Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/264

252 NETHERLANDS (LANGUAGE AND LITERATUKE) bottles"). A rhymed narrative, the Masker van der Wereld, by the Flemish Jesuit A. Poir- tiers (16 06-' 75), was once very popular. The Lofder Geldzucht (" Eulogy of Avarice ") and the domestic elegies of J. de Dekker (died in 1666) are still frequently quoted ; Roselijns Oochies is a pretty idyllic effusion by Jonck- tyns (born 1600); and the pastoral poems of Wellekens (1658-1726) are graceful and ima- ginative. The almost universal use of Latin, as a language through which a vastly larger audience could be reached, left little room for Dutch prose. Several translations of the Bi- ble, both from the original tongues and the Vulgate, some Biblical commentaries, and oth- er theological treatises, met with a wide circu- lation. The Batavische Arkadia of J. van Heemskerk (1597-1656), suggested by the De- camerone of Boccaccio, is the only work that deserves the name of a romance. Besides Hooft, the historians are P. C. Bor (1559-1635), E. van Meteren (1535-1612), L. van Aitze- ma (1600-'69), and G-. Brandt (1626-'85). The Dutch navigators, as Barentz and Heemskerk in their search for a northeast passage, Gerrits- zoon in the Australian regions, and Noort and Spilbergen in the extreme Orient, added much to geographical knowledge in this century. Many of these explorers wrote narratives of their voyages, versions of which appeared in various languages. Among these works are J. Nieuwhof on China (1665), P. Baldeus on Cey- lon and Malabar (1672), M. G. de Vries on Japan (1646), G. Schouten on the East Indies (1696), C. de Bruyn on eastern Europe and western Asia (1698-1711), and W. Bosman on Guinea (1704). The 18th century offers a marked contrast to its predecessor. The literature of the 17th century gave way in the 18th to imi- tation of French models. Few authors escaped this contagion. One of these is H. C. Poot (1689-1733), the farmer poet, whose style is pure and natural, and whose erotic and idyllic verses are marked by ease and liveliness. His most striking pieces, perhaps, are Wachten (" Watching ") and Landleven (" Rural Life "). A Biblical epic which has considerable merit, but which was followed by bad imitations, is the Abraham de Aartsvader of A. Hoogvliet (1687-1763). The Rottestroom of D. Smits (1702-'52) also originated a school known as the stream poets, who sang the beauties of all the Dutch rivers. Of the two brothers W. van Haren (died in 1768) and O. Z. van Haren (died in 1779), the elder left a legendary, knight- ly tale in verse, Gevallen van Friso, and some lighter compositions, among which are Leoni- das, MemcJielijlc leven ("Human Life"), and the Hof van den vrede (" Court of Peace ") ; the younger was the author of two tragedies and a lyrical epic, De Geuzen, woven out of the popular national ballads. A sort of transi- tion poetical period, the dawn of the day of Bilderdijk and Tollens, begins with 1780. It was initiated by J. Bellamy (1757-'86), whose Roosje is the most touching and beautiful bal- lad in the language, and was further character- ized by the astronomer P. Nieuwland (1764- '94), whose Orion is a stately and in some portions sublime epic, and by H. van Alphen (died 1803), whose poems for children have been frequently reprinted. The purest prose of the century is that of J. van Effen (1684- 1735), who possessed not a little of the humor and grace of his model, Addison, of whose chief work his Hollandsche Spectator is an imi- tation. The romance style was developed by two women, A. Deken (1741-1804) and E. Bekker (1738-1804) ; their novels, written in conjunction, though somewhat diffuse, are suc- cessful pictures of Dutch life and manners. The lengthened Vaderlandsche historie of J. Wagenaar (1709-'73) is impartial and trustwor- thy, but the diction is rather dull and heavy. The other historians are G. van Loon (born 1683), S. Stijl (1731-1804), and A. van Kluit (1737-1807), who wrote a very learned Historia Critica Comitatus Hollandice et Zelandice, and a Historic der hollandsche staatsregering. The Vaderlandsche woordenboelc (1785-1800), in nearly 40 volumes, by J. Kok, is a treasury of information concerning the history and topog- raphy of Holland. In philology L. Ten Kate (1674-1731) anticipated many of the ideas of Grimm and the later Teutonic school. He and B. Huydecoper (1695-1778), who edited one or two of the old Flemish chronicles, were of great service to their native tongue. D. van Hoogstraaten (1658-1724) attained some emi- nence as a lexicographer. In science the phi- losophers W. J. 's Gravesande (1688-1742), N. Hartsoeker (1656-1725), and P. van Musschen- broek (1692-1761) gained a European renown; as did those disciples of Boerhaave, P. Camper (1722-'89) and G. van Swieten (1700-' 72). The modern revival of Dutch letters is coincident with the French revolution, having fairly com- menced some little time before the opening of the 19th century. Rhijnvis Feith (1753-1824) did much toward bringing in this new epoch ; his reputation is still maintained by a series of admirable historical Oden en gedichten. The Taal, Schilderlcunst, and other productions of C. Loots (1765-1834) resemble the style of Helmers, but are much superior in energy and force. E. A. Borger (died in 1820), a theolo- gian, A. Simons (died in 1834), and J. Kantelaar (1759-1821) have also left several tasteful and polished lyrics. But the greatest of modern, if not of all Dutch poets is Willem Bilderdijk (1756-1831). The most remarkable of his multitudinous works is an epic entitled De ondergang der eerste wereld ("Destruction of the First World "), of which only the first five books were completed. The same author's Geschiedenis des vaderlands, in prose, was published after his death by B. F. Tijdeman. Another very popular poet is H. C. Tollens (1780-1856) ; especially admirable are his nar- rative poem De overwintering der Hollanders op Nova Zenibla, an account of Barentz's fa- mous expedition in 1594-'6, his tragedy Dt