Page:The study of history in Holland and Belgium (IA studyofhistoryin00frrich).pdf/27

 to corroborate his view of this decisive period in France and England. He spoke almost without consulting his notes, pacing the hall and playing with his eyeglasses. His warm and earnest manner showed a man sure of his facts and a scientific temperament of energy and authority.

M. Jorissen devoted his second course to the history of Netherlandic institutions and extended it over two academic years. In 1883—84, after an introduction on the constituent elements of the people of the ancient Netherlands, he had given the history of their means of existence: agriculture, manufacture, commerce and shipping. Then he had traced the origin and development of the towns and provinces. In 1884–85 he was engaged upon leading institutions: States-General, Council of State, administration of finances, land and sea forces, diplomacy, stadhoudérat. In the two lectures which I attended he was dealing with the last subject. He traced the struggle, as much secret as open, which the jealousies of patrician families kept up against the house of Orange, characterizing clearly the role of de and William III, bringing in the famous struggle of this great prince against Louis XIV, his armies and his diplomacy. As at Leyden it was the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries which played the principal part in the course on national history. M. Jorissen handled the subject with great clearness and with the seriousness which it deserves, delighting to hunt down ideas and scrutinize principles and pronouncing his clear judgments in energetic style. His course is fascinating and profoundly suggestive.

The librarian of the University, Dr. H. C. Rogge, completes this history teaching by a course which I could not attend, but which he described to me with the most amiable readiness. This course is given especially for those who desire to obtain the certificate (acto van het middelbaar onderwijs) for teaching history and geography in the hoogere burgerscholen, almost equivalent to the professional section of our Belgian athenæums. In 1885 M. Rogge had a dozen students. The course extends over two