BREDA, a town of Holland in the province of North Brabant, and capital of a circle, is situated in a marshy plain on the Merck, 24 miles S.W. of Bois-le-Duc, and 30 N.N.E. of Antwerp. It is strongly fortified and defended by a citadel (rebuilt by William III. of England), and the surrounding district may be laid under water when required. The town is well built, with wide aud well-paved streets, is intersected by several canals, and has a fine quay, a townhall, an arsenal, an observatory, an orphan asylum, a cathedral, and several Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, one of the latter having a spire 362 feet in height. It has also a Latin school and a military academy, and manufactures of linen and woollen goods, carpets, hats, beer, and musical instruments. Population (1869), 14,172....
Breda obtained municipal rights in 1252 from Henry, but was not surrounded with walls till 1534. The old castle, which had been built in 1350 by Jan Van Polanen, was restored about the same time. In 1696 William Prince of Orange and king of England caused the erection of the new castle, which was regarded as one of the finest buildings of the period. It was afterwards the residence of Charles II. in his exile, and is now the seat of the military academy. The town was captured by the Spaniards in 1581, by Maurice of Orange in 1590; again by the Spaniards, under Spinola, in 1625; and by Henry of Orange in 1637. It was finally ceded to Holland by the treaty of Westphalia in 1618. During the wars of the French Revolution it was taken by Dumouriez in 1793, and again by Pichegru in 1795. Much of its celebrity is due to the various political congresses of which it has been the scene. In 1566 the nobles of the Netherlands formed there the league known as the Compromise; in 1575 a conference was held between the ambassadors of Spain and those of the United Provinces; in 1667 a peace was signed between England, Holland, France, and Denmark; and in 1746-7 the representatives of the same powers met in the town to discuss the terms of another treaty.
BREDA, Jan Van, a Dutch painter, was the son cf Alexander Van Breda, an artist of considerable merit, and was born at Antwerp in 1683. He imitated the style of Wouvermans and Breughel with such dexterity, that even connoisseurs are often unable to distinguish his copies of their pictures from the originals. He visited England, where he was so well employed, that in a few years he was able to retire to his native country with a competency. The earl of Derwentwater was one of his chief patrons. He died at Antwerp in 1750.
[373 words — estimated reading time: 3 minutes]