other kinds of industry, occupy the inhabitants. Ten suburbs, seventeen bridges, twelve public squares, an arsenal, an exchange, a chamber of commerce, a university founded in 1817, schools and learned societies, attest the wealth and importance of Liege. Its fortifications had ceased to be kept in repair by the French government; but a vast citadel has been erected, within these few years, on the site of the old one, and Liege now ranks in the second class of fortified towns. Its public edifices possess little deserving notice, if we except its massy cathedral, and new theatre, constructed upon the model of the Odeon at Paris. Liege has given birth to several celebrated men, whose memory must be dear to her, if we may judge from the price which she appeared to put upon the possessing the heart of our inimitable Gretry. At the time we are writing, there seems a strong probability Dutchy of I that the province we are next to speak of, the farthest south Luxemburg. of the kingdom of the Netherlands, will be separated from the Belgian States, on the ground, it appears, of its not having formed part of Belgium, but a constituent part of the Germanic empire. Whatever there may be in this, and whatever may be the destination of Luxemburg, the province in question, it is necessary to describe it here, Germany having been already described, and our continental labours closing with the following book. The superficies of the grand dutchy of Luxemburg, about 230 square leagues, is peopled by 292,000 inhabitants, which makes the population equal to 1269 individuals for each square league. If we except the capital, this territory contains no city of importance. At the foot of the mountains which separate the Ourthe from the Lesse, we perceive Saint Hubert, a small city, where are preserved the re[ Saint Hubert. mains of the patron of sportsmen, whose chapel is frequently visited by such of the peasantry as wish to place their persons and their flocks under his protection. The position of Bouillon, in a narrow defile through which the Semoy takes a winding course, gives 1 Bouillon. it a melancholy but yet romantic aspect. The old castle, which commands this old capital of the dutchy, would prove no defence against a powerful enemy, because it is itself commanded by the surrounding mountains. In the midst of forests, upon one of the hills where the Semoy has its origin, we see the small city of Arlon, which carries on a trade in iron and grain,—an ancient city, mentioned under | Arlon. the name of Orolaunum in the Itinerary of Antoninus. Frequently, when its soil is turned up, are antiquities found. Twice in 1793 and 1794, did the French, in this place, put the Austrians to flight. Advancing towards the east, and on the banks of the small river Alzette, stands the important fortress of Luxemburg, | Luxemburg. which, for twenty years, was the capital of the French departments of "Des Forets." The lower city is watered by the river, which divides it into two parts. It may be considered as properly the suburbs of the place: a road sinuous and cut in the rock conducts to the summit of the rock on which stands the upper city; it is so steep that carriages cannot ascend it without difficulty. Large fosses, eighty feet in depth, would be enough for the defence of the city, and yet, besides these, a double row of exterior works defend the approach to it. It is then no exagge ration to say that Luxemburg is one of the strongest places in Europe: in a military point of view, it has been viewed as more than merely a part of the kingdom of the Netherlands, the nomination of the governor being subject to the approbation of the Germanic Confederation. The strength of Luxemburg alone constitutes its importance; it would be a matter of difficulty to mention, among its edifices, one single building worthy of the rank which this city occupies. BOOK CLI. EUROPE. Description of Europe continued-Holland, or the Seven United Provinces. Glance at the a THE early history of Holland is the same with that of Belgium, down to the war of Independence and Existence, as it Holland. may also be called, with Spain. In Holland, a spirit of inquiry had kept alive the ancient love of independence and liberty, in preserv ing from the attempts of Charles V. himself, a system of national representation, which placed the principal strength of government in the Assembly of the States; and when the tyranny of his son thought it had found in the doctrines of a blind fanaticism, a solid support against the ideas of civil and religious liberty that were becoming predominant in the age, his yoke only became the more insupportable to a people possessing courage enough to be free, and sufficiently enlightened to comprehend the advantages of religious toleration. The Hollanders, by seventy years of resistance, conquered their independence, and founded a republic equally formidable and industrious. The treaty of Munster in 1648, drew from the reluctant Spaniards an entire recognition of the Independence of the Seven United Provinces, while the Belgic provinces, divided among themselves, and not possessed of that love of freedom, which led their more northern neighbours to overcome every obstacle, remained submissive to Spain and to the Roman Catholic church. Conquered by the French in 1795, it was allowed to retain a nominal independence, till Napoleon, in 1810, made it an integral part of his empire. The losses of Napoleon in the campaigns of 1812 and 1813, led to the emancipation of Holland at the close of the last mentioned year; and this was followed by the ill-assorted union of Belgium and Holland in the Nassau family, under the name of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, a union which very recent events in Belgium have broken up and dissolved. The government of the Seven United Provinces, previous Government. to their conquest by the French in 1795, is now a matter of past history, a tale that is told. Yet it may be right to refer to it, and a very few words will suffice. It was a confederation of seven independent republics, which were united by the bonds of similarity of manners and pursuits, and especially by the remembrance of the long protracted and bloody struggle which they had maintained together for liberty and life, against the whole power of the Spanish monarchy, and in which, as already noticed, they at last succeeded. The States-General and Senate were composed of deputies from the Seven Provinces, whose business it was to take charge of all matters involving the interest of the whole, such as war, peace, the laying on of taxes, &c. But in all matters of importance, no steps could be taken by these bodies, without a reference to the States of the Provinces, and these again required to consult their constituents in the cities and country. The Stadtholder's office was merely exccutive, and even that was much limited, though his rank and influence were often productive of inroads upon the constitution of the States, and induced jealousies that proved the means more than once of abolishing the office. Of the government established in 1814, after the expulsion of the French and union of the Dutch provinces with Belgium, we have already spoken, in our account of the Belgian provinces, and to that we beg to refer the reader. It is presumed, that so far as Holland is concerned, the same form of government will subsist, without being at all affected by the defection and separation of Belgium. a See Book CL. I Ancient phy. sical state. The most ancient accounts of Holland represent it as one extended swamp, alternately covered and relinquished by the advancing and retiring waters of the ocean: and yet it appears, from the Roman natural historian," that, miserable and to all appearance uninhabitable as a country like this was, it was not destitute of inhabitants, who, subsisting on the produce of the sea, endeavoured to find habitations on every bit of land not taken possession of by the waves. It has been a question among inquirers into matters of this kind, at what time the inhabitants began the erection of dikes to preserve themselves from the inundations of the sea; and there is strong ground to believe that, so early as the first or second century of the Christian era, this great work was commenced, and since that time there has been a contention between the inhabitants and the ocean, which has ended however in the country being brought to its present state of high improvement and cultivation, and comparative safety from the attacks of its powerful assailer. A great part of Holland, it is calculated, is between twenty and forty feet below high water mark on the surrounding coast; but the inhabitants seem to have no fear of their safety. At different times, however, the ocean has burst the barriers raised to control his waters, and, on such occasions, the effects have been disastrous in the extreme. As we proceed, we shall have occasion to notice some of the most remarkable of these inundations. In Holland, it may be said, there are no mountains: we see nothing but plains, interrupted occasionally by rising grounds, Mountains. not even deserving the name of hills, and much smaller than those that are to be found in Belgium. We must refer to our account of Belgium for an account of the principal rivers of Holland, there being few that deserve I Rivers. the name but those already noticed there, the Rhine, the Waal, the Meuse, and the Scheld. To these may be added the Yssel, which, proceeding by an artificial cut from the Rhine, above Arnheim, takes a north-east direction to Döesberg, where it is joined by the Old Yssel, the proper channel of the stream, flowing from Westphalia. It then passes by Zutphen and Deventer, and after receiving a number of smailer tributary streams, falls into the east side of the Zuyderzee, below Campen. The Wecht, or Vecht, is a river of less importance than the Yssel, which takes its rise in Westphalia, and after uniting with several other streams, falls into the Zuyderzee not far from the mouth of the Yssel. The Hunse is a small river which, passing by the fine city of Groningen, takes its course to the German Ocean. There are many lakes in Holland, especially in Friesland; I Lakes. but the only one deserving particular mention, is that which is called the Sea of Haerlem, in the province of Holland. It communicates by the Gulf of Y with the Zuyderzee, is in length five leagues, by two and a half in breadth, and is every where navigable. Its navigation, however, is impeded by the violent squalls and storms it is subject to. In one of these did the unfortunate Frederic, Elector Palatine and King of Bohemia, when an exile in Holland, lose his eldest son and save his own life with difficulty, by the upsetting the boat in which they were crossing the lake during a dark night. A neck of land about two leagues broad, separates it from the North Sea. This lake was formed three centuries and a half ago, by an inundation of the ocean. The Jews of Amsterdam have offered to drain it, under the condition of the property of the land being made over to them; but other interests have stood in the way of the execution of this project, which would transform an extent of water of more than 20,000 acres into fertile meadow ground. Among the lakes VOL. V.4 X Plin. Hist. Nat. Lib. 16. which have undergone this useful metamorphosis, chiefly in North Holland, the most important is the Sea of Naarden. The Bies-Bosch, on the frontiers of North Brabant, is a lake of about twelve square leagues, which arose out of an event more disastrous than that which formed the Sea of Haerlem. It was produced on the 19th November, 1421, by the rupture of several dikes, in consequence of which seventy-two villages, and a population of about 100,000 souls, were submerged! Into this lake, several arms of the Meuse throw themselves; at issuing from it, they form but one broad stream under the name of Hollands-Diep. Marshes. Among the numerous marshes of this country, the Bourtang, in the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe, covers a considerable extent of land. Of all the gulfs which border the coast, and serve as emGulfs or bays. bouchures to the principal rivers, the two most important are the Dollart, between the province of Groningen and kingdom of Hanover, and the Zuyderzee, between Holland and Friesland. The first, which receives the waters of the Ems, is three leagues in breadth, and from seven to eight in length. It is the result of a dreadful inundation of the Ocean, which, in 1277, swallowed up several villages. The second, into which the Reest, the Yssel, and several other rivers throw themselves, was formed in 1225, by an irruption of the Ocean, which covered thirty leagues of country: its name signifies Sea of the South, because it is to the south of the Ocean. The original state of Holland, as almost one extended Canals, swamp, has already been noticed. In connexion with the building of dikes, to preserve it from the inroads and attacks of the Ocean, the importance of draining the land by means of canals and ditches, would naturally occur to the inhabitants, and to such an extent has this been carried, that the whole country is covered with them. They are indeed innumerable, and most useful for travelling and facilitating internal trade; and being lined with rows of trees, tend to adorn the face of this flat and naturally uninteresting country. So flat is it, that to those approaching by sea, the spires and trees appear to rise out of the water. The Dutch islands form two distinct groups. The southern Islands. I group comprehends the largest, washed by the different arms of the Scheld, the Meuse, and the Rhine; these are Walcheren, North and South Beveland, Tholen, Schouwen, Over-Flakee, Voom, and Beyerland. The northern is composed of the islands of Wieringen, Texel, Vlieland, TerSchelling, and Ameland, all lying at the entrance of the Zuyderzee, and on the coasts of Friesland. For the geology of Holland, the reader is referred to the remarks on the geology of Belgium, which, from the simi Geology. larity of the two countries, are intended to embrace both. Climate and cultivation. The Dutch provinces, conquests of Man over the Ocean, derive their fogs and humidity from the mists of the sea, and exhalations of the marshes. During winter, which reigns four months of the year, covering the ground with hoar-frost and ice, the east wind, which blows frequently at this season, dissipates the miasmata of an insalubrious atmosphere. The industry of the cultivator multiplies cattle and pasturage grounds. Although this country does not present the agreeable variety of an irregular soil, yet the fine season adorns it with its charms: vast meadows, dazzling with the richest verdure, are, during eight months of the year, covered with cattle, whose plumpness announces an abundant and healthy nourishment; and the number of these domestic animals attest no less the wealth of their owners, than elsewhere the cultivated fields indicate the intelligence and patient attention of a laborious population. Wheat, flax, and madder, in the north, and in the south, tobacco, and different kinds of fruit trees, cover the best lands. It is • Book CL. among the Hollanders that horticulture has made the greatest progress, where the culture of a thousand ornamental plants, and especially hyacinths and tulips, has been carried to such a length, that the price of a flower often exceeds what would support twenty families for a year. The population of Holland, viewed in a religious aspect, is divided into a great number of religions, of communions, and sects. No religion is there considered as being that of the state; all enjoy the same rights and equal liberty. The Reformed communion is, however, the most numerous; the Christians of the confession of Augsburg occupy the next rank; Mennonites, other sects, and Jews, much less numerous than the two first mentioned, are scattered over all the provinces. Idioms. Ancient inhabitants. In regard to the language, with the exception of the Jews, the origin of the different dialects that are spoken may be traced to the German. The different dialects spoken in Friesland and the islands of Zuyderzee, in the province of Holland, in Gueldres in Zeeland, and in Dutch Brabant, are all of this description. The Jews, who came originally from Portugal, have preserved the idiom which was familiar to them, when they established themselves in the Low Countries. The most ancient inhabitants of the country were the Frisii, ancestors of the Frieslanders, who occupied, from south to north, the country comprehended between the Rhine and the Ocean. Their Latin name, (Frisii,) probably comes from an old word in the German language, frissen, which signifies to grub up, to dig or drain marshes. They were one of the most powerful nations of Western Germany. Brave, jealous of their liberty, they were long the devoted auxiliaries of the Romans; their independence was never disputed; we see them, after the death of Drusus, choosing chiefs or dukes from amongst themselves. The Batavi were, it is believed, a colony of the Catti, a German tribe: forced by a series of intestine dissentions, to quit their own country, they planted themselves in the sandy and marshy country, circumscribed by the Rhine and the Meuse: their neighbours called them, for this reason, Wattawer, an appellation which the Romans changed into Batavi. When Cæsar undertook the conquest of the Gauls, they were already powerful, and masters of part of the country to the south of the lower Meuse. Their cavalry was formidable; their horses were trained to swim across rivers without breaking their ranks. At the battle of Pharsalia, they decided the victory in favour of Cæsar. Their bravery and loyalty gave them the privileged title of friends and brothers of the Romans, and the honour of forming the pretorian guard. In all important expeditions, in every dangerous enterprise, the Batavians were selected. They composed the forlorn hope of the Roman army, sustained the first shock of the enemy's attack, and made the first attack with a boldness and impetuosity peculiar to themselves. Tacitus says, that no tribute was imposed upon them: they remained faithful to the empire till its fall. Their territory was comprehended in Germania Secunda. Territorial divisions. From these generalities, which it would be unprofitable to extend farther, let us pass on to the important cities of the different Dutch provinces. When these provinces rose up against the tyranny of Philip II., and bound themselves by the treaty of Utrecht in 1579, they were seven in number: the lordships of Groningen, Friesland, Over-Yssel, and Utrecht, the dutchy of Gueldres, and the counties of Holland and Zeeland, and to these may be added, the territory of Drenthe. Dutch Brabant and East Flanders, having been in their possession when peace was made with Spain, were given up to them. Thus matters continued till the invasion and conquest of Holland by the French republic * In Dutch and low German, Walt still signifies sand bank; awe or ave, low land, meadow. |