the Trojan war, and discovered a giant, rejoicing in the classic name of Antigonus, established on the Scheld.  This patriarch exacted one half the merchandise of all navigators who passed his castle, and was accustomed to amputate and cast into the river the right hands of those who infringed this simple tariff.  Thus Hand-werpen, hand-throwing, became Antwerp, and hence, two hands, in the escutcheon of the city, were ever held up in heraldic attestation of the truth.  The giant was, in his turn, thrown into the Scheld by a hero, named Brabo, from whose exploits Brabant derived its name; “de quo Brabonica tellus.”  But for these antiquarian researches, a simpler derivation of the name would seem an t’ werf, “on the wharf.”  It had now become the principal entrepot and exchange of Europe.  The Huggers, Velsens, Ostetts, of Germany, the Gualterotti and Bonvisi of Italy, and many other great mercantile houses were there established.  No city, except Paris, surpassed it in population, none approached it in commercial splendor.  Its government was very free.  The sovereign, as Marquis of Antwerp, was solemnly sworn to govern according to the ancient charters and laws.  The stadholder, as his representative, shared his authority with the four estates of the city.  The Senate of eighteen members was appointed by the stadholder out of a quadruple number nominated by the Senate itself and by the fourth body, called the Borgery.  Half the board was thus renewed annually.  It exercised executive and appellate judicial functions, appointed two burgomasters, and two pensionaries or legal councillors, and also selected the lesser magistrates and officials of the city.  The board of ancients or ex-senators, held their seats ex officio.  The twenty-six ward-masters, appointed, two from each ward, by the Senate on nomination by tie wards, formed the third estate.  Their especial business was to enrol the militia and to attend to its mustering and training.  The deans of the guilds, fifty-four in number, two from each guild, selected by the Senate, from a triple list of candidates presented by the guilds, composed the fourth estate.  This influential body was always assembled in the broad-council of the city.  Their duty was likewise to conduct the examination of candidates claiming admittance to any guild and offering specimens of art or handiwork, to superintend the general affairs of the guilds and to regulate disputes.

There were also two important functionaries, representing the king in criminal and civil matters.  The Vicarius capitalis, Scultetus, Schout, Sheriff, or Margrave, took precedence of all magistrates.  His business was to superintend criminal arrests, trials, and executions.  The Vicarius civilis was called the Amman, and his office corresponded with that of the Podesta in the Frisian and Italian republics.  His duties were nearly similar, in civil, to those of his colleague, in criminal matters.

These four branches, with their functionaries and dependents, composed the commonwealth of Antwerp.  Assembled together in council, they constituted the great and general court.  No tax could be imposed by the sovereign, except with consent of the four branches, all voting separately.