CHAP. XXVI.
811
changes of fashion, yet there was sufficient of bothto afford good occupation to numerous goldsmiths,watchmakers, and jewellers, in Amsterdam, Rot-terdam, Haerlem, and Utrecht . In the BelgianNetherlands, too, since its junction with Holland ,there was a general appearance of ease among theinhabitants, and a most manifest rapid increase ofgeneral prosperity under which the use of goldand silver utensils and decorations had been ex-tensively diffused. It is as needless to speak ofthe misery produced by the reverse that has takenplace in the condition of those states, as it is tospeculate on what will be their future lot.
In the southern kingdoms of Spain and Por-tugal there has recently been but a smallportion of the precious metals in any other formthan that of coin. Much of the silver and goldwhich the several religious establishments in thosecountries possessed, and it was probably thelargest portion, had been seized during thecalamities which the invasion and the civil com-motions had inflicted on them. How far thesubsequent intervals of tranquillity had restored aportion of what had been confiscated, it is difficultto ascertain. In the several states of the Italianpeninsula there is so much poverty among thegreat mass of the population, that we cannotestimate the use of the precious metals at a highrate. It is true there is a tendency to mag-