Antonides, Oudaan, Schermer, Van Alphen, Bellamy, Feith, Loots, Vereul, Tollens. XV.-DRAMATIC POETRY. In one branch of it, Tragedy, the Dutch may be said to have been successful; but not so in Comedy, which appears to be less suited to the character and talents of the nation. Without entering into the history of the Dutch drama, we will enumerate the authors under those two heads, Tragedy and Comedy. 1..Tragedy. The great names in this division are, Vondel, Feith, and Bilderdyk. Hooft may be considered as the father of Tragedy, or of the Dutch drama in general; for he wrote both tragedies and comedies, and left four of the former and three of the latter. But Vondel unquestionably must be regarded as the greatest tragic poet. He composed in the ancient style, with choruses; but these compositions are master-pieces in their kind. They have been alluded to above, when we spoke of Lyric Poetry. Vondel's language is very fine. His best pieces are, Gysbrecht van Amstel, Jephtha, and Lucifer. To Vondel's, or the old school, belonged John Voss, Gerard Brandt, Oudoan, Verhoek, Antonides van der Goes (who is also simply called Antonides). After this the French period of the drama succeeded, during which the Dutch, with that propensity to copy their neighbours which is peculiar to them, exchanged their original compositions for imitations of the French stage. Catharine Lescaille (Amsterdam 1649-1711) and Andrew Pels set the example; forming their tragedies upon the models of Rotrou and Corneille: it was followed by Mauritius, Boddaert, Feitama, Marre, Huydecoper, Zweerts, Pater, Hoef. This imitation prevailed for some time; then it was abandoned, and the writers sought more for originality. This merit is first to be attributed to Van Winter, and his wife, formerly Van Merken: after them Juliana Cornelia de Lanoy, Kasteleyn, Styl, Nomsz, and in our days, Feith, Tollens, Loosjes, and Bilderdyk, successfully pursued that path. 2. Comedy. In this the Dutch have not done much the productions scarcely deserve to be mentioned. Langendyk (1683—1756) is looked upon as the best comic author, and he is not great. The other names that occur, if we begin with the oldest, are Bredero (1585-1608), Hooft, Huygens, John Vos, Pluymer, Hoef, Hartsert, Sels, Styl, Nomsz, Loosjes. Genuine comedy is almost entirely supplanted, on the Dutch stage, by that mixed composition called, in a subordinate sense, the Drama. Sels and Loosjes may be adduced as principal writers in the latter. PROSE. As late as the 17th century there was scarcely a book written in Dutch prose. Hooft may be considered as its founder. He published in it letters and history. He studied to write the language with the utmost degree of purity, anxiously abstaining from every foreign word and expression. This is not unfrequently objected to him as affectation; but I should be inclined to judge of it as a merit. For though that solicitude for purity may at first seem labored, yet there is nothing that will bring out the capacities of a language better, and more advance its cultivation and improvement. In his historical writings Hooft imitated the style of Tacitus. The next Dutch historian, Brandt, also contributed to the amelioration of the language. In the 18th century Van Essen published his Dutch Spectator, which was written with ease and simplicity. Wagenaar further improved historical composition, and Styl enriched and embellished it. Elizabeth Wolff and Agatha Dehen wrote admirably in their novels. In this manner Dutch prose attained a high degree of cultivation, and was rendered an expressive, easy, and comprehensive language. Its correctness and purity gave it a classical character. This progress towards perfection was interrupted, about the year 1780, by what may be termed the sentimental period, An affected style of writing, by which every turn of expression was to bear the stamp of sensibility, was imported from Germany, and eagerly imitated by Dutch authors. It proceeded from a false or perverted taste, and could not fail to be prejudicial to the language. Having prevailed for some time, its foibles and absurdities were perceived, and the return of a plain, natural, and classical mode of writing was desired. Such a reformation was happily effected, and it is to be hoped that no relapse into former errors will take place. The Dutch of the present day are aware of the importance of preserving their language uncontaminated from such corruptions. A professorship of Dutch literature is established at Leyden, which undoubtedly will prove one of the means of guarding the interests of the language. Among the best prose writers of our time, Loosges and Stuart stand prominent. We will now enter somewhat into a detail, and divide the prose authors into their several departments. I. EPISTOLARY WRITING. Hooft and Wagenaar are here the principal names. II. ESSAYS. We here can only name one author, viz. Van Essen (1684-1735), who wrote the Dutch Spectator, in 8 vols. III.-ELOQUENCE. This species of composition is, in Holland, chiefly confined to the pulpit. We have, therefore, to consider, 1. Sermons, of which these are the most distinguished authors: Brandt (three brothers of that name, sons of Gerard Brandt); Vollenhove, Hulshoff, Kist, Teutem, Van der Roest, Martin Stuart, Henry van der Palm. 2. Funeral Orations and Panegyrics. Writers of these are: Hooft, Gerard Brandt, Zwier van Haren, De Bosch, Kantelaar, Van Swinden, Hulshoff, De Vos, L'Ange, Siegenbeck. IV. HISTORY. On the wars of the Netherlands we have some early writers; Bor, Van Meteren, Reyd. Hooft (1581-1647) wrote the History of Henry IV. of France, and the misfortunes of the house of Medicis: but his principal work is the History of the Netherlands (Nederlandsche Historien), consisting of nearly 30 vols. Gerard Brandt's works are: History of the Reformation in the Netherlands, in 4 vols. 4to.; and the trial of Oldenbarneveld, Hogerbeets, and Hugo Grotius. Wagenaar (1709-1779) published the History of bis country (Vaderlandsche Historie), in 20 vols. 8vo. Styl (b. 1731) gave to his work the title of "Rise and Greatness of the United Netherlands," (Opkomst en Bloei der Vereenigde Nederlanden). Now follows Martin Stuart (probably still living), whose Roman History (Romeinsche Geschiedenissen) is a great work. It is not yet finished, though it already consists of about 30 octavo volumes. Among the historians of inferior note may be reckoned, Kluit, Van Wyn, Muntinghe, Haafner. V.-BIOGRAPHY. As the Dutch have always been fond of this species of writing, so they have in it many, and some very interesting productions. We may place our old friend Hooft again at the head of this department, on account of his Henry IV. or the Great (Henrik de Groote), though this has already been noticed. Next are to be mentioned Levens van Nederlandsche Mannen en Vrouwen (Lives of Netherlandish Men and Women), published from the year 1774 to 1783, in 10 8vo. volumes. This work is very interesting. We come after this to some productions of Gerard Brandt, among which the Life of de Ruiter is to be particularly distinguished. He wrote, besides, the Lives of Hooft and Vondel; and his son Caspar had begun that of Grotius, but did not live to complete it: it was afterwards finished by Cattenburch. The Lives of several Dutch Poets were published by Hoogstraaten; and La Rye's Literary, Political, and Military History of Zeeland, (Geletterd Zeeland, 1734 and 1741, 2 vols. Staat kundig en Heldhaftig Zeeland, 1736,) appeared some years after. The Life of J. Wagenaar by Huizinga Bakker; the Life of St. Aldegonde, by Prins, and that of Feitama, by Kruiff, likewise the Lives of Dutch Poets and Poetesses (Levens van Nederlandsche Dichters en Dichteressen) begun jointly by Prins and Kruiff, but left unfinished, are to be added. Styl, the historian, wrote a biography of Punt, the actor; and Nomsz attempted to delineate the characters and actions of Charles V. and Philip II. There exists a Dictionary by Kok, which contains biographical notices of remarkable persons, but at the same time accounts of towns and villages in Holland. There remains lastly to be mentioned an author now living, Jacobus Scheltema, who, in his work called Political History of the Netherlands (Staat kundig Nederland, 2 vols. 8vo. 1806), has given a biographical sketch of several distinguished men: he has also made Anne and Mary Tesselschade, the daughters of Roemer Visscher, the subjects of his pen, (Anna en Maria Tesselschade, de Dochters van Roemer Visscher, 1808). VI. NOVELS. These are not unimportant productions in modern literature. The Dutch have not been so fertile in them as other na tions; yet they have furnished some good specimens. Two female friends, Elizabeth Wolff and Agatha Dehen, who jointly composed their works, take the lead; and I believe it is generally acknowledged, that their merit, in delineating private life, has not been surpassed. Their style is easy and unaffected. Their two best productions are Sarah Burgerhart and William Levend; besides Letters of Abraham Blankaart and the Story of Cornelia Wildschut, neither of them, it is thought, equal to the two former. Unfortunately, soon after their date, the sentimental period, to which we have before alluded, took place; to the influence of which no class of writings was so liable as the Novels. Accordingly there are some fine samples of sensitiveness and sensibility to be met with. Rhynvis Feith, a very eminent poet, chose to follow that path: his Julia, as well as his Ferdinand and Constantia, are composed in that state of mind. Elizabeth Maria Post wrote in the same spirit: we have by her two books, one called The Country (Het Land), and the other Reinhart, or Nature and Religion (Reinhart, of Natuur en Godsdienst). Petronella Moens, a distinguished poetess, retains in her novels, if so they can be called, (viz. Waare liefde en belanglooze vriendschap, True love and disinterested friendship, and Myne vrye denhwyre over belangryhe ouder werpen, My free manner of thinking on interesting subjects,) a great deal of poetical and high-flown diction. Loosjes, an author still living, has, by his Moral Tales, Susannah Bronkhorst and Maurice Lynslager, as well as by his historical novels, viz. Frank van Borselen, Charlotte van Bourbon, Hugo Grotius, Louisa de Coligny, John de Witt, and his Roman tales of liberty and patriotism, considerably enriched this part of Dutch literature. Van Hall's Sketch of the Life of the younger Pliny may perhaps also be noticed in this place. Thus some account has been given of the polite or elegant literature of Holland, which probably will have the effect of impressing many a person with a different notion respecting the genius of our neighbours the Dutch, from that which he before entertained. Such information is useful in divesting us of prejudices and self-conceit, which not unfrequently occupy the mind, if it is not occasionally tempted to range beyond its domestic limits. A similar account might be given of some other nations, of whose literature even the learned in England have not much thought; for instance, the Danes, Swedes, Hungarians, Poles, and Russians. The Dutch are a learned people, and extensively conversant in foreign languages. With German, French, and English literature, in particular, they are well acquainted. As an appendage to the Belles Lettres, the art of criticism may be considered; in which the Dutch, as may be presumed, are by no means deficient. As theorists and critics in the Belles Lettres, the names of Francius, Huydecoper, Maquet, Van Alphen, De Bosch, Kasteleyn, Brender à Brandis, Feith, and Bilderdyk, are to be cited. Van Alphen published, in 1770, a systematic work, called Theory of Belles Lettres, (Theorie der schoon Kunsten en Weten schapen,) 4 vols. 8vo., which, though it is for the most part taken from a German work of Riedel's, is an important production for Holland. The other writers, just now mentioned, have handled the subject partially, in occasional òbservations and single treatises. In conclusion, I will add the titles of the Literary Journals and Reviews, which come out in Holland. The following four are monthly, and published at Amsterdam. I need hardly remark, that they are written in the Dutch language. 1. Letteroeffering, that is, Literary Disquisitions. 2. Vaderlandsch Magazyn, Dutch Magazine. 3. De Recensent ooh der Recensenten, Review of Reviews. 4. De Boekzaal, The Library. One weekly publication appears at Haarlem, under the title of De Letterboocle, that is, The Literary Messenger. NOEHDEN. ERROR OF MR. MATHIAS NOTICED. "WHEN Gray writes, Iron sleet of arrowy shower Hurtles in the darkened air,' he refers us to a passage in Milton's Paradise Regained, and to another in the Julius Cæsar of Shakspeare. It is, however, not without some surprise, that we find, in the same tragic Monodia, the arrows and their hurtling in the air,' united in one lofty passage, Κύφελλα δ' ἰῶν τηλόθεν βοιζουμένων Lycophr. 1426. κύβελλα, i. e. τὰ νέφη: v. Suid. in voce. Κιμμερος, i. e. ζόφος, axxus. The word éppav, which means the Sun, is to be found only in Lycophron, and it is most probably a corruption, and an easy one, for Térpav, which undoubtedly was an ancient term for that luminary; and the learned-reader will recollect, that in a fragment of Euripides, cited by the Scholiast on the 97th line of the 7th Olympic Ode of Pindar, the Sun is styled, Tàν оuρavou μéσov καὶ χθονός τεταμέναν αἰωρήμασι πέτραν αλύσεσι χρυσέαισι.” Mr. Mathias's Postscript to Gray's Works, ii. 623. The passage quoted by Mr. Mathias is not a fragment of Euripides, but occurs in Orestes v. 981. CI. JI. VOL. XX. NO. XL. X |