Japanese envoy: Is the sale and purchase of land in Amsterdam freely permitted?
Dutch merchant: Certainly it is free.
Envoy: Do you sell land to foreigners also?
Merchant: Yes, as long as a foreigner is willing to pay for the land, we would sell any amount of it to any person
Envoy: Then, suppose a foreigner were to put down a large sum of money to purchase a great tract of land in order to build a fortress, would you allow that too?
Merchant: We never had occasion to think of such a case. Even though there are many rich men in England and France and other countries, we do not believe any merchant would spend money on such a venture.
