rious example of resistance to the Spanish roke, sa heroically imitated two years afterwards at Leyden, which experienced a better fortune than befel the wretched inhabitants of the former city. Whilst the provinces were bravely opposing their invaders, a long and memorable siege in 1573, which was carried on against Haarlem by Frederic of Toledo, the son of the sanguinary duke of Alva, during which the female inhabitants, like those of Leyden, assisted the garrison in their duties, underwent every privation, faced every horror, and rushed to certain destruction in defence of the town, with an alacrity and fortitude which have rendered them immortal in the annals of their country. ླ The When it is considered that at this period the Spanish monarchy was predominant in Europe, that its armies were mighty, its generals experienced, and its treasury overflowing, the triumphant prowess which the Dutch displayed in finally driving their powerful invaders back to their own frontiers, will render the Dutch name illustrious as long as the record of history endures. The Dutch ladies have rivalled in fame the most renowned heroines of Greece and Rome. Hollanders treasure up these gallant exploits in their memories, they form the favourite subject of their songs, and the old and the young recite with enthusiasm the 1 deeds of their ancestors. The Haarlem lake which I mentioned, presented a very bleak and dismal sheet of water from the canal; it is about fourteen miles long, and about the same number broad, is said not to be above six feet deep, and lies between Leyden, Amsterdam, and Haarlem: its waters are slimy, and abound with eels, some of which are of a prodigious size. This lake can have no charm but for a bleacher. The fuel used here is Newcastle coals and turf. great Haarlem gave birth to Philip Wouvermano in 1620. The justly celebrated Nicholas Berghem was born here in 1624; and Jacob Ruysdaal was born here in 1636, and was the bosom friend' of Berghem, who imparted to him much of the spirit which adorns his own works. The canal from Haarlem to Amsterdam is clear and spacious, and nearly straight for the first four miles, at the lessening end of which the former city has a very agreeable appearance; but I was surprized to find so very few country-houses, and scarcely an object that denoted our approach to the renowned capital of the kingdom, and, as it has been aptly called, "the great warehouse of the world." About half-way we changed boats, and crossed the enormous sluices which protect the country from in undation in this part: we passed over the waters of the Haarlem Meer and of the river Y, so called from its form resembling that letter, being a branch of the Zuider Zee. The only object worthy of notice thus far was a large stone building, called the Castle Zwa❤ nenburg, the residence of the directors of the dykes and water-works of Rhyndland. The cost of con structing and repairing the sluices is paid out of the general taxes. The country here is four or five feet below the level of the river Y, which, however, is rendered perfectly innocuous by the massy and prodigious dams before mentioned, the construction and preservation of which place the indefatigable industry of the Hollander in an eminent point of view.. I reached Amsterdam just after the gates had been closed, but my commissaire and I were admitted upon paying a few stivers. As soon as we had en tered, every object denoted a vast, populous, and opu lent city every street, and I passed through a great number before I reached my hotel, was tolerably well lighted, but in this respect infinitely inferior to London. At length, after traversing the city about two miles and a half, I reached the principal hotel, called Amsterdam Wappen, or the arms of Amster dan, which in point of magnitude and accommoda tion may vie with the first hotels in our own metropolis. Here, after an excellent supper of fish, which the Dutch dress to admiration, and some porter, which was an excellent imitation of that description of beverage for which London is so justly renowned, I found a sopha bed prepared for me, with curtains pendent from the centre, in the French taste, which much prevails in the internal arrangement of the houses of this great city. In the morning I was awakened by the chimes of some of the churches, which in softness and sweet. ness resembled the distant sounds of a harp. Although it was seven o'clock, upon looking from the window, I heard the hum and beheld the bustle of business which in other countries characterize midday. Under the agreeable influence of a brilliant, cloudless sky, I descended into the street, and mingled with the active, ant-like multitude, every mem ber of which presented a physiognomy full of thought and calculation. The first circumstance that afforded novelty was, that amidst all the bustle, I seldom met with any carriages on wheels to augment the noise of the scene. Upon enquiry I found, that, by the police laws of Ainsterdam, wheel-carriages are limited to a certain number, which is very inconsiderable compared with the size of the city, from an apprehension that an uncontrouled use of them might hazard the foundation of the houses, most of which are built upon piles; for nearly the whole of the ground on which this vast city stands, was formerly a morass. A carriage called by the Dutch a sleigh, and by the Frenchman a traineau, or, on account of its solemnity, un pot de chambre, is used in their room; it is the body of a coach fastened by ropes on a sledge, and drawn by one horse; the driver walks by the side of it, which he holds with one hard to prevent its falling over, and with the other the reins: nothing can be more melancholy than this machine, which, holds four per sons, moves at the rate of about three miles an hour, and sems more like the equipage of an hospital, than a vehicle in which the observer would expect to find a merry face; yet in this manner do the Dutch fre quently pay visits and take the air. It was in allusion to the forest foundation of this wonderful place, that Erasmus sportively observed, when he first visited it, that he had reached a city, the inhabitants of which, like crows, lived upon the tops of trees; and another wit compared Amsterdam to Venice, on account of both having wooden legs. Amsterdam is situated on the river Y and Amstel, from the latter of which it derives its name; it is about nine miles and a half in circumference, of a semicircular form, surrounded with a fosse about eighty feet wide, and a rampart faced with brick, which is in several places dismantled, and twenty-six bastions it has also eight noble gates of stone, and several draw-bridges; the population is estimated at three hundred thousand. In 1204, with the excep tion of a small castle, not a building was to be seen upon the site of this great city, which, from being at first a petty village of fishermen, dilated in the lapse of years, and by the enterprize and industry of the inhabitants, into a magnificent capital, which, at length, upon the shutting up of the navigation of the Scheldt, added the commerce of Antwerp to its own, and became the great emporium of the world. Neither here, nor in any of the cities or towns in Holland, through which I passed, is a stranger annoyed by barriers, productions of passports, or any of those disagreeable, ceremonies which distinguish the police of many other countries. In Holland a foreigner finds his loco-motive disposition as little restricted or encumbered by municipial regulations, as in England. Canals intersect nearly the whole of this city, adorned with avenues of stately elms. Many of the houses are very splendid, particularly those in Kiezer's-gragt, or Emperor's-street, and Heereng toi Bord dostreet,& where there are many mansions) which Espère they not so mitch concealed by tlfe fati of the trees before them, would have a very princely appearance Maby of the shops are also very handsome, particularly those belonging to jewellers and print sellers in the wing dows of the latter prints of the illustrious Nélson, and of our marine victories, were exposed to views The? druggists here, and in offer parts of Holland, use as a sigwa huge carved head, with the mouth wide opent: placed before the shop windows; sometimes it rudely resembles a Mercury's head, at others it is surmounted by abfoot's leapThis clumsyatid singular sign is called de gaaper, the gaper what analogy it bears tờ physic b could not learn; it is very likely to have originated in whim and caprice. Some of the shoph boards, called trithang borden, have ridiculous verses inscribed upon themand sa or best fairw The first place my curiosity led me to was the Stadt house, which is unquestionably a wonderful edifices: considering that Holland furnishes ho stone, and that the foundation of the building was boggy; the latter eircumstance rendered it necessary to have an antik ficial foundation of extraordinary construction and magnitude, and accordingly it rests upon thirteen thonë” sand six hundred and ninety-five massy trees, or pilesy the first of which was driven on the 20th of January, 1648, and the last on the 6th of October following, when the first stone, with a suitable inscription, an laid; and seven years afterwards the different colleges of magistrates took formal possession of the apart ments allotted for their respective offices, but at this time the roof and dome were not completed: the expense of this mighty edifice amounted to two millions sterling The principal architect was Johu Van Kampen, who acted under the controul of four bur gomasters. The area in which it stands is 'spacious, and was till lately called Revolutie Plein, it is disfi» gured by the proximity of the waag, or weigh-house, |