cut, to the frozen mere beyond, where the sports were to be held and the
races run. There the scene was very beautiful.

Behind her lay the roofs of Leyden, pointed, picturesque, and covered
with sheets of snow, while above them towered the bulk of the two great
churches of St. Peter and St. Pancras, and standing on a mound known as
the Burg, the round tower which is supposed to have been built by the
Romans. In front stretched the flat expanse of white meadows, broken
here and there by windmills with narrow waists and thin tall sails, and
in the distance, by the church towers of other towns and villages.

Immediately before her, in strange contrast to this lifeless landscape,
lay the peopled mere, fringed around with dead reeds standing so still
in the frosty air that they might have been painted things. On this mere
half the population of Leyden seemed to be gathered; at least there were
thousands of them, shouting, laughing, and skimming to and fro in their
bright garments like flocks of gay-plumaged birds. Among them, drawn
by horses with bells tied to their harness, glided many sledges of
wickerwork and wood mounted upon iron runners, their fore-ends fashioned
to quaint shapes, such as the heads of dogs or bulls, or Tritons. Then
there were vendors of cakes and sweetmeats, vendors of spirits also, who
did a good trade on this cold day. Beggars too were numerous, and among
them deformities, who, nowadays, would be hidden in charitable homes,
slid about in wooden boxes, which they pushed along with crutches.
Lastly many loafers had gathered there with stools for fine ladies to
sit on while the skates were bound to their pretty feet, and chapmen
with these articles for sale and straps wherewith to fasten them. To
complete the picture the huge red ball of the sun was sinking to the
west, and opposite to it the pale full moon began already to gather
light and life.