War with England is put into a better Condition with a good Garison but they apprehend no Danger from the French the Land about it produces good Corn but not much The People here are less Courteous than those that live in the great Trading-Towns tho' you are not to expect great Civility from the Dutch who pretend not to much breeding some say the grosness of the Air influences them in their Manners and that the Moon who governs them Cancer being their Ascendent makes them Clownish but of this there is no certainty tho' the Sea-men of all Nations are observed to be as rough surly and ill-natur'd as the Element they live upon And if the Water has Influence why not the Air Here is a pretty little Stadt-House or Guild-Hall as we call it in London and a good Church founded Anno 1372 by the Countess Matilda for them and another Church for the English an Hospital for Orphans a good Market-place and an old and new Haven Rotterdam has got away all the Trade from the Briel About ten in the Forenoon we took Scout which is a little Boat with a Sail and goes every hour the Bell ringing to give Notice to Passengers as it does in other Places for Maezlandsluyce a little Fisher-Town a League from the Briel half an Hours sail with the Wind an hour and half against it 't is a pleasant Place they have within these few Years built a very good Church there before this Place lie a great many Busses or Fishing-Vessels which is their chief Trade and by which they don 't only live but grow rich as we in England might do if we were not infatuated most of their Busses were gone out to Sea to catch Herrings on the English Coast because the English are so lazy they won't catch 'em themselves About half Seas over we were met by some Friends of ours Dutch Merchants who came from Amsterdam on purpose to receive us which they did with all the demonstrations of Love and Joy we went a-shore together and got to the best House and fell abord the pickled Herring which was extraordinary good we made 'em swim in Rhenish Wine of which we let down a good quantity Here we hir'd a Waggon to carry us to Rotterdam which in our way we past through VLAERDINGEN Ulaerdingen a League off a small Village a Fisher-Place 't was anciently a City and well fortified but ruin'd by lying so near the River Maese which broke in upon it A League further lies Schedam a small City which has a Vote amongst the States and is call'd the Oldest Boldest Wisest and was the Richest in ancient Times wonderfully Couragious were the Inhabitants against the Spaniards now famous for the Fishery and making of Nets to catch Fish Three or four English Miles further along the same River lies Delphs-howen a small Town nothing but Fishermen and Marriners live here This Place with small Charge might be made impregnable as may many others in this Country by reason of its situation near so much Water Half a League from hence is Rotterdam a great strong fine Rotterdam and very rich City one of the most celebrated Ports of Europe the Second for Trade in this Province lying very commodiously upon the River Maese has great Commerce with England Scotland France when in Peace and Ireland and is much concern'd in great and small Fishery a very flourishing Place Here are divers Canals cut which are so well contriv'd and kept that the greatest Ships can enter and there lie securely and some Ships of two and three hundred Tuns are brought up into the middle of the Town where the Goods are deliver'd at the Merchants Doors which is a very great conveniency Erasmus the greatest Restorer of Learning was born in this City Anno Dom. 1467 he died in Friburg in Alsatia Remarkable was the Gratitude of this People who to preserve his Name and Memory have at their Charge set up his Effigies in Brass well done with a great Book in his Hand the Leaves of which he turns over as oft as he hears the Clock strike which forsooth is a Piece of Dutch Wit This Statue was erected as they told us in 1564 and roughly handled by the Spaniards in 1572. 't is now rail'd in with Iron This City is now wholly at the Devotion of the Prince of Orange now our King the People being passionate and zealous Lovers of his Person and Interest which they express to the highest upon all Occasions Here they brew good Beer which is sent to the Cities and Villages all round about they also serve the States Armies and Navies with it Turf and Wood is their firing the first is cheap the second dear and is burnt by the better sort only As we came near any of their Towns we distinguish'd an odd smell which comes from the Turf and is unpleasant and we believe unwholsom 't is stronger than that of New-Castle Coal in London These People are generally more obliging to the English than in any other Place which is to be wholly attributed to their frequent Conversation and Dealing with them Here they build very great Ships of War of a hundred Guns and downward We went on bord some of the biggest and view'd them well within and without they are not so cleaverly and neatly built as the English nor so fit for Accomodation but more clumsie but then very strong and sit for Service plain Paint and without any Guilding and very little Carving which is a superfluous and unnecessary Expence and which the English and French were once very vain in tho' 't is now almost worn out of Practice especially the Guilding which may be proper for Yachts and Pleasure-Boats but not for Men of War We saw their Stadt-House or Guild-Hall which is a very good Building and Saint Lawrence's Church which is a great one in it a very large old Organ the Dutch Presbyterians being not so nice and squeemish as the English who inveigh against the Use of that Musick in Churches In this Church are the Monuments of several great Sea-Commanders The English Scotch and French have also each a Church here Here is an open Place for the Merchants to meet in which they call the Exchange but no noble Piazza's to secure 'em from the Weather as at London We staid here several Days and sometimes din'd at the English sometimes at the Dutch and French Houses The Ordinaries are the best and cheapest Places to eat at for then you know your Expence which otherwise is at the VVill and Pleasure of your Landlord who Arbitrarily imposes upon you and this without redress for if you complain to the Magistrate he will give it against you and you must pay it they know you are led by Curiosity to pass through to view their Country not to live in it and you must contribute to the Support of it The Dutch are ill Cooks and verifie the Proverb That God sends Meat and
cloy'd with abiding I have been the more Particular in giving an Account of this Place and of every Thing that is remarkable in it because 't is so very much talked of by all Travellers in general I had like to have omitted a House belonging to the Illustrious House of Nassaw built by Prince Frederick Henry King William's Grand-Father call'd Ryswick not far from the Hague which we were so curious to take a view of 't is a very good Piece of Building all Front with a spatious Court before it the Cieling richly Guilt and the Chimney-Pieces except two or three which are Marble with Pillars of the same Floors of black and white Marble good Gardens but neglected And now having resolv'd to take our leave of the Hague we went on board the Trecht Schuyt or Passage-Boat which is very large and will contain between thirty and forty People cover'd with a Tarpaulin a Piece of Canvas dipt in Tar or Oil which in wet Weather keeps out the Rain and in hot the Sun which is to be thrown up to let in the Air when they please a single Horse draws this Vessel rid by a Boy who has a long slender Rope fasten'd to his Geers and runs or rather trots along upon the Dykes or Banks three Miles or a League an Hour constantly stays for no Body but puts off every Hour just as the Clock has done striking the Fare is very reasonable this way of Travelling from Town to Town is very convenient and tends mightily to the advancement of Commerce and dispatch of Business or Visits When you are upon these Canals on which these Boats float you cast your Eyes from the Water as from a Precipiece down to the Land for so much higher is the Water in these Countries than the Land which chiefly consists of Marshes full of Mills of several sorts the most that we ever saw flying in our lives the Prospect is pleasant The Dutch are great Improvers of Land and Planters of Trees of Ornament as well as Profit In our Way to Leyden we past Voorbroock and Woorsconack two small Villages and several Country-Houses belonging to Gentlemen or rich Citizens made pleasant with Rows of Trees and fine Walks before them About seven in the Afternoon we came to LEYDEN Leyden about nine Miles from the Hague 't is a very fair large and rich City in the Province of Holland it stands on the River Rhine which divides it into thirty one Islands join'd by one hundred and forty five Bridges whereof one hundred and four are of Stone and loses it self in the Sand where endeavours have been to no purpose us'd to make a Sea-Port 't is but seven Miles from Rotterdam and twenty one from Amsterdam Leyden is said by some to be the Eye by others the Garden of Holland by reason of the cleanness of its Streets and the beauty of its Buildings 't is celebrated for its Antiquity for its fine Impressions and fam'd University which was founded Anno 1575 adorn'd with a very good Library a Physick-Garden abounding with great variety of choice and excellent Simples brought with great care and much trouble from Foreign Parts very remore Here is also an Anatomical Gallery which contains a great many Rarities the Gifts of several Princes and eminent Men the Particulars of which are as follow viz. The Head of an Elephant the Gift of Dr. Sopii The Head of an Elk the Gift of Dr. Job Paludarii The Skin and Horn of the Head of a Rhinoceros The Skin and Horns of a White-Heart A Crocodile the four Feet of an Elephant the Gift of Justus Heurnius Some Indian Darts A Trumpet made of the Rinds of Trees in Moscovy A Muscovian Bow The Skin of an Animal inhabiting Brazil call'd Tamandua Popo the Gift of Prince Maurice The Snout of an unknown Fish from Brazil the Gift of Dr. George Pison A Pair of Polonian Boots A Leopard's Skin A Pair of Laplander's Breeches The bristly Skin of a Brazilian Beast the Gift of Prince Maurice The Skin of a Piger a very slow Animal mention'd by Pliny The Horn of an Ondland Ox. A Muscovian Monk's Hood A Cithern which the Cossack's lightly arm'd make use of A Pair of Moscovian Breeches and a Coat A Pair of Stilts or Skates with which the Norwegians Laplanders and Frieslanders run down high snowy Mountains with almost an incredible switness the Gift of Arnold Williams The Head of an Elephant the Gift of Adrian Pauwe. The Sceleton of a Dog An Heron a Bird whose Dung burns what it touches A Leathern Boot brought from the Streights of St. David's The Sceleton of a Bird call'd a Shoveler The Bone of the hinder part of a large old Whale the Gift of Adrian Pauwe. The Bone of a Whale's Snout The Sceleton of a young Whale taken out of the old One's belly The Hide of a Sea-Horse The Skin of an Alce a wild Beast like a Deer The Teeth of a Whale The Snout of a Fish having Teeth in the form of a Saw and is therefore call'd a Saw-Fish The Sceleton of a Bear The Sceleton of a Cow The Sceleton of a Wolf The Sceleton of a Baboon The Sceleton of an Ass upon which sits a Woman that kill'd her Daughter The Sceleton of an Ape The Sceleton of a Cat. The Sceleton of a Buck Goat The Sceleton of a Woman of seventeen Years of Age who murder'd her Son The Sceleton of a large Bear The Sceleton of a Hog the Gift of Dr. Bills The Sceleton of a Hart. The Sceleton of a Horse The Sceleton of a large Piger the Gift of Piso The Lepor Marinus a Fish inhabiting the muddiest part of the Sea and casteth Snot out of his Mouth The Sceleton of a Sheep-stealer of Haerlem hang'd The Sceleton of a Pirat The Sceleton of a Ferret The Sceleton of a Sheep the Gift of Dr. Bills The Sceleton of a gelded Buck Goat The Sceleton of a Woman call'd Catherine of Hamburg strangled for Theft The Sceleton of an Ape The Sceleton of a Man sitting upon an Ox executed for stealing of Cattle the Gift of Dr. Bills The Sceleton of a Greyhound The Sceleton of a Dog The Sceleton of a Man that hang'd himself The Sceleton of an Otter and of a large Greyhound The Covering of a great Mumie upon which is engraven the Effigies of Ceres A young Elephant's Head A Ferret an unknown Sea-Fish A Sea Hedge-Hog The Head of a Wild Boar. The Sceleton of a Lapwing A Beast call'd Tatou the Gift of Prince Maurice The Sceleton of a Squirrel The Head of a Sea-Calf The Snout of a large Saw-Fish A Whale's Yard The Skin of a Man tann'd The Entrails of a Man An East-Indian Tyger the Gift of Prince Carpenter Governor in the East-Indies a Surgeon The Effigies of a Prussian Peasant who swallow'd a Knife of ten Inches in length which was cut out of his Stomach and he liv'd eight Years afterwards the Gift of Dan. Becker A Piger the Gift of
Prince Maurice Two Bones grown to the Back-bone A Norway House built of Balcks or Beams without Mortar Brick or Stone The Sceleton of an Eagle The Beard of a young Whale A Panther The Snout of a Fish call'd Piscis Serratus A Chair of a Root of a Tree naturally grown so from Amboyna the Gift of Peter de Carpentier The Skin of a Ray or Skate from Angola a Kingdom of Ethiopia The Sceleton of a Badger The Bladder of a Man containing four stoop which is something above two English Gallons of Water A Formica Vorans or Pismire Eater the Gift of Pr. Maurice A Crocodile the Gift of Prince Maurice The Entrails of a Man of which is made a shirt the Gift of Mr. John Leeuven A Sea Dog Some Tyger's Skins the Gift of Prince Maurice The Skin of a Man dress'd as Parchment A Surgeon's Instrument call'd Glosso Comion that is an Instrument in which broken Pieces are set and bound up A large Indian Crab. A Sea Calf A Civet Cat the Gift of Dr. Theod. Gool The Skin of an East-Indian Dog A Sea Starling The skin of a large Serpent The skin of a Woman The Intestines and stomach of a Man A Tyger from the East-Indies A Beast call'd Tatou A huge Serpent upon which hang a Man's and a Hog's stomach the Gift of Prince Maurice Warlike Arms us'd in China A Whale's Operator A great Faulchion or hooked Sword of the Chineses Certain human Bones grown together The Head of a Sword-Fish a known Enemy to the Whale the Gift of Dr. Sam. Bloemaert The Sceleton of a Coney A Sea Hedge-Hog A Fish call'd Orbis Piscis which is Libra Can. with a great Belly of a Chesnut-colour and is unsavoury Meat The Sceleton of a large Coney The Head of a wild Boar. The Sceleton of a Swan The Sceleton of a Cock. The Sceleton of a Pigeon A Shield made of a large Sea Tortoise-shell the Gift of John ab Ilpendam A kind of Baboon call'd by the Dutch a Bosh Manneken Four or five Chinese Songs the Gift of P. de Carpentier Two Horses Hides of the same Nation The Bone of a Whale's Tail A strange Sea-Fish The Skin of a Child when first born A Bear the Gift of Daniel Beckher Galcus Levis a hurtful sort of Fish we call it a Hound-Fish The Skin of a huge Serpent The Intestines and Stomach of a large Man A City of China printed by the same Nation the Gift of Peter de Carpentier The Sceleton of a Man on Horse-back the Gift of Dr. de Bills The Head of a Sea-Horse A French Noble-Man who ravish'd his Sister and also murder'd her was beheaded at Paris and bestow'd on the Anatomy by Dr. Bills The Bill of a strange Bird. The Mummy of an Egyptian Prince above eighteen hundred Years old the Gift of David de Willem The Beak of the Bird Rhinoceros or Topau the Gift of Adrian de Paevis An Indian Sable Unbleach'd Egyptian Linnen The Head of a Rhinoceros A Roll of white China Paper the Gift of Dr. Mic. Pauwe. A Stone of a considerable bigness taken out of a Maids Kidney the Gift of Don. Otto Heurnius A Coral-Tree taken out of the East-Indian Sea the Gift of Dr. John de Laet. Six Stones taken out of the Bladder of an old Professor John Heurnius A Pot in which is China Beer Two Vertebrae out of the Neck of a Rhinoceros A great Jasper-Stone or Blood-Stone from Arabia A Roman Lamp which burns always under ground Some Roman Arms a thousand Years old the Gift of Dan. Gisius The Wings of a flying Fish An Indian Crab-fish the gift of Dr. Jo. Dam. Bossu An Hand of a Mermaid the Gift of Prince Maurice A Toad-stool above a hundred and ten Years old which grew in the Haerlem Meer the gift of Pet. Scriverius A Foot of a Sea-Monster the Gift of Prince Maurice A Lizard's Skin from Brazil the gift of Prince Maurice A Gold-Ring from China the gift of Dr. John Hoogkamer The Skin of an Indian Squerril The Sceleton of a Mole The Claw of an East-Indian Crab-Fish A Glass containg the Substance with which they are wont to preserve Mummies All the Arteries of the Liver A Tyger's Head the Gift of Prince Maurice The Head of a Beast from the East-Indies call'd Barbirousa is half Hart half Hog and is bred in the Island Celebes A Petrefied Toad-stool The Head of a Sea-Hog from Brazil the gift of W. Piso The Hand and Foot of a Mummy the gift of Fred. Westphalinek A precious Stone in Ethiopia call'd Heliotropium Three Claws with the Horn of a young Rhinoceros An Egyptian Bean. A dried black Arm. A Book printed with China Characters the gift of Francis Porsiin The Sceleton of a Mouse A Thunder-bolt given by Melchier de Moucheron The Arm of an Egyptian Hero An Egyptian Fly The Sceleton of a new-born Child A Flying-Hart given by Francis Schurmans An Egyptian Urn in which is an Abortus embalm'd above a Thousand Years old A Viper or Flying-Adder The Cheek-bone of a Mummy The Arteries of a Man's Liver A Sea-Spider from New-York given by Dr. Herman Bloen Capricus Rondeletii An Egytian Night-Owl The Blood of a Crocodile The Bladder of a Dog A Piece of Bread of new and unhnown Meal A Mallet or Hammer that the Savages in New-York kill with the gift of Herman Bloen The Arm of an Egyptian Mummy given by David de Willem A little Bone taken out of the Pizzel of a Wolf A little Stone found in Eagles Nests call'd Lapillus Aetites A Stone taken out of the Stomach of a Goose brought from the Streights of Magellan The Bladder of a Man Lapis Nephriticus or the Gravel-Stone A Stone found in the Head of a Sea-Calf A Bone of the Hearing Organ of a Whale the gift of Dr. Jacob. Cuculo commonly call'd a Sea-Cock The Sceleton of a Fitcher A small Bone taken out of the Penis of a Beaver The double Bladder of a Fish The Sceleton of a Frog The Arteries of the Liver The Sceleton of a Hedge-Hog A Drinking-Cup of the Scull of a Moor kill'd in the beleaguring of Haerlem The Sceleton of a Water-Rat A young Crocodile from Egypt given by Prince Maurice A Shepherd's Pipe from the Island of Maltha given by Dr. John Van Horn. The Sceleton of a Chaffinch A wooden Effigies of Osiris whom the Egyptians worshipp'd as a God now almost consum'd with Age. An Image of Isis giving suck to her Son Orus An Egyptian Coffer in which are Aromatical Spices for preserving of Bodies for Mummies Three Egyptian Idols made of Stone A Drinking-Cup made of a Tortoise-Shell An Indian Serpent's Eggs. The Sceleton of a Mole The Arteries of the Lungs A Water-Serpent A brazen Effigies of Osiris the Egyptian God The Arm of an Egyptian Hero embalm'd A Bone embalm'd A Fish call'd Schincus A little Egyptian Coffer upon which is engraven the Effigies of Isis and in which is the Heart of an Egyptian Prince embalm'd given by D. de
They sunk in this Breach four hundred small Vessels fill'd with Earth and Stones for a Foundation to re-build the Wall upon and by unspeakable Industry and immense Charges at last compleated the Work Here we met with a very pleasant and remarkable Story from an elderly Dutch Man who entertain'd us with it till we almost got to our Journey 's end for that Night 'T was thus An eminent Farrier that liv'd near this Place having an Apprentice that was so very dull and stupid that he could not after some Years teaching do any manner of Thing relating to his Profession the Master being uneasie and unwilling to keep a Servant that eat up his Bread but did him no Service one day brought him before the Burgo-Masters or chief Magistrates of Haerlem and desir'd that he might be discharged from him urging that he was so great a Blockhead that he could not make a Horse-Shooe Nail much less a Horse-Shooe or set it on either The Magistrates ask'd the Fellow what he could say for himself against what his Master alledged he replied That he was above that Trade upon which his Master being ask'd by the Magistrates concerning the Youth's Birth and Parentage declared that he was a mere Scoundrel and that he took him in pure Charity his Father and Mother were Labouring People and but a little better than Beggars Then the Magistrates ask'd the Fellow what he meant he answer'd That he could drain Haerlem-meer easier than make a Horse-Shooe at which the Burgo-Masters thinking it next to Impossible laught however they discharg'd his Master and took the Youngster in private and examin'd him closely and finding he had a Mathematical Head they told him they would advance a good Summ of Money and set him at work which they did and when he had compleated his Engines he fixt them and in a short time recover'd a great deal of dry Land the Fame of which brought great Numbers of People of all Qualities and Professions to see this mighty Engineer and being told the former part of the Story they were surpris'd The Money being expended the Operator attended the Magistrates and gave them an Account of it and told them he could not go on except they would advance him more Money which they being mere Mamonists refus'd to do upon which he cunningly drew off the Work-men and in the Night destroy'd the best Engine in which the great Secret lay and which was made in Private by his Hand alone and pull'd out some Pins out of others and in a very short space of Time laid the whole Land under Water as it was before away he fled to Antwerp getting far enough out of the reach of his Employers who now tho' too late began to be sensible of their Stinginess and would have given double the Summ to have had their Engineer again however to obtain their End having heard where he was by a Letter he sent to a Friend at Haerlem they made fresh Application to him and new Offers which he slighted then they made use of Stratagems and Slights to get him away privately and by force which failing they address'd the Governor a Spaniard then in open War against the States to send him back who calling him before him examin'd the Lad about the Affair and finding how basely the Magistrates had dealt with him and what an ingenious Fellow he was refus'd to gratifie them then they attempted by new large and more generous Offers to gain him to come voluntarily to them to which at last he consented and being upon his Journey to Haerlem fell sick of a Fever and so died by the way and with him died also that mighty and matchless Project since which they have not been able to do any thing in that Matter the Water of that Meer being vast in its extent and very deep even to be Navigable for we saw several Vessels of Burden then upon it under sail About half an Hour past seven that Evening we arriv'd at AMSTERDAM Amsterdam a vast rich populous and beautiful City equal to most in Christendom the Metropolis of all the Low-Countries in North Holland in the Territory of Amsterdam once Imperial now subject to the Sates-General of the Vnited-Provinces It stands on the River Amstel by an excellent Haven tho' the Coasts of Holland abound with Sands which render their Harbors more difficult and dangerous to enter nigh the Zuider-Zee 80 Miles North of Antwerp 210 almost East of London 250 almost North of Paris 380 South-West of Copenbagen and 560 almost West of Vienna Longitude 24 deg 00 min. Latitude 52 deg 29 min. This vast City was at first but a small Castle and call'd Amstel taking its Name from the River upon which it was built and gave Title to the Lords the Founders Soon after the Inhabitants encreas'd and apply'd themselves to Fishing and were contented to live in thatched Cottages this Employment begat a Trade amongst their Nighbours and mightily enrich'd themselves so that the Happiness and Commodiousness of their Situation invited a greater Number of People to come thither to reside there which from a small and contemptible Village soon made it a very considerable Town Anno 1235 they had certain Immunities granted them by Florentius the Fourth after this they began to build 'em Bridges and Towers the Inhabitants also built new Houses in the Neighbourhood and then the Borough began to take upon it the Name of the City of Amsterdam which was then united to the Country of Holland and having receiv'd new and greater Privileges which were confirm'd by succeeding Princes they by their Trade and Industry became very Potent tho' as yet this City had no Walls but only a Palisado until Anno 1482. It surrender'd to William of Nassaw after a tedious and obstinate Siege Thus in length of Time is this inconsiderable Place become the most celebrated Emporium of the Universe vying with the greatest Cities in the World in the great number of its Ships and the conveniency it has of fitting them out it now drives the greatest part of the Commerce which was formerly carried on by those ancient and renown'd Cities Antwerp Sevil and Lisbon 'T is the Second City in the World for Trade and the First we are of Opinion for Wealth 'T is not so large by much as Paris or London tho' it has swell'd prodigiously of late Years in Bigness Beauty and Magnitude these noble Streets call'd by them Grafts or Canals distinguish'd by the Names of Carsars Lords and Cingel c. are wondrous fine the Fronts great and lofty good French Glass tho' no Sashes the Rooms large and stately Pavements of fine Black and White Marble good Painting but not much extraordinary Carving Silver'd and guilt Leather of great variety much in Vogue to hang their Chambers with every Thing and Place very neat and nicely kept sometimes even to excess and pretty well contrived tho' we speak without partiality not so well as the new Houses
building in and about London The late Wars with England put a check to the Buildings in and Enlargements of this Place but as soon as they were over they went on and even now during this present War the worst they ever were engag'd in they are building in several Places at the ends of the great Streets but then the Houses are but small and ordinary compar'd to those above-mention'd being only fit for the middling People whereas the t'other are for the wealthiest Merchants and greatest Men among them The first thing we took notice of in this mighty and vast City that was remarkable was the manner of their laying their Foundations on which they build all their Houses both great and small private and publick which is thus Above fifty or sixty lusty Fellows with a ponderous Engine of Brass or Iron force into the Ground a great many Masts which occasions a Saying among them That their City stands upon Masts and lives by Masts meaning their Shipping upon which they build the Earth is Boggy Muddy at top and a pretty way but Sandy lower and their Houses are firm and secure and stand as long as any other tho' reckon'd better founded This we saw in our way to the Stadthouse or Guild-Hall which is so renown'd all over the World and which call'd for our Curiosity first and with which we entertain'd and diverted our selves a great while as we hope we shall do the Reader who if he never saw it will passionately desire to go thither for the sake of this noble Pile and many other great Rarities and Curiosities no where else to be found This Stadthouse or Guild-Hall is a most noble and magnificent Pile of Building all after the modern Italian Architecture 't is the stateliest Piece we ever saw 't is the Wonder and Discourse of all the World the Pride of Amsterdam and the Glory of the Seven Provinces The Entrance is mean and contemptible under seven small Piazza's or Arches which wondefully abate its Beauty which we told the Dutch and which they own'd for there is nothing gives a great and noble Piece of Building more Advantage than a large Portico or Entrance which makes the approach Magnificent and a large Cupolo to diffuse the Light which last this has tho' in many places 't is too dark which is a great defect in Architecture 't is all of Free-Stone of the Corinthian Order beautified with Brass-Statues and Marble Carvings done by the greatest Masters of the Age. it is 282 Feet wide 232 Feet deep and 116 Feet high besides the Cupolo 50 Feet high which is a very handsom one and a great Ornament in it is a good sett of Bells which ring not out like ours but are made to chime This Foundation is laid as those I mention'd before and accounted to stand on 13657 Piles of Masts driven after the manner I spoke of Page 122. into the Ground the front is adorn'd with a fine Piece of Carving in Marble 82 Feet long and 18 Feet high representing this City in the Person of a Woman with Neptune Lord high Admiral of the Seas and two Salt-Water Goddesses his Mistresses laden with the Fruits of the Earth all on the Right-hand bringing them as Presents to this mighty Lady And on her Left are two Naides offering her Lawrels and Palms and before her two Triton's dance and sound their Horns On the top stands a Statue of Brass representing Peace and on each side one shewing Providence and Justice each Figure twelve Feet in length And on the Back of this noble Pile is such another Piece of Carving representing the Trade and Greatness of the City In the Centre sits a Woman with the Hat and Wings of Mercury with the Masts and Sails and other Rigging of a Ship behind her and all sorts of Navigating Instruments around her at her Feet lie the two Rivers of Vk and Amstel the Inhabitants of Europe Asia Africa and America presenting her their Products Here are three Brasen Statues as large as those in the Front before-mention'd one is an Atlas with a very large Copper Plate on his right-hand Temperance and on his left Justice On the four Corners of this Great House stand four Brazen Eagles but Guilt very neatly supporting an Imperial Crown Upon our right-hand as we enter'd this stately Fabrick is their Hall of Justice finely adorn'd with Carved Works in Marble with Solomon on the Judgment-Seat deciding the Controversie between the sham and real Mother of the Child and several other such Phansies too many to be particular in In this Place is the famous Bank of the World kept supported more by Credit than Cash tho' they want not the last yet are not Masters of so much as they vapour of Millions of Tuns of Gold each Tun valu'd at ten thousand Pounds Sterling as we were inform'd by one who knew the Secret but thus much may be said for it That it is a mighty Establishment the Support as well as the Glory of their State they write off more Money here in one Day than at the Banks of Venice Genoa Paris or Hamburgh all together in two and have more real Coin and Bullion than those Three They are very jealous of the new establish'd Bank in England and oppose its Interests as much as they can for it draws abundance of their Profits away from thence they have visibly declin'd since that was set up the Great Interest viz. Eight per Cent. the English give encourag'd the Foreigners to send Commissions for Subscriptions and it being a Parliamentary Security they esteem it Sacred Sound and Secure no People in the World pay such a Veneration to that August Assembly as these for they are in Pain when ever there is the least Convulsion in the Senate upon whose Conduct the Good of the Kingdom and almost all Europe especially of the Reform'd Religion they know so much depends The States and Magistrates of Amsterdam are the Security for this Bank the Integrity of the Commissioners and other Officers the Safety of the Money here deposited the Promptness of the Payment the Goodness of the Species the Easiness of Transferring it the Reputation of the State are the great Inducements of the People of all Nations in Europe as well as their own to lodge their Cash here In this House is the City Prisons for Debtors and Criminals Here is the City Guard kept by the Citizens only where the Keys of the greatest Gates are locked up every Night Up a pair of good Stairs tho' not large but darkish is the Common-Hall for the Citizens to meet 't is 120 Feet long 57 broad and 98 high Here is the famous Mosaique or Brass inlaid Globes both Celestial and Terrestial in the Floor wherein may be found all the known World and all the Zodiacal Signs Constellations and Planets in the Heavens the fixt Stars are most curiously done plain and very easie to be found we often came hither in wet Weather to divert
upper Garment half red half sad-colour more especial Care is taken of Citizens Children tho' Foundlings or the Issue of Strangers are not excluded this Benefit of their Charity We saw their Bedlam a very neat old Building tho' far short of that in Moorfields but rich in Stock and indeed not so full of mad Folks as the English Here they have a Fool-House no where else to be found in the World not but that there may be as many of that sort of tame Creatures in other Countries and this may be said That how many soever there are without there are very few within these Doors 'T is a small old Building where there is good Lodging and Diet provided for these unhappy People amongst them there was a Woman that had the least Head we ever saw being much less than the natural Proportion Hence we went to the Hospital for Boies and Girls whose Fathers were Members of the Establish'd or National Church 't is a good well-built square Piece where the Children while little are kept close to School then put out Apprentices to Handicraft-Trades Here is an Apothecaries and Shoe-makers Shop wholly for the Service of this House Hence to the Spin-House the Prison for Whores and Thieves all were at work some making Lace others Plain-work some Spinning others mending Linnen some in for Weeks others Months and Years according to their Demerits Then to the Rasp-House which is a Bridewell where are secur'd those who have been near hanging and have escap'd with burning between the Shoulders with three Crosses the Arms of Amsterdam sometimes with a red-hot Sword on their Back to shew how narrowly they say'd their Heads and to caution 'em to beware of the next Punishment here after a severe Whipping they are doom'd to a temporary Imprisonment from three to five seven nine eleven and thirty Years some to perpetual all to bodily Labour to Rasp which is to cut with a double-teeth'd Saw fifty Pounds of Brazil a hard Wood for the Dyers use every Day or be drubb'd lustily with a Bulls Pissel and if that won't do they are put into a Dungeon and fed with Bread and Water or else into a close dark Vault into which Water is let which if they don't empty by pumping will soon drown 'em which soon brings 'em to work The Profits of their Labour are for their Maintenance and the Overplus to the Stock of the House or to be dispos'd of by the States for the Publick Good Here are also Houses for Vagabonds or wandering Beggars common Gamesters Sharpers Sots and idle Folks who are kept in this Place at hard work Then to the Gaasthouse where Entertainment is given at the Publick Charge to all needy Foreigners of any Nation four Days and as many Nights in which time they must find out their Friends or get Work to maintain themselves or else they shall have Work provided for them by the Officers which few like but had rather chuse their own Upon the Justice-day as they call the Execution here which is usually Saturday we saw a Man strangled which differs but little and that in the Word only from Hanging it is upon a Scaffold fix'd against the Stadthouse the Criminal is brought through Solomon's Hall where his Sentence is read as also on the Stage then the Parson prays with him and he by himself then mounts a little Cricket and claps his Back to a Post set up on purpose through which there 's a Hole into which the latter is put and so twisted hard about his Neck the Stool kick'd down and the Hangman all the while holding his Nose and stopping his Breath the sooner to put him out of Pain Another was beheaded with a broad Sword which the Executioner keeps under his Cloak till the Criminal is ready on his Knees and the Cap over his Eyes then off goes the Cloak the Headsman approaches pretending to pull the Cap a little more over his Eyes in half a Minute whips off his Head and very cleaverly Haerlem furnishes Amsterdam with the Executioner which tho' the biggest and richest City in all the Seven as well as this Provinces yet has not the Privilege to have a Hangman of her own He is a spruce Fellow and goes well in Habit and has Servants to attend him and is usually by Profession a Surgeon and Bone-setter as well as Bone-Cutter has a good Sallary from the Towns where he serves and lives comfortably tho' very few are found of his Company it being thought the worst in the World especially if he has a Parson with him At the same time was a lusty sturdy Fellow whipt for some lesser Roguery or Cheating which was done while the t'other Fellow was hanging and after this manner he was brought on the Scaffold with his Crime on his Breast in Capital Letters and led about then stript to the Waist his Hands tied and drawn up tight with a Cord to a Post then the Hangman took up a good handful of large Birch like that of Ostlers Brooms from a great Bundle which lay close by and slash'd him as fast as he could backwards and forwards then took up a fresh handful and so on for six or seven Minutes at which time the Magistrates who look on out of the Stadthouse Windows nodded to him to give over Vast was the number of Spectators as always is both there and every where else at such unpleasant Sights beyond what we ever saw and most Mob or Jean Hagel as they call 'em or John Hail or Canalia or Canals Sinks of Filth c. Here are also proper Houses to receive detain and chastise Extravagants Deboshees and reprobate wicked and lewd Children of which having spoken pretty largely in the Account of the Hague we shall say no more here but refer our Reader thither for full Satisfaction All these Charity Houses as also those of Correction and Reformation are neat and spruce furnish'd with Pictures which are so common in this Country that Butchers Coblers and the meanest People have a great many and of the sort pretty good and well set out In some of these Alms-Houses there are fourteen or fifteen hundred in others eight or nine hundred and in the rest four or five hundred Boys and Girls Here also may any Body Man or Woman Native or Stranger have a handsome Maintenance for their Lives in a House provided on purpose call'd the Brother's House paying only a small Summ of Money at first The Charity of this renown'd City is very great even beyond Example and above Comparison they are continually giving to the Poor hardly a Bargain made here but they come in for a Snack the Gods Penny is theirs We took a walk in the Afternoon out of the City-Gates to observe the Situation and the Country round about We saw Mills innumerable all in motion some Water some Wind some Thatch some Wood few Brick to grind Colours for the Pot-Houses Corn for this City sawing Timber draining Marsh-Grounds
Possession of our Renown'd and Glorious Queen Elizabeth as a Mortgage for Money lent the States when Poor and Distressed 'T is an old fashion'd Fort and guards the Mouth or Entrance of the River which leads to Middleburgh and is but a sorry feeble Thing But thence we went to FLVSHING Flushing where we lay all Night and next Morning early walk'd round all their Fortifications which are modern strong in good repair and command the River and a pretty way to Sea Here is a large old and a very great new Dock to build in and to lay up their biggest Ships of War which this Province furnishes to their Quota there were several new Frigats and Ships of great Force on the Stocks which will be ready early the next Spring Here they build and hence they send out a great many Capers that Plague the French and return rich as they us'd to do from Us when in War with England they have always forty or fifty abroad they chiefly live by that Trade and by re-taking their own Countrymens and Allies Ships having Salvage for the same if within the Benefit of the Law Marine or else all to themselves Flushing is a fine City and noble Port one of the Cautionary Places deliver'd to the English It stands at the Mouth of the River Scheld where is a very convenient Haven but a League from Middleburg which is bigger than this but not so populous Here are a great many Fisher-Boats and small Craft belong to both Places but most to this Hence is the Passage to Flanders whose Banks are in sight and Bruges is but twenty-two Miles off This is the Key of the Sea of the Low-Countries and is a handsome cleanly well-built Place but not very modern It was in vain attempted by the Dukes of Alva and Palma but now thought almost impregnable This poor Province has been mightily expos'd to Inundations and been almost ruin'd by those prodigious ones An. 1304 and 1509. TERVEER is the next considerable Town Yerveer to which we went and where we made but a short stay it being far inferior to the t'other two tho' this is the Third in the Province the rest being but inconsiderable and rather Villages Here is a good Stadthouse and and a good Church or two the Houses are older and nothing near so Magnificent as in the t'other two Towns nor is their Commerce to be compar'd tho' they have a Snack in the East-India Company 's Stock and have some other small Trade and some Fishermen King William as Prince of Orange possesses most of the Lordships and Baronies in this Province and my Lord Odyke some of the rest who keeps a kind of a Court and makes some small Figure when at Middleburg we visited his Palace which stands pleasantly but affords no extraordinary Remarks The Weather began to be cold some Snow fell and Ice was fear'd which would have pent us in this famous Island which has fifteen or sixteen little ones within it so we resolv'd to take our Leaves of it and accordingly took Boat for Hevoet sluice where we arriv'd in a lucky Minute the English Packet-Boat being within two Hours after to sail and had a very fair Gail presented so we went ashoar refresh'd our selves bought Provisions good store there being no Halfway-House at Sea and laid in some good old Hock and Brandy and so embark'd about nine that Morning and next Morning early landed at Harwich being glad we were once more got on English Ground in our Opinion the best in the World where we rested a few Hours took Coach and came to Colchester where we lay that Night and furnish'd our selves with Eringo or Sea Holy-Root canded and the best done in England at four Shillings the Pound and fill'd our Bellies with large fat white firm Oysters and bought some to bring home and next Day in the Evening being the 19th of November 1695 arriv'd safe and sound in London whence we had been absent three Months and five Days FINIS Advertisement THE Reports of divers Special Cases in the Courts of Common-Pleas and King's-Bench in the Reign of King Charles the Second By Sir Thomas Jones Knight late Lord Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas Printed for Sam. Keble and Sold by A. Bosvile at the Dial over-against St. Dunstan 's Church in Fleet-street AN Help and Exhortation to Worthy Communicating Or a Treatise describing the Meaning Worthy Reception Duty and Benefits of the Holy Sacrament And Answering the Doubts of Conscience and other Reasons which most generally detain Men from it Together with suitable Devotions added By John Kettlewell late Vicar of Coles-Hill in Warwickshire Sold by Alexander Bosvile at the Dial over-against St. Dunstan 's Church in Fleet-street