September 02, 2003

Scorn of the Dutch

From an Aphra Behn play (The Lucky Chance, or maybe The Town Fopp) currently being polished at DP -

Bel. For what, said they, was he hang'd?
Ral. Why, e'en for High Treason, Sir, he killed one of their Kings.
Gay. Holland's a Commonwealth, and is not rul'd by Kings.
Ral. Not by one, Sir, but by a great many; this was a Cheesemonger--they fell out over a Bottle of Brandy, went to Snicker Snee; Mr. Bellmour cut his Throat, and was hang'd for't, that's all, Sir.

Simon Schama's Embarassment of Riches has examples of the disdain aristocrats had for the (wildly successful) Holland of the 17th. c; and here's another.

So wrote clew in Fiction (17th c.). , History (17th c.). | TrackBack
And thus wrote others:
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