under pretence and veil of Boer patriotism and loyalty.

As one of the world's languages, Dutch figures under a very sorry _role_
indeed. It had been ignored everywhere outside of Holland and her
distant Colonies. The consequence to Hollanders is that they are of
necessity subjected to the ordeal of learning several other continental
languages for commercial intercourse, and in order to keep at all
abreast with the progress of science, literature, and culture. Dutch is
in the moribund stage; its salvation from imminent extinction consists
in the expansion of its sphere. Boer successes in South Africa would
just accomplish that.

THE DUTCH COTERIE: ITS SEAT IN HOLLAND

As has been shown, the conditions of the two Boer Republics, with High
Dutch as the official language, lent themselves to favour the
immigration into those States of educated Dutchmen (Hollanders, as they
are styled, to distinguish them from the old-established Boer Dutchmen).
These were indeed indispensable, as none of the Boers possessed the
competence in High Dutch requisite for the conduct of the more important
portion of the clerical work in the administration. The professional
branches were recruited from Holland likewise, in natural sequence. They
were men of high attainments and possessed of energy and astuteness and
of various qualifications--doctors, lawyers, editors, clergymen,
teachers. Those who did not receive Government appointments quickly
found lucrative positions in their vocations. The scope increased as
time went by and as those States developed with the growth of the
populations and the establishment of numerous towns and villages,
especially after the discovery of the diamond-fields in 1870. Every year
brought fresh contingents from Holland, including also the commercial
class, artisans, and even servants of both sexes, and agriculturists.
Preserving a constant intercourse with their native country, those
Hollanders also maintained cohesion and clanship among themselves in
their newly-adopted homes. Nor did Holland fail to realize the great
advantages accruing to that country and its people from the new South
African outlets--regular preserves with almost unlimited scope for
further extension and for increasing permanent, profitable connections.
A formidable barrier presented itself in the gradually ascendant
tendencies of the English language and English trade, with corresponding
neglect of the Dutch factors. Regretful fore