Studentenalmanak 1942 - pagina 176

drinking much, and prating most. The truth is — in a

word: we are drinkers, they are soakers; an Englishman

is sooner, a Dutchman longer drunkio). Om het beter (?)

te maken besluit hij zijn beschouwing: Clownish and blunt

to men, respecting neither person, nor apparel: they gaze

at, and envy, but never reverence a Gentleman. Chast and

modest to their Women, being strangers to the two fomen-

tors of Lust, idleness and courtship; always doing less

then they speak, and speaking less than they t h i n k s ) .

Misschien spelen spelling en interpunctie ons parten, maar

heelemaal begrijpen doen we deze tirade niet. De Parival

schrijft een jaar later: Au demeurant ils sont forts et

robustes, de riche taille, beaux de corps aussi bien que

d'esprit, tres addroits ä tout ce qu'ils entreprennenti2).

E n : Je diray encore, qu'ils sont fort laboureux et in-

dustrieux: Ils ne plaignent pas Ie travail, pourvu qu'il y

ait du profiti3). Aglionby geeft het volgende testimoniuhi:

The old Hollanders were formerly despised by their

Neighbours for the grossness of their temper, and the

simplicity of their life. They were us'd to be call'd Block-

heads, and eaters of Cheese and Milk, but as they for-

merly had the reputation of Silly, so now they are steemed

as subtil and understanding a Nation as any in Europei*).

Sir William Temple, vroeger gezant in Den Haag, schil-

dert de Nederlandsche mannen zoo: In general, AH Ap-

petites and Passions seem to run lower and cooler here,

than in other countreys where I have converst. Avarice

may be excepted. And yet that should not be so violent,

where it feeds only upon Industry and Parsimony, as

where it breaks out into Fraud, Rapine, and Oppression.

But Quarrels are seldom seen among them, unless in

their drink, Revenge rarely heard of, or Jealousy known.

Their Tempers are not aiery enough for Joy, or any

unusual strains of pleasant Humour, nor warm enough

for Love. This is talkt of sometimes among the younger

men, but as a thing they have heard of, rather than felt;

and as a discourse that becomes them, rather than affects

themis). Wat hun uiterlijk betreft: They are generally

168

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