Description of the great Gas Retort-House, 



6 



as for Ilk examination. He must also 

 take out a yearly patent ; and every 

 person exercising any trade or profes- 

 sion, from the merchant to the shoe- 

 black, pays for this patent in propor- 

 tion to his supposed income. The 

 Dutch are extremely fond of " posts 

 and pensions," and commonly shew a 

 great deal of the " insolence of office," 

 when they are happy enough to " get 

 in." The members of the School Cojn- 

 mission are commonly striking exam- 

 ples of this: nothing can exceed Ihe 

 consequential gravity and ridiculous 

 solemnity of this conclave, when they 

 have got a teacher at their bar; and 

 particularly if he is a foreigner. 



Holland has never, perhaps, at any 

 former period, produced more writers 

 than at the present day ; but we shall 

 notice only a few of those whose works 

 are likely to reach posterity. Feith 

 is a man of some property in Guelder- 

 land, and is called the father of the 

 living poets, from his great age. His 

 works are chiefly of the sentimental 

 kind, or what is souu times called the 

 *' Germanic:" Fer.lin.and and Julia, a 

 sentimental romance in prose ; and 

 IJet Graaf (the (jravc), a poem : his 

 principal productions are quite in this 

 style. BiLDERDlJK is considered as 

 the chief of Dutch poets, and not un- 

 frequently the high epithet of " Prince 

 of Poets," is bestowed upon him. He 

 was bred to the bar, and is certainly a 

 man of considerable learning. The 

 style of his poetry, and the disjwsifion 

 of his mind seem to have more resem- 

 blance to Lord Byron's than any other 

 of our great poets, (we do not mean to 

 make any comparisons). But whatever 

 learning or genius he may possess, is 

 certainly exceeded by his extreme va- 

 nity and self-conceit, as he seems to 

 affect to hold the greatest writers of 

 every other cmmtry in perfect con- 

 tempt : — many examples of this might 

 be given from his works, did our limits 

 permit. He resided some years in 

 England, where, he sa3fs, he did much 

 good, by instructing young authors 

 in the art of poetry. The statue 

 of Dr. Johnson was erected in St. 

 Paul's when he was in London, 

 upon which he remarks, " to erect a 

 monument to the memory of such a 

 man as their half-learned, dull, and 

 stupid Johnson, is a sufficient proof of 

 the low state of learning in England." 

 He was once a great favorite at Court ; 

 but his presumption and vanity made 

 him fall into disgrace, and he was 

 obliged to leave the country. 



[Keb. 1, 



ToiiLENS, a c(Jlour-merdiant in Rot- 

 terdam, is held as the second in poetical 

 fame ; but his attachment to the Muse 

 does not seem to interfere with the 

 concerns of commerce, as he attends 

 regularly on change, and appears pros- 

 perous. His smaller pieces are his 

 best productions; and he has written 

 some popular national songs, at the de- 

 sire, it is said, of some of the Royal 

 Family, \vliich are well calculated to 

 reanimate the patriotic feelings which 

 are almost extinct in the bieasts of his 

 countrymen. All the principal authors, 

 except Bilderdijk, have been created 

 R/dders, that is. Knights of the Dutch 

 Lion, jin order instituted by the present 

 King, for t!ie purpose of rewarcling his 

 adherents, and as a substitute for pen- 

 sions and places. They wear the 

 medal of the order constantly at their 

 button-hole. 



Van Kampen is a prose-writer of 

 much repute, though almost wholly 

 self-taught. He was lately, and per- 

 haps is still, a journeyman printer at 

 Leyden. One of his best works is the 

 History of the French Empire in Eu- 

 rope, in .3 vols. 8vo. 



LoosjES, a respectable printer at 

 Haarlem, dird about three years since ; 

 he wrote a great deal, both in poetry 

 and prose. His Adventures of Susan- 

 nah Bronkhorst, a novel in 6 vols. 8vo. 

 is the best in the Dutch language, and 

 certainly worthy of being translated 

 into Englisli, as well as other works by 

 different authors, among which may be 

 included some of the late voyages and 

 travels performed by natives of Hol- 

 land. 



For the Monthlii Magazine. 

 Description of the retort-house 



of the GREAT GAS MANUFACTORY, 

 in BRICK LANE, LONDON, rvith a 

 view taken at the time nf drawing the 

 coke^ or exhausted charge, and re- 

 charginz with fresh coal. 

 IHE singular character of this part 

 of the process and its tremendous 

 picturesque effect, will powerfully en- 

 gage the attention of distinct classes 

 of spectators ; it furnishes a scene 

 which is equally interesting to the un- 

 informed and the learned observer. 

 The man of science contemplates it 

 with a feeling of exultation r he sees 

 in the retort-house, the heart, the liv- 

 ing principle which gives effect to a 

 magnificent system, alike honourable 

 in its place among the discoveries of 

 the age, and excellent for its useful- 

 ness to the community. 



The 



