Chapter IX: Letter II

THE DUCHESS OF TYRCONNEL TO MRS. CARTWRIGHT.

_Dated_, Brussels, _September_, 169--

MY DEAR MADAM,

"Oh, give me joy!
for yesterday my beloved husband, to our unexpected happiness,
returned to my arms! Oh, how it delights me he has returned; and
has received permission from the higher powers to remain at
Brussels. My Adelaide is wild with joy, and so am I.

"Yes, the duke has returned, and I behold every object with
redoubled interest--with renewed delight; all seems to me to be
newly created. The climate is more charming, the air is more
sweetly perfumed with aromatic gales, the melody of the birds is
more harmonious; every sky which I see is a Breughel sky. And
_now_ I behold daily illustrations of the old masters, which I did
not observe before, in the scenery which surrounds me, the various
buildings, manners, customs, and costume, and all so faithfully
portrayed to the life, in the performances of Berghem, Breughel,
Rubens, and Teniers.

"Sweeter too, to me, at eve, is the song of the nightingale: our
house fronts the park, which is the favourite retreat of this
sweetest of warblers; and night after night, long after Saint
Gudule hath tolled the midnight hour, have I sat stationed at my
latticed casement, the breeze of heaven blowing on my brow, and
the cold moon-beam gleaming on my cheek, while I listened with
mute delight to the melancholy songster of the night. And often
while the bitter tear fast trickled down my cheek, methought--I
acknowledge my weakness--methought that I had listened to some
poor widowed bird who mourned her absent mate, singing, as the old
proverb runs, with a thorn wounding her breast! But oh, _now_ I
think quite differently; for _now_ it is quite clear to me that
the warbling of the nightingale is more musical than melancholy;
for surely, after all, it sweetly trills the notes of love, and
not the strains of sorrow!

"You are pleased, my dear Mrs. Cartwright, to express so much
satisfaction, in verity, more than its deserts, of my poor account
of Lille; and at the same time expressing your desire that I
should write to you from this truly delightful city, and give you
a true and distinct account of Brussels, that I am flattered, and
even tempted to take you at your word, and I shall do my best, to
the fullest to gratify your wishes.

"And now, my dear friend, _pour commencér avec le commencement_, as
they say in France, and why not in Belgium? The appellation of
PAYS-BAS, or the Low Country, is given to the seventeen provinces
of Belgium, from the circumstance that in many places the ground
is lower than the level of the sea. The sovereign princes of this
realm were at first styled Foresters of Flanders, afterwards they
were designated Counts, and then Dukes of Brabant. If you should
wish to learn the portrait of a Forester of Flanders, here it
is:--Behold him arrayed in ducal bonnet and hunting gear, armed
with sabre, dirk, and hunting spear, at the same time accompanied
and surrounded by all the _accessoires_ of the chase; his hawk, or
falcon, resting upon his hand, and his greyhounds and spaniels
following at his heels; meanwhile attended by his jager and his
jongeling.[35] Thus accompanied and equipped for the chase,
sallied forth the manly Prince Forester of Flanders in the olden
time.

[35] Jager and jongeling, _i. e._ huntsman and page of honour.

"The etymon of Brussels is uncertain; however it is not for me to
hazard an opinion upon the subject, which I freely leave to the
more solemn adjudication of learned linguists, pertinent
philologists, and sapient scholiasts. I shall merely observe, that
some pretend that it is derived from a neighbouring marsh, which
is called Brocksel; while others more strenuously contend that the
name springs from the word _Broussailes_, (Brambles,) because the
town, say they, had been built upon a spot which had formerly been
covered with brambles. The foundation of Brussels is counted from
the year, _anno salutis_, 900. But it did not rank as a city until
1040.

"The city of Brussels, says Guicciardini, the celebrated historian
of Italy and of Belgium, (or the _Pays-Bas_,) resembles in its
conformation, or outline, the form of the human heart, and the
similitude certainly is striking and correct.

"Puteanus, the historian, observes, that every thing is
_septenary_ at Brussels; which made many to consider the number
_seven_ as completely of cabalistic import in this fair and
renowned city.

"The circumference of Brussels is _seven_ miles in extent.
Anciently _seven_ different noble families held their several
castles within the city, from whom sprung the _seven_ Patrician
families, from whose numbers the magistrates were annually chosen.

"This city, under the reign of Charles V., boasted at one time of
having _seven_ sovereigns residing within its walls; namely, the
Emperor Charles V.; his son Philip, then king of Naples;
Maximilian, king of Bohemia, and his consort, the queen of
Hungary, who was regent of the _Pays-Bas_; the king of Tunis, in
Africa, named Muley Hassan; the Duke of Savoy; the king of Cyprus;
and the Duchess of Lorraine, who was queen of Jerusalem.

"There are _seven_ large squares:--1. The great market. 2. Le
grandè sablon. 3. The fish market. 4. The corn market. 5. The wood
market. 6. Le Place Louvaine. 7. The beef market.

"There are _seven_ fountains which ornament this city.[36]

[36] Twenty-one fountains decorate this fine city at the present
period, 1821.

"The gates of the city are _seven_ in number:--1. The porte of
Louvaine. 2. Of Namur. 3. Of Halle. 4. Of Anderlecht. 5. Of
Flanders. 6. Of Lacken. 7. Of Cologne.[37]

[37] The gate of Cologne is at the present day called _Porte de
Scarebeeck_. Napoleon Buonaparte, during his occupation of
Brussels, added another gate, which he called _Porte de Napoleon_.

"The principal churches of the city are likewise _seven_ in
number:--1. Saint Gudule. 2. Our Lady of the Chapel. 3. Saint
Gery. 4. Saint Nicholas. 5. Saint Catherine. 6. Saint James of
Caudenberg, (this is the chapel of the court.) 7. Our Lady _de
finis Terræ_.

"Brussels, so justly celebrated, is a large, populous, and
magnificent city, of considerable extent and beauty; adorned with
magnificent squares, sumptuous palaces, public buildings, public
walks, public fountains, and venerable gothic structures. It is
partly built on the winding banks of the river Senne, and partly
upon a hill, which commands an extended view of the rich valleys
which surround it, producing fruits and vegetables of the best and
most luxuriant kind; indeed tillage in no country whatever is
better understood and practised than it is in the _Pays Bas_. This
city had been the capital of the Spanish, it has now, since change
of masters, become the capital of the Austrian Netherlands.

"Brussels once afforded an asylum to Charles II. of England,
brother to our gentle, but unfortunate, James II. It was here that
the emperor Charles V. resigned his dominions to his son Philip in
1535; and the chair upon which he sat during the performance of
the abdication, is religiously preserved in the cathedral of
Sainte Gudule. And here too Christiana, Queen of Sweden,
voluntarily abdicated her crown in 1654.

"The lower part of the city is crowned with that noble pile of
florid gothic architecture, called _La Maison de Ville_, or
town-hall of Brussels, which is situated in the grand
market-place; its noble steeple, from its great elevation, is a
most conspicuous object in, every direction, and is seen at a
great distance; it rises to the height of three hundred and
sixty-four feet, and is surmounted by a colossal bronze statue,
(which is gilt,) and seventeen feet high, of Saint Michael the
Archangel, to which I fear I must somewhat profanely add the
_soubriquèt_ of 'weathercock,' or vane; for to such vile use have
they turned the saint, and this too, credit me, in a Catholic
country! This is wondrous strange. Saint Michael is represented
brandishing his sword to the winds of heaven; and from this dizzy
and elevated height the reeling saint wheels to and fro as the
wind doth blow. But be it known to you, that Michael the Archangel
is the patron saint of the city. This fine structure, although
irregularly built, (for the steeple is not in the centre of the
building,) is nevertheless a noble specimen of gothic-florid
architecture. The building _La Maison de Ville_ occupied a space
of forty years before its completion. One hundred niches are
occupied by statues[38] of saints. The rooms in the interior,
where the estates of Brabant assemble, abound and are adorned with
beautiful specimens of the ancient Gobelin tapestry; they are
principally historical, three are after Janssens, the history of
Clovis; the inauguration of Philip the Good; and the abdication of
Charles V. in favour of his son Philip.

[38] These statues were destroyed in 1793.

"Opposite to the town-hall of Brussels stands a remarkable
structure, called _La Maison du Roi_, built by order of the
Archduke Albert and his Duchess Isabella; her Highness conceiving
that '_Notre Dame de Wavre_' had not only most graciously
delivered the good and royal city of Brussels from the plague, but
also had most humanely vouchsafed the blessings of peace, erected
in front of this mansion an image of the Virgin, and placed
underneath an inscription, which is as follows, and the good
prelate will translate it for you:--

'A Peste, Fame, et Bello, libera nos Maria Pacis; hic votum pacis
publicæ, Isabella consecravit.'[39]

[39] The statue of the Virgin hath long since evanished, but the
inscription remains to the present day.

"The collegiate church, or cathedral, of Sainte Gudule,[40] is a
venerable and interesting pile, presenting a fine specimen of
gothic architecture. It was built about the year 1047, by Lambert,
surnamed Balderic, Duke of Brabant.

[40] This church had been dedicated to Saint Michael, but upon
Charles Duke of Lorraine having removed the relicks of his mother
Sainte Gudule, and placed them in this church, it is, in
consequence, now called Sainte Gudule.

"The choir contains many fine paintings by Rubens, Vandyke, Philip
of Champagne, Artois de Haese, Mille, Janssens, and others. The
sculpture is also fine, produced by the chisels of Vervoont, Van
Nerven, P. Danckers, Van Delen, Henry du Quesnoy, Voorspoel, and
others. The windows of the chapel of the miraculous host, which is
within the aisles of Sainte Gudule, are formed of stained glass,
and are exceedingly fine; they were executed by Diepenbeke,
Rogiers, De Vrint, and C. Floris. Many of them were presents from
crowned heads, from John XI. king of Portugal, Maria III. queen
of Hungary, Francis I. king of France, and the emperor Charles V.;
the window presented by Charles is behind the altar of the
miraculous Host.

"Many sovereign princes are interred within the walls of Saint
Gudule, among others the Archduke Albert, sovereign of the _Pays
Bas_, and his Duchess Isabella Clara Eugenia, Infanta of Spain.
Here is the mausoleum of Ernest, Archduke of Austria. John II.
Duke of Brabant, and his wife Margaret, daughter of Edward King of
England, lie here interred. The tomb is in the choir, it is of
black marble, a lion of bronze, weighing six thousand pounds,
couches on the monument; the lion is the well-known heraldic
emblazonment of the house of Brabant.

"In the nave of Sainte Gudule are fourteen admirable statues
carved in stone, which are upwards of ten feet in height; they
represent our Saviour, the Virgin, and twelve apostles. Four of
them are readily distinguished as having been executed by the
admirable skill of a first-rate artist--they are the productions
of Quesnoy. The altar of the choir is exceedingly fine, and is
principally composed of white marble. Within the same choir
formerly were held two chapters of the order of the Golden Fleece,
one was in 1435, and the other in 1516. Here Charles V. conferred
that order on Francis I. King of France.

"In nearly the centre of the choir stands that splendid and
exquisite specimen of sculpture in wood, the celebrated pulpit,
which formerly had belonged to the Jesuits of Lovaine. It is of
carved oak, and was executed by Henry Verbrugger of Antwerp. The
subject is the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise by the
Archangel, who in so doing extends the flaming sword. The grief
and compunction of our first parents is finely conceived: while
the angel expels Adam and Eve, his left hand gracefully extended,
with the right he smites with his sword the head of the serpent,
which is represented as eagerly devouring the apple. In front, and
on the convexity of the pulpit, an angel upholds a medallion of
the Virgin and the Child; and in the concavity within is the
station of the preacher. Behind the pulpit arises the tree of
life, two boughs of which, curving right and left, support a
circular canopy, which is formed to represent clouds. The dove, as
typical of the Holy Spirit, is observed hovering over the
preacher's head; groups of cherubim are wreathed around, and the
canopy is crested by upright figures of the Virgin, the Saviour,
and St. John. I have been thus minute, my dear friend, as it would
indeed be difficult to speak of this noble piece of carving in
sufficient terms of adequate praise.

"The governor's palace, the ancient residence of kings, who were
sovereigns of the _Pays Bas_, is situated in the park. It is an
old and venerable pile, with large gothic windows and various
grotesque decorations. It is called _La Palais de la Cour_.[41]
The building was begun in 1300 by John II. Duke of Brabant; in
1452 it was enlarged by Philip the Good, and completed by his
successors.

[41] This grand and venerable pile was destroyed by fire 4th
February, 1731, which raged with such violence and rapidity that
in a few hours the whole pile was entirely consumed. It was with
the greatest difficulty that the Archduchess of Austria, Maria
Elizabeth, eldest sister of Charles VI., and _gouvernante_ of the
_Pays Bas_, escaped with her life, having only had time to draw on
one stocking and to fling her robe around her. The young and
beautiful Countess of Vlefeld, one of her ladies of honour,
perished in the flames.

"On entering the palace one beholds a saloon of extraordinary
grandeur, from whence a gallery leads to the chapel, the
architecture of which is extremely fine, and of admirable
symmetry. The other apartments in the palace are extremely
spacious, and of corresponding magnificence. The exterior of the
building is adorned with cupolas, towers, pinnacles, &c. A large
area presents itself in front of the palace, which is handsomely
enclosed by ornamented ballustrades of stone, in good taste, and
at intervals columns arise, which are surmounted by statues of
various illustrious characters, viz.--Charles V., his son Philip,
the Duke of Burgundy, &c. &c. At the extremity of the park, near
to the gate of Louvaine, stands a handsome house, which the
Emperor Charles V. caused to be built subsequent to his
abdication.

"The park, which presents an agreeable and fashionable promenade,
is laid out as a large garden with the greatest taste, intersected
in every direction by wide and handsome walks, on each side
adorned with lofty overshadowing lindens. The grounds are
interspersed with numerous sunny lawns, ornamented with fountains
and numerous busts and statues, some of which are exquisitely
sculptured. There is a Magdalen by Quesnoy--the statues of Diana
and Narcissus by Gripelo--Venus and her doves by Ollivier, &c. In
the centre of the park stands a magnificent marble basin, well
stocked with gold and silver fish. On either side of the principal
walk, which is a fashionable promenade, extend deep valleys,
shaded by noble lime trees, which afford a cool and agreeable
retreat from the summer's sun.

"There is another promenade which is fully as frequented as the
park, called '_l'Alle Vertè_.' It is situated on the right bank of
the canal, which communicates with Antwerp, &c. This walk and
drive extend a mile and half from the walls or ramparts of the
city. The view from the canal bridge is exceedingly beautiful.
This public walk is delightfully shaded by a triple row of trees
planted on the banks of the canal. The scene is rendered
peculiarly delightful by the prospect which is presented to the
spectator's eye, the numerous villas in the vicinity, the passing
and repassing of boats on their way to the cities of the _Pays
Bas_ and of Holland. These objects cannot fail to please, seen
through the extensive vista of the lofty limes, which opportunely
afford a cool and covered shade to the merry groups assembled in
this favourite spot. Here crowds of fashionables assemble before
dinner, and revisit its walks in the cool of the summer evenings.
The _boulevards_, or ramparts, which are planted with rows of
trees on each side, also form an agreeable walk or ride.

"The halls of _La Palais de la Cour_ are adorned with a valuable
and select collection of paintings by the most celebrated and
first-rate Flemish masters. The library, which is open to the
public, is placed in the same building, and contains one hundred
and twenty thousand volumes. Among the manuscripts are a Greek
Bible, a Terence, a Virgil, and a Cicero.

"There are many handsome palaces in Brussels: one belongs to the
house of Orange, another to the Countess de Soissons, Prince
Vaudement, Prince de la Tour et Taxis; palace de Berghem, de
Ligne, d'Epinoy, de Rubempre, d'Aremberg, &c., &c. Some beautiful
gardens--de Croy, de Hornes, de Westerloo, &c. &c.

"Many of the streets are of considerable extent, containing lofty
houses of handsome appearance, and withal having curiously
decorated grotesque gables. The exterior of some of the houses are
plastered or painted white, some are coloured yellow, and others a
pale green colour.

"I must yet revert to the great market-place to observe (for I was
too much absorbed in my account of _La Maison de Ville_ to do so
before) that it is one of the most remarkable in Europe. It is a
regular parallelogram of great dimensions. Although the four sides
differ extremely in form and architecture, yet, nevertheless, they
unite to form a noble _coup d'oeil_. Some inimitable, pieces of
sculpture adorn it.[42]

[42] These fine pieces of sculpture were destroyed by the
revolutionary Goths and Vandals, in 1793-4.

"The number of churches, chapels, convents, and monasteries in
Brussels, is very considerable. _Le grand Beguinage_, which is the
most remarkable, is a nunnery which was founded by _Sainte Begge_,
daughter of Pepin of Landen, from which lady it derives its name.
This institution resembles a small village; it is surrounded with
walls, and enclosed with a fosse. It contains a number of handsome
streets, where every nun has allotted her own dwelling. The usual
number of the sisterhood is from seven to eight hundred, and
sometimes more. Every one takes charge of her own property. The
vow of chastity is taken during the time of their residence in the
Beguinage; and when they leave the nunnery they are free to marry.
They are governed by four superiors chosen from their own body,
and a curate chosen by the Bishop of Antwerp.

"The territory of Brussels includes a number of abbeys, convents,
and priories, of different religious orders. All these monasteries
are magnificently built, and their churches are very fine.

"The forest of Soignies contains three priories of regular canons
of the order of Saint Augustin:--1. The monastery of Groendal. 2.
The priory of Rouge Cloitre: in the library of this priory there
is a considerable collection of ancient manuscripts.--3. The
priory of the Seven Fountains.

"The beautiful forest of Soignies extends almost to the very gates
of Brussels. It contains sixteen thousand five hundred and
twenty-six acres. It is stored with abundance of game, and princes
have often within its extended wilds partaken the divertisements
of the chase. This noble forest belongs to the corporation of
Brussels. It supplies wood in very great abundance as well for
timber as for fuel.

"The principal commerce of Brussels consists in camlets, fine
lace, and tapestry. The population is estimated at about fifty
thousand inhabitants.[43] The ordinary language spoken here is
either Flemish or French; and indeed I may observe that the French
spoken here (always, of course, excepting _les gens de condition_)
is, in sooth, ordinary enough.

[43] The population of Brussels at the present day is estimated at
80,000.

"I have observed some curious customs here, which according as
they recur to my recollection I shall detail to you, without
assuming any regular mode or form.

"In Brussels, and in other Belgic towns, I have seen dogs of the
wolf species or breed harnessed to small carriages, sometimes
three abreast; to others four, or even five abreast, and drawing
very considerable burdens. I have often seen baskets of fish, &c.
thus conveyed.

"The kermise, or village-fair, is maintained with full as much
_esprit_ as ever it had been in the days of Teniers, Ostade, or
Van Bredäel. Music and dancing are the favourite pastimes of the
Belgians of all classes and descriptions; and indeed such is the
extreme infatuation for dancing that it is pursued more as a
passion than sought as an amusement. The lower class of the
Belgians are extremely partial to garlands of living flowers.
Often these are suspended on a pole or tree, around which they
dance; and often are garlands to be seen suspended on cords across
a street, in the manner that lamps are hung in the good city of
Paris.

"The Belgic brazen pitcher is still to be seen either bearing home
milk to the dairy, or drawing water from the numerous wells in the
vicinity of this capital. The shape and form of this aforesaid
pitcher is familiar to those conversant with the paintings of
Rubens, Cuyp,[44] Jourdaens, and Equilinus, in many of which it is
introduced.

[44] Jacob Gerritze was called Kuyp, or Cuyp.

"The Brussellois dames wear the wedding ring in different guise
from what we do. We wear it on the third finger of the _left_
hand, because it is said, or sung, or supposed to communicate with
the human heart by means of some nerve or vein unseen; and the
idea is not devoid of prettiness. Here, however, the wedding ring
is worn on the third finger of the _right hand_, without any
reason whatever being assigned for the custom that I could ever
hear or learn. Rings, it seems, here constitute a favourite
article in the dress of our sex, the fingers being often covered
with them. The lower class of females, citizens' daughters and
wives, and servant-maids, wear long, heavy pendants, or ear-rings,
made of some yellow metal to resemble gold, and so weighty that
one's pity is ever on the stretch, lest the patient's ears should
succumb under the burden. Large heavy crosses are likewise worn of
the same kind of metal, probably gilt brass, and suspended from a
chain of the same _materiel_.--Their peripatetic dress too is
somewhat curious. They wear a veil, or mantle rather, of black
stuff or silk, which head habiliment had been introduced by the
Spaniards. It is called '_La faille_,' and is worn like the
_coiffeurè_ placed on the Madona heads of Carlo Dolce, Trevisano,
Caracci, and Raffaele.

"The walking dress of the _bourgeois_ is curious in its way, but
not so remarkable as the dress of the female as before described.
His head is enveloped in a hat of a size somewhat so cumbersome
that it resembles the kaplaken of a Dutch schipper, save and
except with this essential difference, that it is encompassed by a
yellow tinsel band, and turned up in front _à la coûtume
Espagnòle_. Around the neck and shoulders is flung a large cloak,
somewhat resembling, and evidently borrowed from the _cápa rópa
larga_ of the Spaniard. A Flemish pipe, with its numerous circling
curves, is stuck in his lips, from whence clouds of smoke are
whiffed forth as he onward wends his way. The cloak reaches to the
knee; thence downward leather gaiters make their appearance; and a
cane obtruded from the dexter arm completes the walking
habiliments of the Brussels' _bourgeois_ of the present day.

"With almost unspeakable delight I told you of my dear Lord's
return. But now, my dear, pray prepare for more wonders still!
Know then that at length we have ascertained who 'the unknown
knight of Chester walls' proves to be. Oh, it is, my dear,
positively a tale of romance--an incident in chivalry. He is
indeed, I do assure you,

----"'No carpet knight
That spent his youth in groves or pleasant bowers.'

No! there is the spirit of romance with the truth of history
commingled in his story.

"But, my dear, the post is going off. The duke, who has only just
returned home, has but within these few moments communicated this
passing strange event, which you shall have positively and
particularly detailed in my next.

"In great haste, ever, my dearest Madam, I remain most cordially
and affectionately thine,

(_Signed_) KATHERINE TYRCONNEL."