That they might protect themselves against pirates and
excessive tolls and annoying legislation, the merchants of the
north founded a protective league which was called the
``Hansa.'' The Hansa, which had its headquarters in Lubeck,
was a voluntary association of more than one hundred cities.
The association maintained a navy of its own which patrolled
the seas and fought and defeated the Kings of England and
Denmark when they dared to interfere with the rights and the
privileges of the mighty Hanseatic merchants.
I wish that I had more space to tell you some of the wonderful
stories of this strange commerce which was carried on
across the high mountains and across the deep seas amidst
such dangers that every voyage became a glorious adventure.
But it would take several volumes and it cannot be done here.
Besides, I hope that I have told you enough about the Middle
Ages to make you curious to read more in the excellent books
of which I shall give you a list at the end of this volume.
The Middle Ages, as I have tried to show you, had been a
period of very slow progress. The people who were in power
believed that ``progress'' was a very undesirable invention of
the Evil One and ought to be discouraged, and as they hap-
pened to occupy the seats of the mighty, it was easy to enforce
their will upon the patient serfs and the illiterate knights.
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