Chap. III. through the Low- 
or Objeflions and Solutions j in certain Note-Books. 
The Gentlemen Students are placed in a peculiar Form, 
called Scamnum Nobilium. As loon as the Students 
come to the Univerfity, they muft enter their Names, 
with the Prefident of their College ; every time they 
are abfent from a Lefture, they pay a Penny, for each 
Time of Abfence from a publick Exercife, three Pence, 
and if they mifs when they are to perform a publick 
Exercife themfelves, twenty Pence. The Profeffors of 
each Pedagogy chufe every Year twelve- of their beft 
Scholars^ and after they have been publickly ex^nyned, 
out of their Number twelve are feledted to be Burfes^ 
and to have their Lodgings, Diet and a good Stipend 
in what College each of them pleafes, and to choofe 
what I^rofelTion they like beft, and it is out of thefe 
commonly the Profeflbrs are chofen. Their Degrees 
here are Batchelor, Licentiate, and Do^or. After two 
Years ftanding in Divinity, they may be created Bat- 
chelors or Baccalaurei current es, and at one more Bac- 
calaurei formati, but can’t be Licentiates till feven Years 
after ; thefe immediately after their Creation, are repu- 
ted Gentlemen, and have Liberty to choofe a Coat of 
Arms. Doctors are feidom created till they are 50 
Years of Age, unlefs they have given more than ordi- 
nary Proof of their Abilities. 
May 4. We took a Walk for half a Mile from 
Louvain, to take a View of the Duke of Arefchot's 
Palace, and the Convent of the Cek§fines adjoining to 
it. At Louvain, we faw three Things we had not met 
with before, viz. Storks, Women Porters, and 
Troopers begging on Horfeback. 
May 5. Leaving Louvain, vtQ travell’d to Mechlin 
(Malines) a very neat Place, being the Seat of an Arch- 
biftiop, and Capital of one of the Seventeen Provin- 
vinces under the Name of the Lordjhip of Mechlin, 
tho’ it has not above nine Villages under its JurifdiClion. 
The Inhabitants are very induftrious in their Manufac- 
tories ; and among the reft, there are three whole 
Streets full of Tanners. We continued the fame Day 
our Journey to Antwerp, by Boat, which fome com-^ 
pare to Florence, but exceeds it in my Opinion for 
Beauty. It is encompafs’d with Fortifications of Earth, 
faced with Free-Stone, of a confiderable Thicknels, 
and a broad and deep Ditch, which together, with its 
Situation in a level Ground, makes it very ftrong. 
The Citadel built by the Duke of Alva, is a Pentagon. 
The Houfes are generally lofty, and of Brick ; the 
Chapel of the Jefuits very rich and ftately ; and the 
Steeple of St. Mary's^ Church a curious piece of Archi- 
tecture, as is alfo the Town-houfe. Our Royal Exchange 
of London, was built after that of Antwerp, but the Copy 
much exceeds the Original ; this City being much fallen 
from its Traffick fince the vaft Encreafe of Wealth in 
the United Provinces. Plantin''^, Printing-Houfe is the 
beft of that kind I ever met with. 
4. May 15. We embark’d on board a fmall Vef- 
fel at Lillo Fort, upon the Schelde, three Leagues below 
Antwerp, belonging to the United Provinces : Having 
a favourable Wind and Tide, we made 54 Englijh 
Miles, and arrived before Sun-fet at Middleburgh, the 
Capital City of the Province of Zealand : In our Paf- 
fage we fa V/ feveral Sea Calves upon the Sands. This 
City is feated in the very Center of the Ifle of Walche- 
ren (whence it derives its Name) being of a large 
Compafs, well fortified, populous and wealthy. It 
has a Channel reaching from the Town through that 
Part of the Ifle which looks towards Antwerp, capable 
of receiving Ships of great Burthen, which are brought 
into the very Streets of the , City. It has about 20 
Churches, the Lutherans, French, Protefiants, Anabaptifts 
and Jews, having alfo the publick Exercife of their 
religious Worihip allowed them here. This is one 
principal Caufe of their Wealth and Trade. We 
took a Walk thence to Flujhing, about three Englijh, 
Miles ; It is neither fo large nor fo handfomely built as 
Middleburgh, the Streets being much narrower ; but the 
Convenience and Goodnefs of its Harbour, together 
with its Strength and Riches, make it very confide- 
rable. 
CouNTRiES, WCi 643 
May ig. We took a Walk to tho. Ten-Veer, about 
the fame Diftance from Middleburgh to the North j it 
doth not come near to Flujhing in Bignefs, yet has two 
very good Harbours, and feveral Vfharfs and Keys t 
As we pafs’d alongi we found the Banks of the Sea- 
fhoar covered with a Kind of Matting of Ruflies or 
Flags, ftaked down as high as the Tide commonly ri- 
fes, to prevent their being waflied away by the Strength 
of the Current, 
May 20. We pafs’d in a Boat from Middleburgh to 
Bergen- op-Zoom •, and in our Way went by the ftrong 
Fort call’d Rammekcns, fituate at the Entrance of the 
Channel leading to Middleburgh, a Place remarkable 
for its Fortifications, which are ftrengthned by many 
Half-Moons, Horn-works, ^c. and is look’d on as 
one of the beft Fortreffes in this Country. 
May 21. We travelled to Breda, eight Flours from 
Bergen, which makes about 24 Englifh Miles ; it being 
the Cuftom of the Dutch to meafure their |vliles by 
Hours. This Place may ftand in Competition with moft 
in thofe Parts for its Strength, Bignefs, and Number of 
Inhabitants, being enclofed by very good Fortifications, 
and two broad Ditches, one of which is always fill’d 
with Water. It belongs to the Prince of Orange, 
whofe Palace is feen here, and there is a. good Garri- 
fon in the Town. 
May 22. We continued our Journey by the Way of 
Gertrudenburg (a fmall but well fortified Place, belong- 
ing to the Dutch) to Dort or Dodrecht, a City rich, 
populous, large, and for its Buildings, to be compared 
with Antwerp itfelf; the Streets being very neatly pav’d 
(as in all other Cities of Holland) with Stone in the 
middle, and on each Side with a peculiar kind of yel- 
low Brick, fet Edgeways. The Englifh enjoy great 
Privileges here, and have two Churches, whereas the 
French have but one. We faw the Room in the Gun- 
ners-Hall, in which the Synod, held in this City 
1611, was aflembled, the Seats thereof being ftili 
preferved. 
6. May 23. We pafs’d in one o^rEtvcTrackjchoots or 
Boats drawn by Horfes, to Rotterdam in five Hours. 
This City is of a triangular Figure, and, next to Am- 
jierdam, vies with all the other Cities of the United 
Provinces, not excepting Leyden itfelf, having been, 
confiderably augmented of late, by the Addi- 
tion of many new Streets. Not far from St, Law- 
rence*% Church, you fee a fmall Houfe, which having 
given Birth to the learned Erafmus, his Pifture is fee 
over the Door, with this Diftich on one Side of it j 
much inferior in Merit to its Subjeft. 
Mdibus his ortus mundum decor avit Erafmus 
Artibus mgenuis, relligione, jide. 
And another thus : 
Fatalis feries nobis invidit Erafmum, 
At Defiderium toller e non potuit. 
Flis Statue in Brafs ftands in the great Market-place, 
with a Book of the fame Metal in his Hand. As the 
Inhabitants of Rotterdam enjoy the Conveniency of a 
very good Harbour, fo Ships of great Burthen are car- 
ried into the very Streets, and they' addift themfelves 
chiefly to Naval Commerce. Their Civil Government is 
adminiftred by a Prefident, four Burgermafters, and twenty 
four Aldermen or Seltators, which they call the Vroetjehap : 
Thefe continue in their Stations during Life, choofe all the 
publick Officers out of their own Number, and if any one 
dies, have the Privilege of choofing another in his 
Room; fo that the Government here, as well as in other 
Cities of the United Provinces, is a Kind of Arijlocracy, 
with this Difference only, that in fome, the Number of 
thofe who compofe this Vroetjehap is more, in others 
lefs. 
5. May 1 S' We went into one of xhmTrackjchoots, 
which go every Hour in the Day from hence to Deljt, 
where we arrived in two Hours. This City is alfo very 
large, with fair Streets and Water-Channels in them 
' as 
