222 Domestic Habits and Amusements of the Dutch in 1820. [Oct. 1, 
at one end of a large room, and every 
individual in this numerous assembly 
passes before them, and on coming op¬ 
posite to their chair, stops and delivers 
a formal speech; this is repeated by 
every one in succession, and nearly in 
the same words, till it becomes quite 
insupportable, as it frequently takes 
up a great part of a day before this au¬ 
gust ceremony can be finished. Every 
one, however, repeats his cuckoo song 
with perfect gravity. Strangers and 
foreigners ai e seldom present on such 
occasions, and indeed they are scarcely 
ever admitted to Dutch family parties. 
At funerals only a few of the nearest 
male relations of the deceased attend 
the body to the grave, which is almost 
always in a church. The Dutch church, 
like that of Scotland, has no form of 
prayer for such occasions, but the 
clergyman delivers an extempore ad¬ 
dress to the spectators, suitable to the 
character and conduct of the deceased. 
The following advertisement, trans¬ 
lated from an Amsterdam newspaper, 
is a specimen of the manner in which 
deaths are made public.— 44 That our 
enjoyments are fleeting, and that our 
happiest prospects may be in a moment 
blasted, I have this day experienced ; 
as it has pleased God to take from me, 
by death, my worthy and beloved 
spouse, Adriana van Bunk van Om- 
meringi with whom I have not yet been 
a year united,at the early ageof twenty- 
one years and six months. A child of a 
few weeks old is thus bereft of a tender 
mother's care, and I of the comfort 
and assistance of a dearly beloved friend 
and partner. (Signed) 
“CHRISTOFEEL VAN DER VULGT.” 
A custom which existed in England, 
in the Spectator's time, still continues 
to be general in Holland : that of giv¬ 
ing money or vails to servants, after 
having dined or supped with their 
master. The expense of partaking a 
Dutchman’s hospitality is the same for 
which you could dine at home, or at a 
table d'hote. 
The state of Dutch literature is al¬ 
most wholly unknown to the rest of 
Europe, though they have numerous 
living authors. The language is not 
cultivated to any extent by other na¬ 
tions, which certainly has contributed 
to the total neglect of their literature. 
In a future number we shall present 
our readers with the translation of some 
of their select pieces. 
But though Dutch literature is of 
ittlc value in the eyes of other nations, 
the natives of Holland are very far 
from viewing it in the same light, as 
they consider themselves as a people 
eminent in letters, nay, one of their 
best living writers does not scruple to 
place them at the head of every other 
nation in this respect. Speaking of 
the French, English, and Germans, he 
says, 44 Be assured by me, my country¬ 
men, that you are greatly superior to 
all these nations; they are as far be¬ 
hind you in polite literature as they 
are in every thing else, and have much 
to do ere they become what you were 
two centuries ago.” Remarks would 
be thrown away upon this. Another 
44 reverend* ’ writer goes, if possible, 
still further, in a dissertation upon the 
Dutch language, written about three 
years ago. This essay was composed 
when the controversy was hottest be¬ 
tween the Belgians and the Dutch, 
whether the French or Dutch was to 
be the national language; the latter 
has since been established by the go¬ 
vernment, and all public writings and 
public business is now done in Dutch. 
This author says, 44 I do not object to 
our noble and elegant language being 
compared with the Greek and Latin, 
but I shall for ever set my face against 
any man who may attempt to bring it 
doAvn to the level of the French, the 
English, the German, or any other mo¬ 
dern dialect.” 
English is very generally spoken in 
Holland, and our literature is much cul¬ 
tivated ; they have translations of all the 
old standard works, except Skakespear, 
who has not yet, we believe, made his 
appearance in a Dutch dress. There 
are several translations of Thomson’s 
Seasons, which is a great favourite, and 
the Night Thoughts are very popular. 
All the new novels appear in succession, 
but very slowly, as seldom more than 
one volume of a work is published at a 
time in Holland. Milton is translated, 
and the first Dutch translation of 
Homer is at present in the course of 
publication. The greatest favourite, 
however, is Ossian, of which there are 
two translations; one being in verse 
by Bttderdyh , their greatest living 
poet. It may gratify our readers to 
know his opinion respecting theOssianic 
controversy, as it has been called, which 
differs but little from that of the other 
literary characters of the continent. 
Speaking of Dr. Johnson’s scepticism 
on this subject, he says, 44 but this 
critic (Johnson) had a peculiar motive: 
his violent hatred and prejudice (as a 
true 
