the alkahest-第2章

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time　and　the　midnight　oil。　All　things　bear　the　ear…mark　of　temporal

enjoyment。　There　men　look　exclusively　to　the　thing　that　is：　their

thoughts　are　so　scrupulously　bent　on　supplying　the　wants　of　this　life

that　they　have　never　risen；　in　any　direction；　above　the　level　of　this

present　earth。　The　sole　idea　they　have　ever　conceived　of　the　future　is

that　of　a　thrifty；　prosaic　statecraft：　their　revolutionary　vigor　came

from　a　domestic　desire　to　live　as　they　liked；　with　their　elbows　on　the

table；　and　to　take　their　ease　under　the　projecting　roofs　of　their　own

porches。



The　consciousness　of　well…being　and　the　spirit　of　independence　which

comes　of　prosperity　begot　in　Flanders；　sooner　than　elsewhere；　that

craving　for　liberty　which；　later；　permeated　all　Europe。　Thus　the

compactness　of　their　ideas；　and　the　tenacity　which　education　grafted

on　their　nature　made　the　Flemish　people　a　formidable　body　of　men　in

the　defence　of　their　rights。　Among　them　nothing　is　half…done；neither

houses；　furniture；　dikes；　husbandry；　nor　revolutions；　and　they　hold　a

monopoly　of　all　that　they　undertake。　The　manufacture　of　linen；　and

that　of　lace；　a　work　of　patient　agriculture　and　still　more　patient

industry；　are　hereditary　like　their　family　fortunes。　If　we　were　asked

to　show　in　human　form　the　purest　specimen　of　solid　stability；　we　could

do　no　better　than　point　to　a　portrait　of　some　old　burgomaster；

capable；　as　was　proved　again　and　again；　of　dying　in　a　commonplace　way；

and　without　the　incitements　of　glory；　for　the　welfare　of　his　Free…

town。



Yet　we　shall　find　a　tender　and　poetic　side　to　this　patriarchal　life；

which　will　come　naturally　to　the　surface　in　the　description　of　an

ancient　house　which；　at　the　period　when　this　history　begins；　was　one

of　the　last　in　Douai　to　preserve　the　old…time　characteristics　of

Flemish　life。



Of　all　the　towns　in　the　Departement　du　Nord；　Douai　is；　alas；　the　most

modernized：　there　the　innovating　spirit　has　made　the　greatest　strides；

and　the　love　of　social　progress　is　the　most　diffused。　There　the　old

buildings　are　daily　disappearing；　and　the　manners　and　customs　of　a

venerable　past　are　being　rapidly　obliterated。　Parisian　ideas　and

fashions　and　modes　of　life　now　rule　the　day；　and　soon　nothing　will　be

left　of　that　ancient　Flemish　life　but　the　warmth　of　its　hospitality；

its　traditional　Spanish　courtesy；　and　the　wealth　and　cleanliness　of

Holland。　Mansions　of　white　stone　are　replacing　the　old　brick

buildings；　and　the　cosy　comfort　of　Batavian　interiors　is　fast　yielding

before　the　capricious　elegance　of　Parisian　novelties。



The　house　in　which　the　events　of　this　history　occurred　stands　at　about

the　middle　of　the　rue　de　Paris；　and　has　been　known　at　Douai　for　more

than　two　centuries　as　the　House　of　Claes。　The　Van　Claes　were　formerly

one　of　the　great　families　of　craftsmen　to　whom；　in　various　lines　of

production；　the　Netherlands　owed　a　commercial　supremacy　which　it　has

never　lost。　For　a　long　period　of　time　the　Claes　lived　at　Ghent；　and

were；　from　generation　to　generation；　the　syndics　of　the　powerful　Guild

of　Weavers。　When　the　great　city　revolted　under　Charles　V。；　who　tried

to　suppress　its　privileges；　the　head　of　the　Claes　family　was　so　deeply

compromised　in　the　rebellion　that；　foreseeing　a　catastrophe　and　bound

to　share　the　fate　of　his　associates；　he　secretly　sent　wife；　children；

and　property　to　France　before　the　Emperor　invested　the　town。　The

syndic's　forebodings　were　justified。　Together　with　other　burghers　who

were　excluded　from　the　capitulation；　he　was　hanged　as　a　rebel；　though

he　was；　in　reality；　the　defender　of　the　liberties　of　Ghent。



The　death　of　Claes　and　his　associates　bore　fruit。　Their　needless

execution　cost　the　King　of　Spain　the　greater　part　of　his　possessions

in　the　Netherlands。　Of　all　the　seed　sown　in　the　earth；　the　blood　of

martyrs　gives　the　quickest　harvest。　When　Philip　the　Second；　who

punished　revolt　through　two　generations；　stretched　his　iron　sceptre

over　Douai；　the　Claes　preserved　their　great　wealth　by　allying

themselves　in　marriage　with　the　very　noble　family　of　Molina；　whose

elder　branch；　then　poor；　thus　became　rich　enough　to　buy　the　county　of

Nourho　which　they　had　long　held　titularly　in　the　kingdom　of　Leon。



At　the　beginning　of　the　nineteenth　century；　after　vicissitudes　which

are　of　no　interest　to　our　present　purpose；　the　family　of　Claes　was

represented　at　Douai　in　the　person　of　Monsieur　Balthazar　Claes…Molina；

Comte　de　Nourho；　who　preferred　to　be　called　simply　Balthazar　Claes。　Of

the　immense　fortune　amassed　by　his　ancestors；　who　had　kept　in　motion

over　a　thousand　looms；　there　remained　to　him　some　fifteen　thousand

francs　a　year　from　landed　property　in　the　arrondissement　of　Douai；　and

the　house　in　the　rue　de　Paris；　whose　furniture　in　itself　was　a

fortune。　As　to　the　family　possessions　in　Leon；　they　had　been　in

litigation　between　the　Molinas　of　Douai　and　the　branch　of　the　family

which　remained　in　Spain。　The　Molinas　of　Leon　won　the　domain　and

assumed　the　title　of　Comtes　de　Nourho；　though　the　Claes　alone　had　a

legal　right　to　it。　But　the　pride　of　a　Belgian　burgher　was　superior　to

the　haughty　arrogance　of　Castile：　after　the　civil　rights　were

instituted；　Balthazar　Claes　cast　aside　the　ragged　robes　of　his　Spanish

nobility　for　his　more　illustrious　descent　from　the　Ghent　martyr。



The　patriotic　sentiment　was　so　strongly　developed　in　the　families

exiled　under　Charles　V。　that；　to　the　very　close　of　the　eighteenth

century；　the　Claes　remained　faithful　to　the　manners　and　customs　and

traditions　of　their　ancestors。　They　married　into　none　but　the　purest

burgher　families；　and　required　a　certain　number　of　aldermen　and

burgomasters　in　the　pedigree　of　every　bride…elect　before　admitting　her

to　the　family。　They　sought　their　wives　in　Bruges　or　Ghent；　in　Liege　or

in　Holland；　so　that　the　time…honored　domestic　customs　might　be

perpetuated　around　their　hearthstones。　This　social　group　became　more

and　more　restricted；　until；　at　the　close　of　the　last　century；　it

mustered　only　some　seven　or　eight　families　of　the　parliamentary

nobility；　whose　manners　and　flowing　robes　of　office　and　magisterial

gravity　（partly　Spanish）　harmonized　well　with　the　habits　of　their

life。



The　inhabitants　of　Douai　held　the　family　in　a　religious　esteem　that

was　well…nigh　superstition。　The　sturdy　honesty；　the　untainted　loyalty

of　the　Claes；　their　unfailing　decorum　of　manners　and　conduct；　made

them　the　objects　of　a　reverence　which　found　expression　in　the　name；

the　House　of　Claes。　The　whole　spirit　of　ancient　Flanders　breathed　in

that　mansion；　which　afforded　to　the　lovers　of　burgher　antiquities　a

type　of　the　modest　houses　which　the　wealthy　craftsmen　of　the　Middle

Ages　constructed　for　their　homes。



The　chief　ornament　of　the　facade　was　an　oaken　door；　in　two　sections；

studded　with　nails　driven　in　the　pattern　of　a　quineunx；　in　the　centre

of　which　the　Claes　pride　had　carved　a　pair　of　shuttles。　The　recess　of

the　doorway；　which　was　built　of　freestone；　was　topped　by　a　pointed

arch　bearing　a　little　shrine　surmounted　by　a　cross；　in　which　was　a

statuette　of　Sainte…Genevieve　plying　her　distaff。　Though　time　had　left

its　mark　upon　the　delicate　workmanship　of　portal　and　shrine；　the

extreme　care　taken　of　it　by　the　servants　of　the　house　allowed　the

passers…by　to　note　all　its　details。



The　casing　of　the　door；　formed　by　fluted　pilasters；　was　dark　gray　in

color；　and　so　highly　polished　that　it　shone　as　if　varnished。　On　either

side　of　the　doorway；　on　the　ground…floor；　were　two　windows；　which

resembled　all　the　other　windows　of　the　house。　The　casing　of　white

stone　ended　below　the　sill　in　a　richly　carved　shell；　and　rose　above

the　window　in　an　arch；　supported　at　its　apex　by　the　head…piece　of　a

cross；　which　divided　the　glass　sashes　in　four　unequal　parts；　for　the

transversal　bar；　placed　at　the　height　of　that　in　a　Latin　cross；　made

the　lower　sashes　of　the　window　nearly　double　the　height　of　the　upper；

the　latter　rounding　at　the　sides　into　the　arch。　The　c