Kings & rulers > History of the reign of the Emperor Charles V. > Volume 1

344 PROOFS AND ILLUSTRATIONS,
and the extent of its commerce, to Florence. Hieron.
Paulus ap. Schottum Script. Hifp. ii. 844. Marimeut
defcribes Toledo as a large and populous city. A great
number of its inhabitants were perfons of quality and
of illuftrious rank. Its commerce was great. It carried
on with great aflivity and fuccefs the manufaftures of
lilk and wool ; and the number of inhabitants employed
in thefe two branches of trade, amounted nea'ly to ten
thoufand. Marin, ubi fupr. p. 308. I know no city,
fays he, that I would prefer to Valladolid for elegance
and fplendour. Ibid. p. 31a. We may form fome elli-
mate of its populoufnefs from the following circum-
flances. The citizens having taken arms in the year
It 16, in order to oppofe a meafure concerted by car¬
dinal Ximenes, they muftered in the city, and in the
territory which belonged to it, thirty thoufand fighting
men. Sandov. Vida del Emper. Carl. V. tom. i. p. Si.
The manufaflures carried on in the towns of Spain were
not intended merely for home confumption, they were
exported to foreign countries, and their commerce was
a conliderable fource of wealth to the inhabitants. The
maritime laws of Barcelona are the foundation of mer¬
cantile jurifprudence in modern times, as the Leges
Rhodiae were among the ancients. All the commercial
Bates in Italy adopted thefe laws, and regulated their
trade according to them. Sandi Storia Civile Veneziani,
vol. ii. 865. It appears from feveral ordonances of the
kings of France, that the merchants of Aragon and
Caflile were received on the fame footing, and admitted
to the fame privileges with thofe of Italy. Ordonances
desRoys, &c. tom. ii. p. 135. iii. 166. 504. 635. Ci¬
ties in fuch a flourilhing flate became a refpe&able part
of the fociety, and were entitled to a confiderable (hare
in the legiflature. The magill rates of Bin celona afpired
to the higheft honour a Spanilh fubjeft can enjoy, that of
being covered in ihe prefence of their fovereign, and of
being treated as grandees of the kingdom. Origin de la
dignidad de Grande de Caftilla por don Alonfo Carillo.
Jrladr. ifij;. p. 18.