of the Boer legislators or members of Parliament even now know more
than the Dutch vernacular, the High Dutch language having actually yet
to be learnt by the Boer population--an important step thus gained by
Afrikanerdom under the indulgent ægis of self-government, the thin end
of another wedge to nurse sedition and treason introduced by that odious
Bond under pretence and veil of Boer patriotism and loyalty.

As one of the world's languages, Dutch figures under a very sorry _rôle_
indeed. It had been ignored everywhere outside of Holland and her
distant Colonies. The consequence to Hollanders is that they are of
necessity subjected to the ordeal of learning several other continental
languages for commercial intercourse, and in order to keep at all
abreast with the progress of science, literature, and culture. Dutch is
in the moribund stage; its salvation from imminent extinction consists
in the expansion of its sphere. Boer successes in South Africa would
just accomplish that.




THE DUTCH COTERIE: ITS SEAT IN HOLLAND


As has been shown, the conditions of the two Boer Republics, with High
Dutch as the official language, lent themselves to favour the
immigration into those States of educated Dutchmen (Hollanders, as they
are styled, to distinguish them from the old-established Boer Dutchmen).
These were indeed indispensable, as none of the Boers possessed the
competence in High Dutch requisite for the conduct of the more important
portion of the clerical work in the administration. The professional