£22 Misson’^ Unravels through the Book II. 
The Author divided his Work in the Original into 
Letters, which are dated from feveral Places ; but to 
render it more agreeable to the Form of this W^ork, 
we have digefted it in the fame Manner with the other 
Parts of it ; which, we flatter ourfelves, will render it 
more eafy and intelligible to our Readers. The great 
Number of Infcriptions, literary DilTertations, hiftori- 
cal and critical Difcuflions, with which the Author, from 
time to time, augmented his original Performance, 
fwelled it to four Volumes; and though many of thefe 
are very curious and ufeful, yet as they did not fuit 
either the Defign of our Work, or the Bounds within 
which we are obliged to confine it, we have contrafted 
them as far as it was neceflary, to bring the whole into 
a reafonable Compafs, with as little Prejudice as might 
be to the Sentiments of the Author. 
It is requiflte farther to obferve, that thefe Travels 
were made in 1687, and 1688 ; fo that the Reader 
will make the proper Allowances for the Alterations 
that have happened, in refpedl both to Perfons and 
Things flnce that Time. The Rout he took has been 
efteemed, by the ableft Judges, one of the beft, for ma- 
king what is called the Grand 'Tour^ in order to give 
young Travellers a View of the moil remarkable Parts 
of Europe^ and the Method he has taken in defcribing 
the Countries and Cities through which he palled, 
has been looked - upon as equally inftruflive and enter- 
taining ; fo that hitherto nothing of the fame Kind has 
appeared, either fo extenfive in its Defign, or lo well 
executed in the feveral Parts of it. Our Author was a 
very zealous as well as learned Proteftant, and he has 
left us great Marks of both in this Performance, which 
llirred up lome Perfons abroad to criticife various 
PaflTages in his Travels ; but he was, generally fpeak- 
ing, fo much in the Right, and in the Difcourfes before- 
mentioned, which may be ftill found in the laft Englijh 
Tranflation of his Book, he has defended himfelf fo 
well, that his Adverfaries have had no great Occafion 
to triumph. Thefe Particulars, which were neceflary 
for the Reader’s Satisfaffion, being difpatch’d, there is 
no NecelTity for enlarging any farther this Introduction, 
and therefore welhall proceed, as near as may be, in the 
Author’s own Words, after putting the Perufer in Mind, 
that the Plainnefs and Familiarity of the Stile is fuch as 
may be expeCled, and has been always allowed to Epi- 
ftolary Writings. 
2.YJ0Iland being a flat Country, like a continued Mea- 
dowlas we approach’d the Shore, the Pinaclesof 
the Steeples and the Trees appear’d as rifing out of 
the Water. The whole Country is cut into Canals and 
Ditches with incredible Labour, without which the 
Grounds would be fo foak’d with Water, as would ren- 
der it not habitable •, whereas now, by the Induftry of 
its Inhabitants, it is the richeft and beft peopled in the 
World, in Proportion to its Extent : Some make their 
Number amount to Two millions five hundred thoufand 
Souls, in the Angle Province of Holland-, fome account 
only Two millions in all the Seven Provinces. 
The Cities of Holland are generally very neat and 
beautiful, their Inhabitants fparing no Pains or Coft for 
that Purpofe, as appears by their conftantly walking 
them ; and having the Infides of their Houfes curioufly 
painted ; and their Windows, generally of Glafs, as clear 
as Cryftal : Their Cleanlinefs extends even to their 
Shops and Stables, which are kept neater here, than 
the beft Apartments are in fome Countries. Their 
Streets are fo clean, that you lee the Women walk al- 
moft conftantly in Slippers ; and the Canals being on 
both Sides planted with Trees, afford a molt delightful 
fiiady Palfage through all the chief Streets of the Cities, 
and of fome of the Towns and Villages alfo. They 
reckon in the United Provinces one City [Amjierdam) 
of the firft Rank, about twenty of the fecond, upwards 
of thirty of the third, two hundred large Towns, and 
oight hundred Villages. But to return to their Canals. 
Thefe are very convenient for travelling, which is 
generally perform’d in large Boats cover’d againft the 
Injuries of the Air, and drawn by Horfes, which go off 
and bring you to your Journey’s End exadly at certain 
Hours *, they ferve for the Tranfportation of Commo- 
dities from one Place to another : And fome of thefe 
Canals afford tolerable Store of feveral Kinds ofFilh. 
Notwithftanding all thefe Advantages, there are ma- 
ny Things wanting in Holland, their Supplies of Wines, 
nay, even of Corn, and moft other Things neceflary 
for the Suftenance of Life, are derived from foreign 
Countries, which occafions their having fuch a prodi- 
gious Number of Ships, fo that fome have computed 
them equal to all the reft that Europe can produce. But 
as on one Side they are chiefly oblig’d to the Sea for their 
Riches, fo on the other Hand it proves the Occafion 
of almoft irreparable Defolations ; for though they take 
all polTible Precautions to maintain their Dams and 
Mills for the emptying of the Water, yet fometimes 
the Impetuofity of this Element breaks through all thefe 
Fences, which has coft at feveral Times the Lives of 
fome Millions of People. Thus, April ly, 1429, a 
Hundred thoufand People were drown’d about Dort. 
In 1446, there were fifteen Parilhes overflowed in the 
Village of Scheveling, 1 2 1 Houfes were carried away, 
and the Church, now clofe by the Sea-fide, flood in the 
Middle of the Place. 
Another Inconveniency is, the hidden Change of the 
Weather from Heat to Cold, a Thing not agreeable to 
thofe who are not ufed to it. Their Impolitions are 
alfo very heavy, which confeqiiently occafions a Dear- 
nefs of all Sorts of Vicftuals ; but their Plenty of Trade 
feems to make them a fufficient Amends for this and 
every other Inconveniency. 
'We were not a little furpriz’d with the firft Sight of 
Rotterdam, for its Canals being, for the moft Part, fo 
deep and broad, that they are capable of receiving 
Veflels of a great Bulk j this affords the moft agree- 
able Profped: of a Mixture of Trees, Tops of lofty 
Houfes and Mails, which at a Diftance appear won- 
derfully beautiful. 
The City of Rotterdam has not always been in the 
fame flourilhing Condition, which makes it now chal- 
lenge a Place among the Cities of the fecond Rank, its 
Port being both large and commodious, the City rich, 
populous, pleafant, and extreamly flourilhing ; their 
Storehoufes for the Navy, the Townhoufe, and the 
Bank, are beautiful Strudlures ; their Glafs-houfe (fa- 
mous through all the Seven Provinces) manufadures 
abundance of little enamel’d Bowls, and fuch-like Bau- 
bles, curioufly done, which are fold to prodigious Pro- 
fit to the Savages in the Indies. 
There are two French Churches here : The Statue 
of Brafs of Erajmus is fix’d on a Pedeftal of Marble 
in the Place called the Great Bridge, furrounded with 
Iron Rails. Erafmus is drefs’d in his Dodor’s Robe, 
with a Book in his Hand ; and near it you fee the fol- 
lowing Diftich, wrote over the Door of a little Houfe 
where he was born, O5iob. 27, 1467. but died at Bajil^ 
June 12, 1536. 
Mdibus hie ortus, mundum decoravit Erafmus 
Artibus ingenuis, Religione, Fide. 
There has been due Care exprefled in this Relped, for 
the firft Statue was ereded 1540, of Wood ; after that 
another of Stone, 1657 ; and this of Brafs, 1622. 
We made a little Journey from hence to a fmall Vil- 
lage called Leckerkeck, about three Leagues from the 
City, upon the River Leek, where the Lord of the 
Manor told us, that the Salmon-filhing (the fifth Part 
whereof belongs to him) ufed formerly to produce 
Twenty thoufand Livres per Annum for his Share, but 
of late Years the Salmon having left that River, the 
Filhing fwhich they are forced to continue only to 
maintain their Right) does not defray the Charges. 
At the fame Place they Ihewed us a Woman, who 
was the Year before, i. e. 16S6, brought to Bed of fix 
Sons at one Birth, four of them were baptiz’d, and 
the eldeft lived four Months after. 
At the Lord of the Manor’s Houfe, we faw alfo a 
Servant-maid, named la Bonte, who under that Name 
was mufter’d, and ferv’d no lefs than feven Years in the 
Quality of a Mufqueteer. 
