Samuel Coster

Inspired by the national anthem, Coster laid out in it comical motives and characters: a voluptuous man married with an old woman, a farmer opposite a city-dweller, a bragging Westfaals talking with a bald nobleman, and a sly and knowing French lawyer.

Although largely in the pastoral style, it is an extremely bloody drama, take from one of the cruellest episodes in Ovid's Metamorphoses: the story of Tereus and Procne.

The final break came in 1617, when a small group of talented members led by Coster, Hooft and Bredero split off to found the 'Duytsche Academy'.

The intention was to practice not only poetry and theatre, but also to organize scientific research lectures in Dutch, unlike the universities of Leiden, Franeker, Harderwijk and Groningen, which gave their classes at that time in Latin.

He remained friendly with the aforenamed Amsterdam literary circles, and so the Academy's objectives were finally realised in 1632 and 1637, with the foundation of the Athenaeum Illustre and the new Theater – not founded by Coster himself, but by a younger generation realizing his aims.