1809. } 
Holland certain branches of commerce, 
which otherwise would not have flou- 
rished. 
Religion —By the new constitution, 
every religious seet is equal in the eye 
of the law = ; and their respective ministers 
are all equally excluded from any of 
the functions dependant on the g govern- 
meut, The provincial synods are nine 
in number, forming a total of fifty-three 
classes, to which are attached fifteen 
hundred and seventy preachers. The 
Roman Catholics have three hundred 
churches, which are attended by four 
hundred priests, without including the 
conquered countries. The Arminians 
are spread through the provinces of Guel- 
derland, Holland, Utrecht, and Fries- 
land; this society consists of thirty-four 
comyunities, at the head of which are 
forty-three preachers. The other sects 
chiefly tolerated in Holland, are the Lu- 
therans, the Anabaptists, the Moravian 
brethren, distinguished by the name of 
the Evangelical Fraternity ; the Greeks, 
Armenian Christians, Quakers, and the 
Jews. 
Of all the states of Europe, Holland is 
the one where the Jews have, tor along 
time back, been admitted to a civil ex- 
istence ; they are divided as elsewhere, 
into Geman and Portuguese Jews. The 
jatter are the richest; their manners are 
more polished, and they are farther re- 
moved than the Germans, from the vices 
and customs with which this nation is 
reproached in certain parts of Europe. 
By a decree passed in 1796, the Jews, 
like the Catholics, have acquired ceitain 
poutical rights. Amsterdam owes a great 
part of its flourishing situation to the 
Portuguese Jews; they are looked upon 
as the most enlightened among the Is- 
raelites, and at this day we could enn- 
merate many men of science and learning 
among them. We shall conclude this 
article with a reflection, which Sir Wil- 
liam Temple made on Ho! land. “ There 
inay be countries where religion does 
more good; but Lam pretty certam there 
are none, psec it dees so little barm.” 
Langudce. —The Dutch language is a 
dialect of the German. Though it may ap- 
pear faulty to strangers; yet it 1s inf. 
nitely more rich in substantives than any 
other language, ancient er medern; the 
Greek alone excepted. The whole of 
the sciences can be expressed m Dutch, 
without borrowing a single word from the 
a o rvs 
Greek or Latin. The Trench 1s, how- 
ever, so much in use, that all negociations 
between Llolland and other states are 
‘and Germany. 
Sketches of Holland an 1806. 933 
carried on in that language, which daily 
becomes more in use. The French will, 
most probably, be the principal language 
of communication with all polished las 
tions, as for a long time was the Latin, 
The spirit of philosophy which distin- 
guished the eiviteenth century, con- 
tributed not a little to this. Strangers 
learned French to read Racine ; they wilt 
study it to read the Encyclopédie. 
While oar unhappy emigrants spread 
our Janguage every where, the French 
armies penetrated into Italy, Holland, 
They continued there 
for a long time; they mixed with the 
people they had ‘conquered ; and as the 
French are not ‘fond of learning strange 
languages, strangers are obliged to learn 
theirs. Many neighbouring states, owing 
to the success of our arms, have become 
French, and our language has therefore 
become to them a national one. French, 
English, and German, are most coim- 
monly spoken over Holland. 
- Justice.—Justice is administered tn 
Holland as to the civil law, like most other 
countries ;, but the criminal jurisprudence 
does honour to human nature, without 
encouraging disorders. The Dureh 
judges never forget that the criminal is a 
man: as incorruptible as the law, they 
pronounce with severity, but always with 
regret. There is no country in Europe 
Ww here fewer crimes are committed ; and 
Justice has rarely occasion to make use 
of extreme rigour. Continual employ- 
ment, ne doubt, contributes to this pre- 
servation of good order, as well as the 
vigilance of the magistrates. ‘The ma- 
nagement of their prisons leaves nothing 
to wish for: in this instance, Holland 
offers a most perfect model. There are 
houses of coniinement for every sort of 
crime. That known by the name of the 
Werkhyis, at Amsterdam, is a pattern in 
its way; it is a large building divided 
into two parts, one of which is called the 
Rasphuis, for the prisoners are employed 
in vasping dying woods; it serves to en- 
ploy those who have been Ne of petry 
crimes; the other, known By the name 
of the Spinhuis, is appropriated to femaies 
of a dissolute and vicious life. 
The town of Bergen-op-Zoom cone 
tains a prison exclusively reserved for 
the military, who have been guilty of 
crimes; they are employed on public 
works. 
Charities. —The establishments of this 
nature are very numerous throughout 
Batavia. There is not a town which has 
hot its Werkhuis, or its orphan-house ; 
aid 
