A tour through Holland

After we had amused ourselves with roving about this agreeable place, we set off for Utrecht. I have before mentioned the manner in which the Dutch compute distances, and although I had for some time been accustomed to hear hours substituted for miles, yet as I was no longer on the canals, it sounded somewhat strange to hear a charming lady of our party observe, which she did with perfect Dutch propriety, when we were speaking of the probable time in which we should arrive at Utrecht: “Surely our horses must be poor indeed if they cannot go six hours in three.” Our road lay through a very rich and beautiful country, well drained, abounding with neat compact little farms, orchards, wood plantations, the lofty and venerable towers of Utrecht appearing full in our view all the way. We passed by the mall, which has a handsome stone entrance, is upwards of a mile in length, and is bordered with a triple row of trees, with a carriage-road on each side. When this city surrendered to the arms of Louis the Fourteenth in 1672, he was uncommonly delighted with this walk, yet, from knowing that it was equally admired by the citizens, he threatened to have every tree felled to the ground, unless they raised a very large contribution, which was immediately produced, and the mall preserved. If the menace of the conqueror was sincere, which I can scarcely believe, he united the tasteless barbarism of a Vandal to the ferocious rapacity of a tyrant. Louis overran this province, and the greatest part of Guelderland, Overyssel, and Holland, at the head of one hundred thousand men, in less than a month, a rapidity of victory almost incredible, though infinitely surpassed by the arms of France in the present times. The progress of the French king was celebrated in the following gasconade:

I think Utrecht one of the most beautiful cities in Holland, next to the Hague, which it is said to exceed in size. The streets are wide, and the buildings handsome, amongst which the hand of the Spanish architect is frequently to be traced. The canals are about twenty feet below the street; and the access to them for the servants of the adjoining houses is by a subterranean passage. These canals are very much neglected, and were covered in all directions with cabbage-stalks, leaves, and other vegetable substances, left to putrefy upon the surface. There I first beheld a branch of the Rhine unmingled with other waters. This mighty river has partaken of the mutability to which every thing sublunary is subjected. Near the village of Cooten, about twelve miles from Utrecht, the traveller may contemplate corn waiving and cattle depasturing where once it rolled its broad majestic waters, now diminished to a little streamlet: its division into the two great copious and navigable streams takes place a little above Nimeguen: the right branch retains the name of the Rhine; the left is called the Waal, a word expressive of a defensive boundary, which separated the ancient Batavians from their hostile neighbours on the southern border: the former, during its superabundance, produced a small branch called the Lack, which ran near the little city of Wyk, by Deurstede, directed its course towards Utrecht, upon which it bestowed the name of Ultra trajectum, passed through Woerden Leyden, and disembogued itself into the German Ocean at Catwyk: the latter branch in rolling its waters toward the sea, incorporated with the Maas, and their united streams were called the New Maas, under which name they flow by Dort, Rotterdam, and other cities, into the sea. Had rivers tongues, as poets feign they have, this much-injured branch of the Rhine might have exclaimed with Wolsey, I now am left

Upon the subsiding of a great inundation, the frequent terror of the Low countries, it was found that the Rhine had changed its channels, and flowed into that of the Lack, to which it had given birth, in consequence of its channel having been amazingly deepened by the watery irruption. This branch, in consequence of the power of its waters not being able to bear down the obstructions opposed to it, is not able to force its way to the sea, and is stopped in its course near the village of Catwyk by mountains of accumulated sand, and being compelled to regurgitate, is distributed over, and lost in the neighbouring canals.

The French, under Louis the Fourteenth, retained possession of Utrecht for little more than a year, during which the magnificent monarch was so delighted with the place, that he held his court here in great gaiety and splendor; but the Dutch were heartily rejoiced to be relieved of this honour, and hailed with exultation the hour in which with his troops he retired from the country; this movement however, was preceded by the demolition of their fortifications, raising heavy contributions, and exercising many wanton acts of cruelty and oppression, which excited such disgust, that nearly all the inhabitants of the province resolved upon transporting themselves to Batavia. Although by this conquest the French had left an indelible impression of disgust behind them, and the regular forces of the town amounted to seven thousand men, and the inhabitants breathed nothing but vengeance against the Prince of Orange, this city surrendered to the arms of Prussia, who espoused his cause, in the year 1787. The rhyngrave of Salm, who had the command of the troops, covered himself with great disgrace, by this unresisting, cowardly, and, as it was generally believed, treacherous surrender of the place. In 1795, when the French troops once more approached the town, its gates were again thrown open, and they were received more as brethren than as conquerors; but the inhabitants very soon repented of this second visit, for the impositions they levied were extremely severe, and the French officers selected the best rooms in the best houses for their quarters, to the great inconvenience of families so oppressed. Upon two or three doors of very elegant mansions I saw little boards fastened, with the names and rank of the French officers who had taken up their lodgings within. The cathedral must once have been an enormous and magnificent structure, if I may judge by the doom or tower, the only part which remains perfect. The ruins present a fine specimen of the Gothic, some of the ornaments of which were in high preservation, and very beautiful. In the cloisters there is an arch, the pillars of which are apparently fastened with ropes, which upon examination prove to be done in stone, and admirably executed. The tower is of the astonishing height of 464 feet, and from the top, on a clear day, no less than fifty-one walled cities and towns may be seen; and the pyramid erected in honour of Napoleon at Zeyst presents a noble appearance in this expanded view. About midway in our ascent, we entered a vast vaulted chamber with galleries in it, in which two old women reside, who, if they require it, supply the visitors with schidam and biscuits to refresh themselves in their ascension, which are presented to them in a little room, the windows of which are scarcely visible to the beholder on the outside, commanding a very wide and agreeable prospect. Upon top of the tower there is a very numerous and fine-toned set of chimes. The ramparts are about four miles round the tower, and afford a very agreeable and picturesque walk. Utrecht was once a rich and powerful see, the bishops of which were sovereign princes, who laying the crosier aside, and assuming the sword, frequently waged bloody warfare with their rivals the prince bishops of Leyden.

The same causes which have thinned the number of students of Leyden, have reduced those of Utrecht, which do not exceed 360, most of whom are the sons of the inhabitants of the city. Two-thirds of the merchants of this place have connexions with London. There are several endowments of a charitable nature, which do honour to the city, many of which were originally instituted, and principally supported by English families resident here before the revolution. A botanic garden has lately been formed near the dome of the cathedral; it is upon a small scale, but appeared to be well arranged. In one of the gardens close to the city, was a naked little statue of Cupid, without arrows or wings, with the following beautiful inscription under it:

In the gardens of Chantilly, the little god appears in the same manner, and is celebrated in the same exquisite lines.

A traveller can scarcely enter a town in Holland which has not given birth to some genius, whose fame reflects lustre upon his country. Utrecht enrols amongst those illustrious sages who resided, or were born within its walls, and who have bestowed upon it immortal celebrity, the learned Gronovius, the critic; Grævius, his pupil, one of the most profound writers of the middle of the sixteenth century, so well known for his Thesaurus Antiquitatum et Historiarum Italiæ, in thirteen folio volumes, and the two erudite Burmans. Doctor Johnson thus speaks of Peter Burman, and Gronovius, and Grævius, “One of the qualities which contributed eminently to qualify Grævius for an instructor of youth, was the sagacity by which he readily discovered the predominant faculty of each pupil, and the peculiar designation by which nature has allotted him to any species of literature and by which he was soon able to determine that Peter Burman was remarkably adapted to classical studies, and to predict the great advance he would make by industriously pursuing the direction of his genius. On the other hand, animated by the encouragement of a tutor so celebrated as Grævius, Peter Burman, by continuing the vigour of his application, fulfilled his master’s prophecy; and it has been asserted, that he passed honourably and fairly through the classes, and was admitted into the university at the age of thirteen.

“His biographer allows this to have been so stupendous a progress as to surpass the limits of all probability; of which indeed every man must be sensible, who considers that it is not uncommon for the highest genius in our country, to be entangled for ten years in those thorny paths of literature, which Burman is represented to have passed in less than two. But this prodigy has been cleared up very satisfactorily by the following observation. In the universities of foreign countries, they have professors of philology or humanity, whose employment is to instruct the younger classes in grammar, rhetoric, and languages; nor do they engage in the study of philosophy, till they have passed through a course of philological lectures and exercises, to which in some places two years are commonly allotted: whereas the English scheme of education, which, with regard to academical studies, is more rigorous, and sets literary honours at a higher price than that of any other country, exacts from the youth who are initiated in our colleges a degree of philological knowledge sufficient to qualify them for lectures on philosophy, which are read to them in Latin, and to enable them to proceed in other studies without assistance; so that it may be conjectured that Burman, at his entrance into the university of Leyden, had no such skill in languages, nor such ability of composition, as are frequently to be met with in the higher classes of an English school; nor was perhaps, at that time, more than moderately skilled in Latin, and taught the first rudiments of Greek.”

At Utrecht was also born, in 1459, pope Adrian VI. to whom the emperor Maximilian entrusted the education of his son, Charles the Fifth, and who afterwards filled the pontifical throne with piety and learning, with dignity and mildness: this distinguished personage, after having acquired his classical knowledge at the university of this city, and his philosophical at the college of Louvain, received the degree of doctor in divinity in 1491, the expense of which he was unable to sustain, and which was defrayed by Margaret, sister to Edward IV. of England. I was informed that the house he resided in, a fine Gothic building, was still standing, and that it was adorned with several curious basso-relievos, but time would not permit me to visit the venerable remains. This city had also the honour of producing the Chevalier Antonio More, who was born here in 1519, where he studied under John Schoorel, with whom, having made considerable progress, he improved himself in design at Rome, and in the true principles of colouring at Venice: one of his historical compositions, from the subject of the Resurrection, was in such high estimation as to be publicly exhibited at the fair at St. Germains, before it was purchased by the prince of Condé. More has the reputation of having imitated nature very closely and happily; his manner is strong, just, and bold, and in his portraits there is great character and life. He was much esteemed by the emperor Charles V. and was by him sent to Portugal to paint the portraits of the king, the queen, who was the sister of the emperor, and their daughter, afterwards the queen of Spain. For these portraits he received six hundred ducats, and many valuable presents; and to show their admiration of his talents, the Portuguese nobility presented him, in the name of that order, with a chain of gold valued at a thousand ducats. He was employed by most of the princes of Europe, and at every court his paintings excited universal applause. Queen Mary the First of England, presented him with a chain of gold and a pension. Upon his quitting London and settling in Spain, a singular circumstance befel him: one day as the king, who was very fond of him, and his great patron, was talking to him in a very familiar manner, he gave More in jocularity a sharp tap on the arm, which the irritable painter mistaking for indignity, instead of an act of good humour and condescension, resented by striking the king with his maulstick: a folly which had nearly in its consequence proved fatal to him, and which compelled him to quit the country with all possible celerity. His last work was the Circumcision, intended for the cathedral church at Antwerp, but which he did not live to finish.

Cornelius Poelemburg, another artist of high distinction, was born at Utrecht in 1586. He first studied under Abraham Bloemart, and afterwards, upon going to Rome, became enamoured with the works of that divine artist, Raphael, whose exquisite grace in the nude figure he endeavoured to imitate. His style was entirely new, and he surpassed all his contemporaries in the delicacy of his touch, in the sweetness of his colouring, and in the selection of fortunate objects and situations. His skies are clear, light, and transparent; and his female figures, which are generally represented naked, are equally elegant and beautiful. The Italians were highly delighted with his works, and some of the cardinals of Rome, of the finest taste, frequently attended his painting-room, to observe his extraordinary and happy manner of working. Upon his leaving Rome, the grand duke of Florence paid him great honours, and he was received with distinction in every city through which he passed. It is recorded to the honour of Rubens, that after paying him a friendly visit, and expressing the greatest pleasure from examining the works of Poelemburg, he purchased and bespoke several of his pictures, for his own cabinet; this noble conduct at once gave the stamp of currency to the works of the latter, and advanced his reputation and his fortune together. Our refined and munificent Charles the First invited him to his court, and nobly recompensed him for his labors, but he vainly endeavoured, by his princely encouragement, to prevail upon him to settle in England; the indelible love of his country prevailed over every other consideration, and he returned to his native country, where he lived in affluence and esteem, and where he continued to paint to the last day of his life, which was in the year 1660, at the great age of seventy-four.

Utrecht seems to have the fairest pretensions to have given birth to Anthony Waterloo, before slightly mentioned; an honour disputed with much ardor of rivalship by Amsterdam and other cities. The landscapes of this admirable artist are in the highest estimation, and are the closet copies of nature, without the aid of meretricious decoration. His favourite subjects were woody scenes, embellished with water, and figures and cattle added by Weenix and other artists: the variety in the verdure of his trees and grounds, the very tint of which illustrates the hour of the day and the season of the year in which they were taken, and the wonderful transparency of his water, remain unrivalled. Although the works of this great artist produced high prices, he expired in great penury in the hospital of St. Job, near Utrecht. John Glauber, called Polidore, another eminent artist, was born here in 1656: he was a disciple of the admirable Berghem, but a passion for travelling induced him to quit his master, to contemplate the sublime objects of nature in Italy. In his way he remained at Paris one year with Picart, a flower painter, and at Lyons two years with Adrian Vander Cabel, with whom he intended to have staid longer, had he not been attracted by a great number of people who were going to the jubilee, to proceed direct to Rome, where he continued for two years, indefatigably pursuing the means of improving himself in his art, and from thence he went to Venice. Upon his return to Holland he settled at Amsterdam, where he lodged with Gerard Lairesse, in whose house an academy of arts was established. These distinguished artists were united together by the same passion for their art, and the same elevation of mind, improved by their having travelled through the same countries: by this friendship the beautiful landscapes of Glauber became enriched by the graceful figures of Lairesse. Glauber ranks amongst the finest landscape painters of the Flemish school. The most frequent subjects of his pencil he derived from the neighbourhood of Rome and the Alps, and his style resembles that of Gaspar Poussin; his colouring is warm and true, his invention very luxuriant; and although his pictures are exquisitely finished, they appear as if they had been produced with perfect facility; his touch is so peculiarly just and natural, that every distinct species of trees or plants may be distinguished by the characteristic exactness of the leafing. The two brothers, John and Andrew Bott, were born in this city in the beginning of the sixteenth century; the former a landscape painter, and the latter a painter of figures: they both resided many years in Italy. John made Claude Lorraine his model, whose style he imitated with uncommon success, as did Andrew that of Bamboccio. They were much attached to each other, and painted in conjunction: their united efforts seem to be the happy result of one masterly hand. Andrew was unfortunately drowned in one of the canals of Venice whilst with his brother, in 1650, who returned to Utrecht overwhelmed with grief, which he consoled by an unabated pursuit of the art he adored. The works of John are of inestimable value, and eagerly sought after by connoisseurs.

Gallantry forbids my passing over the name of Anna Maria Schurman, born here in 1607: she was profoundly versed in languages, displayed great skill and taste in painting, as well as in every other branch of the graphic and elegant arts: she was honoured with a visit from Christina, queen of Sweden, who pronounced the most enthusiastic encomiums on her elegant attainments. This celebrated woman died at the age of seventy-one. There are other artists who do honour to this their native city, but I have mentioned those of the first order, in number and reputation perfectly sufficient to establish the pretensions of Utrecht to high rank in the roll of renowned cities. I quitted this beautiful place, the prosperity of which has suffered much by the war with England, about four o’clock on a beautiful autumnal morning, and proceeded to Arnheim, which and Nimeguen, are the capital cities of Guelderland. This beautiful and valuable province contains twenty-two considerable towns, and upwards of three hundred villages. The Menopii Gugerni, Usipetes, and Secambri, mentioned in Cæsar’s Commentaries, are supposed to have been its ancient inhabitants. Guelderland, remarkable for the salubrity of its climate and the fertility of its soil, abounds with the most romantic variety of scenery, mountain and valley, and is well stocked in every direction with fine cattle, and abounds with game. All the way to Arnheim the eye was gladdened by some of the most delightful objects descriptive of the amenity of nature. In this country I generally travelled in post-chaises, or as it is called, extra-post; but perhaps, as the following information respecting the route from Amsterdam to Cologne may be serviceable to those who travel by the diligence or post-waggon, I shall insert it:

We were serenaded all the way by nightingales, which are very numerous in every part of this province. Arnheim or Arnhem, is a very large and elegant city, partly watered by a branch of the Naas, over which are several draw-bridges, from which there are many agreeable views. The houses are in general well built, and, what is remarkable for a Dutch town, very few of them out of the perpendicular. The entrances, called St. Jan’s Poort and Sabel’s Poort, are picturesque. St. John’s church is a vast edifice of brick, with two spires, and a fine set of carillons; but with exception to its magnitude, there is little in or about it worthy of observation; the same may be said of the church of St. Nicholas. The church near Walburges Plain, the name of which I have forgotten, is a prodigious massy pile; and beheld from the surrounding scenery has a very noble effect. The market-place is capacious, and abundantly supplied with every species of provision, which are here much cheaper than in the other parts of Holland. The streets of this city are enlivened by several handsome equipages, and throughout the place there is a considerable appearance of refinement and opulence. Here the Dutch language begins to lose itself in the German, a circumstance made manifest by a friend of mine, a native of Germany, who accompanied me on my return from that country to Holland, finding considerable difficulty in understanding the lower people in Arnheim. The inns here are in general very good. This city gave birth to the celebrated David Beck in 1621, a disciple of Vandyke, from whom he imbibed that exquisite style of colouring and penciling which belong to his school. King Charles the First was so astonished at the freedom of his hand, he one day said, “I do believe, Beck, you could paint if you were riding post.” The person of this artist was remarkably handsome, and his manners perfectly well bred: these qualities, accompanied with such talents in his art, recommended him to the attention of queen Christina of Sweden, who appointed him her portrait painter and chamberlain; and under her patronage he painted most of the illustrious persons of Europe. The following singular event occurred to this artist in his tour through Germany. At an inn where he stopped for the night, he was suddenly taken violently ill, to appearance expired, and was accordingly laid out for a corpse. His valets, who were much attached to him, sat by his bed-side, deeply lamenting the loss of so good a master; and, like the Irish upon such occasion, sought consolation in the bottle, which was put about very briskly; at length one of them, who was greatly intoxicated, said to his companions, “Come, my friends, our poor dear master used to be very fond of his glass when alive, suppose, out of gratitude, we give him a bumper now he is dead.” To this jovial recommendation the rest of the servants consented. They accordingly raised his head, and the mover of the measure poured some of the wine into his mouth; this produced the immediate effect of forcing him to open his eyes, which, from the excessive drunkenness of the fellow, did not surprise him, and he continued pouring the wine down his master’s throat until the glass was emptied, which at last completely recovered him; and by this accidental circumstance he was saved from a premature interment. However, he escaped death in this violent shape only to meet it in another, for it was generally suspected that his final fate was effected by poison administered by some miscreant, hired for the purpose by queen Christina, at the Hague, in revenge for his having quitted her to visit his friends in Holland, with a determination never more to visit Sweden. The works of this master are justly held in very high estimation, and he became the favoured object of the most unbounded marks of distinction and honour.

With an exception to large churches, and handsome streets, and some pretty and well-dressed women, there is little, at least as far as I could learn, to detain a traveller in this city, so I set off for Wesel with all due expedition, impatient to move upon the bosom of the Rhine.

On the road, which was agreeably diversified, we met several milk-maids, bearing their milk home in large copper vessels, shining very bright, slung to their backs, which had a picturesque effect. About four miles from Arnheim, just after passing a bridge of boats at Sevenhal, I entered a small town, at the end of which is the first barrier of the new territories of prince Joachim, grand admiral of France and duke of Berg, a piece of history which I first learned from a new ordinance or law, in German and French, to regulate the safe delivery of letters, pasted upon one of the gates of the town. In this dutchy most of the peasants are catholics, who make a public avowal of their faith by pointing a large white cross on the outside of their houses. On the left, within a short distance of the frontier of prince Joachim’s territory, upon the summit of a mountain, are two large religious houses for monks and nuns. A little indisposition, in addition to the heat of a very sultry day, prevented me from quitting the carriage to visit the holy fraternity and sisterhood, of whom, I was informed, very few members remain, and those far advanced in life. The revolution of France, and the progress of the French arms, have at least the merit of having prevented the immolation of many a lovely young creature, possessed of every personal and mental charm to gladden this chequered life of ours.

The approach to these convents from the town is by a pleasant avenue of trees, their situation must be very agreeable, from the extensive prospect which they command. On our right the spires of the city of Cleves, on the French side of the Rhine appeared, and produced a very pleasing effect. Upon turning the base of the hill on which the monastic mansions stand, we entered upon a deep sandy road, and a very flat and uninteresting country, in which very few objects occurred to afford any gratification to the eye. The Rhine occasionally appeared, but not to much advantage: the majesty of its breadth is obscured by the great number of islands upon it in this stage of its descent. Flink, whom I have mentioned in describing the Stadt-house at Amsterdam, was born at Cleves in 1616. This able artist was destined, like our celebrated Garrick, for the bureau of a compting-house; but his genius and passion for painting overcame all the impediments placed in their way by paternal authority, and the persuasions of friends, and he renounced the prospect of accumulating immense riches by commerce, for the glory of the art. He made great progress under Rembrandt, whose style he imitated to perfection; he soon rose to distinguished reputation, and was employed to paint the portraits of princes and illustrious personages of the times in which he flourished; he died very young and much regretted.

After a tedious and unpleasant journey I reached Wesel, a large, gloomy, and very strongly fortified town: as the gates had been closed at eight o’clock, and it struck eleven as I passed the last draw-bridge, it was with some difficulty and delay that I was admitted. Only persons travelling extra-post and in the post-waggon, or diligence, are admitted after the gates are once shut. This place presents a disgusting contrast to the neatness and cleanliness of the towns in Holland. The moment I passed the gates, a most offensive mauvais odeur assailed my nose on all sides. There is only one tolerable inn in the whole place, and that is generally very crowded. If the traveller cannot be accommodated there, he will be marched, as I was, to a pig-stye, or a house of ease to the former, where he may meditate at leisure on the sapient poetical advice of Shakspeare:

Here, according to a regulation which prevails in every part of Germany, I was annoyed by being presented with a printed paper, containing several columns, titled as follow:

All of which I duly answered in writing, except the last interrogatory but one, namely, “where are you going?” under which I peevishly wrote, “to sleep,” consolidated into one word, in large close letters. To an Englishman unaccustomed to such examinations, which after all are little more than formal, although every innkeeper by law is obliged to make such report of every traveller on his arrival, they are very liable to excite an inverted blessing upon the heads of those who trouble him in this manner.

Wesel is an abominable dunghill, very strongly fortified. In the course of my perambulations through the town, the objects which I met with were infinitely more offensive to the sense of smelling than gratifying to that of seeing, and doubly disgusting from the contrast of exquisite cleanliness which the country I had just quitted, exhibited. This part of Westphalia is very flat, barren, sandy, and dreary, presenting little more than thin patches of buckwheat. The roads are very heavy, and with an exception to an oratory in a little grove, and three wooden effigies as large as life, representing the crucifixion, not one enlivening or interesting object presented itself. I mention the following travelling anecdote by way of caution to my reader, should he select this route. At Dinslaken, one of the post towns between Wesel and Dusseldorf, the post-master told me that two horses would not be sufficient in such roads for the carriage, and declared his determination, that unless I took three, I should have none. If I had submitted to this imposition here, I must have done so throughout; I was therefore obliged to compound with this extortioner in office, by paying half of a third horse, which sum went into his pocket, and pursued my route with a couple, who conducted me in very good style to the next post town. In every part of Germany the postmasters are appointed by, and are under the control of the reigning prince of Turn and Saxis, the hereditary director and post-master general of the roads in that part of Europe. My driver stopped to give his horses some wretched hard bread, used by the peasantry in Westphalia, composed of straw and oats, called bonpournikel from the following circumstance. Many years since a Frenchman, travelling in this country, called for bread for himself, and upon this sort being presented, he exclaimed, C’est bon pour Nikel (the name of his horse); upon which the old woman who had brought it in ran about the village in a great pet relating the story.

As I was proceeding by moon-light, a German gentleman who had travelled some way with me was observing, that throughout Westphalia a robbery upon the highway had not been known for many years, and that a traveller was as safe in the night as in the day; and at the moment when he had just finished an animated eulogium upon the invincible honesty of the people, I happened to observe the shadow of a man behind the cabriolet, the head of which was raised, apparently very busy in endeavouring to cut off our trunks, which, upon our jumping out, proved to be the case; the fellow was much alarmed by our appearance, fell upon his knees, and declared that he belonged to Dusseldorf, and poverty had prompted him to quit that city, and try his fortune on the highway. Nothing could exceed the indignation of the German the moment he knew that our prisoner was a Westphalian; had he fortunately announced himself as a native of any other country, I believe he would have rather relieved the fellow’s distress, than pierced his ears, and perhaps his heart, with the bitter reproaches he heaped upon him: however, as the affair furnished me with a hearty laugh, I prevailed upon my companion to forgive the poor wretch, whose face and clothes indicated extreme wretchedness, and permit him to depart in peace; and we proceeded without further interruption to within a short stage of Dusseldorf, where we slept.

The appearance of Dusseldorf at a little distance is very handsome, particularly from the Grand ducal road, as it was styled. Upon my driving up to the principal inn, the maitre d’hotel with great pomp came out, and informed me in bad French that his house was then nearly full; that the grand Dutchess from Paris was expected every day; that his bed-rooms would be wanted for those belonging to the court who could not be accommodated at the palace, and, finally, that he could not receive me. As I immediately guessed his object, I told him that I intended to stay some days at Dusseldorf. “Oh, very well,” said he, archly adding, “you are an Englishman I perceive.” “No, sir, an American.” “Oh,” replied he, “never mind, it is the same thing: walk in, sir, and we will see what we can do for you.” This inn, the only eminent one in town, is spacious and handsome, and the table d’hote excellently supplied with a great variety of dishes, both at dinner and supper, perfectly well dressed. During my stay I was known by no other name than that of Monsieur Anglois, an appellation not very gratifying to me, upon reflecting that I was a sojourner in the territory of a brother-in-law of Napoleon, who, knowing that he is no favourite with the English, dislikes England and every thing that can remind him of it, to such a degree, that an English gentleman and lady, whom I knew, who had been detained prisoners of war in France, but were afterwards liberated, upon their route from Verdun to Holland to embark for their country, were one day overtaken by a gen-d’arme dispatched express from the last post town, to order them to turn out of the high road on which they were travelling, and to take another route which he pointed out, by which they were compelled to make a deviation of seventy miles. In consequence of the French Emperor being expected to pass that road in the course of the day, this messenger had been despatched to overtake and order them out of the way as fast as possible.