A BOOK ABOUT HOLLAND.*
IT is easy to see what a charm of contrast Holland would have for a visitor from America. At first, indeed, Mr. Edwards saw a certain similarity to regions which he knew in his own country; the "broad wind-swept flat" was somewhat like to the prairie land of the Far West. But the prairie is not culti- vated as carefully as a suburban market-garden, nor can one see as one journeys across it " broad brown velvety-hued sails moving in various directions among the growing crops." And what could be more different, to give another instance of un- likeness in likeness, than a deserted mining town in the States from an old-world Dutch city which the receding tide of trade has left high and dry ? Another attraction which the country had for the visitor from overseas was the variety of pro- vincial costume, a thing which has almost passed away from England, and which America, it may be said, never had. Mr. Edwards is an artist, and he enriched his sketch-book with some highly picturesque examples. The people with their quiet leisurely life seemed to have impressed him no less than did the aspect of their country. He is enthusiastic about their art, which has indeed a most remarkable history. Can we find anywhere else a match for the marvellous artistic development which came along with the Dutch independence? Were ever an age of iron and an age of gold so wonderfully joined P Between Van Hals, born in 1580, and Jan Weenix, born in 1640, we find twenty-two names, all well known to the collector, and many, such as Rembrandt, Van Ostade, Gerard Dow, Wouwerman, Cuyp, Paul Potter, Jan Steen, Van Ruysdael, Vandevelde, and Hobbema familiar to the world. Mr. Edwards tells us about many other things, about the fisheries— the fisher folk struck him as peculiarly fine specimens of humanity—about the flowers, grown for profit only, but not the less picturesque, about canal boats and markets and dykes, and other details of Low Country life.. These things, repro- duced by a skilful pencil, make a very attractive volume. A few words may be given to a matter with which British readers are bound to concern themselves—German ideas about Holland. What Mr. Edwards says falls in with all that we have other reasons for believing : Germany wants, above all things, a seaboard. It may build ` Dreadnoughts,' but con- scripts from inland provinces will not man them effectively.
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