In the Town-House is kept the famous Bank, which is the Repository of such a vast Treasure. Prodigious Arches and huge double Bars of Iron before the Windows, render it inaccessible. The Vaults are admirable, being built upon Piles in the middle of the Water, and yet so dry as if they were cut out of a Rock. One part of these Vaults serves for containing the immense Wealth, the other for confining Criminals. I had the Curiosity to go and see those Dungeons, which are all very lightsome and kept very neat; and in spite of the Proverb, they may be said to be very fine Prisons.
After I had been at the Town-House, I went to visit the Square where the Merchants assemble about the Affairs of their Trade from Noon till half an Hour past one o'clock. This Square, which is longer than 'tis broad, is surrounded
with a large open Gallery or Corridor, supported by Free-stone Pillars, for shelter in case of Rain; and is call'd the Bourse or Exchange. Here are Merchants of all Nations, the diversity of whose Habits and Languages is as pleasing as the Beauty of the Place; and especially the Hurry those People are in that are call'd Brokers, who are the Men employ'd by the great Merchants to traffick the Bills of Exchange, or to transact their other Affairs. To see them scowering from one to the other all about this Square, there's no body but wou'd think they were mad.
The India-House and Admiralty-Office are also worth seeing. The first serves as a Warehouse for laying up such Merchandize as comes from the Indies. In the latter there is all the necessary Rigging for fitting out a Fleet to Sea. The India Company have their separate Arsenal, which is in nothing inferior to that of the States. In this City there are Hospitals also of every Kind very well maintain'd, and Houses of Correction for both Sexes. Amsterdam is the Place of Refuge for Sects of all Denominations, who have their several Chappels or Chambers there, wherein they exercise their Religion, but the Calvinists and Lutherans only are allow'd the Liberty of Public Worship. However the Jews have two fine Synagogues here; the one for the German, and the other for the Portuguese Nation. Of this Sect there are great Numbers, and they live in a particular Quarter, which is not the most inconsiderable of the City.
But notwithstanding all this Magnificence of Buildings, and the Concourse of so many Nations, I was quite out of conceit with Amsterdam. Every body sticks to Trade, and the Gratification of their Avarice is their whole Study. The
Generality with their immense Wealth live like Misers; and all their Happiness, their Pleasure and their Pride consists in having a great deal of Money: They think of nothing but how to acquire Riches; and they look upon every Man that lives genteelly as a Prodigal. As to the Dutch Freedom, I don't believe there's a Place where it bears greater Sway than at Amsterdam. 'Tis true, that this so much boasted Liberty serves very often but to render the Citizens insolent with Impunity; for there is not a Scrub but thinks himself as good a Man as the best in the Country: Foreigners have sometimes much ado to bear it, they being often abus'd without daring to complain; for it costs so much to obtain Justice here, that People had rather put up with an Insult, than seek a Remedy by due Course of Law. The Attorneys and Solicitors of this City outdo those of all other Countries in flattering their Clients to their Ruin, and most of this Gentry cut a great Figure, have noble Houses and Gardens, and some too have very spruce Equipages.
From Amsterdam I went to Harlem[31], which is but three Leagues. Heretofore, while the Catholic Religion subsisted in this Country, it was a Bishopric, Suffragan of Utrecht. The Town stands but a League from the Sea, or rather upon its Shore, the Sea having overflow'd a considerable part of the Country, which forms a Lake, now call'd the Harlem Meer, or Sea of Harlem. This Town communicates by its Canals both with Amsterdam and Leyden. They pretend it was founded by the Normans in the ninth Century. Pope Paul IV. erected it into a
Bishopric in 1559, at the Request of Philip II. King of Spain. In 1572 the Bishop was turn'd out by the Protestants, not long after which the Town was besieg'd and taken by Frederic of Toledo Son to the Duke of Alva, who oblig'd the Inhabitants to surrender at Discretion, and caus'd them to be treated in the most barbarous manner in the World. The Dutch retook it afterwards, and have held it ever since. There are very fine Walks in this City, and especially a Grove which is deem'd a charming Place by the Citizens of Amsterdam, who come hither in the Summer to make their Parties of Pleasure.
After having seen what was most remarkable at Harlem, I return'd by the way of Leyden to the Hague, where I had not been many days, before the King arriv'd, having pass'd the same day before Rotterdam, where he had been saluted with a triple Discharge of the Cannon, as he was also at Delfshaven, where he found his Yatcht, follow'd by several others that had been sent to him from the Hague. These attended the King to Delft, where his Coaches staid for him, with which he came to his Palace of the Old Court.
There he found a Guard of fourscore Men, with a Captain and a Pair of Colors. His Majesty caus'd his Arrival to be immediately notify'd to the President of the Assembly of the States-General, and next day, after Sermon time, he receiv'd the Deputation from the said States, consisting of nine Members, who when they arriv'd at the King's Palace found the Guard under Arms, Colors flying, and the Drum beating, and were receiv'd at the bottom of the Stairs by the Grand Marshal and several Gentlemen of the Chamber, and introduc'd into the