Salutations at meeting and parting.

Clemens.  David.

C. God save you David.

D. And you also Clemens.

C. God save you heartily.

D. And you also, as heartily.

C. How do you?

D. I am well I thank God; at your service:  and you Clemens, how is it with you? well?

C. I am also in health:  how doth your father and mother?

D. They are in good health praised be God.

C. How goes it with you my good friend?

D. It goeth well with mee, goes it but so well with you.

C. I wish you good health.

D. I wish the same to you also.

C. I salute you.

D. And I you also.

C. Are you well? are you in good health?

D. I am well, indeed I am in good health, I am healthful, and in prosperity.

C. That is good.  That is well.  That is pleasing to me.  That maketh mee glad.  I love to hear that.  I beseech you to take care of your health.  Preserve your health.

D. I can tarry no longer now.  I am in haste to be gone.  I must go.  I have need of my time.  I cannot abide standing here.  Fare you well God be with you.  God keep you still.  I wish your health may continue.

C. And you also my loving friend, God protect you.  God guide you.  God bee with you.  May it please you in my behalf, heartily to salute your wife and children.

D. I will do your message.  But I pray, commend mee also to your father and mother.

At the end of the book are some forms, in Dutch and English, of mercantile letters, among them a specimen bill of lading of which I quote a portion as an example of the gracious way in which business was done in old and simpler days:—­

I, J.P. of Amsterdam, master under God of my ship called the Saint Peter at this present lying ready in the river of Amsterdam to saile with the first goode winde which God shall give toward London, where my right unlading shal be, acknowledge and confes that I have receaved under the hatches of my foresaid ship of you S.J., merchaunt, to wit:  four pipes of oile, two chests of linnen, sixteen buts of currents, one bale of canvase, five bals of pepper, thirteen rings of brasse wyer, fiftie bars of iron, al dry and wel conditioned, marked with this marke standing before, all which I promise to deliver (if God give me a prosperous voyage with my said ship) at London aforesaid, to the worshipful Mr. A.J. to his factour or assignes, paying for the freight of the foresaid goods 20 fs. by the tun.

Quaintness and humour are not confined to the ancient phrase-books.  An English-Dutch conversational manual from which the languages are still learned has a specimen “dialogue” in a coach, which is opened by the gentleman remarking genially and politely to his fellow-passenger, a lady, “Madame, shall we arrange our legs”.

It occurs to me that very little Dutch has found its way into these pages.  Let me therefore give the first stanza of the national song, “Voor Vaderland en Vorst":—­