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".
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