VONDEL, JOOST VAN DEN (pr. Yost), the greatest Dutch poet, was born at Cologne. Nov. 17, 1587, his parents, who were Anabaptists, having fled from Antwerp to avoid persecution. His maternal grandfather, Peter Kranen, ranked among the poets of Brabant. When freedom began to raise the head in Holland, the elder Vondel removed with his family to Utrecht, and afterward to Amsterdam, where he prospered in trade. The poet's education in boyhood was limited to reading and writing, but his persever ance and love of study enabled him in after-life to become intimately acquainted both with ancient and modern literature.
At the early age of 13, his poetical efforts were praised by Hooft. In his 23d year, he married Maria de Wolf, to whose clever management Vohdel chiefly left his business as a hosier," while be devoted himself to study and poetry. The tragedies of Vondel are very numerous, and the grandest specimens of Dutch literature. His satirical writings and epigrams are full of fire, energy, and spirit. One of his most remarkable pieces is Lucifer, published in 1654, strikingly resembling Milton's Paradise Lost, which appeared thirteen years later. Vondel took an earnest and active part in favor of the Remon strants, Grotius and Oldenbarneveld, drawing down on himself the anger both of the and court, whom he attacked with the keenest satire.
Gysbrecht van Aemstel, Adam in Banishment, Palamedes, The Batavian Brothers, Solo mon, Samson, Adonijah,Noah, or the Destruction of the Old World, Mary Stuart, etc. are
splendid efforts of genius. The Harpoon, The Horse-comb, and the Decretum Horribile are stinging satires on the ruling powers both in church and state. Vondel's translations from the Greek and Roman writers are numerous, the Metamorphoses of Ovid having been rendered into Dutch verse when he was 84 years old. Vondel left no subject untouched, no measure untried. His works (9 vols. quarto) contain many sea-songs, and more than 100 odes: Many of the later poems were written with a strong Roman Catholic spirit, he having joined that church about 1640. Through the imprudences of his son, to whom he had given his business, Vondel fell into straitened circumstances, and in 1658 accepted a situation in the city pawnbroking office. In 1668, the magistrates allowed him to retire with his salary of 650 guilders yearly, which kept him above want. He was of moderate stature, well made, and had an eagle eye. After his powers of body and memory had begun to fail, he could still read without glasses. He died calmly on Feb. 5, 1679, at the age of 91, and was carried to his resting-place in the new church, Amsterdam, by fourteen poets, himself princeps poetarum.