FEITH

feith, rhijnvis (1753-1824), dutch poet, was born of an aristocratic family at zwolle, the capital of the province overijssel, on the 7th of february 1753. he was educated at harderwijk and at the university of leiden, where he took his degree in 1770. in 1772 he settled at his birthplace, and married. in 1780, in his twenty-seventh year, he became burgomaster of zwolle. he built a luxurious villa, which he named boschwijk, in the outskirts of the town, and there he lived in the greatest comfort. his first important production was _julia_, in 1783, a novel written in emulation of _werther_, and steeped in _weltschmerz_ and despair. this was followed by the tragedy of _thirsa_ (1784); _ferdinand and constantia_ (1785), another _werther_ novel; and _the patriots_ (1784), a tragedy. bilderdijk and other writers attacked his morbid melancholy, and johannes kinker (1764-1845) parodied his novels, but his vogue continued. in 1791 he published a tragedy of _lady jane grey_; in 1792 a didactic poem, _the grave_, in four cantos; in 1793 _inez de castro_; in 1796 to 1814 five volumes of _odes and miscellaneous poems_; and in 1802 _old age_, in six cantos. he died at zwolle on the 8th of february 1824. his works were collected (rotterdam, 11 vols.) in 1824, with a biographical notice by n.g. van kampen.