1803. ] 
would thus be driven by the very nature 
and-miscarriage of his search, into action 
himself. Nay he would see every eye so 
busy, every foot so hard at work, and 
every head seem at least so full, ‘that, 
forgetting his natural torpidity, or re- 
membering it with reproach, he would 
catch the spirit ef objects before hum, 
and feel that it 1s at, least as good and 
natural for man to be in motion, as at 
rest.” In this manner the entertaining 
author proceeds, and ewes such an exact 
and accurate account of Holland in this 
respect, that he proves to have been a, 
very minute observer of the objects sur- 
rounding him, during his stay in that 
city, in hicks’ the writer of this article 
was born. 
The above observations were made in 
1794, the year preceding the revolution 
of the United provinces. But if the 
Gleaner were at present in Holland, and 
traversed the capital of that country, he 
would think and write very differently; 
for the French revolution has brought 
into that formerly happy and flourishing 
republic such a degree of distress, that 
the inhabitants are now compelled 
to forsake their natural propensity to 
labour, and must remain idie. An in- 
dolent. person w ould find now many a 
companion in traversing the streets of 
-Amsterdam, Some friends of the writer 
of these ee very lately arrived from his 
native place, have givey. him such an 
unpleasant Sonali of it, that it really 
distresses him for the sake of his rela- 
ae aud the fmends of his youth. No- 
thing but complaints of the badaess of 
the times, of the slackness of trade, and 
ot the payment of heavy taxes, are heard 
in every society, as well public as private, 
Fortunately for the Dutch, it was alw ays 
looked upon as a shameful behaviour, if 
a person lived up to his income, and did 
not lay by a little every year, for his old 
age, lis wife or children. By this pre- 
vailing sentiment, which, generally speak- 
ing, was put in practice throughout the 
whvle country, the inhabitants of Ilolland 
are abie to endure adversity and the loss 
of trade much longer than any other 
nation. If we consider what mmense 
riches and floating capitals have been 
taken from the Dutch by sea, aud what 
large sums they have been obliged to pay 
to the French since 1795, every one must 
be astonished, that no national bankruptcy 
has yet ees place; nay that they are 
still able to pay enormous sums of money 
to an expensive court. The present king 
oi Holland, though upon the whole liked 
Particulars relative to the present State of Holland. 
my, 
very much, on account of his amiable 
character, and mild disposition, has lately 
lost a great deal of his popularity, by 
changin g his place. of residence. He did 
not like to remainin the Hague, which is 
reckoned one of the finest towns in Eu- 
rope, where the seatof the Dutch govern- 
ment has been from time immemorial, 
and on accountof which it was continually 
improving with large buildings, hotels, 
&c. This beautiful place will now ke 
ruined in a short time, as there is no 
commerce; and it was eon ea only 
by the different departinents of govern- 
ment, and the court formerly of the 
Stadi ldo and lately of the. present 
King, whe but a few months ago left this 
place for Utrecht, as it was said because 
the latter 1s healthier. Atter yreat ex- 
pences had been incurred for fitting up 
several buildings for the reception of the 
court and the different departments of 
the government, the royal residence was 
changed again, and will be in the present 
month (April ), wansferred to Amsterdam, 
where new preparations are made for 
becoming the seat of government. The 
inhabitants of this place are by no means 
pleased with the alteration. 'The Hotel 
de Wille, (an clegant structure, which 1s 
always called the eighth wonder of the 
world, and is built upon more than thirty 
thousand stakes or rather trees, driven 
into the ground,) 1s now converted inte 
a palace for the king. This town-house 
not being a national b uilding, but erected 
by the magistrates of Amsterdam, the 
inhabitants of the place could not be 
silent, when their property was taken from 
them, and used for a national purpose 
without any compensation, Them mur- 
murs and displeasure respecting this 
were so loudly expressed and se publicly 
sbewn, that the magistrates have been 
oblig ed to order, that all public conver- 
sation upon this subject should be with- 
held, and that the transgressors of this 
edict would be severely punished. The 
lips of the people were hereby closed, 
but their dissatisfaction was not een 
away. It really is aifecting to see, that 
houses of orphans, rece; saith for old 
ave, repositories of ibileae ship, &c. are 
now converted into places, where public 
business will be transacted in tuture. 
The inhabitants of these charitable mstie 
tutions will be conveyed to the Hague, 
where many empty houses and large 
buildings are now to be sound. All! this 
must natural! ly be the subject of conver- 
sation. Lf, however, trade were established 
again and commerce renewed, so that 
the 
