living　next　door　to　him；　a　citizen　of　the　name　of　Isaac
  Boxtel　who　from　the　age　when　he　was　able　to　think　for
  himself　had　indulged　the　same　fancy；　and　who　was　in
  ecstasies　at　the　mere　mention　of　the　word　〃tulban；〃　which
  （as　we　are　assured　by　the　〃Floriste　Francaise；〃　the　most
  highly　considered　authority　in　matters　relating　to　this
  flower）　is　the　first　word　in　the　Cingalese　tongue　which　was
  ever　used　to　designate　that　masterpiece　of　floriculture
  which　is　now　called　the　tulip。
  Boxtel　had　not　the　good　fortune　of　being　rich；　like　Van
  Baerle。　He　had　therefore；　with　great　care　and　patience；　and
  by　dint　of　strenuous　exertions；　laid　out　near　his　house　at
  Dort　a　garden　fit　for　the　culture　of　his　cherished　flower；
  he　had　mixed　the　soil　according　to　the　most　approved
  prescriptions；　and　given　to　his　hotbeds　just　as　much　heat
  and　fresh　air　as　the　strictest　rules　of　horticulture　exact。
  Isaac　knew　the　temperature　of　his　frames　to　the　twentieth
  part　of　a　degree。　He　knew　the　strength　of　the　current　of
  air；　and　tempered　it　so　as　to　adapt　it　to　the　wave　of　the
  stems　of　his　flowers。　His　productions　also　began　to　meet
  with　the　favour　of　the　public。　They　were　beautiful；　nay；
  distinguished。　Several　fanciers　had　come　to　see　Boxtel's
  tulips。　At　last　he　had　even　started　amongst　all　the
  Linnaeuses　and　Tourneforts　a　tulip　which　bore　his　name；　and
  which；　after　having　travelled　all　through　France；　had　found
  its　way　into　Spain；　and　penetrated　as　far　as　Portugal；　and
  the　King；　Don　Alfonso　VI。　　who；　being　expelled　from
  Lisbon；　had　retired　to　the　island　of　Terceira；　where　he
  amused　himself；　not；　like　the　great　Conde；　with　watering　his
  carnations；　but　with　growing　tulips　　had；　on　seeing　the
  Boxtel　tulip；　exclaimed；　〃Not　so　bad；　by　any　means！〃
  All　at　once；　Cornelius　van　Baerle；　who；　after　all　his
  learned　pursuits；　had　been　seized　with　the　tulipomania；　made
  some　changes　in　his　house　at　Dort；　which；　as　we　have　stated；
  was　next　door　to　that　of　Boxtel。　He　raised　a　certain
  building　in　his　court…yard　by　a　story；　which　shutting　out
  the　sun；　took　half　a　degree　of　warmth　from　Boxtel's　garden；
  and；　on　the　other　hand；　added　half　a　degree　of　cold　in
  winter；　not　to　mention　that　it　cut　the　wind；　and　disturbed
  all　the　horticultural　calculations　and　arrangements　of　his
  neighbour。
  After　all；　this　mishap　appeared　to　Boxtel　of　no　great
  consequence。　Van　Baerle　was　but　a　painter；　a　sort　of　fool
  who　tried　to　reproduce　and　disfigure　on　canvas　the　wonders
  of　nature。　The　painter；　he　thought；　had　raised　his　studio　by
  a　story　to　get　better　light；　and　thus　far　he　had　only　been
  in　the　right。　Mynheer　van　Baerle　was　a　painter；　as　Mynheer
  Boxtel　was　a　tulip…grower；　he　wanted　somewhat　more　sun　for
  his　paintings；　and　he　took　half　a　degree　from　his
  neighbour's　tulips。
  The　law　was　for　Van　Baerle；　and　Boxtel　had　to　abide　by　it。
  Besides；　Isaac　had　made　the　discovery　that　too　much　sun　was
  injurious　to　tulips；　and　that　this　flower　grew　quicker；　and
  had　a　better　colouring；　with　the　temperate　warmth　of
  morning；　than　with　the　powerful　heat　of　the　midday　sun。　He
  therefore　felt　almost　grateful　to　Cornelius　van　Baerle　for
  having　given　him　a　screen　gratis。
  Maybe　this　was　not　quite　in　accordance　with　the　true　state
  of　things　in　general；　and　of　Isaac　Boxtel's　feelings　in
  particular。　It　is　certainly　astonishing　what　rich　comfort
  great　minds；　in　the　midst　of　momentous　catastrophes；　will
  derive　from　the　consolations　of　philosophy。
  But　alas！　What　was　the　agony　of　the　unfortunate　Boxtel　on
  seeing　the　windows　of　the　new　story　set　out　with　bulbs　and
  seedlings　of　tulips　for　the　border；　and　tulips　in　pots；　in
  short；　with　everything　pertaining　to　the　pursuits　of　a
  tulip…monomaniac！
  There　were　bundles　of　labels；　cupboards；　and　drawers　with
  compartments；　and　wire　guards　for　the　cupboards；　to　allow
  free　access　to　the　air　whilst　keeping　out　slugs；　mice；
  dormice；　and　rats；　all　of　them　very　curious　fanciers　of
  tulips　at　two　thousand　francs　a　bulb。
  Boxtel　was　quite　amazed　when　he　saw　all　this　apparatus；　but
  he　was　not　as　yet　aware　of　the　full　extent　of　his
  misfortune。　Van　Baerle　was　known　to　be　fond　of　everything
  that　pleases　the　eye。　He　studied　Nature　in　all　her　aspects
  for　the　benefit　of　his　paintings；　which　were　as　minutely
  finished　as　those　of　Gerard　Dow；　his　master；　and　of　Mieris；
  his　friend。　Was　it　not　possible；　that；　having　to　paint　the
  interior　of　a　tulip…grower's；　he　had　collected　in　his　new
  studio　all　the　accessories　of　decoration？
  Yet；　although　thus　consoling　himself　with　illusory
  suppositions；　Boxtel　was　not　able　to　resist　the　burning
  curiosity　which　was　devouring　him。　In　the　evening；
  therefore；　he　placed　a　ladder　against　the　partition　wall
  between　their　gardens；　and；　looking　into　that　of　his
  neighbour　Van　Baerle；　he　convinced　himself　that　the　soil　of
  a　large　square　bed；　which　had　formerly　been　occupied　by
  different　plants；　was　removed；　and　the　ground　disposed　in
  beds　of　loam　mixed　with　river　mud　（a　combination　which　is
  particularly　favourable　to　the　tulip）；　and　the　whole
  surrounded　by　a　border　of　turf　to　keep　the　soil　in　its
  place。　Besides　this；　sufficient　shade　to　temper　the　noonday
  heat；　aspect　south…southwest；　water　in　abundant　supply；　and
  at　hand；　in　short；　every　requirement　to　insure　not　only
  success　but　also　progress。　There　could　not　be　a　doubt　that
  Van　Baerle　had　become　a　tulip…grower。
  Boxtel　at　once　pictured　to　himself　this　learned　man；　with　a
  capital　of　four　hundred　thousand　and　a　yearly　income　of　ten
  thousand　guilders；　devoting　all　his　intellectual　and
  financial　resources　to　the　cultivation　of　the　tulip。　He
  foresaw　his　neighbour's　success；　and　he　felt　such　a　pang　at
  the　mere　idea　of　this　success　that　his　hands　dropped
  powerless；　his　knees　trembled；　and　he　fell　in　despair　from
  the　ladder。
  And　thus　it　was　not　for　the　sake　of　painted　tulips；　but　for
  real　ones；　that　Van　Baerle　took　from　him　half　a　degree　of
  warmth。　And　thus　Van　Baerle　was　to　have　the　most　admirably
  fitted　aspect；　and；　besides；　a　large；　airy；　and　well
  ventilated　chamber　where　to　preserve　his　bulbs　and
  seedlings；　while　he；　Boxtel；　had　been　obliged　to　give　up　for
  this　purpose　his　bedroom；　and；　lest　his　sleeping　in　the　same
  apartment　might　injure　his　bulbs　and　seedlings；　had　taken　up
  his　abode　in　a　miserable　garret。
  Boxtel；　then；　was　to　have　next　door　to　him　a　rival　and
  successful　competitor；　and　his　rival；　instead　of　being　some
  unknown；　obscure　gardener；　was　the　godson　of　Mynheer
  Cornelius　de　Witt；　that　is　to　say；　a　celebrity。
  Boxtel；　as　the　reader　may　see；　was　not　possessed　of　the
  spirit　of　Porus；　who；　on　being　conquered　by　Alexander；
  consoled　himself　with　the　celebrity　of　his　conqueror。
  And　now　if　Van　Baerle　produced　a　new　tulip；　and　named　it　the
  John　de　Witt；　after　having　named　one　the　Cornelius？　It　was
  indeed　enough　to　choke　one　with　rage。
  Thus　Boxtel；　with　jealous　foreboding；　became　the　prophet　of
  his　own　misfortune。　And；　after　having　made　this　melancholy
  discovery；　he　passed　the　most　wretched　night　imaginable。
  Chapter　6
  The　Hatred　of　a　Tulip…fancier
  From　that　moment　Boxtel's　interest　in　tulips　was　no　longer　a
  stimulus　to　his　exertions；　but　a　deadening　anxiety。
  Henceforth　all　his　thoughts　ran　only　upon　the　injury　which
  his　neighbour　would　cause　him；　and　thus　his　favourite
  occupation　was　changed　into　a　constant　source　of　misery　to　him。
  Van　Baerle；　as　may　easily　be　imagined；　had　no　sooner　begun
  to　apply　his　natural　ingenuity　to　his　new　fancy；　than　he
  succeeded　in　growing　the　finest　tulips。　Indeed；　he　knew
  better　than　any　one　else　at　Haarlem　or　Leyden　　the　two
  towns　which　boast　the　best　soil　and　the　most　congenial
  climate　　how　to　vary　the　colours；　to　modify　the　shape；　and
  to　produce　new　species。
  He　belonged　to　that　natural；　humorous　school　who　took　for
  their　motto　in　the　seventeenth　century　the　aphorism　uttered
  by　one　of　their　number　in　1653；　　〃To　despise　flowers　is　to
  offend　God。〃
  From　that　premise　the　school　of　tulip…fanciers；　the　most
  exclusive　of　all　schools；　worked　out　the　following　syllogism
  in　the　same　year：
  〃To　despise　flowers　is　to　offend　God。
  〃The　more　beautiful　the　flower　is；　the　more　does　one　offend
  God　in　despising　it。
  〃The　tulip　is　the　most　beautiful　of　all　flowers。
  〃Therefore；　he　who　despises　the　tulip　offends　God　beyond
  measure。〃
  By　reasoning　of　this　kind；　it　can　be　seen　that　the　four　or
  five　thousand　tulip…growers　of　Holland；　France；　and
  Portugal；　leaving　out　those　of　Ceylon　and　China　and　the
  Indies；　might；　if　so　disposed；　put　the　whole　world　under　the
  ban；　and　condemn　as　schismatics　and　heretics　and　deserving
  of　death　the　several　hundred　millions　of　mankind　whose　hopes
  of　salvation　were　not　centred　upon　the　tulip。
  We　cannot　doubt　that　in　such　a　cause　Boxtel；　though　he　was
  Van　Baerle's　deadly　foe；　would　have　marched　under　the　same
  banner　with　him。
  Mynheer　van　Baerle　and　his　tulips；　therefore；　were　in　the
  mouth　of　everybody；　so　much　so；　that　Boxtel's　name
  disappeared　for　ever　from　the　list　of　the　notable
  tulip…growers　in　Holland；　and　those　of　Do