Dutch Language

E. V. asks what are the best *modern* books for acquiring a knowledge of the Dutch language. If E. V. insist upon *modern* books, he cannot have better than Hendrik Conscience's novels, or Gerrits's *Zoon des Volks*. I would, however, advise him to get a volume of Jacob Cats' *Poems*, the language of which is not antiquated, and is idiomatic without being difficult to a beginner.