paul for the first time put his foot upon the of in holland and chapter and where shall we go first paul asked dr they landed upon the i don t know sir i think i shall be interested wherever we go this is a big city � isn t it its population is hardly more than half of what it was in the days of its greatest prosperity in the of charles v it is said that twenty five hundred vessels were frequently seen at one time in ttie river it had two hundred thousand inhabitants and was then the richest and most commercial city in europe you perceive that this long line of affords plenty of wharf room indeed the name of the city is said to be derived from a phrase which means on the wharf or on the mr tells another story about its name he says the people claim that the city is very old and that a giant by the name of established himself on the river at this place and set up a kind of custom house he required half the of those who went up the river he used to cut off the hands of those who attempted to and throw them into the river in this way hand a or hand throwing came to be the name ol the place said the young commander i suppose that story is as true now as it ever was but where shall we go asked the doctor i want to get a little nearer to tliat cathedral replied paul that is really the most noted thing in and we will walk up there and i think we shall be able to see the pictures on the church which are required to produce an income the cathedral used to be open till one o clock free to the public but the curtains were carefully drawn over these great works of art after this hour visitors were admitted upon the payment of one and the pictures were exhibited doubtless the same is in a walk of a few moments brought them to the place a little park enclosed with a colossal statue of in the centre everything in is sa id the doctor the people believe in him still and worship his memory why should they he was only a great painter � was he added paul he was more than that he was quite distinguished as a and a he was to england holland and other countries his as an artist and his influence with the crowned heads of several nations caused him to be regarded with deep interest by the people he lived in a splendid mansion for the immense income which he derived from his pencil enabled him to support an i and and i i elegant establishment he had a great number of pupils and at one period in his career they painted part of his pictures he had orders from all the crowned heads of europe and in many of his he only make the designs and give the finishing touches to them he was veiy industrious and painted rapidly as he must have done to produce so many pictures he his customers then � didn t he his did only the heavy work furnished the design and gave the work its finishing touches the celebrated do not m all the of out a statue wherever you go in you will hear of you will find his works in all the galleries you will visit his house in the his pictures will be shown to you in every church and you will see his tomb in st they have on the brain as wc should s iy at home laughed paul yes and they have it badly from this point you have a good view of the cathedral added the doctor as they paused near the statue of where they could see the building over the tops of the trees the is very handsome it is of the most beautiful and delicate you will see i should think it would blow down it is b together with a of iron and the stones are held together with copper how high is it asked paul as he gazed up at the lofty spire there you have me paul i don t know in s guide book it is set down at four hundred and three feet the man up in the tower there it is four hundred and sixty six authorities put it at less than four hundred my guide assured me it was one hundred and forty seven french in but this reduced to english measure would give four hundred and eighty feet my own idea is that is right replied dr as they walked over to the church this asked paul pointing to a beautiful iron in style near the foot of the church tower that s a draw well it is the of i don t know him he was a blacksmith until he was twenty years old when he fell in love with the fair daughter of a painter the story goes that the father would not permit his daughter to marry any man that was not an artist aud the blacksmith abandoned his for the he had a genius for better than his masters he � achieved a great reputation in picture of the which i castle was executed by him they bought a couple of tickets and were admitted to the church the interior was grand and imposing but the chief attraction was the pictures which were now and a small audience was present examining them several artists were making copies of them in the south hangs a the descent from the cross i id soon pa his bride and new art the at young america in holland and i paul did not pretend to be a in paintings and could understand nor appreciate tlie fine 