Черный тюльпан
The Tulip-fancier and his Neighbour
Consequently,andtoindulgehisownideaofhappiness,Corneliusbegantobeinterestedinthestudyofplantsandinsects,collectedandclassifiedtheFloraofalltheDutchislands,arrangedthewholeentomologyoftheprovince,onwhichhewroteatreatise,withplatesdrawnbyhisownhands;andatlast,beingatalosswhattodowithhistime,andespeciallywithhismoney,whichwentonaccumulatingatamostalarmingrate,hetookitintohisheadtoselectforhimself,fromallthefolliesofhiscountryandofhisage,oneofthemostelegantandexpensive,—hebecameatulip-fancier.
ItwasthetimewhentheDutchandthePortuguese,rivallingeachotherinthisbranchofhorticulture,hadbeguntoworshipthatflower,andtomakemoreofacultofitthanevernaturalistsdaredtomakeofthehumanraceforfearofarousingthejealousyofGod.
SoonpeoplefromDorttoMonsbegantotalkofMynheervanBaerle’stulips;andhisbeds,pits,drying-rooms,anddrawersofbulbswerevisited,asthegalleriesandlibrariesofAlexandriawerebyillustriousRomantravellers.
VanBaerlebeganbyexpendinghisyearlyrevenueinlayingthegroundworkofhiscollection,afterwhichhebrokeinuponhisnewguilderstobringittoperfection.Hisexertions,indeed,werecrownedwithamostmagnificentresult:heproducedthreenewtulips,whichhecalledthe“Jane,”afterhismother;the“VanBaerle,”afterhisfather;andthe“Cornelius,”afterhisgodfather;theothernameshaveescapedus,butthefancierswillbesuretofindtheminthecataloguesofthetimes.
