88 ENGLISH, DUTCH, AND GERMAN LANGUAGES. of the mighty chief, whose fame will live as long van de magtige bevelhebber, wiens roem zoo lang zal bestaan des maechtigen befehlshabers, dessen ruhm bestehen wird so lange as the ocean which supported him als de oceaan die hem in zyn triumph als der ocean, der ihn trug in his triumph, shall roll his waves. droeg zyne baaren rollen zal. in seinem triumph, wird seine wellen walzen. No solemn music announced its approach, Geen solemneel muziek verkondigde zyn naadering, keine feierliche musik verkündigte seine ankunft, or closed its melancholy movement. of sloot zyn droevige beweeging. oder beendigte seine melancholische bewegung. A line of mourning coaches succeeded, Een rey van gemeene rouw koetzen volgde, Eine reihe von gemeinen trauerwagen folgte, at unequal distances. in ongelyke aftsanden. in ungleicher entfernung. Many of them, having been left behind, Verscheide zyndeagter af gebleeven, Viele von ihnen, die zurück geblieben waren, drove furiously along the streets, reede met drift door de straaten, fuhren wüthend durch die strassen, ENGLISH, DUTCH, AND GERMAN LANGUAGES. 89 and so closed this public spectacle, en zoo sloot dit algemeen spectakel, und so endigte sich dieses ceffentliche schauspiel, upon which enormous sums were lavished to show voor het welke groote somme weggeworpe waaren omde, auf welches grosse summen sind verschwendet worden, zu zeigen, the nation's love of valour, and its want of taste. N CHAPTER VI. DEXTERITY OF BOATMEN--OVERCHIE--DUTCH GINGERBREAD--A FRENCH SAYING-DELFT CHINA-DELFT-DUTCHMAN'S REMARK ON THE WAR--NEW CHURCH-ANECDOTE OF GROTIUS-AFFECTIONATE STRĄTAGEM—GROTIUS's REMARKS ON EDUCATION—BARNEVELT NOBLE FEMALE ANECDOTE-THE CARILLONS-CARILLONEURS---DUTCH FRUGALITY TOWARDS THE DEAD---REVOLUTIONARY MODERATION---FIRMNESS OF MANUFACTURERS. MY companions continued smoking, and enjoying the delightful novelty of our aquatic conveyance and the surrounding scenery. We met several boats, and the dexterity by which the line was slackened by one boat, to permit the other, which kept its towing mast standing, to pass over the cord, according to the custom which governs this sort of rencontre on the canal, was admirable, as also was the ease and skill with which the skipper who has the care of the line throws it up on one side, and catches it on the other of a bridge under which the boat is obliged to pass. At Overchie, a village about three miles, or one hour from Rotterdam, the houses are close to the water, and little children were playing upon its very margin without VILLAGE OF OVERCHIE. 91 exciting any apprehension. In this town the prospect of a late dinner induced me to taste its gingerbread, for which Holland is very justly celebrated. Before every cottage, brass kettles and pans just cleaned were placed upon stools in the open air, or were polishing under the hands of their indefatigable owners; and even certain utensils shone with such resplendent brightness in the sun, that the wellknown saying which the French whimsically apply to the grave and thoughtful, Il est serieux comme un pot de chambre, would lose the fidelity of its resemblance here. We were passed by several curricles, a very common carriage in this part of Holland, the horses in rope harness, going to and from Rotterdam. In the roof of the boat were some ladies and gentlemen, who, as well as I could discern through the smoke, seemed pleased to see me so with their country. The land all the way on each side was rich pasture. On our left, a short distance from Delft, we passed a cannon foundery, and on our right some potteries, where the Delft china, formerly much prized all over Europe, and which Vandevelt and other eminent artists embellished with their pencils, used to be manufactured in great abundance. These potteries, since last war, have greatly declined, to the severe injury of the adjoining town. N 2 The principal cause of the decay of these potteries has been the vast quantities of porcelain which, for more than a century and a half, have been imported from China into Europe, and the great improvement of that beautiful manufacture in England and Germany. Some years since the earthen-ware of Staffordshire was so much admired in Holland, that to protect the manufacture of Delft from utter ruin, the States General imposed a duty upon its importation into the republic, that nearly amounted to a prohibition. Hence the name of an Englishman is not very popular in Delft. I tasted some excellent beer in this town, which is celebrated for its beer breweries, and produces an admirable imitation of London bottled porter. The town is very ancient and picturesque; at the place where we disembarked, were several treckschuyts moored under an old castellated gateway, from which, preceded by a commissary or licenced porter, who attends the moment the boat arrives, with his wheelbarrow, to convey the luggage of the passengers, we entered Delft, the capital of Delftland, in the province of Holland, and proceeded to a very comfortable inn, which furnished some good cutlets, and a bottle of claret. Before the hotel all was bustle, from the number of carriages filled with genteel people proceeding to, and returning from the Hague, to and from which boats are passing every half hour. |