DUTCIE ODDITIES 51

People of all grades, from the rich burgomaster to the
chimney-sweep, speculated in the flower. Ladies bought
bulbs in the hope of making large profits upon them. The
rise and fall in tulip stocks were the excitement of the
day. At last, the government, becoming alarmed for the
state of society, checked the traffic, and so burst the bubble.
Then things were worse than ever. Disappointed and en-
raged speculators went to law; but the law turned its back
upon them. It was decided that debts contracted under
tulip-speculation were not leeal. Then there was trouble!

3ut time, the great consoler quieted matters before very

 

A TULIP FANTASY.

long, and Holland settled down to its tobacco and meer-
schaum again. There had also been great tulip excitements
in England and Paris, but these, too, died out in time.

To this day, however, the Hollanders are fond of their