695 
of which is, a certain appropriate faluta- 
tion of acquaintances in the ftreet ; and a 
formal inquiry after the healths of them- 
felves and family (hoe vaart RUVE en 
Mevroun, en de Familie 2.) which is prac- 
tifed even towards foreigners when feen 
for the firft time. And their good-breed- 
ing by no means precludes them from being 
guilty of ill manners and rudenefs the moft 
offenfive. It is however only certain 
purfe proud citizens of no education who 
can be accufed of this, and not the inhabit- 
ants in general,to whom, neverthele(s, Rzem 
has imputedit.* Here, too, they knowvery 
well how to diftinguifh the man of educa- 
tion from the upftart, though indeed much 
will be overlooked in the latter if he be 
rich, and can render himfelf ufeful or in- 
jurious to one of more fafhion. An ab- 
ftaiing from oaths is not, as Kiem fup- 
poles, peculiar only to the pief/?, but, as 
fhould be the cafe every where, generally 
marks the man of education. On the 
other hand, young perfons affeét French 
manners, the effence of which they unfor- 
tunately fancy to confift in trifling, which 
from the poverty of their own minds finks 
into mere abfurdity, and, from their want 
of French delicacy, becomes a monftrous 
compound of {prucenefs, affectation and 
awkwardnefs. 
~ With this ceremonious ftiffnefs is cone 
nected an unfocial temper, an unwilling- 
nefs to aflociate intimately with any but 
thofe with whom they have been long ac- 
 quainted, and before whom they feel no 
reftraint. Hofpita lity too is at a low ebb 
with them. It is true that foreigners who 
have good letters of introduStion are fome- 
times invited to entertainments, but, for 
the moft part, they are made only when fome 
commercial advantage is expected to be 
derived from them; at fuch times their 
pride is gratified by difplaying their riches 
before foreigners of rank. 
Vifiting almoft altogether confifts of 
family-parties to which ftrangers are ne- 
ver or {eldom admitted. It is here that 
the Dutchman feels himfelf free from all 
reftraint, and indulges in merriment, which 
the appearance of a fingle foreigner would 
immediately convert into formality ; a cir- 
cumftance which alone renders it difficult 
tor travellers to judge of the national cha- 
racter of the Dutch. ‘In g.neral Holland- 
ers have a decided inclination towards a 
comeftic life. . Whether at home or 
abroad, they devote moft of their leifure 
hours to their family, {pending them in 
o 
fami ee converfation and amufements, and 

* Reife durch Holland), p. 346, 
On the national Charaéter of the Dutch. 
f Oober 3 
often in the inftru&tion of their children. 
In fuch family parties and clubs (Kolle- 
gien Jor fele& focieties, formed of largenum- 
bers, conift almoft all the focial pleafures of 
the Dutch. ‘To thefe clubs none are ad- 
mitted but by ballot, and thofe only againft 
whofe characters and opinions no one of 
the members has any objection, and who 
are {ufficiently known to the greater part 
of the -fociety, fo that they can affociate 
without reftraint and with perfeé&t confi- 
dence. They are held in gardens in the 
neighbourhood of the town. ‘The time is 
{pent partly in various games, particularly 
a national one ‘called kolven, (in which, 
very thick and hard balls are ftruck with 
{ticks bent at the end-into a blunt angle, 
and plated with copper, from a perfeétly 
fmooth pavement, againit pales fet up at 
both fides, and the game depends on the 
daftance from the boundary at which the 
ball ftops after the rebound), and partly 
in chatting and fmoaking tobacco with the 
ladies. The clubs of the fame kind 
formed of young men are fufficiently noify 
and intemperate, and ferve to promote | 
every kind of extravagance rather than ra- 
tional recreation. Befides thefe, there are 
al political and literary focieties. Of 
the former, the principal at Amfterdam is, 
the Society pro Concordia et Libertate, and 
of the latter, Felix Meritis; both confift 
of patriotic members, and are fupported 
by the weight, number and influence of 
their partizans. Among the middling 
claffes there is little fociety out of their fa- 
mily circles, but foreigners find in them 
fewer impediments and feel themfelves 
lefs intrufive. 
The principal caufes of this may be 
found in a third prominent ‘feature in the 
Dutch charaéter,—the love of repofe. Va- 
rious perfons who have refided in Holland 
have imagined, that the want of fufficient 
elafticity in the air relaxes the nerves, and 
weakens the activity and energy of the 
mind. But, independently of this, the 
uniformity of a mercantile life obliges 
them to have recourfe to diverfions which 
exclude every thing that might exhauft the 
fpirits, or difturb the placidity of their 
amufements. Bufinefs being difmifled, 
{moaking a pipe at home or at his club, 
reading in the gazettes the common occur- 
rences, chatting about the news of the 
day, or joining a party at cards; is the 
higheft enjoyment of a Dutch merchant ; 
an enjoyment, which, ftrongly contrafted 
with what other nations confider as fuch, 
gives much occafion to the derifion of fo- 
reigners. ive 
As a relaxation from their ordinary ° 
; employ- 
