The burgomasters of this place never appear in public, but in a peculiar dress; which consists of an high crowned hat made of cloth, plated thick and strong in numerous folds; with a large ruff; and a black velvet coat ending at the knees, and plaited from the middle. There are likewise several other antient habits used by all public persons, even to midwives, dressers of the dead, and those who bear the corps to funerals. The habit of their divines is a round black cap, a ruff, and a gown without sleeves. All these may commonly be seen at once in the solemnity of a funeral, which they here affect to make very pompous for all persons, even those of little children. The burgomasters, senators, divines, lawyers, physicians, and as many of all sorts, as they can procure, attend the corps from the house to the church; for which they are each paid a certain fee, the chief about a florin, and inferiors proportionably. It is observable, that the bearers of the corps have a peculiar step, all moving their leg at the same time croswise from one side to the other. This city wholly subsists by trade, which it still enjoys to a great degree. But they now complain, that they begin to be robbed of their former flourishing commerce by _Lubeck_ and _Bremen_, and even the poor town of _Altena_, which with regret they see rising under their walls. Here is the staple of linen from Germany; cloth from England; and wines from Spain, France, and the Rhine. Of this last the city preserves a vast stock in public cellars; the largest of which, being a magazine of _Rhenish_ wine, I visited one evening, and was there assured, that they have the wine of every year since 1623; and accordingly we then drank of three sorts, 1623, 1664, and 1678. At the same time I tried the perfect clearness of the loaf sugar of this place; which they purify to such a degree, that it does not discolour the cleared _Rhenish_ wine.