Engelsman over Groningen (1804): ‘Many tokens of opulence, few of good taste’

“We left Neue Schanz at seven in the morning and reached Groningen, the capital of the province, at five in the evening. As we intended to continue our journey the next morning, we were happy that the evenings were long and that we had so much time to examine the town.

Everything in it was a fresh token of the qualities already noticed. Houses not large, but convenient; streets clean, and well aired; the population good and the people warmly cloathed, with a neat and healthful aspect. Many tokens of opulence, few of good taste. Their very signs were characteristic: the golden scales, the golden beaker, nay the golden heart. Young women, who seemed to be servant maids, had not only earings but plates of gold ornamenting their bosoms.

The hats of the women made the strangest appearance. It is no exaggeration to say they were as large as tea-boards; projecting forward and on each side, so as to over-shadow not only the face but the body. They were chiefly of straw; and had two broad ribbands: not tied, but pendent from the sides. This voluminous hat formed a remarkable contrast with their short compact dress, of which the Dutch milk-maids, sold in our toy-shops, is a faithful picture.

We had proofs of the uncorrected rudeness, common to country towns. One group of these girls laughed aloud at us, when we passed them, and even the gentry rose, looked, and pointed at us, through their sash-windows, with that kind of laughter which characterizes ignorant surprise.

These are trifles; and in fact we laughed in turn. I suppose it was virtue in us, that we concealed our laughter from the objects of it, though I leave it to better casuists to decide how far this kind of laughter, or, if they are in the humor to dispute, any kind of laughter, is a mark of sound sense. I own, I wish I could laugh oftener. Yet I am very wrong, if I wish for folly; and I do not very well know how pure wisdom should excite laughter. Bless us! We have many doubts to solve; and, as I fear, much rubbish to remove.

Are we in the land of metaphysics; or of moral philosophy; or where ? We ought to be at Groningen; sober Groningen: where the people appear to have a deal of common sense. Be it remarked, however, that here, in sober Groningen, we met with the first tree of liberty.

(…)

Of the buildings we remarked, that the windows were too large, and disproportionate to the width of the walls; that the bricks, of which the houses were chiefly built, were neatly laid; that green was the most common colour for house painting; that, to one of the churches, there is a very handsome gothic tower; and that the town-house, which was then erecting, promised to be the best edifice in Groningen.”

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Thomas Holcroft, Travels from Hamburg, through Westphalia, Holland, and the Netherlands, to Paris, Vol. I (Londen 1804) 41-43.