possess in England, so much wealth that is positively idle and superfluous,-we have at the same time so few large public picture galleries:-France, Holland, Belgium, Austria, and Italy, abound in the productions of the finest painters-but how few are there in England.

London, that monopolizes all the wealth, the luxu ries, the libraries, the public buildings, the court splendour, all the institutions of magnificence, the fruit indeed of all the efforts and energies of our great and mighty people,-possesses also all monopolies of genius, whilst Holland, even, a country we are not apt to call our superior, either in wealth or intellect, has a noble collection of paintings in almost every one of her large towns. With so much wealth lavished yearly on the British Museum, surely we ought to expect as an addition to that noble institution, an ample and public (free) picture gallery, one too that may rival the Lou

vres.

From this intellectual feast, we next went along a pleasant road, and in very pleasant company, to the palace of the Dutch King, called sentimentally, or rather, romantically, by the Dutch, "The palace in the Wood." Ringing the bell, a neat spruce little man, well conversant in the French tongue, with powdered hair, and a gaudy livery dress, ushered us with much pomp into the interior of the palace. The rooms here were certainly splendid, but not, I think, equal to an

English nobleman's mansion; for instance, Lowther Castle I should say beats hollow the residence of those Dutch Kings. We saw some exceedingly beautiful things here, viz., the designs in needle work, fashioned as in tapestry, and presented as a compliment, from the Emperor of China to the King of Holland. The plumage (artificial) of the birds is gorgeous, and in particular, you would imagine that the golden pheasants, so light and lovely, are sporting " 'neath an eastern sun.” One large hall is painted entirely by Rubens and his pupils. The main figure commemorates the escape of William I. from the daggers of his enemies, at the moment when he was saved by his faithful dog; the same dog which is immortalized in the statuary of the church at Delft. One only of these numerous and valuable paintings is the production of Rubens himself, and in this the figures are exceedingly striking-prominently and powerfully drawn. According to our powdered and periwigged little dutch guide, the Emperor Alexander offered a great many thousands for one of the smaller paintings; and the same little character likewise told us that a certain British nobleman, more distinguished for the greatness of his rent roll than the superiority of his intellect, solicited the "hand" of Rubens at an immense price, a price that would support you and I, and a dozen more men of genius happily for life. But mind is not, I fear, nurtured by our noblemen,—we may pine and die, and what cares either the collective wealth or

They are selfish and sullen

collective wisdom for us.

dogs!

After dragging about in search of sights nearly all the day, sometimes in coaches and sometimes on foot, we at length arrived peaceably at our hotel. Here we dined with the agreeable company that came with us from Rotterdam; drank our delicious French and Rhenish wines; and concluded sumptuously with coffee and cigars in a bower in the garden.

Things are, believe me, done very pleasantly on the Continent, and I do not now wonder that so many of our English noblemen and gentry go abroad annually to sip the sweets of its luxuries;-though at the same time I do deeply and sincerely pity the poor, overworked, good, honest, and highminded Agriculturists, who, left at home, supply with the sweat of their brow -with privations of every kind,-and with toil and labour that never cease, this wanton and pernicious drain on their energies. In fact, you will on the Continent,-where taxes exist but one half, or less in comparison with ours-get excellent French wines, of the most admirable quality for a trifle, and cigars of first quality, for almost nothing. From the Hague, we advanced with regret to Leyden-regret, because at the Hague many of our kind friends, who had hitherto accompanied us, bade us farewell, and returned to Rotterdam for the purpose of passing up the Rhine and to Switzerland; and often did I feel sorry that I

could not accompany them into those beautiful and romantic regions. At Leyden, being very piously disposed, the first thing we did was to see the churches. The church of St. Peter is the most illustrious, containing the sepulchres of Boerhaave, Camper, Meerman, and others of celebrity. There is a great want of taste displayed in the arrangements of the statue (by the bye the Dutch are miserably deficient in this branch the eldest, of the Fine Arts) to Meerman-for, though of white marble, the weeping woman lamenting over it and representing Sorrow, has a brass crown in her hand, and a brass nob, like the end of a sceptre, on her head. As is usual in the Dutch churches, seats are here placed against the wall, on which the poorer classes stand during divine worship; and on account of the wall being whitewashed, there is a board suspended, opposite the supposed level of the head, against which board they lean that organ.

It is taken for granted that the enormity of protrusion peculiar to Dutch posteriors, will effectually secure the back from touching the wall; and the head being thus thrown back as if nailed to the board, the appearance is altogether ludicrous and ridiculous.

The organ is a noble piece of workmanship, standing out boldly from the body of the wall in front of the preacher, and I should think its tones will be sweet and powerful. In Leyden stands the celebrated university, which was, at one time, the boast of the

Z

world, and sent abroad men illustrious for research and intellect. Here did Boerhaave teach those principles of physic which so long swayed the opinions of the European universities-and here the celebrated Camper first properly explained the mysteries of the human frame, and established his character as the first of Anatomists. The mind was filled with feelings of profound einotion, as we stood on the same spot where those mighty minds did at an early period of Medicine, teach new systems, and improve old ones; building up what was of a tar higher and better nature than had ever yet been attained at any previous period. Any one who expects to see an university corresponding in magnificence to the fame of the philosophers it had possessed, will be deeply disappointed.

The Museum of Natural History is, however, a splendid collection, and of immense magnitude. One gallery contains the skeletons of the different animals, and in the one above these appear stuffed, so that the mere anatomist,and the zoologist alike may be delighted and instructed. The opinion of our friend Dr. K. was that this museum was extremely complete, and infinitely superior to those of London and Edinburgh. The collection of birds, which was presented by one individual, is of great value, but is not yet properly arranged. It will make a most instructive addition.

The Collectanea of Mr. Sieboldt, from Japan, is uncommonly curious and interesting, inasmuch as all