THE AMULET.

CHAPTER I.


Previous to the close of the fifteenth century, the direction taken by
European commerce remained unchanged. America had not been discovered, and
the only known route to India was by land.

Venice, enthroned by her central position as queen of commerce, compelled
the nations of Europe and Asia to convey to her port all the riches of the
world.

One single city, Bruges in Flanders, serving as an international mart for
the people of the North and South, shared, in some measure, the commercial
prosperity of Venice; but popular insurrections and continual civil wars
had induced a large number of foreign merchants to prefer Brabant to
Flanders, and Antwerp was becoming a powerful rival to Bruges.

At this period two great events occurred, by which a new channel was
opened to trade: Christopher Columbus discovered America, and Vasco de
Gama, by doubling the Cape of Good Hope, pointed out a new route to India.
This latter discovery, by presenting another grand highway to the world,
deprived Venice of the peculiar advantages of her situation, and obliged
commerce to seek a new emporium. Portugal and Spain were the most powerful
nations on sea; countless ships left their ports for the two Indies, and
brought back spices, pearls, and the precious metals for distribution
throughout the Old World. This commercial activity required an emporium in