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ANTWERP.

ANTWERP-alled by the French Anvers, and by its Flemish inhabitants Antwerpen-stands on the river Scheldt, about sixty miles from the sea. The river, which winds amongst the marches of the Dutch province of Zeeland for many miles above Flushing, where it falls into the sea, is strongly embanked, and leaves Belgian territory and the province of Antwerp about twenty miles below the city. The cost of mantaining the embankments or dykes and of dredging the channels of the river is enormous; and the traveller who arrives at Antwerp by river, which is in fine weather the pleasantest and most picturesque approach, will probably pass many curious dredging-machines, each with its attendant barges, in which the mud obtained from the bottom of the channel is carried off to maintain the dykes or to fertilise the adjacent land. After passing Fort Lillo, which was retained by the Dutch until 1839, the spire of the cathedral comes well into view, and soon afterwards the towers of some of the other churches and the tall masts of the vessels lying in the docks will be seen. Gradually the whole city is displayed like a panorama. Before the quay is reached the entrance to the docks is passed, and near the gates was the scene of a determined, but Quixotic, act of a gallant young Dutch lieutenant, during the war of independence between Holland and Belgium in 1831. A storm had driven his gunboat on shore, and the Belgians demanded its surrender; but rather than yield, Van Speyk, the lieutenant in command, fired his pistol into the magazine, and blew himself, his crew, and the ship into the air, besides destroying many of his enemies. This tragic incident has frequently been painted by Dutch artists.

The early history of Antwerp is involved in the dark mists of antiquity. It is said to have existed as a small port as early as the beginning of the seventh century of the Christian era. In the reign of Charlemagne, the sparsely-populated countries of Flanders and Brabant were occupied by Saxon settlers, some of whom probably took up their abode in Antwerp. In the eleventh century it was a small republic, but it did not attain to the importance of Ghent or Bruges, which, in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, were amongst the wealthiest and most populous cities of Europe. When they began to decline the fortunes of Antwerp were in the ascendant, and under the prudent rule of Charles V., the city became the commercial capital of Northern Europe. The population exceeded 100,000 souls, and included, besides the native Flemings, English, French, Danes, Germans, Italians, Portuguese, and, above all, Spaniards. The exports consisted of jewels and precious stones, bullion, quicksilver, cloths of gold and silver, *pices, drugs, sugar, cotton, linen, tapestry, hops, glass, salt-fish, arms, and household furniture. From England large quantities of wool were imported, besides lead and tin from the Cornish mines, and beer, cheese, and other provisions. An English factory was established in the city as early as 1296, but it was not until 1558 that the English merchants obtained possession of the Hôtel van Lyere, a handsome building, formerly the residence of a burgomaster of that name. The hotel had been erected in 1474, in the late FlemishGothic style, with gables elaborately ornamented at each end of the façade. Many eminent. Englishmen resided here, including Sir John Hackett, Sir William Dansell, and John Fitzwilliam, the ancestor of the noble family of that name. Sir Thomas Gresham, the

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founder of Gresham College and the Royal Exchange, was for many years a resident at Antwerp, as agent for Edward VI. and Queen Elizabeth. A yet more illustrious Englishman, William Tyndale, the translator of the New Testament, lived in Antwerp for some years, acting during a portion of the time as chaplain to the English residents, and translating portions of the Old Testament. In 1536 he was arrested by the treachery of a spy, hurried off to Vilvorde, a small town on the road to Brussels, where he was tried and condemned for heresy, and after being strangled, was burnt at the stake. His last words were, "Lord, open the eyes of the King of England;" and it is remarkable that in the very next year the Bible was published by command of Henry VIII., and ordered to be read in churches. Tyndale's New Testament has been the basis of subsequent translations and versions, and in the recent revision the revisers have in many instances preferred Tyndale's translation to the Authorised Version of King James's translation.

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The intolerance which put Tyndale to death eventually proved the ruin of the city which had been the scene of his latest labours. The comparatively mild rule of Charles V. was followed by the oppression of Philip II., who succeeded his father on the throne of Spain and in the government of the Netherlands. The seven United Provinces which now form the Kingdom of Holland obtained their freedom and independence under the wise and able guidance of William the Silent, but after a long and arduous struggle, which was carried on against enormous odds, the inhabitants of the southern provinces were compelled to submit to the supremacy of Spain. In 1576 Antwerp was pillaged by the Spanish soldiery, and 7,000 of its inhabitants lost their lives. It was afterwards besieged by the Duke of Parma, the Spanish Governor of the Netherlands, and withstood his attacks for fourteen months, but was captured by him in 1585. Four years afterwards the population had dwindled to 55,000. The Treaty of Munster, by which, in 1648, Spain recognised the independence of Holland, was a further blow to the prosperity of Antwerp. Commerce flowed into new and freer channels, and Amsterdam may be said to have risen upon the ruins of Antwerp. In 1790 the population had fallen to 40,000. The occupation of the Netherlands by France, in 1794, to some extent improved the position of Antwerp. The navigation of the Scheldt was re-opened, and Napoleon subsequently constructed a new harbour and quay. At the same time he restored the fortifications, which he regarded as a serious menace to England. The city was captured by the Allies in 1814, and formed, with the rest of Belgium, part of the Kingdom of Holland until 1830. Under Dutch rule the prosperity of Antwerp again declined, the rulers being more desirous of promoting the prosperity of the Dutch ports than of re-establishing the greatness of their rival on the Scheldt. Antwerp rose, with the rest of Belgium, in 1830, against the rule of Holland, but was occupied by the Dutch in 1832. The French, however, intervened, and took the city, after a month's siege, two days before Christmas. It was then incorporated into the Kingdom of Belgium, in accordance with the provisions of the treaty signed in London in the previous year. But the heavy navigation dues levied by Holland retarded for thirty years the recovery of Antwerp. In 1863 these dues were commuted, and prosperity returned to the city. New docks were erected, railway communication was improved, and the port of Antwerp is now one of the busiest in the world. No city in Europe has grown so quickly during the last twenty

pan. Ne is this to be wondered at, when it is remembered that it is the natural channel t emomvatn between Central Europe and Great Britain and America, and that there *ther Ent-rate Larbour between Havre, at the mouth of the Seine, and Amsterdam, in the birth of Holland. Even the St. Gothard Tunnel benefited Antwerp, and her present prosperity exceeds that of the days of Charles V., when she was without a commemial rival in Eumpe.

With the return of prosperity and the increase of population, Antwerp is losing me of her former picturesqueness, but she still possesses many attractions. The Church of Notre Dame, usually described as a cathedral-though there is no bishop-is not only the finest church in the city, but in size exceeds every other church in the Netherlands. Covering an ana of 70,000 square feet, it is considerably larger than Lincoln Cathedral, and a little smaller than York Minster, the largest of the Gothie churches of Great Britain. It was begun in the fourteenth century, and continued under several architects during two hundred years. The façade and towers were designed by Amel, an architect of Boulogne, in 1422, but only one tower has been completed. This magnificent ornament of the church and city rises to a height of 402 feet, and is seen for many miles in every direction. The details of the tracery of the spire are very elaborate. It has been compared to lace-work; and Napoleon is reported to have said that it deserved to be covered by a glass case. Some critics, indeed, have complained that it is too intricate and lacks simplicity, though few who have examined it with care will concur in this harsh judgment. It contains a most magnificent set of bells, forming a carillon, which is perhaps the finest in the world. These bells are ninety-nine in number, the smallest no bigger than a hand-bell, and the largest weighing eight tons. Eight times an hour they are played by the machinery of the clock, and there is also a contrivance by means of which they can be made to discourse sweet music at the will of the performer, who strikes a key-board with a hammer. The west portal of the church and the window above are adorned with beautiful tracery.

The usual entrance is by the door of the south transept, which contains Rubens' famous "Descent from the Cross." This picture was painted in 1610, and, though lacking the refinement of the Italian masters in their treatment of the same subject, is perhaps the best attempt ever made to represent the scene on canvas. The figures are larger than life, and the dead Christ is drawn in a most skilful manner. The white linen cloth into which the body is being received is a bold and successful conception, but most of the other figures are too gross, and represent more accurately the Flemish models of the painter than the lighter forms of Galilean peasants or Jewish rulers. The countenance of Joseph of Arimathea is very flabby and very weak. But with all its defects, the "Descent from the Cross" is a grand work, and it is not to be wondered that Napoleon carried it off to Paris, where it remained until 1516. The two wings of the picture represent the visit of the Virgin to Elizabeth and the presentation of Christ in the Temple.

Passing across to the north transept, the corresponding wall-space is occupied by another work of the same artist-the "Elevation of the Cross," painted by Rubens seventeen years after the "Descent." This picture is full of life and movement, but is generally considered inferior to its companion. The altar-piece is also by Rubens, and represents the

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Assumption of the Virgin," the principal figure being a portrait of the artist's second The choir stalls are beautiful specimens of modern wood-carving, an art which still flourishes in Belgium, and the

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floor of the choir is covered by a black

and white marble pavement.

The nave of the church is very wide, and has three aisles on each side -an arrangement quite unique in Northern Europe. Unfortunately, the pillars supporting the roof are rather heavy and destitute of ornament, but the effect from the side aisles is good. There is a fine organ in the west gallery, and the musical services are generally well rendered. The pulpit is elaborately carved in wood, and dates from the seventeenth century. There is some good stained glass in some of the windows, and the church contains. pictures, in addition to those already mentioned, by Ru

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NOTRE DAME, ANTWERP.

building was commenced in 1491, and not finished for more than two hundred years after the foundation was laid. The style is, however, uniform, the decorations are richer than those of the cathedral, and there are more handsome monuments, for this church was,

during many years, the burial-place of the wealthiest and most important families of the city. The exterior is hidden by the surrounding buildings, which are of little interest; but as the church was not built with a view to outward effect, the removal of these obstructions would not be worth the trouble and expense. The interior is very fine and the proportions are excellent. There are chapels all round, except at the west end, and most of them contain good paintings and many carvings in relief as well as several statues. The windows of the church are filled to a large extent with stained glass, the work of Flemish artists from the seventeenth century to the present date, some of the modern work having been supplied by Capronnier, whose windows in the church of St. Gudule at Brussels are well known. The high altar is very elaborate, though hardly in harmony with the general style of the building; and this observation applies to many other Gothic churches of Belgium, in which altars have also been put up in the Renaissance manner. The chapel behind the high altar contains the vault of the Rubens family, and is generally called by their name. The altar-piece of the chapel was painted by Rubens himself. The subject is the Holy Child sitting in the lap of the Virgin, and attended by St. Bonaventura, St. Jerome, St. George, and three female saints. Most of the figures are portraits of the Rubens family. Above the picture is a fine marble statue of the Virgin, and to the right and left are modern monuments of two female. descendants of the painter. In the next chapel is a picture, by Jordaens, of Cardinal Carlo Borromeo, the famous Archbishop of Milan, visiting the plague-stricken people of that city, where his memory is still deservedly held in high honour.

The Church of St. Paul, formerly belonging to the Dominican Friars, is another famous church with a very imposing interior. Outside the building there is a very extraordinary work called the "Calvary," and intended to represent the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem, The approach is between several statues of prophets, saints, and others, at the end of which a stupendous mass of artificial rock-work rises against the wall of the church to considerable height, and is supposed to represent Mount Calvary. Saints and angels appear in various parts of this curious structure, at the foot of which is the tomb of the Saviour, covered by a glass window, which enables the spectator to see the body. On either side are grottoes, intended to represent Purgatory, which contain a great number of human faces, carved in wood, and showing most horrible contortions in the midst of painted fire. The whole exhibition is grotesque, and whatever may have been the intentions of the Dominicans who erected it, tends rather to raise a contemptuous smile than to excite feelings of pity and sorrow. It is, notwithstanding these drawbacks, a curiosity, and is visited by almost everybody who goes to Antwerp. (See Vol. I., p. 9.)

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The city contains several other churches, but only two can be mentioned. Church of the Jesuits was built from the plans of Rubens, but was partially destroyed by lightning in 1718. It is elaborately ornamented, as the churches belonging to the Society of Jesus generally are, and is a fair specimen of a large city church.

St. Andrew's Church contains some good ancient and modern pictures, but the chief attraction is the magnificent pulpit in carved wood, by Van Geel and Van Hool. Perhaps this is the finest of all the carved wood pulpits in Belgium, though it is not easy to award the palm of pre-eminence among so many admirable works of art.

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