CHAPTER IV.

View of nature acted on by the Hollander and Brabanter--Their struggle to overcome the difficulties of their position--Rise of the Dutch Republic, and of the School of Mechanical and Practical Science of Holland--Its influence over Europe and the world--Drainage of the Lake of Haarlem--Practical instances of the truth of the principle, that “when man interferes with nature, he must carry through the work to an issue”--How to convert a peat-bog into a healthy meadow, a dreary waste into a profitable, cheerful farm pp. 26–30