**

of which is, a certain appropriate falutation of acquaintances in the treet; and a formal inquiry after the healths of them felves and family (hoe vaart RUVE en Mevroun, en de Familie?) which is practifed even towards foreigners when seen for the first time. And their good-breeding by no means precludes them from being guilty of ill manners and rudeness the moft offenfive. It is however only certain purfe proud citizens of no education who can be accused of this, and not the inhabitants in general, to whom, nevertheless, Riem has imputed it. Here, too, they know very well how to diftinguish the man of educa tion from the upftart, though indeed much will be overlooked in the latter if he be rich, and can render himfelf ufeful or injurious to one of more fashion. An ab ftaining from oaths is not, as Riem fuppofes, peculiar only to the pietift, but, as fhould be the cafe every where, generally marks the man of education. On the other hand, young perfons affe&t French manners, the effence of which they unfortunately fancy to confift in trifling, which from the poverty of their own minds finks into mere absurdity, and, from their want of French delicacy, becomes a monstrous compound of fprucenefs, affectation and awkwardness.

With this ceremonious stiffness is connected an unfocial temper, an unwillingness to associate intimately with any but thofe with whom they have been long acquainted, and before whom they feel no reftraint. Hofpitality too is at a low ebb with them. It is true that foreigners who have good letters of introduction are fometimes invited to entertainments, but, for the most part, they are made only when fome commercial advantage is expected to be derived from them; at fuch times their pride is gratified by displaying their riches before foreigners of rank.

Vifiting almoft altogether confifts of family-parties to which ftrangers are never or feldom admitted. It is here that the Dutchman feels himself free from all restraint, and indulges in merriment, which the appearance of a fingle foreigner would immediately convert into formality; a circumftance which alone renders it difficult for travellers to judge of the national character of the Dutch. In general Hollanders have a decided inclination towards a domeftic life. Whether at home or abroad, they devote moft of their leifure hours to their family, spending them in familiar converfation and amusements, and

* Reife durch Holland, p. 346,

often in the instruction of their children. In fuch family parties and clubs (Kollegien)or select focieties, formed of large numbers, confift almost all the focial pleasures of the Dutch. To thefe clubs none are admitted but by ballot, and those only against whofe characters and opinions no one of the members has any objection, and who are fufficiently known to the greater part of the fociety, fo that they can affociate without reftraint and with perfect confidence. They are held in gardens in the neighbourhood of the town. The time is spent partly in various games, particularly a national one called kolven, (in which, very thick and hard balls are struck with sticks bent at the end into a blunt angle, and plated with copper, from a perfectly fmooth pavement, against pales fet up at both fides, and the game depends on the distance from the boundary at which the ball ftops after the rebound), and partly in chatting and fmoaking tobacco with the ladies. The clubs of the fame kind formed of young men are fufficiently noify and intemperate, and ferve to promote every kind of extravagance rather than rational recreation. Befides these, there are also political and literary focieties. Of the former, the principal at Amfterdam is, the Society pro Concordia et Libertate, and of the latter, Felix Meritis; both confift of patriotic members, and are fupported by the weight, number and influence of their partizans. Among the middling claffes there is little fociety out of their family circles, but foreigners find in them fewer impediments and feel themselves lefs intrufive.

The principal causes of this may be found in a third prominent feature in the Dutch character,the love of repofe. Various perfons who have refided in Holland have imagined, that the want of fufficient elafticity in the air relaxes the nerves, and weakens the activity and energy of the mind. But, independently of this, the uniformity of a mercantile life obliges them to have recourfe to diverfions which exclude every thing that might exhaust the fpirits, or difturb the placidity of their amufements. Bufinefs being difmiffed, fmoaking a pipe at home or at his club, reading in the gazettes the common occurrences, chatting about the news of the day, or joining a party at cards; is the higheft enjoyment of a Dutch merchant; an enjoyment, which, ftrongly contrafted with what other nations confider as fuch, gives much occafion to the derifion of foreigners..

As a relaxation from their ordinary employ

employment, they further indulge a fondnefs or attachment to concerns which have no connection with their business, but ferve merely as amusement. Almost every affluent Dutchman has some such additional employment. One gratifies his taste by forming a collection of famous and valuable paintings (which cofts him from 1000 to 8000 florins), engravings, or even newspapers; another in gardening, hot-beds, flowers; a third, in handfome furniture; a fourth, in horfes famous for quick trot ting (hard drawers) and fuperb carriages of various fhapes and kinds; a fifth, fi nally, in a library of modern as well as ancient literature, the ftudy of which he purfues with delight to his old age, or in a cabinet of natural history or medals. At prefent indeed politics are the univerfal amufement.

This neceffity of relieving themfelves from the dull uniform reftraint of bufinefs principally by fetting their minds at eafe, has produced that love of repose, which, paffing from the higher claffes, the merchants, to the other inhabitants, has fpread itself over all orders, and contributed highly to blunt the faculties. The proverb Too much of one thing is good for nothing" is here fomewhat Atrongly illuftrated in practice: but on the other hand it has produced folidity and perfeverance in works of art, and profundity in works of learning; qualities which would be more valuable in the Hollander, if they did not appear too often in his amusements, and degenerate into frivolity. But no one will accufe the Dutch of laziness, who has obferved only during one week, more particularly in good times, the crowding and driving in the streets of Amfterdam, the univerfal diligence and industry in the counting-houfes, warehouses, harbours, and on the docks. During the greater part of the day from eight in the morning till feven in the evening, no one is unemployed, and there is nothing which strangers, who vifit Amfterdam without bufinefs, idle and inquifitive travellers,” more complain of, than the want of perfons to converfe with. It is true, Dutch induftry bears a different ftamp from that of the fouthern nations; but is it right to deny to a people the poffeffion of a quality, and impute to them the contrary, becaule it appears among them in a form differing from ours?

The Hague, like moft feats of government, is leaft qualified to give travellers correct notions concerning the induftry,

Gut Ding will weile haben.

and, above all, the character of the nation: especially fince the court has left it, by whom the greater part of the inhabitants were fupported. But the judicious traveller will form his judgment, not from the town which is accidentally the feat of government, but from the real metropolis of the country, the place where, from the mafs of its population, the principal branches of national induftry are brought beneath his immediate notice.*

From this predilection for quiet, neceffarily arifes an inclination to continue their old customs, and adhere to their courfe of opinions. Hence, innovation in every department, in literature, and in fcience, in matters of business, and in political opinions concerning government, there make but a flow and late progrefs.

In no respect is this more apparent than in the religious opinions of the Dutch, who are now precifely at the point from which they set out two centuries ago, and where they were fixed by the fynod of Dort. All their religious opinions are orthodox in the highest degree; all dogmas derived from the fyftems of the reformers, the Lutherans, Mennonites, and Remonftrants, are held in abhorrence, under the epithet of Duitsch vergif (German poifon), because it is known they had moftly proceeded from German divines. The Lutherans at Amfterdam carried their zeal for immuta ble uniformity of doctrine so far, that, differing about the existence of the devil, they feparated into two churches, and even this fchifm awakened the fpirit of party in a powerful degree. The Dutch Catholics are more bigoted than in fome Catholic countries. A negligent observation of lent would endanger the reputation of a young Catholic, jutt established in business, with thofe of his own fect; and, as their riches give them power, might impede his profperity. So that, from the time of their Vondels and Vatts, polite literature has fcarcely made any progrefs among them; these in poetry, Grotius in jurifprudence,

* Hence the very extravagant picture Holland of the laziness of the higher orders. which Riem has drawn in his Travels through The rich Hollander is at his Buiten plaatfen from eight in the morning (when he rites, in the middle of summer, and never goes to bed before twelve or one) in the open air, and fpends his time in walking, riding, or bufying himself either in fishing, hunting, or enfnaring birds in the grafs. Even in Holland it is not the cuftom for the rich to fi..Pauci dormientes rete trahunt. D, EINS.

and

and the dry annalift Wagenar in hiftory, are till their great patterns It is already known in what manner they have tranflated the Greek and Roman claffics; and which, in spight of the examples of Hemfterhuis, Rhunkens, and Wyttenbachs, confift rather of a laborious attempt to acquire certain words, forms of expreffion, and fentences, than deeply to enter into the fenfe and fpirit of the ancients, and accurately comprefs them together into one whole.

It was not fo much a conviction of the want of national conftitution, or of the truth of their political opinions, which, fince the year 1789, has procured the French fo many friends and partizans in Holland; as the hope by the affifiance of that nation to crush the detefted Orange party: And it was not in the leaft confidered, that with that was neceffarily connected the entire change of the political union, and the introduction of a new order of things, which might break the chains of their former habits. The Dutch had too high an opinion of the power and confequence of the republic, to reflect that the great republic, after its conqueft, would retain a direct or indirect authority ever its protected fifter. During the conteft of parties in France, the partiality of the Dutch patriots was unchanged, and their appiaufe followed the victorious party whoever they were. When it be came neceffary, after the abolition of the Stadtholder's authority, to new-model the conflitution, then the attachment to this fyltem fhewed itfelf on all fides.

There are customs and forms which bufinefs indeed generally promotes, lefs attachment to which, and more boldnefs of fpeculation may be the caufe why in Holland there are more examples of English, Germans and French, who have fettled there, gaining rapid fortunes, than of the native Hollanders. The rich Dutchman who has inherited the greateft part of his fortune, and on that account trives with Jefs difficulty to increase his patrimony, by the accustomed means.

With this inclination to preferve favorite cuftoms, is connected a certain obftinacy and ftubbornefs which are found as well in individuals, and even in children, as in the national character. There are no.people who adhere more pertinaciously to their ficft impreffions of diflike or efteem than the Hollanders. Their cold blood runs too flowly to permit thofe hafty changes of fentiment, and that rapid adoption of every external impreffion which paffes over them, for which more fouthern nations are indebted to their

warm imaginations, their more fufceptible and irritable fenfes, and to the inconfancy of their tempers. Even this coldnefs of temperament promotes conftancy, by preventing thofe paffionate exceffes of fenfibility, which are fo injurious to the amiable. What other nations effect by the ftrength of their paffions and their conftitutional energy, the Dutch are able to attain by the permanence of their feelings. And no other people, icarcely, could have maintained with fuch undaunted firmness their long ftruggle against their Spanish oppreflors.

In the mean while, the Dutch are in this respect like all other perfons of limited knowlege, and without principles; that what they fancy they know, what they have received upon credit as juft and true, and through cuftom and habit have maintained; or what flatters their habitual and powerful feelings, are fo deeply rooted in them, that the mok cogent arguments cannot convince them to the contrary. On the other hand, on fubjects which they do not profefs to understand, where they are not governed by habit, custom or fashion, and particularly where it refpe&s propriety in their ordinary conduct; they eafily and contentedly fuffer themselves to be directed by others. With this limitation, what Kiem, p. 373, fays of the Dutch, may be perfectly true, that of all people they are the most tractable: But when it is confidered, how few things there are which men do not believe they underfland, and how few cafes can occur in this country, over which custom and habit have not complete authority; this general docility finks almost to nothing. Alfo in matters of fentiment, where the female fex is fo much fuperior to ours, a Dutchman will more readily be guided by his wife; and flanderers even affert of many a one, that in the totally new character of a reprefentative he has become only her echo.

The Hollander's fenfe of freedom, at leaft at prefent, is for the most part the love of eale. The true love of liberty, which once prevailed in Greece and Rome, is no where in modern Europe in fo great a perfection as in England: But the Englifman, when he confiders liberty to confit in the freedom of his native country from foreign power, and the fecurity of individuals against the government, patiently fubmits to the inconveniences which flow from it, because the removal of them would occafion more eflential injury; and he fhuns no facrifice to maintain this liberty mits original purity. On the other

hand,

hand, the Dutchman by this word means only a perfect exemption from every thing that might interfere with his ordinary habits, that might compel him to make any facrifice, or fubmit to any reftraint, or that might hinder the gratification of his avarice. "Our governors' fay they, "muft be mild and gentle;" but by this they mean only, that their rulers must be impotent and asleep. When their ancient, inveterate and tubborn hatred against the houfe of Orange had broken out afresh, they never laboured to reform their strange federal conftitution, according to which there were in this little republic nearly as many states which were independent, and whofe jurifdi&tion was confined to a fingle town, as in Germany; becaufe fuch a reform would have changed all their ancient customs. But the violent hatred borne by the majority of the inhabitants of the fea provinces against the Stadtholderians, from the gratification of which the one party were withheld by no fcruples, and which the other party were little folicitous to appease, might unite with the circumftances of the times, in promoting the introduction of French principles among the patriots. And yet fo little were they prepared for the final accomplishment of their wishes, by forming a moderate plan of reform in their government, that two years were neceffary to form a conftitution which foon became the derifion of all parties. An invitation to tranfmit fchemes of reform in the conftitution both of the towns and provinces, occafioned a fatyrical writer to compare the fituation of the country with that of a man, who pulled down his houfe and then projected a plan of a new one among the ruins; whence it could not but follow, that being heated by the labour of demolishing, he might then cool himself by ftanding fill in the open air.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR,

H

AD your correfpondent Indagator, in your laft, confined himself to what he fays was the principal object of his communication, you would not have been troubled with this letter. As he does not profefs to enumerate thofe teachers of Mathematics only, who are engaged in the different Universities in this part of the island, he should have been very fcrupulous refpecting the exactnefs of his information; the fimple omiflion of any one of that clafs of whoin he has given a catalogue, being a real injury to that indivi

dual, efpecially as Indagator writes in the character of a critical mathematician.

Had Indagator been difpofed to do juftice, he ought not to have neglected Dr. Meikleham, the rector of Air Academy, who, when only about twenty-four years of age, during the illness of the late Profeffor Anderfon, of the University of Glafgow, taught, with great fuccefs, for two feffions, the Natural Philofophy clafs, mathematically and experimentally. Mr. Wallace, another young gentleman, of Perth Academy, furely might alfo have been mentioned. A paper on Porifms, written by him, has been published in the fourth volume of the Edinburgh Philofophical Tranfactions, and read with much fatisfaction. The omiffion of the name of Lothian, well known at Edinburgh, and eminently diftinguifhed in this place as a teacher of Mathematics, favours much of defigned neglect either in himself or his informant. Mr. Lothian has been a teacher of Mathematics in this town upwards of twenty years: he was fixed upon by the late Profeffor Anderson to fill the mathematical department in his inftitution; which truft he difcharged for the first time, during the last feffion, greatly to the advantage of his pupils.

Many others eminently diftinguished for their profound knowledge in Mathematics are well known, but whofe names do not stand in need of the panegyrics of this biographer. I am, Sir,

Your humble Servant,
PLEURANT.