The Town-house has nothing in it that is magnificent, at least if one may believe those who have seen it; for I had not the Curiosity to examine it: Nor is there any Edifice of Consequence in the Town. Their Dwellings are neat, but not large, which is the Reason that during the Congress the Ambassadors had very scanty Lodgings, tho’ it was not for want of Money, insomuch that several of ’em might have purchased the Houses they lived in, with the Money they paid for the Rent of their Apartments, during the Course of their Ministerial Residence. Speaking of this Congress, puts me in Mind of what certain Satirical Politicians said concerning the Three Treaties of Peace that had been concluded successively in the Dominions of the Republic. Nimeguen, said they, signified Neim-Weg (Take all), Reiswick, Reis-Weg (Pluck up all), and Utrecht, Ausser Recht (Witbout Right). If every Thing be fairly examin’d, all this perhaps may be true enough, but the Laughers would not be on the Side of the Allies.
I made use of the Vessel that goes and comes Three times a Day from Utrecht to Amsterdam, which is not only the most commodious, but the best regulated, and the cheapest Passage in Europe. One knows to a Minute when it goes off, and within one Quarter of an Hour that it gets into Port. If you agree for the Rous or Cabin, one is alone, or with what Company you please. I thought the Vessel in which I came to Utrecht, so much like a moving Dungeon that I was as glad when I came out of it, as a Prisoner, when he is set at Liberty. The Canal which carried me to Amsterdam presents a thousand agreeable Objects
to View, being diversified all the Way with fine Country-houses, magnificent Gardens, Meadows and Villages.
After having admired every Thing that proves the Wealth of the Inhabitants, I am arrived at Amsterdam, that modern Tyre, the Mistress of Commerce, the Warehouse of the World, and one of the finest, greatest, and most wealthy Cities in Europe. It contains both sacred and profane Edifices, which are magnificent; but at the same Time (for I speak freely) retains I know not what Air of the Cit, which one does not meet with in the Buildings of Venice and Genoa, which are of a sublimer Taste, because the Nobility are the Governors. The Things which may be said to be truly great and noble at Amsterdam, are its Ramparts faced with Bricks, and the broad and deep Ditches with which ’tis encompassed.
Amsterdam is the only Town in the World which may be compared in any measure to Venice. For tho’ ’tis not built as Venice is, in the midst of the Sea, it stands as that does upon Piles. Like Venice it consists of a vast Number of Islands, and its principal Streets have Canals, with the Adventage of spacious Kays at their Doors, fenc’d with Trees; whereas at Venice, the Water is only pent in by the Houses. That I take to be all the Resemblance there is between these two Rivals in Commerce; for as to the Beauty of the Structures, there is no Comparison; one Canal Grande, and one Canal Reggio, being worth more in this respect than all Amsterdam. There are Palaces, and here are Houses, which are neat, genteel and pleasant, without the Rules of Architecture, and built of Brick. Heretofore the Amsterdammers Manner of Building was very extraordinary. Most of the old Houses that are yet in Being, stand upon Stilts, which I explain thus: The
Front of the first Floor, upon the Ground, is commonly all Windows, which are separated by wooden Pillars that support all the Stone-work of the other Floors, which, happy for them, is very slight; for there’s seldom a Wall more than two Bricks in Thickness, and the Ceilings are nothing but Boards, so that the People in the first Floor have the Pleasure to know, that every Word they say is overheard in the second. I don’t criticize the Manner of the Distribution of their Rooms; tho’, to be plain, their Architects know no more of this Matter than they do how to carry up the Chimnies, which are almost all of them smoaky. ’Tis true, that the Inhabitants are not very much incommoded by it, and that they might even do without them[102]. For the Women warm themselves with a Turf all Day long, which they put into a little earthen Pan, and this into a wooden Stove, with Holes bor’d in it, which they keep under their Petticoats, and sit over it, as a Hen broodeth over her Chicken. The Men are always within Doors, dressed in a Night-gown lined with Flannel, under which they are Twaddled in three or four thick Waistcoats: And if the Weather be cold, they also make use of such a Stove as the Women do, or else warm themselves in the Kitchen, where there is seldom Bustle enough to prevent their creeping to the Chimney-corner; and I would venture a Wager, that there are many substantial People here who don’t boil the Pot above once a Week: For there’s no Nation in the World that feeds worse than the Dutch, and particularly the Amsterdammers, Butter, Milk, Cheese, and Salt-fish, being their common Diet.
But I have deviated from the Article I was upon, touching their Manner of Building. I cannot conceive how ’tis possible for Houses that are so slight to stand: And there are some that perfectly totter from Side to Side; but I had rather see a Woman dance, than a House. A great Number of those Houses have lately been set upright. One of those Pinacles, in Form of a Sugar-loaf, which is at the Top of most of the old Houses, unhappily fell down and kill’d three Persons that were passing along the Street: Whereupon the Government, out of their great Care to prevent all such Accidents for the future, ordered the Landlords of every House to cause those staggering Pyramids to be pulled down: This has had two good Effects; for People are not so liable to be knock’d o’the Head, and the Town looks handsomer. The principal Ornament of the Houses is their Windows, there being scarce a Country that has finer Glazing, and many of the Houses have Windows of polish’d Plate-glass. But in some Palaces of Venice or Genoa, the Paintings and Gildings only of the Ceilings are worth more than the finest House in Amsterdam. Yet I don’t deny but there are Houses here, in the Rearing of which no Cost has been spar’d, but in general they are small. There are scarce any that have above five Windows in Front, others have four, and the greatest Part three. The Entry is by Steps of black Marble or Stone. To the Houses of the common Size, there’s a very narrow Entry pav’d with white Marble, with which the Walls are often fac’d, at least to a certain Height. The Apartment consists generally of two Rooms on a Floor, a little Court behind it, and a second Pile of Building, which is but one Room in Depth, and has Lights towards the Garden. At Venice and
Genoa, a Merchant (for I set the Nobles aside) will have at least an Apartment of three or four Rooms. At Amsterdam the Furniture is neatest, and in Italy the richest. Here one shall find a curious Piece of Flemish Tapestry, a Closet of Pictures, fine Glass, a great deal of China Ware, and curious Toys from the Indies; the Floor shall be covered with fine Persian Carpets; but you shan’t see any Furniture of Velvet embroidered with Gold, no Lustres of Rock-Crystal, no great Collection of Paintings, nor that Abundance of antique Busts, Vases and Statues of Marble and Brass. In fine, to conclude this long Parallel, I must tell you, that if the Palaces of Italy were as neat as the Houses of Amsterdam, there would be nothing to compare to them; and if the Houses of Amsterdam were as much neglected as those of Italy, they would be of no Manner of Account.
Be a House here ever so small, there’s always some Apartment in it uninhabited, which is the finest Part of the Building. ’Tis a Sanctuary whereof the upper Servant Maid of the House is the grand Priestess. She has so profound a Respect for this unfrequented Place that she never enters it without putting off her Shoes, for fear of soiling the Floor, which is held in so great Veneration that they pay it a Sort of Worship: ’Tis the Residence of the Houshold Gods, and one is sure of incurring the Indignation both of the Mistress and the Maids, if one does not shew the same Veneration to their Floor as they do. Whoever enters the House, must first rub their Feet upon a Mat at the Door, and be sure not to spit, were they in Danger of being choak’d, unless they find a little Basket of Sand laid there for the Purpose; and if a Person should but happen to drop the least Thing capable of spotting the
Floor, I am not sure that the Priestesses would not sacrifice the Delinquent to their Idol, and that we should not see the Revival of the Story of Orpheus and the Bacchantes. There are however some particular Days in the Year when the Priestesses give their Masters Leave to enter these Sanctuaries, and therein to receive Company; but the very next Day, this Place, which in the Language of the Country is called Besse-Kamer (i. e. the best Room) is wash’d and purify’d, as our Churches are after they have been profaned. I don’t make Things a jot worse than they are in reality, and I am sure there are some Rooms that are not opened four times in a Year, unless it be to air the Goods. ’Tis the same with a thousand fine Things in the Amsterdammers Possession, which they don’t make use of for fear of spoiling them: Thus they live in the midst of Abundance, and of Wealth, without the Hearts to enjoy what they have. Nevertheless, within these few Years past, they begin to have some Taste of Life: They give into Equipage, Furniture, and Rural Entertainments, and their Women into Dress and Splendor. The old Men exclaim against new Fashions, and say the Republic is in a declining State, in which they resemble one of our Emperors, who observing that his Master of the Horse had changed the Cord-Traces, which had been the Fashion of his Court, into Leather Traces, cry’d out, That Luxury would be the Ruin of his Family, and his Government.