,ET. 26.] TOUR THROUGH HOLLAND. 289 



share with Mentel of Strasburg, and Faust and Gut- 

 tenberg of Mentz, the honour, if not of inventing, 

 at least of suggesting what led to the art of printing. 

 For if metal types were first cast at Mentz, their 

 wooden origin had its birth at Haarlem. The Haar- 

 lemites contend that their townsman first printed in 

 1430 that his workman, Guttenberg, stole the 

 wooden blocks, carried them off to Mentz, and there, 

 in partnership with Faust, printed first with wooden 

 blocks, and afterwards with metal types. Coster died 

 about 1442. 



From Haarlem return to the Hague, and from 

 thence went to Diisseldorf, where I arrived Sept. 14. 

 Saw the remarkable chef-d'ceuvre of Gerard Douw. 

 It has all the beauties of a fine miniature, with the 

 expression of a full-sized picture. Said to have cost 

 500,000 florins, of which he received 75,000 himself. 

 There is also a masterpiece of Eaphael, " St John in 

 the Wilderness;" also a Correggio, "Jesus from the 

 Scourging." Nothing can be more melancholy than 

 the effect of this. The grief and pain in the face is 

 devoid of every sour or angry feeling. A pity of 

 others tempers His agony. But the masterpiece is 

 Guido's "Assumption." I was told that 100,000 

 had been refused for this picture.* 



Proceeded up the Ehine to Cologne and Coblentz 

 (Sept. 17). Passed many boats near Bonn, carrying 

 trees of liberty, with tricolor flags. Took in many 



* The celebrated Diisseldorf Gallery was afterwards removed to 

 Munich. 



VOL. I. T 



