Three hours pleasant floating along a canal, adorned with frequent
country houses, gardens, summer-houses and square balconies, or rather
platforms, projecting over the water, within an hand's breadth of
its level, brought us to this city, which was esteemed the second
in Holland, before Rotterdam gained its present extent. Leyden is,
however, so large, that a traveller is likely to have a walk of half
a league to his inn; and those who arrive, as we did, at the time of
the fair, may find the procession not very pleasant. We increased our
difficulties by turning away from the dirt and incivility of what was
called the best inn, and did not afterwards find a better, though such,
it seems, might have been had.
Having, at length, become contented with the worst, we went towards the
fair, of which we had as yet seen only the crowd. The booths, being
disposed under trees and along the borders of canals, made the whole
appearance differ from that of an English fair, though not quite so
much as we had expected. The stock of the shopkeepers makes a greater
distinction. There were several booths filled with silversmiths' and
jewellers' wares, to the amount of, probably, some thousand pounds
each. Large French clocks in _or moulu_ and porcelain were among their
stores. All the trades displayed the most valuable articles, that could
be asked for in similar shops in large cities. We had the pleasure
to see great quantities of English goods, and there were English names
over three, or four of the booths.
The Dutch dresses were now become so familiar to us, that the crowd
seemed as remarkable for the number of other persons in it, as for the
abundance of peasants in their holiday finery, which, it is pleasant to
know, displays the ornamental relics of several generations, fashion
having very little influence in Holland. The fair occupied about a
fourth part of the town, which we soon left to see the remainder. Two
streets, parallel to each other, run through its whole length, and
include the few public halls of an University, which would scarcely
be known to exist, if it had no more conspicuous objects than its
buildings. The Dutch universities contain no endowed foundations; so
that the professors, who have their salaries from the States, live in
private houses, and the students in lodgings. The academical dress is
worn only in the schools, and by the professors. The library, to which
Joseph Scaliger was a benefactor, is open only once in a week, and then
for no more than two hours. It is the constant policy of the Dutch
government, to make strangers leave as much money as possible behind
them; and Leyden was once so greatly the resort of foreigners, that it
was thought important not to let them read for nothing what they must
otherwise be obliged to buy. The University is, of course, declining
much, under this commercial wisdom of the magistrates.
There are students, however, of many nations and religions, no
oaths being imposed, except upon the professors. Physic and botany
especially are said to be cultivated here with much success; and
there is a garden, to which not only individuals, but the East India
Company, industriously contribute foreign plants. The salaries of
the professors, who receive, besides, fees from the students, are
nearly two hundred pounds a-year. The government of the University
is in the Rector, who is chosen out of three persons returned by the
Senate to the States; the Senate consists of the professors; and,
on extraordinary occasions, the Senate and Rector are directed by
Curators, who are the agents for the States.
The chief street in the town is of the crescent form, so that,
with more public buildings, it would be a miniature resemblance of
High-street, Oxford. The town-house is built with many spires, and
with almost Chinese lightness. We did not see the interior of this,
or, indeed, of any other public buildings; for, in the morning, when
curiosity was to be indulged, our fastidiousness as to the inns
returned, and induced us to take a passage for Haerlem. The MSS. of the
Dutch version of the Bible, which are known to be deposited here, could
not have been shewn, being opened only once in three years, when the
Deputies of the Synod and States attend; but we might have seen, in the
town-house, some curious testimonies of the hardships and perseverance
of the inhabitants, during the celebrated blockade of five months, in
1574, in consideration of which the University was founded.
After viewing some well-filled booksellers' shops, and one wide street
of magnificent houses, we again made half the circuit of this extensive
city, in the way to the trechtschuyt for