a most singular contrast with the stately coach to which they were attached to draw such fashionable travellers.

"What a grotesque figure we shall cut on entering the gay city of Brussels," said Lady Jocelyn, smiling, as the post-boy made his third attempt to climb to one of the nags' backs, and each time was drawn back by the weight of his enormous boots.

"The courteous Flemings, your ladyship," I replied, "will be so attracted by the magnetic influence within, that the equipage will pass unnoticed through Brussels' gay throng."

Both bowing with a smile at the reply, and saying farewell, the post-boy cracked his whip, and at a hand-gallop pace the equipage rolled through Antwerp's gates, to enter the gay and far-famed city of Brussels, Napoleon's favourite city of palaces.

Antwerp was once the first commercial city in modern Europe, and is even still the busy hive of sixty thousand souls.

The river Scheldt, at Antwerp, is about as wide as the Thames above Blackwall, and as it is the birth-place of Rubens, Vandyck and Teniers, the tourist, if a lover of painting, should make up his mind for two or three days of real enjoyment. The first object of attraction to me, was the celebrated Citadel, which held out for four weeks against the whole combined forces of the Belgians and French, in 1832, who threw into it upwards of twenty thousand shells, and destroyed its immense batteries, before the brave General Chasse, its defender, struck the Dutch banner. Napoleon, in his time, thought it impregnable, to any force that could be brought against it, and added much to its formidable strength. It stands a few hundred yards beyond the walls of the city, on an elevation bordering on the river, and commands the city. I was politely received by the Commandant, on presenting a card from the Governor of Antwerp, and was taken to every part of the fortress;-he pointed out to me the damages it sustained by the shells, and the room in the bomb-proof, where the brave Chasse, his officers and soldiers retired when resistance was of no avail, yet still refusing, without orders, to lower the banner of Holland. I also visited the Belgian and French batteries, a few hundred yards from the Citadel, having seen the immense mortars at Brussels, which had done so much execution, in the court-yard of the Museum. To my being an American citizen, may be attributed, in a great measure, the kind courtesy with which I was received by the Commandant and his officers. Napoleon made Antwerp a "port militaire," or rendezvous for his ships of war. The commercial docks should be examined; they are capable of holding two thousand vessels, and so constructed that the merchants can unload whole cargoes into their stores, without the goods touching the ground.

The churches of Antwerp contain a large number of splendid paintings, an elaborate account of which would fill a well-sized

volume. In the Cathedral, are the two last master-pieces by Rubens, of the Ascent and Descent from the Cross, something larger than life. These costly paintings were taken by Napoleon and placed in the Louvre at Paris, and restored to their original places by the Bourbons. The glory of Rubens, however, is supposed to be the grand Altar-piece, representing the Assumption.-The tourist should spare an hour in examining this picture. There are about two hundred pictures in the Cathedral; to name them all, would take up too much space. The spire of the Cathedral is four hundred and sixty-six feet high. You ascend to the tower by over six hundred steps. The sublime view from the dizzy height, will amply repay the trouble;-to look down is indeed fearful. One franc is given to the polite Sextons who attend to point out all that is worthy of seeing in the different churches. The tourist will also find a rich treat in the Church of St. Jacques, in examining the painting of Christ Crucified, by Vandyck. The Marquis of Hertford offered to cover this painting three times over with gold to obtain it. It is considered one of the most beautiful pictures in Europe. In this church is placed the tomb of Rubens -an entire chapelle is dedicated to his memory. His last painting, a family piece, is suspended on the wall over his tomb, and to examine it I was obliged to stand on the sacred marble tablet that covered the remains of the great artist. Vandyck was buried in St. Paul's, London, in 1644.

In the church of St. Andrews, is a costly monument to the memory of Mary, Queen of Scots; also, her portrait, splendidly executed. The Churches of St. Paul, St. Augustine, St. Anthony of Padua, and St. Joseph, are also all worth seeing, containing numerous pictures of the old Flemish masters; and if the tourist be not then satisfied, let him visit the Museum, which will, alone, afford one day's amusement.

The Bourse, or Exchange, should not be forgotten, for it is a most curious building, and erected in 1531, at a cost of £50,000 sterling. The Exchange in Amsterdam was built from this model. It has a clock which strikes the hour when business commences. All merchants arriving after that hour, are obliged to pay one franc.

The tourist, when at Antwerp, is but one hour's ride by rail-road to Brussels, twenty-four miles, fare two francs. From London, by steamer, a pleasant sail now of twenty-four hours, £2; and one day's ride will take him to Paris, distance two hundred and forty miles, fare 36f. The charge per day at the Hotel St. Antoine, is but seven francs, and its bed-rooms are more richly furnished than the parlours of some of our best hotels; and in the eating line, far superior-the word parsimony not being in their vocabulary. I would advise the tourist, however, to avoid eating cutlets

of any kind, either in the Netherlands or France, or he may have the pleasure of picking the same bone which has graced the table more than once, and after a little cleaning, refuse meat made to fit the curves so nicely as not to be easily observed.

Antwerp itself is a citadel. Her walls, broad deep moat, and fortifications, seem to bid defiance to any force. Her gates are closed at nine o'clock, and no one can go out after that hour without a permit from the Governor. Her streets are kept clean, and order prevails day and night, having an excellent police. The railway station is outside the gates, and for half a franc an omnibus will take you there from the hotel. Mechlin is half way between Antwerp and Brussels, and the cars stop there ten minutes.

The ride to Brussels is truly picturesque, and within three miles of the city, a fine view of King Leopold's country palace may be had. The Belgians are generally a silent people, which is rightly inherited from their forefathers, who were accustomed, per force, to talk little; as the oldest chronicles tell us that, in olden times, when a Fleming spoke too much, he was desired by an official to hold his tongue. After this order, if he again spoke twice, the official was in the habit of cutting off the corner of his coat! What a pity this custom has not been handed down to us Americans! If so, it would not take a school-boy long to calculate the number of members of Congress who would be found coatless at the end of a long session. This righteous law, however, did not include the ladies, for the Flemish ladies are renowned for their gifted intelligence and ease of expressing themselves, at all times and seasons; and had their foremothers the saine gift and the same law in force in their days, scissors would have been in demand, and dressmakers had full employ. The ladies in Belgium dress remarkably neat, without gaudy show, or much expense, walk with much grace and ease, similar to the French and Spanish, with all that dignity so much admired in the English ladies, and now becoming fashionable in the United States. The Belgian ladies use nothing artificial to set off their persons; even corsets are excluded, which are yearly destroying so many of the fair sex in the United States. A lady to be seen in public, in Belgium, with anything artificial to adorn her person, would be shunned, and become an object of ridicule. If the American ladies could but hear the remarks and jests made at their expense, while promenading in their present style of dress, disguising their sylph-like forms, a reform would soon follow, and the consequence some murmuring from the cotton-planters. What fair one will first set the example?

While travelling, the tourist should take with him his own soap, and never grumble, or find fault unnecessarily, or give himself proud, supercilious airs, if he wishes to be well and politely served while on his tour of observation and pleasure on the Continent.

CHAPTER XX.

Brussels; The City of Palaces; Gipsies; The Manneken; Incidents In Napoleon's Career; Museums; Paintings, etc.

THROUGHOUT Europe, there is not perhaps a city whose environs present more delightful walks and drives, than those of the splendid city of Brussels-the city of palaces. While the female pedestrian may saunter her hour of exercise away in the delightful park, which, in beauty unequalled, resembles those sylvan and delightful views which ornament annuals and enrich fairy tales, or stroll along the gay boulevards which extend uninterrupted for two miles; the more robust walker may track for weeks the surrounding country, and find each day some new enchanting spot to make his halt in. Gipsy parties and pic-nic people may find the prettiest sites in the world for the indulgence of their festivities, while the soul, which, tired of the noise and bustle of a town, seeks temporary retirement, may, within a couple of leagues of Brussels, find dells as secluded, umbrage as deep, and villages as simple as those of which we read of and believe to have existed in the primitive ages. The forest of Soignes contains within its bosom some score of lovely hamlets, some hundreds of romantic retreats, to enumerate which will be the subject of another chapter, together with the sights in and around Brussels-its palaces, museums, paintings, monuments, cathedrals, fountains, park, &c. &c.; and of the field of Waterloo, and the palace of the Duchess of Richmond, and the ball given by the Duchess to the Duke of Wellington, in June, 1815, when surprised by the approach of the army under Napoleon. About one hundred yards from the Place Hotel de Ville, (a large square,) in a retired corner in Brussels, stands a small bronze figure, with a small stream of water constantly running from one of the members of its body, and is called the "Manneken," which is now, and has been for centuries almost, worshipped by the good citizens of Brussels, and I may say by all the people of Flanders. The “Manneken” has existed since the seventh century, not in bronze, for the present figure is by Duguesnoy, who formed it on the exact

model of the stone figure serving the same purpose in the year 1648. Tradition declares it to be the petrified figure of Prince Godefroy, who, taking the liberty to turn aside during a religious procession to speak to a lady, (who was standing on the very spot on which the "Manneken” stands,) was instantly turned into stone as a punishment for such wickedness. To steal him is impossible. In 1584, the Manneken was seized and carried to Antwerp. He was, however, re-captured and brought back by a small party of Bruxellois, and replaced on his pedestal. After the battle of Fontenoy, the young gentleman was taken and conveyed away in a baggage wagon by the English troops; retaken, however, he was, for a time, allowed to delight by his presence the inhabitants of Grammort; but, demanded by the superstitious citizens of Brussels, who look upon him as the good spirit of their city, the little fellow once more came home and took the place in his snug corner where he has stood for centuries. In 1747, he was pulled down by the soldiers of Louis the Fifteenth, but being found too heavy to convey away, and fearing the Dutch, they dropped him near the Church of NotreDame de Bons-Secoms. Again the little fellow was taken by some English soldiers, and left by them in superstitious dread on the Chaussee de Namm. Some twenty years since, the little old gentleman was, for the last time disturbed; but the same good fortune attending him, Manneken was again recovered amid great rejoicing; when, the best to guard him from similar attempts, an iron railing was put up round him at the expense of the Priests.

The grave may smile, but the following statements are strictly true. Louvain and Brussels gave the little gentleman two splendid dresses for gala days. And he was the first person who carried the National cockade of Brabant, 1789. The Emperor Charles the Fifth, gave him a splendid complete suit, and settled a pension on him. Duke Maximilian, in 1668, gave him not only clothes, but, seriously, invested him with his order. The same year, the crossbow society also dressed him. Peter the Great came a long journey to see him, and, bowing before him, said, "Sir, I have come to see you, since you go to see no one;" and added to his pension. Louis the Fifteenth, to protect him, as it is said, from further violence from his soldiery (though actually to please the good people of Brussels) gave him a full uniform, and solemnly decorated him with the order of St. Louis!!

The Emperor Napoleon, on his entry into Brussels with his army, and knowing the prejudices and superstition of the Dutch, and to have effect with the people of Flanders, walked with his whole suite to pay his respects to the Manneken, and for the first time, surrounded by a great multitude, stood with his suite uncovered before the little gentleman, and drank from the fountain of pure water that issued from him, amid the shouts of the populace of Vive