, King of France; the principal article of which was, that the
Swedes should import their wine, salt, &c. directly from France, instead of
obtaining them indirectly from the Dutch. The conquest of Revel by Sweden,
and the consequent footing obtained in Livonia, in 1560, greatly increased
its commerce and wealth; while important improvements were introduced into
its manufactures of iron a few years afterwards by the Flemings, who fled
there on the destruction of Antwerp. Prior to their arrival, most of the
Swedish iron was forged in Dantzic and Prussia; but they not only taught
the Swedes how to forge it, but also how to make iron cannon, and other
iron, copper, and brass articles. The Swedes had from an early period, been
sensible of the real riches of their territory, and how much their timber,
iron, pitch, and tar, were converted for maritime and other purposes. The
pitch and tar manufacture especially had long constituted a very
considerable part of their commerce. In 1647, Queen Christiana very
unwisely granted a monopoly of these articles, which was productive of the
usual effects, injury to commerce, without a correspondent benefit to those
who held it. In the beginning of the eighteenth century, the tar company in
Sweden not only put a very high price on their goods, but refused to sell
them, even for ready money, unless they were exported in Swedish vessels.
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