For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Is come to nought - `is desolated.'
Shipmaster - `pilot.'
All the company in ships. 'Aleph (') A C, Vulgate, Syriac, read, 'every one who saileth to a place' (B has ' ... to the place'): every voyager. Vessels were freighted with pilgrims to various shrines, so that in one month (1300 AD) 200,000 pilgrims were counted in Rome (D' Aubigne, 'Reformation'): a gain, not only to the papal see, but to shipmasters, merchants, etc. These are not restricted to literal 'shipmasters,' etc., but mainly refer to all who share in the spiritual traffic of apostate Christendom.