A Sketch of the History of Holland (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1846. Excerpt: ... repose, and though visited by dreary calamities, such as epizooty, inundation and fire, that country reached a height of mercantile prosperity, both in trade and manufacture, such as it never afterwards attained. The Prince-stadholder espoused (i707) a princess of Prussia. From this alliance was born William Frederic, the heir to the stadholdership, destined to undergo many vicissitudes and to wear a regal crown. Until the period which we have now reached, modern history is a mere nomenclature, in some cases a biography, of the rulers, whether monarchical, republican, or oligarchical. The annals indeed recording the actions, intrigues, quarrelsandreconciliations of those rulers, involve at the same time the history of those whom they ruled. For leaving to the few who inherited, conquered or purchased sway, the care of governing and directing them, the people quietly rose, ate, drank, toiled and slept. When summoned, they came up, answered the call, were armed, and sent to combat for the interest of the few. When taxed, they passively gave up their savings or their earnings, and if those were insufficient, they ate, drank and slept somewhat less and toiled somewhat more. Then only when the foot, which bowed their necks, pressed too heavily upon them, theyittempted to shake it off; and some times they succeeded. But when those moments of exasperation were past, all and everything returned to the usual state. The foot was again imposed by the few and borne by the many, until a new excess on the one part engendered a uew outburst on the other. Now ami then, it is true, a man from amongst the people was raised by his genius, talents, acquirements, or some extraordinary circumstance, to a higher, perchance to the highest station in society. But these were excepti.