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<h2>Letter 38.</h2> Amsterdam. Dear Charley:— The next morning after reaching this fine, but queer city, we called on the American consul, and he gave us a very friendly reception. He is quite a young man, but seems to be full of energy. At his house we met a Mr. J. G. Schwartze, a native of Philadelphia, but who came to Holland very young, and has made this city his residence. He is highly distinguished as an artist; and we saw a fine production of his at the exhibition at the Hague. Mr. Schwartze is a charming companion—full of enthusiasm; and when he found that I was fond of pictures, he at once volunteered to be our guide to the galleries here; and in all our movements here our kind friend has been with us. The most imposing building here is the Stadhuis, or Palace. It was finished in 1655, and used to be the seat of the town councils. Louis Bonaparte used it as his residence; and the king occupies it when he comes here. The marble hall is esteemed one of the noblest rooms in Europe, and is one hundred and twenty feet long, fifty-seven wide, and nearly one hundred feet high. From the top of this building you get a capital view of the town, cut up into artificial islands by the intersection of canals, &c. In this building is much fine statuary, and a few historical paintings. The churches are large, but look barn-like. The organ of the old church is very rich in its decorations; and here, as at Harlem, men sit in church with their hats on, if they choose. The clergy wear a short, black cloak, and deep white ruffs on the neck. The Jews are quite numerous, and have several synagogues. They live mostly in one part of the city. I do not think we shall any of us forget our visit to the picture gallery at Amsterdam. Our attention was directed by Mr. S. to the best paintings, and the particular merits of the artists were kindly explained to us. The sight of a great picture is an event; and I think that the day on which I first saw Rembrandt's Night Watch will long be regarded by me with pleasurable feelings. It is a company of archers, who are going out with their captain. The lights and shades are wonderfully introduced. The City Guards of Amsterdam, by Vanderhelst, is a large picture, with twenty-five portraits, and is esteemed as the finest portrait picture in the world. But my favorite here is a small picture called the Night School, by Gerard Dow. I would cheerfully go a hundred miles on foot to see such a picture. The management of the lights upon the interior and figures is beyond any thing I have imagined. His Hermit and Crucifix is another gem. The picture of Officers plundered by Peasants, by Wouvermans, and several landscapes of his, are still in my mind's eye; and several pictures by the two Ostades, Teniers, and Both are quite sufficient to make me understand how it is that some men have found such fascination in collecting a gallery. The best specimens of Jan Steen are in this city, and his Fête of St. Nicholas would take wonderfully well with our good old Knickerbockers at home. A Landscape, with cattle and figures, by Albert Cuyp, is strikingly beautiful; and how I wish you could see a Fat Boy, the son of a burgomaster, by Bartholomew Helst, dated 1648. Vandyke, whose portraits have never been equalled, has some of his best in this museum; and his Burgomaster of Antwerp, Vander Brocht, is as bold a picture as you could wish to gaze at. Hondekoeter's flowers and fruits, and Snyder's game pieces, are among the best of their kind in the world. Some of the finest things I have seen in Holland, in the way of painting, are the little gems descriptive of life as it lay about the artist—interiors of domestic abodes, and out-door scenes at the roadside. These, the patient, plodding Dutchmen have worked up most elaborately. One or two of Nicholas Maes's pictures are wonderful. I saw one in a private collection, and it was a glorious thing, though only a Kitchen, with two or three figures. O, how poor are the things we often hear spoken of as fine pictures! The eye, it seems to me, obtains its education rapidly in such a gallery as this. I am sure I shall look at works of art in future with new feelings. There was a most beautiful Jew boy, about eleven years old, that used to stand at our hotel door to sell matches, who regularly beset us with his wares. His face was as striking as any fancy picture you can meet with, and his beauty and impudence made him a pretty successful merchant. Mr. Schwartze took us to a noble mansion belonging to a merchant prince, to see his great picture of Columbus before the Council explaining his theory. This is a first-class execution. The coloring is very fine, and the drawing good; and we all felt pride in seeing such a picture from the easel of our countryman. I wish we had some good painting of his in America. His portraits are excellent, and one of his wife has earned him his high reputation in Holland. Through the kindness of this gentleman we were introduced to the Artists' Club, and spent our evenings there in very pleasant society. The artists belonging to it are probably about fifty, and the other gentlemen who mainly support it are about two hundred. I was much surprised to find nearly every gentleman we were introduced to speaking excellent English. We met here a very gentlemanly and accomplished lawyer, Mr. Van Lennep, whose father is a man of great wealth. His attentions were very friendly. While here, James was quite poorly with some slight attack of fever; and both our friends and the consul were unremitting in their services. The water is very poor; rain water is valuable indeed. The best drinking water is brought from Utrecht in stone demijohns. The bad water is often used, however, flavored with Schiedam. We saw several of the floating-houses, in which whole families reside, and carry articles from place to place. The herring fishery, in its season, is a great matter in the commerce of Amsterdam. Every thing here impresses the stranger with the idea of activity, wealth, and great comfort; and I fancy that a person would very soon become attached to the city as a place of residence. To-morrow, if James is better, we resume our journey, and start for Cologne. Yours affectionately, weld. <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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