English fleets were to make their descent on the shore near the Hague. The hostile fleets came in sight; they prepared to land their forces at Scheveling. Its distracted inhabitants gave up themselves and their provinces as lost; but, at the very hour when destruction was inevitable, the tide changed its accustomed course — it stopped for several hours. Such a phenomenon had never before been known. The people were astonished, and their enemies confounded-they could not effect a landing. For this night they were preserved. On the morrow, at early day, God completed the deliverance of Holland from this meditated ruin, by the dispersion of the French and English fleets in a storm; and the very winds which had driven them far out to sea brought up the gallant Dutch Admiral, De Ruyter, to their shores, to protect them from all aggression. Could any foresight, any contrivance, any power of man have planned a deliverance so timed, so complete as this? How well to the people of Holland, in this juncture, would the words of our liturgy have applied:"O Lord, save thy people. Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God." Leyden has, indeed, many claims on our veneration: the heroism of its leaders at the time of the siege,—its being the scene of so many triumphs of learning and of science — and though last, not least, as the birth-place of Rembrandt, that painter who, for his admirable development of the powers of light and shade in richness and contrast, stands alone and aloof amongst all the painters of Holland; whilst his portraits, in truth and nature, have never been exceeded by those of any country. But I will add no more to this, than to assure you that I am, My dear Brother, Always your most affectionate Sister, ANNA ELIZA Bray. LETTER XXXIX. TO A. J. KEMPE, ESQ., F. S. A. Some The On the Road to the Hague.- Arrival there. My dear Brother, We quitted Leyden on the 23d of August for the Hague. In our road we passed several Dutch villas and canals, all of the same kind as those I have already described. We drove through the wood near the Hague, where the King of Holland has his palace. On our arrival in the town we put up at the Heerenlogement, a good inn in a sort of square, with trees growing so near the houses that they quite overshadowed them, and made the rooms dark and melancholy, and spoiled an otherwise pleasant situation. The Hague is a large well-built town; the streets remarkably clean, the shops good, and, as far as I could judge, all the necessaries and conveniences of life in great abundance. The day after our arrival (August 24.) was a grand day, being the anniversary of the birth of the King of Holland. It opened under a brilliant sun, and the most delightful temperature. We breakfasted, and then set out with a very civil youth, who acted as commissionnaire, to see the town. In this ramble we visited all the principal parts of it, and the old building called the Binnenhof, celebrated in history for having been the scene of many a memorable event. We visited, likewise, the museum and picture gallery. I shall append to this letter short notices of such pictures as most struck us in this truly noble collection. I cannot imagine it to be possible that even Italy itself can possess a finer. Our commissionnaire took us also to see a private collection which helonged to one of the king's ministers; it is enriched by many of the finest pictures in Holland: amongst these some portraits of the wives of Reubens, and a Rembrandt, representing a lady at her toilet, and a gentleman seated in a chair, looking on, are so painted that they seem to live. In the evening, to gratify my wishes to witness the performance of an opera in this country, my husband consented to go to the theatre. The house was close to our inn; we could see it from our windows; we had not therefore far to go. In one respect I was disappointed, for they cut the opera so short that they gave us but two acts of Robert le Diable. This was the more to be lamented as the prima donna, a fine-looking young woman, well dressed in the costume of the middle ages, sang her part with great feeling and spirit. Prince Robert was a good performer also, and was so admirably attired in the dress and chain mail of a crusader, that he looked like one of the temple effigies in motion. The company assembled in the theatre was respectable; many of the military were present, and |