Willem Bilderdijk

Willem Bilderdijk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɪləm ˈbɪldərˌdɛi̯k]) (Amsterdam, September 7, 1756 - Haarlem, December 18, 1831), Dutch poet, the son of an Amsterdam physician. When he was six years old an accident to his foot incapacitated him for ten years, and he developed habits of continuous and concentrated study. His parents were ardent partisans of the House of Orange-Nassau, and Bilderdijk grew up with strong monarchical and Calvinistic convictions. After studying at Leiden University, Bilderdijk obtained his doctorate in law in …