D E D I C A T I O N.

It is Abraham who, upon my pages,
With his Faith and Heroic Deeds,
As far as my poetic skill allows,
Is brought into the clear light of day.
Grant now to my poetry,
That she may dedicate this labor to you;
Let this word-painting original: "Letterſchilderyë," a metaphor suggesting that the written word can "paint" a scene as vividly as a brush. hang
In your private study; where neither Affairs of State
Nor fleeting worldly cares may intrude
Into your spiritual contemplations.
Thus may there rest upon you, and your lineage,
The blessing of my Abraham!
So shall your name endure through time,
Honored by the pilots of the Netherlands original: "Palinuuren," a reference to Palinurus, the famous navigator from Virgil’s Aeneid, used here as a metaphor for the skilled statesmen who steer the Dutch "ship of state.",
As long as the river Schie draws her breath,
And pays her tribute to the Maas! The Schie is a river that flows through South Holland, eventually emptying into the river Maas; Hoogvliet uses this local geography to signify "as long as the rivers flow," or forever.

At Vlaardingen, the 15th
of the Harvest Month 1727. The "Harvest Month" (Herfstmaant) is the traditional Dutch name for September.