Buried in Hornsey: Gerrit van de Linde (1808 - 1858)

Gerrit van de Linde was once famous in the Netherlands for his popular verse, published under the pseudonym De Schoolmeester (the Schoolmaster), which English readers may find reminiscent of Edward Lear. Following a period of obscurity, the publication of new material by or about van de Linde including his correspondence with the novelist Jacob van Lennep (ed. Mathijsen) has led to renewed interest in the Schoolmaster, who now "stands acknowledged as a unique figure in Dutch nineteenth-centiry literature for his outspokenness, his clever and original use of language, his cavalier treatment of the canonised literary rules and genres, and his sardonic, subversive commentary on manners and mores." (Mathijsen, "From Dutch Student to London Schoolmaster: the Literary Work of Gerrit van de Linde") Van de Linde was born in Rotterdam in 1808 and displayed literary talents at an early age. He entered the University of Leiden in 1825 as a theology student. But he was sent down in 1833 following scandalous love-affairs and financial problems. He fled to England in early 1834 to escape his creditors and tried his hand at a number of occupations before he was able to raise the money, through friends and acquaintances, to set himself up as a boarding school proprietor in 1835. Later he established his school at Cromwell House in Highgate. He had married Caroline de Monteuuis, daughter of the proprietor of a French school, in 1837, and incorporated her name into his own (as on his ledger stone). Despite never having graduated or entered the ministry, he styled himself "the Reverend" (again, see the ledger stone). Van de Linde's successful "College Français" offered a progressive curriculum (modern languages, mathematics and the sciences) as well as a progressive approach to discipline. Despite encouragement from his friend van Lennep, van de Linde was reluctant to publish his verse in the Netherlands. Eventually he did so in 1850, as "De Schoolmeester", in van Lennep's publication "Holland". After van de Linde's early death in 1858, it was van Lennep who compiled and edited "De Gedichten van den Schoolmeester" (Poems by the Schoolmaster) from material that had previously appeared in "Holland" and also from the poet's personal papers. This collection was first published in 1859, and remained in print in popular editions until after the Second World War. Van de Linde was buried near the western edge of Hornsey churchyard, as was his third son Frederick in 1862. A poem from "Gedichten van den Schoolmeester", with English translation following: De Leeuw Een leeuw is eigentlijk iemand, Die bang is voor niemand, Zijne oogen en zijn neus Zijn grooter dan die van een reus; En zijn muil Is een ware moordkuil; Met zijn klaauw Is een leeuw geweldig gaauw; Met zij staart Gooit hij een schutter van zijn paard; En met zijn tanden Durft hij de heele schutterij wel aanranden. Enfin, hij is altijd het verscheurendste beest Onder de dieren geweest Onlangs heeft hij immers in Londen Nog een juffrouw verslonden; Doch, nu ik mij bezin, Was hij het niet: het was de leeuwin. De leeuw wordt viervoetig geboren: Twee van achteren en twee van voren; Of, volgens anderen, twee aan zijn rechterhand: En de andere twee aan deze kant. De leeuw zijn gemalin Is mevrouw de leeuwin, En de jongelui, zoolang zij zich met de borst behelpen, Noemt men gewoonlijk: welpen. Gouden leeuwen en leeuwen van hout, Mitsgaders de Hollandsche, worden heel oud; Men ziet ze nog wel op uithangborden en schilden, doch zeldzaam in 't woud. Komt ooit de ware leeuw rechtstreeks op u aan, Dan is 't beste om maar regelrecht uit den weg te gaan. Doch niet als hij opgezet of dood is, Daar er in dat geval volstrekt geen nood is. The Lion (translated by Paul Vincent) A lion's the sort of fellow Who's never, ever yellow. His eyes are bigger than those Of a giant, as is his nose, And he gnaws With murderous jaws; His claws slash With a speed as quick as a flash; His tail's force Can unseat a trooper on horse: And with teeth bared He'll very soon have the whole troop running scared. To conclude, he has been, ever since days of yore, The world's fiercest carnivore. Just recently in London town, A lion gulped a lady down; No, I'm wrong, I confess It wasn't the lion, but the lioness. The lion is born as a quadruped: Two legs at the rear and two at the head; Or, so others claim, 'two right-hand legs that fit, And the other two legs set opposite. The lion's companion in life Is the lioness, his wife, And for the young ones, while they are still fed at their mother's breast, The name 'cubs' is commonest. Golden lions and wooden lions too, Dutch ones included, are a long-lived crew; They can still be seen on pub signs and coats-of-arms, though in woods they're seldom on view. Should ever a real lion approach you one fine day, You'd be well advised to retreat without further delay; Though if stuffed or dead he'll do you no harm; In that case it'll just be a false alarm. Acknowledgements I should like to thank prof. dr. Marita Mathijsen of the University of Amsterdam for her help. Bibliography Mathijsen, M, "From Dutch Student to London Schoolmaster: The Literary Work of Gerrit van de Linde" -, "De Brieven van de Schoolmeester" 1987