NET 
by the clamour of its own manufaftures to prohibit the 
introduction of foreign goods, has eftablifhed a triple line 
of cuftom-houfes along the Belgic frontier. 
Mr. Mitchel, a late traveller, has g'iven us a very inte- 
refting account of the regulations which concern the im¬ 
portant fubjeft of education in the Netherlands; his 
accounts of the different eftablifhments being given not 
on hearfay, but from aftual obfervation and official docu¬ 
ments. He begins by praifing an exifting regulation, 
which exaCts a previous examination in the cafe of every 
perfon claiming a licence to fet up as fchool-mafter. Four 
diftinft degrees of qualification are prefcribed; and he 
who has palled only for the lowed mud not prefume to 
teach the branches which require a higher degree, alt hough 
at perfeCt liberty to return after an interval, and Hand a 
fecond examination for a more favourable report. This 
arrangement has the effeCt of preventing much of the 
grofs impofition praCtifed in England by men who under¬ 
take teaching as a trade, and who often have no other 
qualification than the command of the money that is 
neceffary to buy a fhare of an eftablifhed feminary. Ge¬ 
nerally fpeaking, education is well dilfufed throughout 
Holland, and the elementary fchools are refpeCtably taught. 
Mr. M. proceeds to give a practical example of the higher 
feminaries in the cafe of the Lycee of Ghent; one of 
thole provincial colleges or academies that have been 
eftablifhed during late years in France and the countries 
fubjeCt to her, and which contain from ioo to 200 pupils, 
according to the population of the town and neighbour¬ 
hood. In that Lycee the fuperintendants are a regent 
and thirteen teachers, or prof ijj'eurs, as it is cuftomary in 
the complimentary language of our neighbours to call 
them, with Un income of fomewhat more than iool. a-year 
each ; and the objeCts of education are French, German, 
Englifh, mathematics, drawing, dallies, geography, and 
rhetoric. Annual prizes are diftributed ; feveral lourfes, 
or fcholarfhips, are appropriated to thofe of fuperior pro- 
grefs ; and the whole expenfe of the board and education 
in thefe feminaries is about 40I. a-year. 
For a confiderable time pall, Belgium has poflefled no 
feminary dignified with the name of univeriity: but an 
aft was lately puffed for the eftablifhment of one at Ghent, 
and for the reftoration of the old univerfity of Louvain. 
The Dutch provinces contain three univerfities, Leyden, 
Utrecht, and Groningen; and fix athenae, or provincial 
colleges, in as many of the principal towns which happen 
to be fituated at a diftance from the univerfities. The 
athenae have not the privilege of conferring degrees ; fo 
that the ftudentseducated there muff go for twelve months 
to an univerfity, before they can obtain the credentials 
neceffary for entering the church, or praftifing in the 
higher departments of law and medicine. The falaries 
are fomewhat higher than in the Belgic provinces, thofe at 
the univerfities being from 200I. to 250I. per annum, ex- 
clufive of fees: at the athenae, the falaries are about 150I. 
The feffion in the Dutch univerfities commences in Sep¬ 
tember, and clofes about the end of June; leaving, with 
a fliort interval at Chriftmas and at Eafter, fomewhat lefs 
than three months of vacation for the whole year. The 
number of ftudents at Leyden is about 300, of whom a 
proportion fludy medicine, without the prol'peft of at¬ 
taining an independence by their profeffion, the fees of 
phyficians throughout the Netherlands being as much 
below the fair medium, as they often are afiove it in our 
part of the world. The univerfity at Utrecht is on a 
l'maller fcale than that of Leyden : but the town is pre¬ 
ferable as a refidence, its fituation being on a rifing ground, 
the firft which the traveller difeovers in an extent of forty 
miles on coming from the weftward. The walks on the 
ramparts and on the outfide of the town are very pleafant; 
and nothing can furpafs the gratification of even this flight 
elevation, after having been for many weeks on a dead 
flat. The view from the tower of the cathedral is one of 
the molt extenfive in Europe; taking in the raoft popu¬ 
lous cities of Holland to the weft, and to the fouih a 
N ,E T 747 
country finely diverfified with gentle eminences. The 
population of Utrecht is 32,000; and Mr. M. has no hefi- 
tation in pronouncing it to be the beft refidence in Holland 
for a literary man. 
The title of the prefent ruler of this country is, “ Wil¬ 
liam, by the grace of God, King of the Netherlands, 
Prince of Orange-Naflau, and Duke of Luxembourg.” 
The mottoof his arms, Je niaintienclrai, “ I will maintain.” 
His eldeft foil takes the title of “Prince of Orange.” 
Mitchell's Tour in Belgium, 1816. Gifford's lift. of the 
W ’ars occajioned by the French Revolution, 1817. 
NETH'ERMOST, adj. Lowed.—Great is thy mercy 
toward me, and thou haft delivered my foul from the 
nethcrmojl hell. Pfalm lxxxvi. 13.—All that can be faid 
of a liar lodged in the very nethermoft hell, is this, that if 
the vengeance of God could prepare any place worie than 
hell for finners, hell itfelf would be too good tor him. 
South. —Heraclitus tells us, that the eclipfe of the fun 
was after the manner of a boat, when the concave, as to 
our fight, appears uppermoft, and the convex nethermoft. 
Keil againjt Burnet. 
Undaunted to meet there whatever power 
Or fpirit of the nethermoji abyfs 
Might in that noife refide. Milton. 
NETH'ERTHONG, a village near Wakefield in York- 
fliire. 
NETH'ERTON, a village in Chefhire, near Frodfham 
and the Merfey.—A village in Devonfhire, near Sidmouth. 
—A village in Northumberland, fouth-eaft of Morpeth. 
NETH'ERTON, Worcefterfhire, between Evefhamand 
Elmfley-Caftle, is a hamlet in the parifh of Cropthorn. 
The remains of an old chapel are now vifible in a barn. 
NETH'ERTON, a village in the weft riding of York- 
Ill ire; three miles fouth-weft of Wakefield. 
NETH'INIMS, [Heb. given, or offered.] The pofterity 
of the Gibeonites, who were condemned by Joftiua to be 
hewers of wood and drawers of water for the houfeof God. 
The Nethinims are mentioned 1 Chr. ix.2. Neh. vii. 60. 
and Ezr. ii. 58. viii. 20. Ezra in this latterpaflage, informs 
us, that they were “given” by David to the Levites, 
which is the origin of their name; as the Levites were 
given by God to help the priefts; and, therefore, in all 
places they are mentioned with holy perfons. Some have 
called thefe perfons inferior clergy; but they feem rather 
to have been fervants to them. However mean their 
original, or low and laborious their employment may have 
been, the people oflfrael were indebted to them for their 
zeal for the houfe of God. Many of them readily re¬ 
turned from Babylon to Judea, and performed their part 
for upholding the worlliip of God at his temple. 
NETH'Y, a river of Scotland, which riles in Inver- 
nefslhire, and runs into the Spey three miles fouth-eaft of 
Grantown. 
NE'TIESS, a towm of Bohemia, in the circle of Schlan ; 
eleven miles north-eaft of Schlan. 
NE'TO, a river of Naples, which runs into the fea 
feven miles north-north-weft of Cortona. 
NETO'PHAH, or Netoph'athi, a city of Judah, 
between Bethlehem and Anathoh, and peopled by the 
pofterity of Salma, the father of Bethlehem. It is faid 
to have been noted for olives and artichokes. 1 Citron, ii. 
51, 54. W'hether it be the lame as Nephtoah, w'e know 
not; but Maharai, one of David’s mighties, and Ephai, 
a captain that fubmitted to Gedaliah, were natives of this 
place. 2 Sam. xxiii. 28. Jer. xl. 8. 
NETO'PIONj: [Greek.] A name given by theancients 
to a very fragrant and coftly ointment, confifting of a 
great number of the fineft lpicy ingredients. Hippocrates, 
in his Treatife of the Difeales of Women, frequently 
prelcribes the netopion in difeafes of the uterus; and in 
other places he fpeaks of its being poured into the ear 
as a remedy for deafnefs; thefe compofitions, by their 
attenuating qualities, dividing the vifeous and thick hu¬ 
mours. Chambers. 
NET'PHE^ 
