Since the Weather is set in for Frost, I keep my Station upon the Ice, to see the People slide upon Skates; a favourite Exercise of the Dutch, in which they acquit themselves with marvellous Dexterity. These Skates are a very little smooth Piece of Wood, like a Weaver’s Shuttle, except that the Part on which the Heel and the Sole of the Shoe rest most, is a little broader. The Remainder of it is slender and crooked at the End, that the Iron which is underneath may the better cleave the Snow, and that they may with the more Ease surmount the Obstacles and little Hillocks in the Ice, over which they pass with great Rapidity, but not without Danger of breaking their Legs or Arms, and often of being drowned. The Dutch are less exposed to these Inconveniencies than others, because they are most expert in the Art; for they learn to skate when they can scarce go alone. This is rather the Diversion of the common People, and of the lusty young Fellows, than of the Gentry, or of Men full-grown. These go in Sleds, after the Manner of our Country, which is what they call here Narren; i. e. to play the Fool: And indeed, to consider it duly, I think ’tis a right Name for it.
The Place where I take the Air, is upon the River of Amstel, without the Gate of Utrecht,
where I see several Thousands of People scudding along upon Skates, so fast that they seem to fly. If one of these Skaters was to be seen in Swisserland, I know not whether he would not suffer the Fate of Brioche, the Puppet-Show Man, whom the People of those Cantons burned for a Conjurer.
These Skaters are a great Relief to me; for to tell you a Secret, I am quite sick of this City, which really is not a Place for a Man to live in, that is not concerned in Trade; and a Foreigner especially, knows not how to bestow himself. He can find nowhere to go but to some sorry Coffee-house, or melancholy Walk. In the one he is sure to be incens’d with Tobacco, and stunned with wretched Commentaries upon News-Papers or the Price of Pepper and Ginger; in the other he is as solitary as a Hermit. Their Comedies are but a poor Relief to such as don’t understand Dutch, which besides is a Language that I think is not very fit for the Stage, any more than ours. I thought the Actors pitiful, and the Habits trifling; but the Decorations are fine, and the Theatre spacious and magnificent. I can’t imagine why the Magistrates will not let French Comedies be acted in their City, where I think they would do more Good than Harm; for they would help to polish the Youth, and would undoubtedly keep them from that Temptation to Debauchery, to which Idleness, and the Difficulty of knowing where to spend the Evenings, naturally incline them. I heard d’Argenson, the late Keeper of the Seals say, he had observed, while he was Lieutenant of the Police at Paris, that there were more Disorders and Debaucheries committed in that City, during the Fortnight at Easter, when the Theatres were shut up, than were committed in four Months, while all Shows were
kept open. I doubt not but it would be the same at Amsterdam, where there is a numerous Youth, for whom the Parents are blindly complaisant, and ready to kill the fatted Calf; so that being left to their own Devices, and having in general but few Maxims of Education, they run with the Stream of their Passions into all Extravagancies. These young Fellows, who prefer the Exercise of driving a Chaise before all others, set up in the mean Time for fine Gentlemen; but how well they perform their Part, I leave you to think.
The Assemblies, or Societies, as they are here called, have nothing that is engaging. You see very fine Faces there, but not a Tongue moves, at least to a Foreigner, the very Sight of whom seems to frighten them. Here they drink Tea, or play a Game at Ombre, or Quadrille, and afterwards go in quest of a Supper.
Those Societies, or Clubs, where there are no Ladies, are still worse. In these they smoke and drink in Abundance, talk of Trade or Politicks; and at such Times, woe be to those Powers that have forbid the Importation of Dutch Toys into their Dominions. The only Remedy here against Chagrin, is Reading, of which a Man may have his Heartful; for Amsterdam is not only the Centre of the Bookselling Trade, but here are Book-sellers, that are very ready to lend Books to such, who, like myself, cannot be at the Charge of a Library. I divide my Time between Reading, the Coffee-house, and taking the Air, the latter of which I use very moderately, one being obliged to go so far for it, that I think of it at least four times before I set out. The Canals, such as the Heers-Gracht, and the Keizers-Gracht, are pleasant Walks in the Town, because they are planted with Trees; but they are indifferently paved. Upon these two Canals, live Persons of the greatest
Distinction, or rather those of the greatest Wealth in the City.
One of the finest Walks in it is the Bridge, which joins the Rampart from one Side of the Amstel to the other. ’Tis six hundred and fifty Feet in Length, and seventy in Breadth; and here one enjoys an admirable Prospect, which is the only one perhaps that can be compared with the View from Pont-Royal at Paris.
The Admiralty, with its Precinct, forms a little Town. ’Tis one of the Arsenals of the Dutch Navy. Here one actually sees Seventy Men of War, and Materials for building a much greater Number. With the Leave of the Venetians, their Arsenal, so much boasted, is by no means comparable to this, with regard to Naval Stores.