HOLLAND. 417 



lished religion here was the presbyterian and Calvinism ; none but 

 presbyterians were admitted to any office or post in the government, 

 excepting in the army ; yet all religions and sects were tolerated, and 

 had their respective meetings or assemblies for public worship, 

 among which the papists and Jews were very numerous. And, 

 indeed, this country may be considered as a striking instance of the 

 benefits arising to a nation from universal toleration. As every man 

 is allowed to worship God according to the dictates of his own con- 

 science, persons of the most opposite opinions live together in the 

 most perfect harmony and peace No man in this republic has any 

 reason to complain of being oppressed on account of his religious 

 principles ; nor any hopes, by advancing his religion, to form a party, 

 or to break in upon the government ; and therefore, in Holland, men 

 live together as citizens of the world ; their differences in opinion 

 make none in affection, and they are associated together by the com- 

 mon ties of humanity and bonds of peace, under the protection of the 

 laws of the state, with equal encouragements to arts and industry, 

 and equal freedom of speculation and inquiry. 



Literature. ...Erasmus and Grotius, who were both natives of this 

 country, stand almost at the head of modern learning. Haarlem dis- 

 putes the invention of printing with the Germans, and the magis- 

 trates keep two copies of a book entitled Sjiec'ulum Salvationist print- 

 ed by Koster in 1440; and the most elegant editions of the classics 

 came from the Dutch presses of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, 

 Leyden, and other towns. The Dutch have excelled in controvei'sial 

 divinity, which insinuated itself so much into the state, that, before 

 principles of universal toleration prevailed, it had almost proved 

 fatal to the government ; witness the violent disputes about Armi- 

 nianism, freewill, predestination, and the like. Besides Boerhaave, 

 they have produced excellent writers in all branches of medicine. 

 Grsevius, Gronovius, father and son, and Burman, are ranked among 

 the principal of their numerous commentators upon the classics. In 

 the other departments of literature, the Dutch publications are me- 

 chanical, and arise chiefly from their employments, in universities,, 

 church, or state. 



Universities. ...These are Leyden, Utrecht, Groeningen, Harder- 

 wicke,and Franker. 



The university of Leyden, which was founded in 1575, is the largest 

 and most ancient in all the United Netherlands. Its library, besides 

 a number of printed books, contains above two thousand oriental man- 

 uscripts. Here is also a physic-garden, and an anatomical theatre. 



The university of Utrecht was changed from a school into an 

 university in 1636; but it has not all the privileges of the other 

 universities, being entirely subject to the magistrates of the city. 

 The physic -garden here is very curious ; and for the recreation of 

 the students, on the east side of the city, just without the gate, is a 

 beautiful mall, consisting of seven straight walks, two thousand paces 

 in length, regularly planted with limes ; but that in the middle is pro- 

 perly the mall. 



There are abundance of youth, of the principal nobility and gentry 

 from most countries in Europe, at these seminaries of literature ; and 

 as every one may live as he pleases, without being obliged to be pro- 

 fuse in his expences, or so much as quitting his night-gown for 

 either weeks or months together, foreigners of all ranks and cofl- 



Von. T. 3 PI 



