Literature

Dutch. The little country of Holland was among the first to awaken from the lethargy of the Dark Ages. Three languages, the Dutch, Flemish, and Frisic--all of the Gothic family--were spoken. The Dutch became gradually the literary language of Holland. The earliest literature consisted of the lays of minstrels and the romances of chivalry. A translation of Reynard The Fox was made in the thirteenth century, and the Bible was translated into Flemish rhyme. Toward the close of the fourteenth century, a class of wandering minstrels, called "Sprekers," arose, who later organized literary societies called Chambers of Rhetoric. These societies were very popular. They held poetic contests, produced mystery plays, were prominent in national festivals, and cultivated the art of versification. However, as many of the Sprekers were illiterate, the influence upon the language and literature was not of the best.

In the fifteenth century a Dutch translation of the Bible was produced, but, except among the Sprekers, Latin remained the literary tongue in Holland as in other European countries. Didier, who took the Latin name of Erasmus, and Hugo de Grote, who took the name of Grotius, are the greatest writers of the fifteenth century. Anna Byns, called the Flemish Sappho, is the most important poet of this period.

In the seventeenth century three names are worthy of note. To Hooft, historian and writer of tragedy and of lyric poetry, is due credit for the development and perfecting of the language; Vondel, the greatest poet of his time, is called the Shakespeare of Holland; Jacob Cats, writer of didactic poems, is read widely in Holland and his works have their place beside the Dutch Bible. The last part of the seventeenth century witnessed a decline in literature which continued for a full century. During this period a few writers appeared, among them Poot, who is compared with Burns, and William Van Haren, author of Friso, the only strictly epic poem in the Dutch language. During the latter part of the part of the eighteenth century, Madame Van Merken produced many long poems and tragedies, giving by her influence a new impulse to literature. Van Alphen, the Dutch poet beloved by children, belongs to this period.

With the overthrow of the Dutch Republic, literature, like everything else, was revolutionized. The early years of the nineteenth century were marked by translations from many languages, for a time almost eclipsing native talent. The greatest poet of Holland, however, appeared in the midst of these adverse influences. Bilderdyk (1756-1831) was not only a poet, but he was a profound scholar, a lawyer, a physician, an astronomer, and an engineer. His published works fill more than a hundred volumes, and his poem, The Destruction of the Primitive World, is one of Holland's glories. Feith was another poet of the nineteenth century, and Vander Palm was eminent as a writer of prose. The impulse which these three writers gave to Dutch literature is still felt, and, while no genius has arisen since, numerous authors of both prose and poetry have produced admirable work. Dutch literature has been enriched by translations from many ancient and modern languages.

See Netherlands; Erasmus; Grotius

The literature of the Netherlands, like the people, is earnest, religious, always simple, and often elevated and sublime. It is especially distinguished for its reflective and patriotic character, and bears the mark of that accurate study of the classic models which has formed the basis of the national education, and to which its purity of taste, naturalness, and simplicity are undoubtedly to be attributed. There exists no nation of equal population which, within the course of two or three centuries, has produced a greater number of eminent men.--Botta.