 13th, 1497, complains of the scarcity of the precious metals, and their insuffi- ciency to the demands of trade. (Pragmaticas del Reyno, fol. 93.) It appears, however, from Zuiliga, that the importation of gold from the New World began to have a sensible effect on the prices of com- modities, from that very year. An- nales de Sevilla, p. 415. 1-7 Mr. Turner has made several extracts from the Harleian MSS., showing that the trade of Castile with England was very considera- ble in Isabella's time. (History of England, vol. iv. p. 90.) A prag- matic of July 21st, 1494, for the erection of a consulate at Burgos, notices the commercial establish- ments in England, France, Italy, and the Low Countries. Tiiis tri- bunal, with other extensive privi- leges, was empowered to hear and determine suits between mercliants ; " vvliich," says the plain spoken ordinance, "in the liands of law- yers are never brouglil to a close ; porque se presentauan escritos y libelos de letrados de manera que por mal pleyto que fuesse le soste- nian los letrados de manera que los hazian ii)i?)ior/alcs.'" (Pragmaticas del Reyno, fol. 14G-148.) This institution rose soon to be of the greatest importance in Castile.