PAGE. Establishment of Cities-Advantages of Cities.-Proper situations for Commercial Cities - Athens Corinth- Syracuse. Markets and Fairs-Festivals Ancient Legislation with regard to Fairs. Monetary and Banking Origin of Navigation. Rise of Tyre and Carthage. Ma- ritime Power-Influence of Navigation on Commerce- Advantages of an Insular Situation-Ships of the An- cients-Long Voyages-Carrying Trade. Manufactures —Weaving—Dyeing—Working of Metals-Pottery— Tanning. Colonies-Colonial Trade-Rate of Wages —Emigration. Accumulation of Capital-Credit-Bot- PAGE. of the Romans-Influence of War upon Commerce. Conquests of the Romans-Influence of extended Em- pire upon Commerce. Slavery of the Romans-In- Origin of Luxury. India-Its Social Institutions. Pro- ductions Spices Precious Stones - Silk. India Commerce previous to the time of Alexander the Great. Conquests of Alexander. Alexandria founded. Con- quest of Egypt by the Romans. Silk sold at Rome for its weight in gold. Conquest of Egypt by the Maho- metans. Importation of Silk Worms into Europe. Discovery of the Passage to India by the Cape of Good LECTURE I. THE COMMERCE OF ANCIENT EGYPT. Origin of Commerce. History of Egypt. Productions-Corn-Linen-Horses-Paper. Con sumption-Food-Dress-Houses-Embalm- Ships. Arts and Geometry-Computation-Money. Commercial Laws-Tenure of Land-CastsFemale Traders — Imprisonment for DebtTrial after Death. Commercial Character of the Egyptians. You have already been informed that the present course of lectures will be upon the History of Ancient Commerce. It occurred to me that I could not fix upon a subject more important or more interesting. We are indebted to commerce for a vast portion of the comforts we possess. Many articles of our food, the B materials of our clothing, the timber with which we construct our habitations, the various luxuries of life, and the medicines which save us from death, are, for the most part, the productions of foreign lands. Providence has appointed that the different countries of the world should have different climates; should have a variety of soils; should be capable of producing different kinds of vegetable and animal substances, and should contain beneath their surface metals and minerals of various kinds. Had the world been differently constituted, did each country possess the same length of day and night, the same degree of heat and cold, the same kind of soil, the same appearances on its surface, and yield; in every respect, the same kind of productions, there would be no commerce between the different portions of the globe. Each country would possess in itself every kind of commodity that existed in the world. It could not receive anything which it did not previously enjoy, nor could it give in exchange anything but what the other party had already in pos |