De Achttiende Eeuw 25 (1993) 1
Rienk Vermij,
Cultural societies and the Enlightenment: some considerations
The article reconsiders the assumption, current in Dutch historiography, that cultural societies took roots in the Netherlands only in the second half of the eigtheenth century, being an expression of the Enlightenment. The principal proponent of this view has been W.W. Mijnhardt. He presumes that these societies represented a distinct form of ‘sociability’ of the general public, which was unique for the Enlightenment; and that they stand apart from the (earlier) learned societies, which evolved from the sociability of scholars. In this article both these premisses are argued to be wrong. There was no clear distinction between sociability of scholars and of the wider public (at least, not until the emergence of official scientific academies created such a distinction). Moreover, the societies of the Enlightenment organised themselves according to social forms which were definitely much older: the collegium and the societas. The former was a local gathering, the latter was foremost a spiritual bond. The collegium represented a form of sociability, the societas represented an ideal – although generally it could be realised only by using the form of the collegium. Already in the seventeenth century, such societal forms could be used for cultural or scientific advancement. In this context the article points to the role of cultural socieities in the conflicts between the new philosophy and Voetian orthodoxy; to the societies of Huguenots and other foreigners, and to the early physical and experimental societies in the Netherlands. The appearance of a sudden emergence of enlightened societies in the second half of the eighteenth century may be due simply to a lack of sources concerning the earlier period. Since before 1750 clerical resistance against enlightened and secular ideals had been quite strong in the Netherlands, any groups uphelding these had to keep low profile and subsequently left little traces.
omhoog
Ellen Krol,
‘Let the poet find the tone of all emotions’, an exploration of the rhetoric of tones
In early nineteenth-century reviews the characterization ‘tone’(toon) is found remarkably often, in combinations as ‘soft tone’(zachte toon) or ‘bold tone’(stoute toon). Sengle’s Biedermeierzeit describes a similar phenomenon with the term ‘tone rhetorics’(Tönerhetorik). With that expression he refers to a distinction between levels of style by means of the term ‘tone’, which in the beginning of the nineteenth century should have been as important as the distinction between genres in traditional poetics. As to the source of this conception he points to the theory of affects. Eighteenth-century poetical wrtitings (a.o. van Alphen/Riedel, and Blair) actually do appear to use the term ‘tone’ to convey the level of expression of a special emotion. The manifestation of this ‘tone’ is realized through sound and rhythm. The same conception of ‘tone’ appears to be used in early nineteenth-century reviews, albeit it not for the expression of emotions, but for the characterization of the stylistic register that gives voice to the poet’s state of mind. The popularity of characterization through tones seems to be connected with the prevalent emotionalistic view of literature of the time.
omhoog
Hannie van Goinga,
Some views on the book trade practices in the Dutch Republic about 1785: Christoffel Frederik Koenig, publisher of periodicals for the lower classes, Leiden 1782-1786
According to van Sas the eighties of the eighteenth century saw the commercialization of the Dutch book trade thanks to the systematic use of the press to influence public opinion. The periodical played an important role in this development. Mijnhardt and Kloek on the other hand are of the opinion that round 1800 the book trade was still organized in the old, traditional way in which there was no room for modernization. The Leiden bookseller C.F. Koenig was a publisher of political periodicals meant for the lower classes and is seen by van Sas as an example of a publisher who successfully exploited new markets. By studying the history of Koening’s periodicals in detail it turned out that his ventures to open up new markets failed. A brochure of Koening, published in 1784, in which he formulated his views on the Dutch book trade and explained his own policy, is used to gain some insight in book trade practices. The high discounts that Koening gave, seem to point to cash transactions (hitherto seen as of marginal importance), at least in the trade with cheap printed materials. This goes for the trade between booksellers as well as for the retail trade. Special attention is given to the organization of the distribution and the possibility of booksellers acting as wholesalers. More research, however, is necessary before this debate can be closed.
omhoog
Wim Klooster,
Francisco Miranda’s journey through the Republic in 1788
In the late eighteenth century Francisco Miranda, one of South America’s greatests adventurers, travels round the Dutch Republic. It is only a few months after the defeat of the Patriot movement and in the larger towns the citizens are ordered to wear orange cockades or ribbons. When the new French ambassador allows his servants to go outside without these marks, the people of The Hague rise in revolt. The police can just prevent the ambassador’s residence from being stormed. Miranda notes it all down in his diary, which otherwise contains the vicissitudes of a well-to-do tourist. Miranda was particularly interested in the organization and living conditions of prisons and charitable institutions. Though he cannot evade the use of clichés in describing Dutch culture, his perceptivity makes his narrative interesting reading matter.
omhoog
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