Page:Diary of the times of Charles II Vol. I.djvu/180

64 15th.I went to see Monsieur Valconier, who was very civil, and took it mighty kindly my coming to see him. He told me I was come into a poor country, that was quite ruined by the war, but that they should still make a shift to live, if they could continue at peace with the King of France and England; but that without trade they could not live, for that in the seven provinces there was but 500,000 acres, and 1,000,000 of people, 300,000 in Amsterdam. He offered me the civilities of the town. I went to the synagogue, and saw their service. The Jews are not suffered to be buried, in the town, but two leagues off. I went home afterwards with Don Jeronimo d'Acosta, where he showed me some fine jewels; he told me such a pearl was not to be had, and that he would willingly give two hundred crowns apiece for them. I afterwards went to see another merchant, who had a necklace which he valued at 5,000 crowns, and one bigger than that. I saw the hospital for boys and girls, the Gust Huis, and the Nunnery, which are Ursulines; in the afternoon I saw several fine merchants' houses, Mr. Gerard's and his mother's, and then Mr. Stiles, who is worth ten ton of gold, and we talked a good deal with him; we met a man whose