GOUDA.

A large decorative drop-cap "G" featuring a central figure seated amidst elaborate scrollwork, flowers, and foliage.

Gouda, a city situated within the borders of Holland, is a celebrated town. According to some, it derives its name from its etymology—whether from the land of Brennus a reference to a legendary leader, often conflated in early historiography with local tribal figures on which it was built, or from the multiplicity of surrounding waters that converge there. This city was founded around the year of salvation 1272, under Floris V, Count of Holland and son of the King, from whom the citizens first received their privileges. It was established on the bank of the river IJssel referred to in the text as Isula, or the banks along which it passes.

It is said that the Rhine once flowed into this area. At one time, the river poured into the sea on the maritime coast near the Cathense region, commonly called Katwijk, at the point where the Rhine—as they say, in the middle of its borders—emptied into the sea. There, the last village of the ancient Rhine territory, Rheinsburg, still stands. It is beyond doubt that the river once sought the Ocean here. Furthermore, Saint Isidore mentions that this ancient path of the river, specifically the Haltam and the Hiem, which flowed from the Rhine near Wijk bij Duurstede along the IJssel into the Ocean, was obstructed in a certain age.

This city possesses a status almost like a residence of saints, and it appears worthy of the rivers that flow by it. For the river IJssel, along with the Vecht original: "Ventus aqua" and the main stream, usually runs toward the Rhine. This city seems to possess four rivers within the borders of Holland. It is surrounded on all sides by most pleasant pastures, ditches, and water, with herds of cattle grazing in the fields.

The fertility of the land is such that all kinds of grain are present throughout the region of Batavia a traditional name for the Netherlands. Because of the richness of the soil, the grasses in the broad pastures grow most lushly, as they do throughout the Gouda region, allowing for an abundance of excellent linen textiles. This produce is sent not only to Latin lands but also to England. The city also produces bricks, which are sought after by all the primary cities of Holland and imitated by German and Spanish craftsmen.

It possesses both private and public industries, held in high esteem. First and foremost is a very large and magnificent church, which is visited in the parish district. It is seen in the center of the city and is so ample that Holland does not show its equal anywhere, except perhaps for the one in Haarlem. In magnitude, it exceeds the Cologne Metropolitan Church by several feet in measurement. Before it was consumed by fire, it contained fifty-two altars. It has a bell tower that is remarkable for its height and beauty, in which a specific harmony is produced according to the changing of seasons and festivals.

This church was deformed by the rage of Vulcan a poetic reference to fire in the year 1552, a fire that was common to both the town and the church. It was later magnificently restored, adorned with thirty most elegant and illustrious stained glass windows, such as are hardly seen anywhere else.

The city also has a spacious public square where annual fairs are held. There is a remarkably chosen house, established by the Magistracy, which has provided for the poor for hundreds of years. Under this same house—one ascends to it by elegant stone steps—food and provisions are publicly distributed. Nearby is the public butcher’s market, constructed with elegant arches. Most glorious among the town’s features are the stone-supported platforms where public sentences against the condemned are displayed.

Furthermore, this city contains, among other things, public inns, one monastery, and six convents for virgins. It also has one very large almshouse, as well as hospitals and other institutions of piety where work of charity and mercy is performed for those worn out by vice or old age.

In addition to successful fishing, the city is adapted for navigation and trade, primarily using manufactured woollen cloths. The city is also well-defended, with its rivers and ditches acting as a barrier to hostile forces. When necessary, the inhabitants can inundate the entire surrounding field within twenty-four hours to repel an enemy, a feat that is made possible by the depth and breadth of the surrounding waters.