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little travels and roadside sketches-第5部分

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majesty; such a force; such a splendor; such a simplicity about it!

The woman is in a stiff black dress; with a ruff and a few pearls;

a yellow curtain is behind herthe simplest arrangement that can

be conceived; but this great man knew how to rise to his occasion;

and no better proof can be shown of what a fine gentleman he was

than this his homage to the vice…Queen。  A common bungler would

have painted her in her best clothes; with crown and sceptre; just

as our Queen has been painted bybut comparisons are odious。  Here

stands this majestic woman in her every…day working…dress of black

satin; LOOKING YOUR HAT OFF; as it were。  Another portrait of the

same personage hangs elsewhere in the gallery; and it is curious to

observe the difference between the two; and see how a man of genius

paints a portrait; and how a common limner executes it。



Many more pictures are there here by Rubens; or rather from

Rubens's manufactory;odious and vulgar most of them are; fat

Magdalens; coarse Saints; vulgar Virgins; with the scene…painter's

tricks far too evident upon the canvas。  By the side of one of the

most astonishing color…pieces in the world; the 〃Worshipping of the

Magi;〃 is a famous picture of Paul Veronese that cannot be too much

admired。  As Rubens sought in the first picture to dazzle and

astonish by gorgeous variety; Paul in his seems to wish to get his

effect by simplicity; and has produced the most noble harmony that

can be conceived。  Many more works are there that merit notice;a

singularly clever; brilliant; and odious Jordaens; for example;

some curious costume…pieces; one or two works by the Belgian

Raphael; who was a very Belgian Raphael; indeed; and a long gallery

of pictures of the very oldest school; that; doubtless; afford much

pleasure to the amateurs of ancient art。  I confess that I am

inclined to believe in very little that existed before the time of

Raphael。  There is; for instance; the Prince of Orange's picture by

Perugino; very pretty indeed; up to a certain point; but all the

heads are repeated; all the drawing is bad and affected; and this

very badness and affectation; is what the so…called Catholic school

is always anxious to imitate。  Nothing can be more juvenile or

paltry than the works of the native Belgians here exhibited。  Tin

crowns are suspended over many of them; showing that the pictures

are prize compositions: and pretty things; indeed; they are!  Have

you ever read an Oxford prize…poem!  Well; these pictures are worse

even than the Oxford poemsan awful assertion to make。



In the matter of eating; dear sir; which is the next subject of the

fine arts; a subject that; after many hours' walking; attracts a

gentleman very much; let me attempt to recall the transactions of

this very day at the table…d'…hote。  1; green pea…soup; 2; boiled

salmon; 3; mussels; 4; crimped skate; 5; roast…meat; 6; patties; 7;

melons; 8; carp; stewed with mushrooms and onions; 9; roast…turkey;

10; cauliflower and butter; 11; fillets of venison piques; with

asafoetida sauce; 12; stewed calf's…ear; 13; roast…veal; 14; roast…

lamb; 15; stewed cherries; 16; rice…pudding; 17; Gruyere cheese;

and about twenty…four cakes of different kinds。  Except 5; 13; and

14; I give you my word I ate of all written down here; with three

rolls of bread and a score of potatoes。  What is the meaning of it?

How is the stomach of man to be brought to desire and to receive

all this quantity?  Do not gastronomists complain of heaviness in

London after eating a couple of mutton…chops?  Do not respectable

gentlemen fall asleep in their arm…chairs?  Are they fit for mental

labor?  Far from it。  But look at the difference here: after dinner

here one is as light as a gossamer。  One walks with pleasure; reads

with pleasure; writes with pleasurenay; there is the supper…bell

going at ten o'clock; and plenty of eaters; too。  Let lord mayors

and aldermen look to it; this fact of the extraordinary increase of

appetite in Belgium; and; instead of steaming to Blackwall; come a

little further to Antwerp。



Of ancient architectures in the place; there is a fine old Port de

Halle; which has a tall; gloomy; bastille look; a most magnificent

town…hall; that has been sketched a thousand of times; and opposite

it; a building that I think would be the very model for a

Conservative club…house in London。  Oh! how charming it would be to

be a great painter; and give the character of the building; and the

numberless groups round about it。  The booths lighted up by the

sun; the market…women in their gowns of brilliant hue; each group

having a character and telling its little story; the troops of men

lolling in all sorts of admirable attitudes of ease round the great

lamp。  Half a dozen light…blue dragoons are lounging about; and

peeping over the artist as the drawing is made; and the sky is more

bright and blue than one sees it in a hundred years in London。



The priests of the country are a remarkably well…fed and

respectable race; without that scowling; hang…dog look which one

has remarked among reverend gentlemen in the neighboring country of

France。  Their reverences wear buckles to their shoes; light…blue

neck…cloths; and huge three…cornered hats in good condition。  To…

day; strolling by the cathedral; I heard the tinkling of a bell in

the street; and beheld certain persons; male and female; suddenly

plump down on their knees before a little procession that was

passing。  Two men in black held a tawdry red canopy; a priest

walked beneath it holding the sacrament covered with a cloth; and

before him marched a couple of little altar…boys in short white

surplices; such as you see in Rubens; and holding lacquered lamps。

A small train of street…boys followed the procession; cap in hand;

and the clergyman finally entered a hospital for old women; near

the church; the canopy and the lamp…bearers remaining without。



It was a touching scene; and as I stayed to watch it; I could not

but think of the poor old soul who was dying within; listening to

the last words of prayer; led by the hand of the priest to the

brink of the black fathomless grave。  How bright the sun was

shining without all the time; and how happy and careless every

thing around us looked!





The Duke d'Arenberg has a picture…gallery worthy of his princely

house。  It does not contain great pieces; but tit…bits of pictures;

such as suit an aristocratic epicure。  For such persons a great

huge canvas is too much; it is like sitting down alone to a roasted

ox; and they do wisely; I think; to patronize small; high…flavored;

delicate morceaux; such as the Duke has here。



Among them may be mentioned; with special praise; a magnificent

small Rembrandt; a Paul Potter of exceeding minuteness and beauty;

an Ostade; which reminds one of Wilkie's early performances; and a

Dusart quite as good as Ostade。  There is a Berghem; much more

unaffected than that artist's works generally are; and; what is

more; precious in the eyes of many ladies as an object of art;

there is; in one of the grand saloons; some needlework done by the

Duke's own grandmother; which is looked at with awe by those

admitted to see the palace。



The chief curiosity; if not the chief ornament of a very elegant

library; filled with vases and bronzes; is a marble head; supposed

to be the original head of the Laocoon。  It is; unquestionably a

finer head than that which at present figures upon the shoulders of

the famous statue。  The expression of woe is more manly and

intense; in the group as we know it; the head of the principal

figure has always seemed to me to be a grimace of grief; as are the

two accompanying young gentlemen with their pretty attitudes; and

their little silly; open…mouthed despondency。  It has always had

upon me the effect of a trick; that statue; and not of a piece of

true art。  It would look well in the vista of a garden; it is not

august enough for a temple; with all its jerks and twirls; and

polite convulsions。  But who knows what susceptibilities such a

confession may offend?  Let us say no more about the Laocoon; nor

its head; nor its tail。  The Duke was offered its weight in gold;

they say; for this head; and refused。  It would be a shame to speak

ill of such a treasure; but I have my opinion of the man who made

the offer。



In the matter of sculpture almost all the Brussels churches are

decorated with the most laborious wooden pulpits; which may be

worth their weight in gold; too; for what I know; including his

reverence preaching inside。  At St。 Gudule the preacher mounts into

no less a place than the garden of Eden; being supported by Adam

and Eve; by Sin and Death; and numberless other animals; he walks

up to his desk by a rustic railing of flowers; fruits; and

vegetables; with wooden peacocks; paroquets; monkeys biting apples;

and many more of the birds and beasts of the field。  In another

church the clergyman speaks from out a hermitage; in a third from a

carved palm…tree; which supports a set of oak clouds that form the

canopy of the pulpit; and are; indeed; not much heavier in

appearance than so many huge sponges。  A priest; however tall or

stout; must be lost in the midst of all these queer gimcracks; in

order to be consistent; they ought to dress him up; too; in some

odd fantastical suit。  I can fancy the Cure of Meudon preaching out

of such a place; or the Rev。 Sydney Smith; or that famous clergyman

of the time of the League; who brought all Paris to laugh and

listen to him。





But let us not be too supercilious and ready to sneer。  It is only

bad taste。  It may have been very true devotion which erected these

strange edifices。







II。GHENTBRUGES。





GHENT。 (1840。)





The Beguine College or Village is one of the most extraordinary

sights that all Europe can show。  On the confines of the town of

Ghent you come upon an old…fashioned brick ga
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