Chapter XIII: Letter III

THE DUCHESS OF TYRCONNEL TO MRS. CARTWRIGHT.

_Dated_, Antwerp, _June, 169_--

MY DEAR MADAM,

"Here we are at length arrived; we have been in this city a week,
and keep our head quarters at the Golden Lion, one of their
principal inns, where we are most agreeably and comfortably
accommodated.

"Long since, indeed, had we planned and intended visiting this
former capital of Flanders, 'the Merchant City,' whose wealth once
resembled ancient Tyre, 'whose merchants were princes, whose
traffickers were the honourable of the earth!'[46] But alas, how
fallen is this even still magnificent city from its pristine state
of grandeur, opulence, and population! that I should be inclined
to apostrophize it in the words of Jeremiah, 'How doth the city
sit solitary, that was full of people! How is she become a
widow!--she that was great among the nations, and princess among
the provinces!'

[46] Isaiah, chap. 23, ver. 8.

"We had indeed long intended and projected a visit to this
ancient, interesting, and magnificent city; but that which is of
easy performance, what is in our daily power to execute, how often
do we delay and procrastinate to perform? So that too frequently
in human life such intentions are rarely or never accomplished!

"Our mode of travelling from Brussels to this city was by the
Trëkschuit, (_literally draw-boat_,) or passage boat, which is
drawn by two horses; it was, in sooth, a most stately and
magnificent barge which conveyed us, with a handsomely furnished
cabin beneath; the upper part of the deck, appropriated for the
_gens de condition_, was ornamented with a tasteful awning of
white and gold trellice work; the canopy which surrounded it
intended alike to keep aloof rain or sunshine. The whole of this
splendid barge was gilt, and most tastefully decorated; while at
the prow the Belgic lion (the armorial bearing of Flanders) blazed
forth in burnished gold, flinging its splendid image upon the
bosom of the waters as majestically it moved along its watery way.
I must indeed say that it strongly reminded me of the beautiful
passage in our immortal bard of Avon, where he describes, with so
much poetic force and fire, the progress of Cleopatra sailing down
the river Cydnus. But pray, I beseech you, do not think that I
conceive the duke to be Marc Antony, no more than I compare myself
to Cleopatra, although our stately barge reminded me of hers!

'The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne,
Burn'd on the water; the poop was beaten gold! &c.'

At the further end of the vessel, from the awning of the
Trëkschuit, were stationed a band of minstrels, who, upon the bell
having been rung to announce our departure, right merrily
commenced the harmony of sweet sounds, repeating songs and glees,
accompanied by musical instruments, every half hour, which fully
broke the monotony of our voyage, rendered so agreeable by such
sweet melody as to shorten apparently the distance from Brussels
to Antwerp. And as to our dinner, which we had piping hot and
excellent, in the cabin below, Sir Patricius Placebo, who is quite
_au fait_ on such occasions, loudly exclaimed, (and he is indeed,
accredit me, my good friend, by no means an indifferent judge,) 'I
vow, 'fore Jove,' said he, 'the dinner was excellent, every thing
in its kind was good, the wines excellent, and saving and except
at the duke's mansion in the _Rue Ducale_, he had,' he avowed,
'not partaken of so delicious a dinner since his _sejoừr_ in
Flanders!'

"This he concluded, of course, with his never failing favourite
Greek quotation--

'DOSS MOI, TANE STIGMEN!'

and his accustomed chorus: 'Ha, humph!--Ha, hum!'

"Although diminished in her population, and depressed in her
commerce, Antwerp is still a noble city. You need not, however, my
dear friend, apprehend that I shall enter into a critical detail,
which fault I am rather apprehensive (although your kindness
expresses the contrary) I have already committed in my two former
letters, which have engrossed too much of your time and attention,
by my elaborate description of other cities; but believe me truly
that in what now I write, I shall be both brief and sententious in
this rapid sketch which I am about to undertake:--

"The view of Antwerp, seen by the intervention of the river
Scheldt, is extremely imposing and magnificent, its numerous
domes, cupolas, palaces, and spires, and towering above all, over
town and tide, the exalted spire of _Notre Dame_, the finest in
the world, strikes the spectator with awe and admiration. This
venerable city was once the emporium and the envy of all Europe;
but now, alas! solemn, gloomy silence, pervades her splendid,
spacious, but unfrequented streets; the busy hum of men no more is
heard amid her deserted stately palaces, and silent and solitary
that noble exchange,[47] where once were congregated the most
wealthy merchants of the world!

[47] Sir Thomas Gresham took the model, or plan, of the Royal
Exchange, London, from _La Bourse_ of Antwerp.

"You may possibly have heard of the well known and authenticated
fact of a wealthy merchant of this city, by name Jean Deans, who
nobly supplied the emperor Charles V. with the immense loan of two
millions of money; the merchant then prepared a magnificent
banquet, which he gave upon the emperor's self-invitation; when
the magnificent merchant, at the termination of the repast,
flinging the bond into a spicy conflagration of cinnamon,
exclaimed the meanwhile--'I feel, Sire, sufficiently repaid by the
honour which your Majesty has so graciously this day conferred
upon me; fire has cancelled the imperial obligation. However,
Sire, I am _your_ debtor now, which I ever shall remain, for the
honour which your Majesty has this day conferred on me!'

"Antwerp has produced such an host of illustrious men, that to
enumerate all would truly prove a tiresome task. The names of
Bomberg, Plantin, and Moretus, are identified with the art of
printing. Antwerp also gave birth to Grammaye, the historian; to
Teniers, the Proteus of his art; to Sneyders; and likewise to
Jordaens; while the mighty names of Rubens[48] and Vandyke fling a
halo of glory around the ancient city of Antwerp.

[48] Rubens was born at Cologne, but his parents were natives of
Antwerp, whom civil war had caused to retire from Brabant to
Cologne.

"Already we have visited every place worthy of been seen, have
viewed every object of curiosity: museums, libraries, cabinets,
galleries, and collections of paintings: have inspected palaces,
monasteries, churches, and cathedrals, where are to be seen many
fine paintings of the first class of excellence. Yesterday we
visited the royal academy of paintings, and in the chamber where
the professors assemble, is placed the memorable chair that had
once belonged to 'the prince of painters,' to the great and
unequalled Rubens; it is formed of carved wood, surmounted with
lions' heads, and covered with red Morocco leather, with the
initials of his illustrious name, and his armorial bearings placed
on the back of it. My enthusiastic Adelaide fairly enthroned
herself therein, and there she sat, and would still have sat, and
how long the genii of poesy and painting can only tell, until I
had to give my dear daughter a most maternal tap upon the shoulder
to admonish that we were waiting for her.

"Next we visited the altar and tomb of Rubens, which is placed in
the church of Saint James; here my enwrapt enthusiastic Adelaide
was so delighted, that I really expected every moment to see her
doff her sandals, and, bare-kneed, advance a pilgrim of genius to
do homage at the shrine of this mighty man. The tomb and altar are
highly and richly decorated with marble. A splendid painting from
his own inimitable pencil adorns the altar, which forms the
central compartment; it represents the infant Saviour placed on
the knees of his mother; Saint Jerome is stationed on the right of
the Virgin; two female figures, which are portraits of the two
wives of Rubens, Elizabeth Brants and Helena Forman, are placed
before the principal figure, which represents the painter himself
in armour, personifying Saint George; the dragon, pierced to
death, lies at his feet, while, with much dignity and the triumph
of victory, he holds erect to heaven his triumphant banner. In a
niche, crowning the monument, is placed a marble statue of the
Virgin, looking up in the ardent act of devotion, and holding with
fervour to her breast a crucifix. This famous statue was
sculptured by Francis Flamand, and brought from Rome by Rubens
himself; it is a work of great excellence, but placed quite too
high for the eye sufficiently to appreciate its superior merit.

"But, my dear friend, were I to dwell upon and detail all the
various and excellent specimens of the works of art to be
witnessed in this ancient and venerable city, I should fill
volumes, and weary you to death. A few more 'last words'
concerning Rubens, and I have done.

"To-day we visited the site of the palace which had belonged to
this most distinguished and accomplished character. The palace no
more exists, but some few shattered arches and architectural
remains in his garden are still to be seen, and upon these we
gazed, as on holy relics, with awe and respect.

"This prince of painters was a learned scholar, artist,
politician, and a finished gentleman; ennobled by genius, birth,
and rank, this distinguished man was selected as the ambassador of
renowned kings, and decorated by them with honours, well and
deservedly bestowed; he returned at the conclusion of his embassy
to his native land. His education had been liberal, and his
erudition was great, he could fluently speak six different
languages; his manners, habits, and modes of life, were those of a
prince. His admiration of men of talent was as unbounded as was
his generosity manifested to them;--his friendship for the great
Vandyke is well known.

"This poor tribute I could not but pay to the illustrious Rubens,
whose virtues and whose genius must ever elicit the praise and the
admiration of this and every succeeding age!

"I had the pleasure to receive your very kind and friendly letter
from Bath, but grieve to find that the good bishop has had so
severe a visitation from his old inveterate tormentor, the gout;
however, I trust that the healing waters and springs of Baiæ may
fully aid his recovery, and renovate his health.

"You must know that my Adelaide has received proposals in
marriage from no less than three personages: from the eldest son
of the Earl of Aylesbury, which she instantly very properly
declined, for he was a prating coxcomb, a painted popinjay. The
next matrimonial proposition came from the Duke d'Aremberg, a most
amiable young nobleman, an alliance, in every respect, 'most
devoutly' to be wished for, and gladly accepted. But so thought
not Adelaide. Her father and I, without forcing her inclinations,
were most desirous that this union should take place; we
considered his elevated rank, the first duke in Brabant, his
lordly fortune, his great personal worth, added to his numerous
accomplishments. But strange and unaccountable to relate, without
hesitation, my Adelaide refused him! The third matrimonial
proposal came from 'the knight of Chester walls,' '_le chevalier
inconnu_,' but now well known as Sir David Bruce, a baronet of
Nova-Scotia; and which offer, it appears, was most graciously
accepted by Adelaide, but under correction and approbation of her
parents. Which said match is most likely never to be
accomplished, inasmuch that the Duke of Tyrconnel has solemnly
declared, that until his attainder is rescinded, and a free and
unqualified permission given him by the higher powers to return to
his native country and his paternal towers, he is determined never
to give his assent to the union of Sir David Bruce with the Lady
Adelaide. Thus I fear that the lovers have placed themselves in a
very awkward and distressing predicament, as no two events can
possibly be more distant, and hardly ever expected to be
attainable!

"It is impossible that I should not look up with the highest
respect to the character and the noble qualities of the Duke of
Tyrconnel, the unshaken friend of his sovereign, whether seated on
his throne, or an exile from his realms; uncorrupted by
prosperity, unshaken and unchanged by adversity; comporting
himself with that equanimity of temper, that what Horace[49] says
of Aristippus would apply to him--one whom every change, whom
every station, and every event became!

[49] "Omnis Aristippum, decuit color, et status et res."--HORACE.

"How days, and months, and years, my friend, advance, proceed, and
are gone like the track of an arrow through the buoyant air, or a
keel cutting its foaming course through the vasty deep! Alas, my
dear,

'We take no note of time but by its loss.'

Seven years have passed by since our sojourn in Brabant--sad and
solitary;--oh no, I cannot be so wicked--so ungrateful, as to
assert it has been; that portion of time having fled in the happy
home of my beloved Lord, and along with my _alter idem_, my second
self, as Cicero expresses it, my adored Adelaide. Oh, unjust
indeed I should be to complain; however, I may confess, _en
passánt_, that the climate of Brussels is somewhat humid,
especially during the autumnal months; and the society somewhat
_tristè_, with a notable lack of public amusements; but believe me
I truly feel no loss in the deprivation of the latter. Oh, my
friend, once more freely to breathe my native mountain air!--once
more to reach the verdant isle, and again to inhabit the towers of
Tyrconnel! then were my Adelaide suitably mated and matched, my
sum of human happiness would be consummated. We purpose staying
here a few days longer, and then set out on our return, by land,
to our mansion in the _Rue Ducale_ at Brussels.

"I know well, my dear and kind friend, how warmly interested you
and the good bishop are in every thing regarding or connected with
our interest and happiness, and whenever I can write to you upon
the subject, although poor exiles as we are, I feel not very
sanguine in my hopes of having cause of speedily so doing; yet
should a change in our fortunes occur, write I shall
assuredly--you may depend upon it!

"Having now, I fear, fairly tormented you with this long and
tiresome epistle, I shall not add another word but what I know you
will readily believe, which is, that wherever I am, wherever I
go, be assured that I remain

Your constant and truly
Affectionate Friend,
(_Signed_) KATHERINE TYRCONNEL."

* * * * *

"P.S.--The duke, Adelaide, and my sisters, desire their kindest
remembrance to you and your excellent prelate."