CHAPTER V.

Antwerp-Brussels-Honorable Virgil Maxcy-Hotel de France-Great Military Review on the Banks of the Rhine-Cologne-Aix-la-Chapelle Splendid Reception by the King of Prussia-Baron Humboldt-Return to Brussels.

ANTWERP was as strange to me as it was interesting. The whole aspect of the place was unlike anything I had ever seen before; its old buildings of the Spanish style of architecture; its ancient streets, as quiet as if nothing new or modern had ever disturbed them; its grand cathedral; its hotels, indescribable and delightful; its great shipping, bearing the wealth of nations to its ample port; its huge horses, drawing drays over its roughly paved streets, strangely impressed me. At intervals of fifteen minutes the bells of the cathedral tower were heard in exquisite chimes; and a walk of a few minutes took me to a world as far removed from commerce as if by some strange power I had been transported into some earlier century. Yet Antwerp is a place of active and important commercial transactions; Napoleon made it a place of rendezvous for men-of-war; with his practical sense, however, he made there a place of anchorage, wholly distinct from the commercial docks, which are capable of holding two thousand vessels; they are formed into four canals, on which storehouses are built; and the merchant is enabled to crane his goods from shipboard into his warehouse. Antwerp is renowned for its military structures, its sieges, and heroic defences, from the time

of the Duke of Alba to the assault of the united troops of Belgium and France, made in 1832. The history of Antwerp for three hundred years has not only been without a blemish, but is highly honorable. The churches of the city are full of interest; they contain some splendid paintings; in the cathedral there is to be seen the finest picture in the world-" The Descent from the Cross," by Rubens; this unrivalled picture was sent by Napoleon to the Louvre, but was restored by the King of France, after the fall of the great Emperor, who would have made Paris the capital of Europe. Some persons of critical taste prefer the altar-piece, by the same painter; it represents the " Assumption," and is wonderfully beautiful; groups of visitors gather about it and gaze for hours upon the picture, finding in it an irresistible charm. The cathedral is one of the finest in Europe; its spire, four hundred and sixty-six feet high, of open stonework, is exquisite; Charles V. said it should be kept under a glass case; and Napoleon remarked that it was as fine as Mechlin lace. At the Church of St. Jacques is a splendid picture" The Saviour Crucified," by Vandyke; it is a very beautiful picture. In the Church of St. Andrew there is a monument to the memory of Mary Queen of Scots, erected by two English women; the inscription ranks the beautiful woman, so cruelly put to death by the order of her heartless rival, Queen Elizabeth, as a martyr. On the Place Verte is a fine statue of Rubens. I could not linger in the fine old city that so deeply interested me. Brussels, twenty-five miles distant, is reached by a fine railway; we took the train, and in the course of an hour entered the beautiful environs of the capital. Before leaving Washington, the Belgian Minister had spoken to me of the Hotel de France in such terms that I drove to it immediately and engaged a handsome suite of apartments. The hotel is delightfully situated near the park, which is surrounded by a square of palaces and the resi

dences of Belgian ministers and foreign ambassadors; the outlook was charming, and my first impressions of Belgium were of the most pleasing kind. Honorable Virgil Maxcy, my predecessor, was awaiting my arrival, and I found that he had apartments in the Hotel de France, Mrs. Maxcy being with him. They received me most hospitably. Mr. Maxcy was a citizen of Maryland, and he had been appointed Minister to Belgium to succeed Honorable Hugh S. Legaré, of South Carolina. Mr. Legaré was the first diplomatic representative appointed by the United States to Belgium upon the organization of that kingdom after its separation from Holland, the two countries having been united under one government -the Netherlands-by the Congress of Vienna, after the overthrow of Napoleon. Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, who had married the Princess Charlotte, the daughter of George IV., and since her death had continued to reside in England, was offered the crown by the Ministry and the National Congress of Belgium, and under the sanction of the great powers of Europe had accepted it; his coronation took place July 21, 1831.

Mr. Legaré was at the time of his appointment to this important mission residing in Charleston, S. C.; he was one of the ablest and most accomplished statesmen of the country, and would have adorned any station at home or abroad. He resided at Brussels for some years, and upon his retirement from the mission, Mr. Maxcy of Maryland was chosen to succeed him. Mr. Maxcy was a gentleman of fine culture and most agreeable manners, living with elegance, and at all times maintaining the dignity of his station; he extended hospitalities to his countrymen who visited Brussels. Both Mr. Legaré and Mr. Maxcy lived in a style which was becoming to the representatives of a great nation, at the court where the European governments sent their ablest diplomatists, and which was unsurpassed for the splendor of its surroundings.

MILITARY DISPLAY ON THe rhine.

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The King of Prussia proposed to provide a great military spectacle on the Rhine, near Bonn, and he invited the sovereigns of Europe and other men of importance to be present. Mr. Maxcy desired to observe this splendid exhibit, and, as King Leopold had accepted the invitation to attend it, he proposed that we should accompany his Majesty, forming part of his suite; yielding to Mr. Maxcy's wish, I consented to defer my presentation at court until our return from the excursion. Arriving at Cologne we endeavored to provide ourselves with horses, that we might observe the military movements with advantage, but the demand for them was so great that we could not secure them. We got no further in our preparations than to buy spurs for our boots, and I was much amused to find upon my return to Brussels these important articles in my valise, to remind me of the field and its glories, where, from an open carriage, we had witnessed feats of horsemanship performed by others. The spectacle was splendid; some fifty thousand troops were on the field, and brilliant manoeuvres were executed under the eyes of the most distinguished commanders in Europe; villages were assaulted and taken, the long lines of infantry held their ground, and great bodies of cavalry charged with impetuous gallantry. Ladies were present in great numbers, their splendid equipages appearing on different points of the field as the shifting fortunes of mimic warfare attracted them. The Queen of Prussia with her brilliant escort made a central object, and about her coach were grouped others filled with the attendants who gave so much splendor to the court circle. I was introduced to Prince George of Cambridge, a cousin of Queen Victoria, and at this time Commander-in-chief of the British Army; I was much pleased with him, and enjoyed a friendly conversation with the young prince.

The royal party passed the day at Aix-la-Chapelle, the city of Charlemagne, and the visit to the cathedral was

full of interest. The King and Queen of Prussia, the King of the Belgians and his suite, and many others connected with royalty were received in the church with great distinction; as one of the suite of King Leopold, I enjoyed the privilege of seeing the exhibition of objects rarely shown. The position of the tomb in which the remains of Charlemagne had been interred was pointed out to us. It was marked by a slab of marble under the centre of the dome, inscribed with the words "Carlo Magno." A massive brazen chandelier hangs above it, the gift of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. We were invited to enter the sacristy, rich in relics shown but once in seven years to the people, but on this occasion exhibited to our view. These relics were presented to Charlemagne by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and by Haroun, King of Persia; and are deposited in a rich shrine of gilt silver, the work of artists of the ninth century. Among them we were shown what we were assured was the robe worn by the virgin at the nativity; the cloth on which the head of John the Baptist was laid; the scarf worn by our Saviour at the crucifixion, bearing stains of blood. There were, besides these, two objects of priceless value—a locket containing the Virgin's hair, and a piece of the true cross; Charlemagne wore it on his breast while living, and in his tomb. The piece of the true cross had actually been presented to Charlemagne by the Bishop of Jerusalem. I touched this object with vivid interest; it had been accepted by Charlemagne with deep veneration, and had been worn upon his heart more than a thousand years since.

About half a mile from Aix-la-Chapelle is a hill, called the Louisberg, about two hundred feet high, and on its summit stands the Belvedere, with a saloon commanding an extensive prospect. In this place a splendid entertainment was given in the evening by the King and Queen of Prussia. I met there the most distinguished people from