the complete writings-2-第6章

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own　hall　at　Courtrai。　　The　justice　wore　a　little　red　cap；　and　sat　informally　behind　a　cheap　table。　　I　noticed　that　the　witnesses　were　treated　with　unusual　consideration；　being　allowed　to　sit　down　at　the　table　opposite　the　little　justice；　who　interrogated　them　in　a　loud　voice。　At　the　stations　to…day　we　see　more　friars　in　coarse；　woolen　dresses；　and　sandals；　and　the　peasants　with　wooden　sabots。

As　the　sun　goes　to　the　horizon；　we　have　an　effect　sometimes　produced　by　the　best　Dutch　artists；a　wonderful　transparent　light；　in　which　the　landscape　looks　like　a　picture；　with　its　church…spires　of　stone；　its　windmills；　its　slender　trees；　and　red…roofed　houses。　　It　is　a　good　light　and　a　good　hour　in　which　to　enter　Bruges；　that　city　of　the　past。　　Once　the　city　was　greater　than　Antwerp；　and　up　the　Rege　came　the　commerce　of　the　East；　merchants　from　the　Levant；　traders　in　jewels　and　silks。　　Now　the　tall　houses　wait　for　tenants；　and　the　streets　have　a　deserted　air。　　After　nightfall；　as　we　walked　in　the　middle　of　the　roughly　paved　streets；　meeting　few　people；　and　hearing　only　the　echoing　clatter　of　the　wooden　sabots　of　the　few　who　were　abroad；　the　old　spirit　of　the　place　came　over　us。　　We　sat　on　a　bench　in　the　market…place；　a　treeless　square；　hemmed　in　by　quaint；　gabled　houses；　late　in　the　evening；　to　listen　to　the　chimes　from　the　belfry。　The　tower　is　less　than　four　hundred　feet　high；　and　not　so　high　by　some　seventy　feet　as　the　one　on　Notre　Dame　near　by；　but　it　is　very　picturesque；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　it　springs　out　of　a　rummagy…　looking　edifice；　one　half　of　which　is　devoted　to　soldiers'　barracks；　and　the　other　to　markets。　　The　chimes　are　called　the　finest　in　Europe。　　It　is　well　to　hear　the　finest　at　once；　and　so　have　done　with　the　tedious　things。　　The　Belgians　are　as　fond　of　chimes　as　the　Dutch　are　of　stagnant　water。　　We　heard　them　everywhere　in　Belgium；　and　in　some　towns　they　are　incessant；　jangling　every　seven　and　a　half　minutes。　　The　chimes　at　Bruges　ring　every　quarter　hour　for　a　minute；　and　at　the　full　hour　attempt　a　tune。　　The　revolving　machinery　grinds

out　the　tune；　which　is　changed　at　least　once　a　year；　and　on　Sundays　a　musician；　chosen　by　the　town；　plays　the　chimes。　　In　so　many　bells　（there　are　forty…eight）；　the　least　of　which　weighs　twelve　pounds；　and　the　largest　over　eleven　thousand；　there　must　be　soft　notes　and　sonorous　tones；　so　sweet　jangled　sounds　were　showered　down：　but　we　liked　better　than　the　confused　chiming　the　solemn　notes　of　the　great　bell　striking　the　hour。　　There　is　something　very　poetical　about　this　chime　of　bells　high　in　the　air；　flinging　down　upon　the　hum　and　traffic　of　the　city　its　oft…repeated　benediction　of　peace；　but　anybody　but　a　Lowlander　would　get　very　weary　of　it。　　These　chimes；　to　be　sure；　are　better　than　those　in　London；　which　became　a　nuisance；　but　there　is　in　all　of　them　a　tinkling　attempt　at　a　tune；　which　always　fails；　that　is　very　annoying。

Bruges　has　altogether　an　odd　flavor。　　Piles　of　wooden　sabots　are　for　sale　in　front　of　the　shops；　and　this　ugly　shoe；　which　is　mysteriously　kept　on　the　foot；　is　worn　by　all　the　common　sort。　　We　see　long；　slender　carts　in　the　street；　with　one　horse　hitched　far　ahead　with　rope　traces；　and　no　thills　or　pole。

The　women…nearly　every　one　we　saw…wear　long　cloaks　of　black　cloth　with　a　silk　hood　thrown　back。　　Bruges　is　famous　of　old　for　its　beautiful　women；　who　are　enticingly　described　as　always　walking　the　streets　with　covered　faces；　and　peeping　out　from　their　mantles。　　They　are　not　so　handsome　now　they　show　their　faces；　I　can　testify。　Indeed；　if　there　is　in　Bruges　another　besides　the　beautiful　girl　who　showed　us　the　old　council…chamber　in　the　Palace　of　justice；　she　must　have　had　her　hood　pulled　over　her　face。

Next　morning　was　market…day。　　The　square　was　lively　with　carts；　donkeys；　and　country　people；　and　that　and　all　the　streets　leading　to　it　were　filled　with　the　women　in　black　cloaks；　who　flitted　about　as　numerous　as　the　rooks　at　Oxford；　and　very　much　like　them；　moving　in　a　winged　way；　their　cloaks　outspread　as　they　walked；　and　distended　with　the　market…basket　underneath。　　Though　the　streets　were　full；　the　town　did　not　seem　any　less　deserted；　and　the　early　marketers　had　only　come　to　life　for　a　day；　revisiting　the　places　that　once　they　thronged。　　In　the　shade　of　the　tall　houses　in　the　narrow　streets　sat　red…cheeked　girls　and　women　making　lace；　the　bobbins　jumping　under　their　nimble　fingers。　　At　the　church　doors　hideous　beggars　crouched　and　whined；　specimens　of　the　fifteen　thousand　paupers　of　Bruges。　　In　the　fishmarket　we　saw　odd　old　women；　with　Rembrandt　colors　in　faces　and　costume；　and　while　we　strayed　about　in　the　strange　city；　all　the　time　from　the　lofty　tower　the　chimes　fell　down。　　What　history　crowds　upon　us！　　Here　in　the　old　cathedral；　with　its　monstrous　tower　of　brick；　a　portion　of　it　as　old　as　the　tenth　century；　Philip　the　Good　established；　in　1429；　the　Order　of　the　Golden　Fleece；　the　last　chapter　of　which　was　held　by　Philip　the　Bad　in　1559；　in　the　rich　old　Cathedral　of　St。　Bavon；　at　Ghent。　　Here；　on　the　square；　is　the　site　of　the　house　where　the　Emperor　Maximilian　was　imprisoned　by　his　rebellious　Flemings；　and　next　it；　with　a　carved　lion；　that　in　which　Charles　II。　of　England　lived　after　the　martyrdom　of　that　patient　and　virtuous　ruler；　whom　the　English　Prayerbook　calls　that　〃blessed　martyr；　Charles　the　First。〃　　In　Notre　Dame　are　the　tombs　of　Charles　the　Bold　and　Mary　his　daughter。

We　begin　here　to　enter　the　portals　of　Dutch　painting。　　Here　died　Jan　van　Eyck；　the　father　of　oil　painting；　and　here；　in　the　hospital　of　St。　John；　are　the　most　celebrated　pictures　of　Hans　Memling。　　The　most　exquisite　in　color　and　finish　is　the　series　painted　on　the　casket　made　to　contain　the　arm　of　St。　Ursula；　and　representing　the　story　of　her　martyrdom。　　You　know　she　went　on　a　pilgrimage　to　Rome；　with　her　lover；　Conan；　and　eleven　thousand　virgins；　and；　on　their　return　to　Cologne；　they　were　all　massacred　by　the　Huns。　　One　would　scarcely　believe　the　story；　if　he　did　not　see　all　their　bones　at　Cologne。




GHENT　AND　ANTWERP

What　can　one　do　in　this　Belgium　but　write　down　names；　and　let　memory　recall　the　past？　　We　came　to　Ghent；　still　a　hand　some　city；　though　one　thinks　of　the　days　when　it　was　the　capital　of　Flanders；　and　its　merchants　were　princes。　　On　the　shabby　old　belfry…tower　is　the　gilt　dragon　which　Philip　van　Artevelde　captured；　and　brought　in　triumph　from　Bruges。　　It　was　originally　fetched　from　a　Greek　church　in　Constantinople　by　some　Bruges　Crusader；　and　it　is　a　link　to　recall　to　us　how；　at　that　time；　the　merchants　of　Venice　and　the　far　East　traded　up　the　Scheldt；　and　brought　to　its　wharves　the　rich　stuffs　of　India　and　Persia。　　The　old　bell　Roland；　that　was　used　to　call　the　burghers　together　on　the　approach　of　an　enemy；　hung　in　this　tower。　　What　fierce　broils　and　bloody　fights　did　these　streets　witness　centuries　ago！　　There　in　the　Marche　au　Vendredi；　a　large　square　of　old…fashioned　houses；　with　a　statue　of　Jacques　van　Artevelde；　fifteen　hundred　corpses　were　strewn　in　a　quarrel　between　the　hostile　guilds　of　fullers　and　brewers；　and　here；　later；　Alva　set　blazing　the　fires　of　the　Inquisition。　　Near　the　square　is　the　old　cannon；　Mad　Margery；　used　in　1382　at　the　siege　of　Oudenarde；a　hammered…iron　hooped　affair；　eighteen　feet　long。　　But　why　mention　this；　or　the　magnificent　town　hall；　or　St。　Bavon；　rich　in　pictures　and　statuary；　or　try　to　put　you　back　three　hundred　years　to　the　wild　days　when　the　iconoclasts　sacked　this　and　every　other　church　in　the　Low　Countries？

Up　to　Antwerp　toward　evening。　　All　the　country　flat　as　the　flattest　part　of　Jersey；　rich　in　grass　and　grain；　cut　up　by　canals；　picturesque　with　windmills　and　red…tiled　roofs；　framed　with　trees　in　rows。　　It　has　been　all　day　hot　and　dusty。　　The　country　everywhere　seems　to　need　rain；　and　dark　clouds　are　gathering　in　the　south　for　a　storm；　as　we　drive　up　the　broad　Place　de　Meir　to　our　hotel；　and　take　rooms　that　look　out　to　the　lace…like　spire　of　the　cathedral；　which　is　sharply　defined　against　the　red　western　sky。

Antwerp　takes　hold　of　you；　both　by　its　present　and　its　past；　very　strongly。　　It　is　still　the　home　of　wealth。　　It　has　stately　buildings；　splendid　galleries　of　pictures；　and　a　spire　of　stone　which　char