The　National　System　of　Political　Economy
  by　Friedrich　List
  translated　by　Sampson　S。　Lloyd；　1885
  First　Book：　The　History
  Chapter　1
  The　Italians
  At　the　revival　of　civilisation　in　Europe；　no　county　was　in　so
  favourable　a　position　as　Italy　in　respect　to　commerce　and　industry。
  Barbarism　had　not　been　able　entirely　to　eradicate　the　culture　and
  civilisation　of　ancient　Rome。　A　genial　climate　and　a　fertile　soil；
  notwithstanding　an　unskilful　system　of　cultivation；　yielded
  abundant　nourishment　for　a　numerous　population。　The　most　necessary
  arts　and　industries　remained　as　little　destroyed　as　the　municipal
  institutions　of　ancient　Rome。　Prosperous　coast　fisheries　served
  everywhere　as　nurseries　for　seamen；　and　navigation　along　Italy's
  extensive　sea…coasts　abundantly　compensated　her　lack　of　internal
  means　of　transport。　Her　proximity　to　Greece；　Asia　Minor；　and　Egypt；
  and　her　maritime　intercourse　with　them；　secured　for　Italy　special
  advantages　in　the　trade　with　the　East　which　had　previously；　though
  not　extensively；　been　carried　on　through　Russia　with　the　countries
  of　the　North。　By　means　of　this　commercial　intercourse　Italy
  necessarily　acquired　those　branches　of　knowledge　and　those　arts　and
  manufactures　which　Greece　had　preserved　from　the　civilisation　of
  ancient　times。
  From　the　period　of　the　emancipation　of　the　Italian　cities　by
  Otho　the　Great；　they　gave　evidence　of　what　history　was　testified
  alike　in　earlier　and　later　times；　namely；　that　freedom　and　industry
  are　inseparable　companions；　even　although　not　unfrequently　the　one
  has　come　into　existence　before　the　other。　If　commerce　and　industry
  are　flourishing　anywhere；　one　may　be　certain　that　there　freedom　is
  nigh　at　hand：　if　anywhere　Freedom　was　unfolded　her　banner；　it　is　as
  certain　that　sooner　or　later　industry　will　there　establish　herself；
  for　nothing　is　more　natural　than　that　when　man　has　acquired
  material　or　mental　wealth　he　should　strive　to　obtain　guarantees　for
  the　transmission　of　his　acquisitions　to　his　successors；　or　that
  when　he　has　acquired　freedom；　he　should　devote　all　his　energies　to
  improve　his　physical　and　intellectual　condition。
  For　the　first　time　since　the　downfall　of　the　free　states　of
  antiquity　was　the　spectacle　again　presented　to　the　world　by　the
  cities　of　Italy　of　free　and　rich　communities。　Cities　and
  territories　reciprocally　rose　to　a　state　of　prosperity　and　received
  a　powerful　impulse　in　that　direction　from　the　Crusades。　The
  transport　of　the　Crusaders　and　their　baggage　and　material　of　war
  not　only　benefited　Italy's　navigation；　it　afforded　also　inducements
  and　opportunities　for　the　conclusion　of　advantageous　commercial
  relations　with　the　East　for　the　introduction　of　new　industries；
  inventions；　and　plants；　and　for　acquaintance　with　new　enjoyments。
  On　the　other　hand；　the　oppressions　of　feudal　lordship　were　weakened
  and　diminished　in　manifold　ways；　owing　to　the　same　cause；　tending
  to　the　greater　freedom　of　the　cities　and　of　the　cultivation　of　the
  soil。
  Next　after　Venice　and　Genoa；　Florence　became　especially
  conspicuous　for　her　manufactures　and　her　monetary　exchange
  business。　Already；　in　the　twelfth　and　thirteenth　centuries；　her
  silk　and　woollen　manufactures　were　very　flourishing；　the　guilds　of
  those　trades　took　part　in　the　government；　and　under　their　influence
  the　Republic　was　constituted。　The　woollen　manufacture　alone
  employed　200　manufactories；　which　produced　annually　80；000　pieces
  of　cloth；　the　raw　material　for　which　was　imported　from　Spain。　In
  addition　to　these；　raw　cloth　to　the　amount　of　300；000　gold　gulden
  was　imported　annually　from　Spain；　France；　Belgium；　and　Germany；
  which；　after　being　finished　at　Florence；　was　exported　to　the
  Levant。　Florence　conducted　the　banking　business　of　the　whole　of
  Italy；　and　contained　eighty　banking　establishments。（1*）　The　annual
  revenue　of　her　Government　amounted　to　300；000　gold　gulden　（fifteen
  million　francs　of　our　present　money）；　considerably　more　than　the
  revenue　of　the　kingdoms　of　Naples　and　Aragon　at　that　period；　and
  more　than　that　of　Great　Britain　and　Ireland　under　Queen
  Elizabeth。（2*）
  We　thus　see　Italy　in　the　twelfth　and　thirteenth　centuries
  possessing　all　the　elements　of　national　economical　prosperity；　and
  in　respect　of　both　commerce　and　industry　far　in　advance　of　all
  other　nations。　Her　agriculture　and　her　manufactures　served　as
  patterns　and　as　motives　for　emulation　to　other　countries。　Her　roads
  and　canals　were　the　best　in　Europe。　The　civilised　world　is　indebted
  to　her　for　banking　institutions；　the　mariner's　compass；　improved
  naval　architecture；　the　system　of　exchanges；　and　a　host　of　the　most
  useful　commercial　customs　and　commercial　laws；　as　well　as　for　a
  great　part　of　its　municipal　and　governmental　institutions。　Her
  commercial；　marine；　and　naval　power　were　by　far　the　most　important
  in　the　southern　seas。　She　was　in　possession　of　the　trade　of　the
  world；　for；　with　the　exception　of　the　unimportant　portion　of　it
  carried　on　over　the　northern　seas；　that　trade　was　confined　to　the
  Mediterranean　and　the　Black　Sea。　She　supplied　all　nations　with
  manufactures；　with　articles　of　luxury；　and　with　tropical　products；
  and　was　supplied　by　them　with　raw　materials。　One　thing　alone　was
  wanting　to　Italy　to　enable　her　to　become　what　England　has　become　in
  our　days；　and　because　that　one　thing　was　wanting　to　her；　every
  other　element　of　prosperity　passed　away　from　her；　she　lacked
  national　union　and　the　power　which　springs　from　it。　The　cities　and
  ruling　powers　of　Italy　did　not　act　as　members　of　one　body；　but　made
  war　on　and　ravaged　one　another　like　independent　powers　and　states。
  While　these　wars　raged　externally；　each　commonwealth　was
  successively　overthrown　by　the　internal　conflicts　between
  democracy；　aristocracy；　and　autocracy。　These　conflicts；　so
  destructive　to　national　prosperity；　were　stimulated　and　increased
  by　foreign　powers　and　their　invasions；　and　by　the　power　of　the
  priesthood　at　home　and　its　pernicious　influence；　whereby　the
  separate　Italian　communities　were　arrayed　against　one　another　in
  two　hostile　factions。
  How　Italy　thus　destroyed　herself　may　be　best　learned　from　the
  history　of　her　maritime　states。　We　first　see　Amalfi　great　and
  powerful　（from　the　eighth　to　the　eleventh　century）。（3*）　Her　ships
  covered　the　seas；　and　all　the　coin　which　passed　current　in　Italy
  and　the　Levant　was　that　of　Amalfi。　She　possessed　the　most　practical
  code　of　maritime　laws；　and　those　laws　were　in　force　in　every　port
  of　the　Mediterranean。　In　the　twelfth　century　her　naval　power　was
  destroyed　by　Pisa；　Pisa　in　her　turn　fell　under　the　attacks　of
  Genoa；　and　Genoa　herself；　after　a　conflict　of　a　hundred　years；　was
  compelled　to　succumb　to　Venice。
  The　fall　of　Venice　herself　appears　to　have　indirectly　resulted
  from　this　narrow…minded　policy。　To　a　league　of　Italian　naval　powers
  it　could　not　have　been　a　difficult　task；　not　merely　to　maintain　and
  uphold　the　preponderance　of　Italy　in　Greece；　Asia　Minor；　the
  Archipelago；　and　Egypt；　but　continually　to　extend　and　strengthen
  it；　or　to　curb　the　progress　of　the　Turks　on　land　and　repress　their
  piracies　at　sea；　while　contesting　with　the　Portuguese　the　passage
  round　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。
  As　matters　actually　stood；　however；　Venice　was　not　merely　left
  to　her　own　resources；　she　found　herself　crippled　by　the　external
  attacks　of　her　sister　states　and　of　the　neighbonring　European
  powers。
  It　could　not　have　proved　a　difficult　task　to　a　well…organised
  league　of　Italian　military　powers　to　defend　the　independence　of
  Italy　against　the　aggression　of　the　great　monarchies。　The　attempt
  to　form　such　a　league　was　actually　made　in　1526；　but　then　not　until
  the　moment　of　actual　danger　and　only　for　temporary　defence。　The
  lukewarmness　and　treachery　of　the　leaders　and　members　of　this
  league　were　the　cause　of　the　subsequent　subjugation　of　Milan　and
  the　fall　of　the　Tuscan　Republic。　From　that　period　must　be　dated　the
  downfall　of　the　industry　and　commerce　of　Italy。（4*）
  In　her　earlier　as　well　as　in　her　later　history　Venice　aimed　at
  being　a　nation　for　herself　alone。　So　long　as　she　had　to　deal　only
  with　petty　Italian　powers　or　with　decrepid　Greece；　she　had　no
  difficulty　in　maintaining　a　supremacy　in　manufactures　and　commerce
  through　the　countries　bordering　on　the　Mediterranean　and　Black
  Seas。　As　soon；　however；　as　united　and　vigorous　nations　appeared　on