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The most important emigrations of skilled foreigners from Europe to England, were occasioned by the religious persecutions which prevailed in Flanders and France for a considerable period after the Reformation. There were two great waves of foreign population then flowed over from Europe into England, — probably the largest which have occurred since the date of the Saxon settlement. The first took place in the latter half of the sixteenth century, and consisted partly of French, but principally of Flemish Protestants; the second, towards the end of the seventeenth century, consisted almost entirely of French Huguenots. The loss which this occasioned to France was not far short of a million of persons, and these were her best and most industrious subjects. The circumstances connected with this remarkable exodus, exercised an important influence on the political, religious, and industrial history of Northern Europe.