810
CHAP. XXVI.
dispersing of whose productions, they extract theirwealth.
The Scandinavian kingdoms, Denmark , Sweden 3and Norway , are too poor and too homely to needor to use much of either silver or gold, but whatthey do use is chiefly fabricated in their respectivecapitals, or some little is supplied from Englandor France direct, or through the cities of Lubecand Hamburg.
In the kingdom of the Netherlands, thoughfrom recent events no longer distinguished bythat name, the use of gold and silver during theperiod here adverted to was perhaps greater, in pro-portion to the population, than in any other partof Europe . In the northern part of that kingdomespecially, the personal ornaments of gold andsilver descended to a lower class, chiefly of females,than elsewhere. Large plates of those metalsfitted to the shape of the upper part of the headwere a remarkable part of dress in the provincesof Overyssel, Utrecht , and Dreuthe; and neck-laces, finger rings, and earrings, were to be seenin great profusion and of unusual size and weight.The richer inhabitants were proportionably sup-plied with the personal and domestic ornamentsappropriate to their respective ranks in society.Although, from the habitual economy of thenation, there was perhaps less positive waste thanin other countries, and perhaps much fewer