Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 7.djvu/249

 la -a. vn. SEPT. 11, 1920. NOTES AND QUERIES.

201

LONDON, SEPTEMBER 11, 1920.

CONTENTS. No. 126.


 * A Short Tour through Part of Holland and

Flanders taken bv John Aikiri in 1784, 201 An English Array List of 1.740 St. Simon de tsandricourt, 204 Mapesbury House, Brondesbury, 205 The Maiden's Tomb, Caister, 206 Spanish Tracts and Broadhides Font not at Ongar. at Aller Kneeling in Sermon-time Progeny of a 41st Child, 207.

QUE HIES: Macaronic Greek Verse on Marriage of King George V., 207' Curfew shall not ring To-niftht' Age of Matriculation at Oxford : Eighteenth Century Eccle- siastical Dress in Russian Church Cullidge-ended Edwards, Samuel Bedford Henry Toplady George Dyer John Bogle Novels of Motoring, 208 London Street " Grottoes "The Westminster Chimes The Reddleman Charles Lamb's Pedigree" Crutches for Lame Ducks" Brooch and Mooto J. Porter of Mortlake Beacons- field's Sybil': "Caravan," 209 Peacock of Durham Dr. Herbert Hawes Rooms in Church Towers Wedder- burn's Attack on Franklin G. J. Gordon, a Pioneer of Indian Tea. 210 " You bet your Bottom Dollar" Suggested German Source of ' Merry Wives of Windsor' The London Magazine' Best of Best field, Co. Carlow " Wine Bibber" Pomonkey " Second Wind" Authors of Quotations Wanted, 211.

JREPLIES : Influence of Foreign Language on Style The Stature of Pepys, 212 Crimean War in Kiction Curious Surnames Theological MS. ; Identification Wanted, 213

Wideawake Hats- Orientation of Churches, 214

St. Anthony of Padua Parr's Bank In Praise of Index- dng Franciscus Turrettinus Calverley's Parodies North American Indians, 215 Prisoners who have Survived Hanging Renton Nicholson Monkey's Wine- Nancy Parsons (Lady Maynard) Julia, Daughter of Csesar the Dictator Domestic History of the Nineteenth Century The Hedges of England Uncollected Kipling Items, 216 Hugh Davis (or Davys), Winchester Scholar

Richard Smith A Stolen Tide" Waldo-Lynnatus,"

217 Bishops Burnet and Bedell De Gourgues The Crucifixion in Art: the Spear-wound Raleigh, 218 Willow Pattern China, 219.

."NOTES ON BOOKS : ' History of the Family of Maunsell (Mansell, Mansel)' ' The Berks, Bucks and Oxon Archaeological Journal.'

.Notices to Correspondents.

A SHORT TOUR THROUGH PART OF HOLLAND

AND FLANDERS

TAKEN BY JOHN AIKIN IN 1784.

(See ante, p. 181.)

ON July 16 Aikin arrived at Amsterdam. 'The diary continues :

17. After breakfast we set out with Mr. A- to view the place. We went first to the Jew's quarter, a number of streets inhabited solely by this people, who are confined to it. It is extremely populous, and full of odd faces and dresses. We stepped into the Portuguese Jews' synagogue, a very large fine building. It was their sabbath, and we staid part of the service, which was reading the Hebrew psalter. One man, in a kind -of elevated stage railed round, read in a sort of chanting tone ; and every now and then the

whole congregation struck in, making a strange discordant clamour. Many were conversing together ; and the appearance of the assembiy was the farthest possible from indicating reverence or devotion. The men had all a sort of towel wrapt round them. The women were in a latticed gallery and scarcely visible. "We saw also the German Jews' synagogue, which is not so large. From thence we made a tour of the port, docks, &c. Everything wore the face of business, but without noise or confusion. Nothing pleased us more than a visit to one of the Rhine boats. These are very long capacious vessels, with two low masts, which carry goods and passengers to and from Germany along the Rhine. On the deck are raised a set of rooms or cabins for the passengers. We went on board one of these and were invited by a very neat civil German woman to view the apartments. There was a suite of three or four rooms, not only clean but elegant, hung with prints, adorned with china, painted wainscots, handsome bed furniture, and in short, as finished as any lady's chamber. At the end was a small kitchen, with the utensils as bright as new. The good woman seemed highly satisfied with the marks of pleasure and surprise shewed on the occasion.

We walked through some of the best streets, the Keysersgraft Heeren-graft, &c., which run semicircularly from one side of the harbour to the other. We saw many very capital houses, but rather obscured by the rows of trees before them. The canals are nasty and offensive ; and on the whole Amsterdam is far from being an agreeable place.

After dinner we visited the Stadt-house again, and saw the principal rooms, many of which are very fine, and furnished with admirable paintings. Of these, none struck me so much as those relating to the Dutch history. Among them is an admirable piece of Rembrandt, and another of Vandyke, with real portraits of many of the principal persons. There is a very striking picture of the ratification of the treaty by which the United Provinces were declared independent. The Spanish ambassador and the first magistrate of Amsterdam are represented as joining hands. The countenance of the former shews depression and chagrin ; of the latter an honest frankness and satisfaction. The subjects of these pictures, with their antique habits and manners gave me a lively idea of the heroic times of Holland.

In the evening we saw more of the best parts of the town. The Dutch with plain, heavy, undisguised looks, are unanimated, generally fair and with light hair. The Jews look sharp, designing, dark ; the women frequently handsome though brown, with black wanton eyes and lively gestures. Among the old men were several excellent Shylock faces, The contrast was rendered greater by its being Sabbath on the Jewish side, and Saturday on the Dutch.

July 18. At ten we left Amsterdam, riding to the boat in a hackney coach set upon a sledge, holding only two persons face to face, and drawn by one horse. The driver walks on one side and behind, having long rope reins. We got to Haarlem to dinner. From thence to Leyden we were obliged to go in the forepart of the boat, as a company had hired all the better end.