all over Europe flocked there at one time, and its students
numbered two thousand. To-day there are only a few hundred, as in the
other two smaller universities. But Leyden is still famous for its
museums, among the richest in Europe.

Holland had some notable early printers, among them the Elzevirs, who
stand in the first rank. She had two world-leaders in philosophy,
Spinoza and Descartes, the latter belonging also to France. Erasmus was
the most distinguished of modern classical scholars, and Grotius
founded the science of International Law. Jakob Cats is Holland's
best-known poet, and Maarten Maartens is the great novelist.

The Dutch have stood foremost in science, especially medicine. They
produced the first fine optical instruments, and they have been pioneers
in navigation and floriculture.

In painting, Holland occupies a place of high distinction. Among the
names of the great painters are those of Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Gerard
Douw, Teniers, Ruysdael, Jan Steen, Hobbema, and Cuyp; and in our own
time, Ary Scheffer, Alma-Tadema, Israels, Mesdag, and Mauve.

Clubs would do well to take a year of study on the last general topic
alone. The history of the men of science and philosophy and the analysis
of the work of the painters are enough to fill easily many programs. Add
to this the study of Holland as a country; its picturesque buildings in
the cities; its canals, bridges, and boats; its windmills; its fishing
towns and their quays and smacks; the great picture-galleries and
museums; the market-places; the peasants there and in the villages, and
their quaint costumes; the life of the court; the curious
out-of-the-world places on the islands and in what are called the "dead
cities."

Illustrate programs on these subjects with pictures of all kinds, such
as may be found in De Amicis' book, already suggested. See also G. H.
Boughton's Sketching Rambles and Stevenson's An Inland Voyage. A clever
little story of a trip on Holland's canals is The Chaperon, by C. N. and
A. M. Williamson.

CHAPTER XII

THE HOMELIKE HOUSE

This very practical subject for club study is here arranged under ten
topics, but they may be divided into as many more. Numbers one, seven,
and ten may be used separately--a year's work made out of each one.

Good books for general reference are: The Family House, by C. F.
Osborne; The House, Its Plan, Decoration, and Care, by Isabel Bevier;
and The House Beautiful, by W. C. Gannet