ENDNOTES

[Footnote 1: "All the foreign merchants who resided at Bruges, with the exception of a few Spaniards, established themselves here about the year 1516, to the great disadvantage of Bruges and to the advantage of Antwerp."—Le Guicciardini, Description of the Low Countries. Arnhem, 1617, p. 113.]

[Footnote 2: C. Schibanius, in his Origines Antwerpien Sum, says that he has often seen in the Scheldt twenty-five hundred vessels, many of which were detained at anchor for two or three weeks before being able to approach the wharf.]

[Footnote 3: The stables, and coach-houses used by this company for transportation still exist at Antwerp. Although they are now occupied as barracks, they preserve their original name—Hessenhaus.]

[Footnote 4: See the statistics of population given by Schibanius in the History of Antwerp, by Mertens & Torfo, Part IV., ch. v.]

[Footnote 5: The inhabitants of Antwerp are experienced and skilled in commercial affairs, and although they may not have left their own country the greater part of them, even the women, can speak four, five, and sometimes seven different languages.]

[Footnote 6: "The nobles of Netherlands do not engage in commerce like the Italian noblemen from Venice, Florence, Genoa, and Lucca."—L. Guiccardini, Description of the Low Countries, p. 140.]

[Footnote 7: "Two well-known Italian merchants, both of noble birth, natives of Lucca, who were great friends." Van Mertens, History of the Low Countries, Vol. I.]

[Footnote 8: The bailiff (schoat) was the representative of the prince in the prosecution of crimes. He alone, and his agents by his orders, could make arrests, except in cases of flagrant crime or of persons lying in wait. This high functionary was also called the margrave, because the margrave of the Low Countries was, in virtue of that office, the bailiff of the city of Antwerp.]

[Footnote 9: "It is estimated that three thousand new houses were either erected by himself, or by others through his assistance."—Mertens & Torfo, History of Antwerp.]

[Footnote 10: This church was demolished at the commencement of this century. The spot upon which it stood is now called the "Plain of Saint Walburga."]

[Footnote 11: In the History of Antwerp, by Mertens & Torfo, Part IV., chapter iii., is found a view of the city, from the banks of the Scheldt, as it was in 1556, and details concerning the principal edifices.]

[Footnote 12: "Geronimo went to Simon and demanded payment of the sum lent, and for which he held a note. Turchi made various excuses, and put off payment from day to day."—Matteo Bandello.]

[Footnote 13: "A fierce desire of vengeance took possession of Simon, and he sought to kill Geronimo."—Matieo Bandello.]

[Footnote 14: A measure of four pints.]

[Footnote 15: "One night, when passing through the streets, he received from the hands of an enemy an ugly wound in the face. He suspected Geronimo of having inflicted it; in which he was mistaken, for the author of the attack was afterwards discovered."—Matteo Bandello.]

[Footnote 16: "After Simon Turchi had determined to revenge himself, and after long consideration, he ordered a large wooden arm-chair, to which were attached two iron bars, so arranged that whoever should sit down in it would be caught by the legs below the knees, and would be unable to move."—Van Meteren, History of the Low Countries.]

[Footnote 17: "Geronimo, a merchant from Lyons desires to see you, but as he does not wish to be known at Antwerp now, he is concealed in my garden. He begs that you will meet him there."—Matteo Bandello.]

[Footnote 18: "This chair being made, he told one of his servants, named Julio, who was proscribed in Italy, and under sentence of death."—Van Meteren, History of the Low Countries.]

[Footnote 19: "And the said Julio pushed Geronimo into a large arm-chair, which sprang and closed."—Origin and Genealogy of the Dukes and Duchesses of Brabant. Antwerp, 1565; p. 308.]

[Footnote 20: "In the cellar … in a grave which had been prepared by the said Julio to bury Geronimo after the commission of the murder."—Origin and Genealogy of the Dukes and Duchesses of Brabant.]

[Footnote 21: Order and Proclamation of Messire Van Schoonhoven, bailiff, and of the Burgomaster, Constables, and Council of the city of Antwerp:

"It having come to the knowledge of the bailiff, burgomaster, and constables of this city that Geronimo Deodati, a merchant of Lucca, went out yesterday afternoon, about four o'clock, from his residence in this city, near the Convent of the Dominicans, and that he was seen for the last time beyond the Square of Meir, and since then he has not been heard of, and we know not what has become of him, so that there is great suspicion that the said Geronimo has been maltreated, or even put to death; therefore, the magistrates of the same city do proclaim that he who first will give information as to what has become of the said Geronimo, will receive the sum of three hundred florins."—Extract from the "Book of Laws of the City of Antwerp."]

[Footnote 22: "The bailiff said that the magistrates had determined to search all the stables, cellars, and gardens, to discover whether the ground in any of these places had been recently dug."—E. Van Meteren, History of the Low Countries.]

[Footnote 23: "Simon Turchi was known to be a perverse and immoral man; in a word, he was a compound of every vice and every evil inclination."—Matteo Bandello.]

[Footnote 24: "Go and do what I have commanded you. Disinter the body, take it on your shoulders and cast it into the sewer which is in the square where the three streets meet."—Simon Turchi.—Matteo Bandello.]

[Footnote 25: "I will send Bernardo to help you, and I will order him to obey you, whatever you may command. When you have thrown the body into the sewer, you can, by a quick movement, push Bernardo in also. The sewer is deep, and whoever falls into it is immediately drowned."—Matteo Bandello.]

[Footnote 26: "Simon Turchi begged Julio to take the crime upon himself."—Van Meteren, History of the Low Countries.]