Editing Dutch-language literature (section)

==1670–1795==
After the great division of the [[Low Countries]] into the [[Dutch Republic]] and the [[Spanish Netherlands]] formalised in the [[Peace of Westphalia]] (1648), "Dutch literature" almost exclusively meant "[[Dutch republic|Republican]] literature", as the [[Dutch language]] fell into disfavour with the southern rulers. A notable exception was the [[Dunkirk]] writer [[Michiel de Swaen]] (1654–1707), who wrote comedies, moralities and biblical poetry. During his lifetime (1678) the [[Spain|Spanish]] lost Dunkirk to the French and so De Swaen is also the first [[French Flanders|French-Flemish]] writer of importance.

[[File:Elizabeth Wolff and Agatha Deken.png|thumb|left|[[Betje Wolff]] (top) and [[Aagje Deken]]]]

The [[playwright]]s of the time followed the French model of [[Pierre Corneille|Corneille]] and others, led by [[Andries Pels]] (d. 1681). A well-known poet of this period was [[Jan Luyken]] (1649–1712). A writer who revived especially an interest in literature was [[Justus van Effen]] (1684–1735). He was born at [[Utrecht (city)|Utrecht]] and was influenced by [[Huguenot]] émigrés who had fled for the Republic after the [[revocation of the Edict of Nantes]] in 1685. Van Effen wrote in French for a great part of his literary career but, influenced by a visit to [[London]] where the ''[[Tatler (1709)|Tatler]]'' and ''[[The Spectator (1711)|Spectator]]'' were on the rise, from 1731 began to publish his ''[[Hollandsche Spectator]]'' ("Dutch Spectator") [[magazine]], which his death in 1735 soon brought to a close. Still, what he composed during the last four years of his life is considered by many to constitute the most valuable legacy to Dutch literature that the middle of the 18th century left behind.

The year 1777 is considered a turning point in the history of letters in the Netherlands. It was in that year that [[Betje Wolff|Elizabeth “Betje” Wolff]] (1738–1804), a [[widow]] lady in [[Amsterdam]], persuaded her friend [[Aagje Deken|Agatha “Aagje” Deken]] (1741–1804), a poor but intelligent [[governess]], to throw up her situation and live with her. For nearly thirty years these women continued together, writing in combination. In 1782 the ladies, inspired partly by [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe|Goethe]], published their first novel, ''Sara Burgerhart'', which was enthusiastically received. Two further, less successful novels appeared before Wolff and Deken had to flee France, their country of residence, due to persecution by the [[French Directory|Directory]].

The last years of the 18th century were marked by a general revival of intellectual force. The [[romanticism|romantic movement]] in [[Germany]] made itself deeply felt in all branches of Dutch literature and German [[lyricism]] took the place hitherto held by French [[classicism]], in spite of the country falling to French expansionism (see also [[History of the Netherlands#Batavian revolution|History of the Netherlands]]).