Dreams, Waking Thoughts, and Incidents | Page 8

harpies and creeping things
innumerable, whose malice, one should think, would have lost Job
himself the reputation of patience. Castles of steel and fiery turrets
glare on every side, from whence issue a band of junior devils. These
seem highly entertained with pinking poor St. Anthony, and whispering,
I warrant ye, filthy tales in his ear. Nothing can be more rueful than the
patient's countenance; more forlorn than his beard; more pious than his
eye, which forms a strong contrast to the pert winks and insidious
glances of his persecutors; some of whom; I need not mention, are
evidently of the female kind.
But really I am quite ashamed of having detained you in such bad
company so long; and, had I a moment to spare, you should be
introduced to a better set in this gallery, where some of the most
exquisite Berghems and Wouvermans I ever beheld would delight you

for hours. I do not think you would look much at the Polemburgs; there
are but two, and one of them is very far from capital; in short I am in a
great hurry; so pardon me, Carlo Cignani! if I don't do justice to your
merit; and excuse me, Potter! if I pass by your herds without leaving a
tribute of admiration.
Mynheer Van Something is as eager to precipitate my motions as I was
to get out of the damps and perplexities of Soorflect yesterday evening;
so mounting a very indifferent staircase, he led me to a suite of
garret-like apartments; which, considering the meanness of their
exterior, I was much surprised to find stored with some of the most
valuable productions of the Indies. Gold cups enriched with gems,
models of Chinese palaces in ivory, glittering armour of Hindostan, and
Japan caskets, filled every corner of this awkward treasury. What of all
its baubles pleased me most was a large coffer of some precious wood,
containing enamelled flasks of oriental essences, enough to perfume a
zenana, and so fragrant that I thought the Mogul himself a Dutchman,
for lavishing them upon this inelegant nation. If disagreeable fumes, as
I mentioned before, dissolve enchantments, such aromatic oils have
doubtless the power of raising them; for, whilst I scented their
fragrance, scarcely could anything have persuaded me that I was not in
the wardrobe of Hecuba, -
"Where treasur'd odours breath'd a costly scent."
I saw, or seemed to see, the arched apartments, the procession of
venerable matrons, the consecrated vestments: the very temple began to
rise upon my sight, when a Dutch porpoise approaching to make me a
low bow; his complaisance was full as notorious as Satan's, when,
according to Catholic legends, he took leave of Calvin or Dr. Faustus.
No spell can resist a fumigation of this nature; away fled palace,
Hecuba, matrons, temple, etc. I looked up, and lo! I was in a garret. As
poetry is but too often connected with this lofty situation, you won't
wonder much at my flight. Being a little recovered from it, I tottered
down the staircase, entered the cabinets of natural history, and was
soon restored to my sober senses. A grave hippopotamus contributed a
great deal to their reestablishment.

The butterflies, I must needs confess, were very near leading me
another dance: I thought of their native hills and beloved flowers, of
Haynang and Nan-Hoa; {110} but the jargon which was prating all
around me prevented the excursion, and I summoned a decent share of
attention for that ample chamber which has been appropriated to
bottled snakes and pickled foetuses.
After having enjoyed the same spectacle in the British Museum, no
very new or singular objects can be selected in this. One of the rarest
articles it contains is the representation in wax of a human head, most
dexterously flayed indeed! Rapturous encomiums have been bestowed
by amateurs on this performance. A German professor could hardly
believe it artificial; and, prompted by the love of truth, set his teeth in
this delicious morsel to be convinced of its reality. My faith was less
hazardously established; and I moved off, under the conviction that art
had never produced anything more horridly natural.
It was one o'clock before I got through the mineral kingdom; and
another hour passed before I could quit with decorum the regions of
stuffed birds and marine productions. At length my departure was
allowable; and I went to dine at Sir Joseph Yorke's, with all nations and
languages. The Hague is the place in the world for a motley assembly,
and, in some humours, I think such the most agreeable.
After coffee I strayed to the great wood, which, considering that it
almost touches the town with its boughs, is wonderfully forest-like. Not
a branch being ever permitted to be lopped, the oaks and beeches