This peace once concluded, the industry and perseverance of the inhabitants of the Netherlands repaired in a short time the evils caused by so many wars, excited by the ambition of princes, but in scarcely any instance for the interest of the country.  Little, however, was wanting to endanger this tranquillity, and to excite the people against each other on the score of religious dissension.  The sect of Anabaptists, whose wild opinions were subversive of all principles of social order and every sentiment of natural decency, had its birth in Germany, and found many proselytes in the Netherlands.  John Bokelszoon, a tailor of Leyden, one of the number, caused himself to be proclaimed king of Jerusalem; and making himself master of the town of Munster, sent out his disciples to preach in the neighboring countries.  Mary, sister of Charles V., and queen-dowager of Hungary, the stadtholderess of the Netherlands, proposed a crusade against this fanatic; which was, however, totally discountenanced by the states.  Encouraged by impunity, whole troops of these infuriate sectarians, from the very extremities of Hainault, put themselves into motion for Munster; and notwithstanding the colds of February, they marched along, quite naked, according to the system of their sect.  The frenzy of these fanatics being increased by persecution, they projected attempts against several towns, and particularly against Amsterdam.  They were easily defeated, and massacred without mercy; and it was only by multiplied and horrible executions that their numbers were at length diminished.  John Bokelszoon held out at Munster, which was besieged by the bishop and the neighboring princes.  This profligate fanatic, who had married no less than seventeen women, had gained considerable influence over the insensate multitude; but he was at length taken and imprisoned in an iron cage—­an event which undeceived the greater number of those whom he had persuaded of his superhuman powers.

The prosperity of the southern provinces proceeded rapidly and uninterruptedly, in consequence of the great and valuable traffic of the merchants of Flanders and Brabant, who exchanged their goods of native manufacture for the riches drawn from America and India by the Spaniards and Portuguese.  Antwerp had succeeded to Bruges as the general mart of commerce, and was the most opulent town of the north of Europe.  The expenses, estimated at one hundred and thirty thousand golden crowns, which this city voluntarily incurred, to do honor to the visit of Philip, son of Charles V., are cited as a proof of its wealth.  The value of the wool annually imported for manufacture into the Low Countries from England and Spain was calculated at four million pieces of gold.  Their herring fishery was unrivalled; for even the Scotch, on whose coasts these fish were taken, did not attempt a competition with the Zealanders.  But the chief seat of prosperity was the south.  Flanders alone was taxed for one-third of the general burdens of the state.  Brabant paid only one-seventh less than Flanders.  So that these two rich provinces contributed thirteen out of twenty-one parts of the general contribution; and all the rest combined but eight.  A search for further or minuter proofs of the comparative state of the various divisions of the country would be superfluous.