DBNL . Tiemen de Vries, Holland's Influence on English Language and Literature

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Introduction

AT first sight the subject treated in this little book must look strange to most American readers, who are educated in the innocent belief that dikes and windmills, some pictures of Rembrandt and some poor fisher people of Marken and Volendam are all that is worth knowing about Holland. And if, during their college years, they follow the advice of some professor and read some book of Motley, then, of course, they feel themselves thoroughly well-posted on Holland; the only thing to be done then is to make a trip to Europe, taking four days for Holland, one to see the Hague, one for Amsterdam, one for the isle of Marken, and one for Haarlem and Leyden. The purchase of a pair of wooden shoes and some postal cards sets the crown on their investigations, and after their return to America these ‘experts on Holland’ feel inclined to give ‘a lecture with lantern slides,’ or to write a ‘nice book’ on ‘picturesque Holland.’ Such has been for the last half century the method of English landlords and of London parvenus; why should not Americans follow in their footsteps, since Washington Irving taught them never to think of Holland and of the Dutch people but with a smile?

Why not? Let me give the answer: Because on the pages of American history are written the names of Motley and Douglas Campbell, of Ruth Putnam and of Griffis; because the wonderful chorus of their different voices has made us listen to another song about Holland, sublime like the ideals which the

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Pilgrim fathers brought with them from Leyden, pure and simple like the life of the first settlers on Manhattan, sacred and full of charm like the voice of William Penn's mother when educating her son in the city on the Meuse. The world's history - and Holland played some part in it when its statesmen, as in the case of William the Silent and William the Third, held in their hands the balance of power of Europe, and the fate of Protestantism, and in deadly struggle a faithful nation stood by them to conquer freedom of conscience for all generations to come - the world's history contains a great many jokes, just as a picture of Rembrandt contains a great deal of vain darkness, and just as God's world-plan in Milton's Paradise Lost contains a good many devils, but the world's history is not a joke. Is there anything more sublime, more grand for the contemplation of the human soul, than the proceedings of the world's history; that panorama of the leading nations in which generation after generation roll to their graves, leaving their deeds to the admiration of the grateful, and to the mockery of the ungrateful; that tremendous progress of the human race in grandeur inferior only to the Almighty Hand of the Unseen One, whose providential leadership is worshipped by all Creation, whose praise is sung by every creature? In that greatest of all proceedings, outside of which disappears even the very idea of time, every one of the leading nations has its own period to play its part, and to make its history grand for a while, and nobody can change the fact that the great period of Holland precedes that of England, and nothing is more natural than that the political and commercial history of Holland, its industry, its art and literature, its whole standard, of civilization was destined to be a great

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school of learning for its successor on the British Isles. And however scornfully a successor in power and leadership may look down upon the defeated and declining predecessor, there has been exerted an influence far reaching and covering nearly every part of life, in industry, in commerce, in social and domestic life, in literature and in art, and that influence has found its most natural reflection in the literature of the rising nation which is going to succeed its declining rival.

To give an outline of this influence of Holland on English literature and language is the endeavor made in the following pages. Only an outline, as there could be made no claim whatever of completeness, since researches on the influence of Holland are, as yet, still in their first period; but an outline that gives at least an idea of the point in view.

The endeavor is to contribute to the knowledge and history of English language and literature; an endeavor attractive and interesting because the English language is the language of our American country, and consequently English literature will be of the greatest importance in the education of our own children and grandchildren. This last fact I mention with delight, considering it as one of the greatest blessings which God's Providence has given to the American people, because in literature England unquestionably stands first among; all the nations of the earth.

The subject treated in this little volume was suggested to me several times during the two years I was lecturing on Dutch History, Art, and Literature in the University of Chicago. When I talked to one of my colleagues about the question ‘Spencer-Van der Noot’ to another about ‘Vondel-Milton’ and to a third about ‘Elckerlick-Everyman,’ repeatedly the

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suggestion was made that I give an outline of all the topics in English Literature in which the influence of Holland was traceable, and I could, hardly deny that the subject really lay in my way. Besides that, in fact, I gave the students at the beginning of every course an outline of this subject amongst the reasons why an American should study Dutch History, Art and Literature. It may interest students of the present subject to know how far it comes into contact as a special study with the more general field of historical information about Holland: to know the reasons why Americans should be interested in it. I give them here as I found them in my note-book:

Because the glorious history of the Dutch Republic is a part of the World's history. From the year 1500 till the year 1700 the headquarters of the World's history are to be found in the Netherlands. See in the English language the works of J. Ellis Barker, J.A. Froude, Macaulay, Griffis, Alexander Young and others.

Because the Dutch laid the foundations of four of the great central colonies in America, viz., New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. See the works of Broadhead, O'Calleghan and Griffis.

Because Holland exerted a remarkable influence on the first English, French and German settlers in America during the seventeenth century. See Douglas Campbell's work: ‘The Puritans’; and my lecture on the subject in ‘Dutch History, Art and Literature for Americans.’

Because the Dutch Republic in its beautiful history is the only mighty Republic in modern times of which we can study the rise, the glory, the decline, the downfall and the revival as a constitutional monarchy; a history full of lessons for the Republic of the United States.

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See especially J. Ellis Barker's ‘The Rise and Decline of the Dutch Republic.’

Because the history of the Netherlands bears such a remarkable resemblance to the history of the United States that a comparison is most interesting. See the works of John Adams, and my lecture on this subject in ‘Dutch History, Art and Literature for Americans.’

Because Holland was the cradle of modern Democracy. The rise of the Flemish cities Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, and later Leyden, Dordrecht, Amsterdam, etc., have been the starting points in the great struggle against mediaeval feudalism and hierarchy, in behalf of all modern Democracy, of which the headquarters now are in the United States. See the works of Guiciardini, Motley, Thorold Rogers, etc.

Because the Dutch settlers from the first beginning of the American commonwealth have been, and their descendants are still today, an important element of the American people. They are spread over all the States to the number of several millions, and their character and influence and traditions can be known only by studying Dutch history. See Henry van Dyke, ‘The Spirit of America,’ Douglas Campbell, ‘The Puritans,’ etc.

Because hardly any branch of science or knowledge in its history can be well understood without studying the history of Holland. For instance: In divinity, Gomarus, Arminius, Maccovius, Gysbert Voet, Rivet, Maresius; in philosophy, Spinoza; in law, Hugo Grotius, Johannes Voet, Paul Voet, Salmasius; in philology, Erasmus, Junius Lipsius, Vossius, etc.; in botany, Linnaeus; in medicine, Boerhaave, etc., etc. See any book giving the history of one or the other of these branches of learning.

Because nobody can study Dutch art without some knowledge of Dutch history and of the character of the Dutch nation. The schools of Rubens and Rembrandt are most closely con-

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nected with prevailing ideas and circumstances in the Netherlands.

10.

Because nobody can understand Dutch literature without studying Dutch history. And yet, everybody for instance, knows Vondel's Lucifer, and ought to know the national literature to which it belongs. The Japanese professor Kanura called the Lucifer one of the most splendid products of the human mind. Such a piece of work stands not alone. The highest mountains are not to be found on the prairies, but always in the midst of many other mountains. A nation for centuries prominent in history for learning and civilization must have a literature which no scholar, who has self-respect, can neglect. See L.C. Van Noppen, Vondel's Lucifer, translated into English, and the works, on universal literature, also the works on Dutch literature, by Jonckbloet, Ten Brink, Te Winkel, Kalff and thousands of monographs.

11.

Because Dutch politics cannot be understood without a knowledge of Dutch history, and yet the policy of William the Silent and William III (1650-1702) contains beautiful principles for the guidance of a republic, just as the policy of Oldenbarnevelt, John de Witt and the Olichargs, was and is destructive and ruinous to any republic. See on the policy of William the Silent: Harrison, Ruth Putnam, Motley; on that of William III: Macaulay; on that of Oldenbarnevelt, De Witt, and the Olichargs: Ellis Barker.
Twice all Protestantism was maintained and saved from being crushed, at first under the leadership of William the Silent against the Roman Catholic world-empire of Spain, and secondly under the leadership of William III against the world-empire of France under Louis XIV. These two great Princes of Orange had only one fault, viz., they were not ambitious enough to make a strong central government into a permanent one by changing the constitution. On the contrary, the policy of Barnevelt and De Witt by

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their antagonism against the House of Orange, by their neglect of army and navy, by their weakening and nearly dissolving the union and the central national government, by their appeal to foreign powers to sustain their party-policy, laid the foundations for the decline and downfall of the country, just as happened in so many republics of ancient times. These are indeed great lessons for every republic including the United States.

12.

Because the real spirit of America is so much like, and so rooted in, the spirit of the Dutch Republic. See Henry van Dyke, Münsterberg, and Butler.

13.

Because Holland was the cradle of the Reformation, which inspired the beginnings of modern Democracy. Equality before God, the priesthood of all believers, and personal responsibility towards God, became the fundamental ideas of modern Democracy, in sharp contrast with the Democracy of the later French Revolution with its ‘Ni Dieu ni Maître.’ The American Democracy was from the beginning rooted in the ideas, not of the French Revolution, but in those of the Reformation, and remained so in the time of John Adams, notwithstanding the influence of Jefferson and Paine.

14.

Because Holland even till our present time has occupied a central position among European nations and is still important for the high standing of its universities and for its colonial power. The Peace Palace is at the Hague. The world's school for international law will be there, where its founder, Hugo Grotius, lived. In gaining Nobel prizes the Dutch nation ranks first. The Dutch colonies cover an area nearly half as large as the United States, with nearly forty millions of inhabitants. If ranked according to the amount of imports from them into the United States, Holland with its colonies is always the third or the fourth nation: England is first, Germany second, and either France or Holland is third or fourth.

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15.

Because there has always been a close sympathy between Holland and America. The Pilgrims came from Holland. Most of the first French and German settlers found a refuge in Holland, before they came to America. Four of the colonies were founded by Holland. The victory of the American colonies over France, ending in the conquest of Quebec in 1750, was a consequence of the struggle of Prince William III of Orange against Louis XIV. During the war of Independence John Adams found sympathy and money in Holland, and at least three medals were at that time made in the Netherlands, showing the sympathy of Holland for the sister republic of the United States.

16.

Because many American institutions of State and church and school, in their historical development, are rooted in Dutch institutions. See Douglass Campbell's ‘The Puritans,’ Ruth Putnam's lecture on ‘The Influence of Holland on America.’

17.

Because Holland has exerted an important influence on the English language and English literature. See W.W. Skeat's Principles of Etymology, Vol. I, and his Dictionary of English Etymology. For the influence of Holland on English literature there are many monographs - for instance, on the influence of Van der Noot on Edmund Spenser, or that of Hugo Grotius and Vondel on Milton, but a general outline of the whole field has not yet been made.

Every scholar in history and literature sees at a glance that each one of these seventeen arguments could, without much trouble, be worked out in a volume. That I have begun with the last point is because it is the most inquired about, and the least known.

Finally, a few remarks about the division of the present volume.

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According to the title one might expect that it should be divided in two parts: (1) The influence of Holland on English language, and (2) on English literature. And yet, in order that the whole field of the subject might really be covered by this research, a third part had to be added, or rather, prefixed before the two others.

For not only on the English language and English literature, but even on the development of the whole field of comparative philology, by which we know today so much more than in earlier times about all the elements of the English language and about its relation to other languages, Holland had an influence which can hardly be overestimated.

This development of comparative philology is therefore so closely connected with our knowledge of the English language and at the same time has been so much under the influence of Holland, that it seems reasonable to treat Holland's influence on the development of comparative philology, first of all even before treating its influence on English language and literature.

The task to be performed in the following pages is therefore naturally divided into three parts:

Holland's influence on the development of comparative philology.

II.

Holland's influence on the English language.

III.

Holland 's influence on English literature.