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
a Chamber at the further end the High Court of Justice from which no Appeals are granted and to which all are made The Civil or Roman Law is in practise all over these Countries This Village has no Vote among the States not because 't is a Village for there are several Cities have no Votes but because they did not send Deputies to Vtrecht when the Union was upon the Anvil The Hague paies more Excise for Wine and other Liquors than Amsterdam Rotterdam and Dort three great Cities put together as they told us and it has the face of Truth for here is the great concourse of Travellers Nobility Gentry Foreign Embassadors Envoys Residents c. And now and for some Years past of the Congress these are the Wine-Bibbers for the common Dutch are satisfied with a sopie of Brandy-Wine a Dram of that Liquor does their Business better it keeps out the Cold and the Fogs quickens them and makes them fitter for Action and indeed they seem to have some occasion for it for they are naturally slow and heavy but then very diligent and constant else 't would have been impossible to have finish'd such great Works as they to their Honour and the Safety of their Country have happily atchiev'd And indeed strong and spirituous Liquors seem to me to be more necessary for as well as natural to this Nation conducing mightily to the conservation of their Health which must needs be fluctuating where the Air is so foul Their Country is a Bog a Marsh full of Vapours and Fogs which are Earthy and Sulphureous and send forth unpleasant and unwholsom Scents and therefore their frequent Tippling ought not to be charg'd on them as a Crime especially by a Neighbour-Nation the English who have a better Country and a better Air and are in their own Natures more lively brisk and pert having more Heat more Fire within are as Cholerick as the t'other Flegmatick drudge not like them therefore want not the like Supports being lazy and idle People chusing rather some of 'em to starve than work Besides they Bumper it but seldom and at set and upon solemn Occasions and then forbear a good while or at least some time but my Country-men to their shame are always Sotting and Drunkening toiling at it and valuing themselves upon making one another Drunk indeed 't is a noble Atchievement to Fuddle the whole Company 'T is a glorious Conquest to leave 'em all slain upon the Floor as they call it Now the bearing of much strong Liquor is an argument of a thick Skull rather than otherwise which I find few very fond of at least none would have it if they could help it In the Afternoon we hired a Coach a very genteel one and the Coach-Man in a good Habit of grey resembling a Livery with a pair of handsom fat well-kept Horses we agreed with him to wait upon us the whole Afternoon which he did for about Eight Shillings Sterling and first carried us to the Prince's House in the Bosch or Wood about two Miles from the Hague 't is a very pretty well-built tho' old Box as we call small Seats in England with good Gardens tho' not now very well kept at the Entrance of this House stand Four whole Marble Effigies of William the First Maurice his Brother Henry and William the Second the present King of Great Britain's Father all Princes of Orange very curiously done Directly forwards is a lofty well-painted well-guilt well-floor'd small Hall with a Gallery for Musick all round the top of it and three or four small lodging Rooms below and several very good ones above one Closet of all true Indian Japan made of Cabinets or Chests taken in pieces 't is three Yards long and one and a half broad The Wall and Cielings all round beautified with curious Paintings representing the Actions of Frederick Henry Prince of Orange The Wood in which this little House fit only for Banqueting or a Supper in the cool of a Summer's Evening or indeed a retreat with a Mistress stands is very pleasant and with cost might be made much more delightful There is a pretty deal of Ground about it and well wooded but has no Deer or any other Game As we came back we rid by the Mall or Mell much like that in St. James's Park but not so neat or well kept being not so much frequented Then we were drove back through part of the Hague to Schevelin upon a fine smooth way pav'd all with Bricks and planted on each side with Trees to make it pleasant which was done at vast Expence being before all sandy Hills a little Village about two Miles from thence fam'd in Story for the Embarkation of Charles the Second King of England when he went to take Possession of his Three Crowns from which he had been long kept by the Usurper Oliver Cromwell 'T is a little Fisher-Place we rid along the shoar two or three Hours in view of the Ocean or Main-Sea where we observ'd some Wrecks on that Coast Between Schevelin and the Hague is a House of Myn Heer Bentink's now Earl of Portland it is but an ordinary old Piece of Building tho' his Lordship has lately added some new Lodgings to it but the Gardens are new and very extraordinary there is a very fine Orangerie and a new well-built Room or Green-house to preserve them in Winter and in the middle and at each end a great Stove in which great Fires are kept during the extreme cold Weather In the middle of the new Garden is a fine Oval Fountain The Garden is made up like a Half-Moon full of fine Flower-Pots In the old Garden is a neat Aviary and a small Moat with Fowl in it fine Walks and Figures and a Summer-House built upon an Artificial Rock Amongst the Principal Buildings in the Hague the House built by Prince Maurice claims the first Rank for 't is a stately One of Modern Structure Here Charles the Second King of Great Britain was lodged and treated by the States when his Majesty came from Breda to embark for England Anno 1660. The Dukes of Brandenburg Saxony and others of the Illustrious German Princes when they come to the Hague on Visit or Business are conducted hither and remain here during their stay In this House are the Pictures of most of the European Kings and a great many American Rarities In the Years 1672 and 1673 the Inhabitants were in great Pain lest the French who were then very near them shou'd have made 'em a Visit because there 's no Fortifications only a Ditch of Water The Trees round about it were order'd to be cut down to impede the French in their march who like very civil Gentlemen came not to give them the least Disturbance young Trees are since planted in the room of the old The Confusion then was such that they sent several Waggons laden with Money and the Publick Accompts to be secur'd in the Stadt-House
c. Here the Land lies low and the Water high dam'd up for the Publick Service and conveniency of Travel The Air is thick foul and unwholsom we fortified our selves with a good Dose of old Hock every Day we liv'd as the better sort of Dutch do and the common with a Cup of Nantz We arrived to the Dooly-House a noted Tavern where many of the Train'd-Band Officers are very well drawn in good Paint in a great drinking Rome the Wine is generally good at their Publick Houses but the best was at the Heer-Logiment but then the Price is higher This is a noble House fit to receive and lodge a Prince as it often does the lesser Potentates of Germany who frequently travel thither especially in their Minority when they never fail to make the Tour of these Provinces which well merit their Time and Expence informing their Judgments as well as gratifying their Curiosities The Accounts and Descriptions of Places and Things well made being indeed very delightful to read but much more to view the Eye being in matters of that kind much to be prefer'd to the Ear The mighty Figure this Republick has and still does make in the World her Wealth Power and Reputation both at home and abroad her Numerous Armies Formidable Navies and Foreign Alliances are all well worth seeing and knowing 'T is very observable here more Women are found in the Shops and Business in general than Men they have the Conduct of the Purse and Commerce and manage it rarely well they are Careful and Diligent capable of Affairs besides Domestick having an Education suitable and a Genius wholly adapted to it The Men take all the Pleasure they go to Coffee-Houses Taverns and Treats walk or ride in Chases abroad play much at Cards sit up Gaming and Fudling greatest part of Night and all is well the good Wife gets and the Husband spends the Money but this Compensation the Woman has for all her Toil and Care That at her Death if she drops before her Husband she can give away half the Estate The Women of these Parts are all for making their Daughters and Nieces or Grand-Children great Fortunes they let the Boys shift for themselves they say they can best do it We met abundance of French in this Place both Ministers and others most of the Reform'd Religion the Dutch are very generous to them in their Alms for their Support here are many Thousands ten for one in England or Ireland This Remark we made not once but often when we or any others occasionally spoke against the French King they seem'd concern'd tho' he has so bitterly persecuted them and as we were inform'd by those who knew it well they us'd to rejoyce at his former Successes in Flanders Piedmont and Catalina and say upon all Occasions Nôtre Grand Monarque est invincible which Note now is chang'd the Dutch were offended at their Vanity and Weakness because from them they receiv'd their Bread We went to the Butter Cheese Poultry and Dog-Market the three first were well-stor'd but the last which is every Monday Morning had but about twenty Curs in it and those very ugly but every Woman must have one the ordinary as well as extraordinary and good round Prizes they for these hairy Companions Thence to the Market for green and dried Herbs Seeds of all sorts and Roots for Apothecaries another of very fine Flowers in Pots in great quantities Here is a Rag-market and another for Tobacco Pipes of which they have very fine ones curiously glaz'd and wrought and great variety of Sorts and Prizes for Sea and Land short ones with large Bowls for the Skippers and Tarpaulins who keep them on board their Vessels and sell them to the Passengers Markets of Baskets Chairs Tubs and Pails all very pretty Grain Bisket Cakes Eggs c. Two large Flesh-Markets or Halls being in handsome Houses great store of Flesh in both and very good indifferently cheap and would be very reasonable but for the great and lasting Excise the Butchers and their Wives are neatly dressed and cleanlier than ours Here is also a Sawcidge Hogs-face and Tripe-Market they sell in their Cheesemongers Shops Bologna Sawcidges and dried Salmon both which they dress well boiling in part then frying the first and eating it with Spinage over which they scrape Nutmeg We hired a Yacht again and sailed for several Hours up and down the River to divert our selves Upon a small Island overagainst the City is their standing Gallows the Scaffold I mention'd before being set up only at particular times all of Free-Stone Triangular Pillars with Iron cross them with carv'd Work a Lion at the top of each they first hang or strangle the Criminals on the foresaid Scaffold erected close to the Stadthouse and those sentenced to hang in Iron are brought hither The Wheel or Cross is seldom us'd here tho' often in France The Scotch Man that many Years ago attempted to burn their Fleet of Men of War is here laid upon a Wheel set upon a high Post Also a French Man that kill'd a Whore who being bid by the Parson to pray for the City and Magistrates said The Devil take 'em all and one or two more hanging in Chains as we in England call it We had the Curiosity to go to see the Navy or Admiralty Office which is a well-built House with good large Rooms well painted and fitly accommodated to the Business they have a Court of Justice within themselves from which is no Appeal they hang or shoot their Sea-Officers or Men for Cowardize or neglect of Duty and reward them roundly if they burn sink or take a Flag-Ship or any Ship of War great or small or do any considerable Service they give them ready Money and Pensions when disabled great Care is taken of their Sea-men their Wages punctually and justly paid and their Widows and Children consider'd and themselves largely provided for in Hospitals c. In this House are several Trophies hung up taken from the several Enemies of this State We hir'd each a Chaise which is a small Chariot on two Wheels drawn by one Horse which runs very swift the Roads being sandy and generally good can travel sixty Miles a day and each got a Companion and went to NAERDEN Naerden the Frontier of the Province of Holland about ten Miles from Amsterdam in our way we past through Muyden a small City which has no Vote among the States because neither they nor Wesep another small City nor Naerden sent any Deputies to the Hague when the Foundation of the Union was laid This Town of Naerden was almost destroy'd by Fire in the Fourteenth Century and the remainder of it drown'd by the Sea soon after but Anno 1455 it was re-built by William the Third of Bavaia then Earl of Holland The Citizens of Vtrecht made themselves Masters of it in the Year 1481 by a pretty Stratagem putting their Soldiers in the Habit of Country Women