ands as long as he thought convenient, and highly and taken prisoners by the Spaniards. This disapapplauding the equity of his conduct during his admi- pointment did not discourage the Duke of Anjou; he nistration. The provinces of Holland and Zealand were still pressed forward to attack the Spanish lines, but left wholly in the hands of the Prince of Orange, whose the Duke of Parma, not wishing to hazard a battle, depower as stadtholder was in no respect limited by the serted his works, and retired to Bouchain. As soon duke's sovereignty. as the Duke of Anjou entered the city, he took an oath to govern it agreeably to its ancient laws, and to preserve the citizens in the full possession of all their liberties. He was now pressed by the states and the Prince of Orange to march directly into Flanders; he endeavoured to comply; but his army, composed chiefly of volunteers, was so weakened by desertion that the design was laid aside. When the King of Spain was informed of this defection of the provinces, he attributed the whole to the Prince of Orange, and immediately proceeded to proscribe him; he confiscated his estate, upbraided him with ingratitude, and attempted to stain his character with ignominy. He even promised a reward of twentyfive thousand crowns to whoever should bring him the Prince of Orange, dead or alive; the same to his heirs, in case the person perished in the enterprise; and he declared all those proscribed, their estates confiscated, and their honours and dignities abolished, who adhered to William a month after the publication of this edict. The Prince of Orange did not silently pass over this proscription. He employed one Villiers, a Frenchman, to refute the edict: his answer was well received, and is recorded by historians as a proof of the spirit, the prudence, and the moderation of the prince. However, when it was proposed to the states for their opinion, with a request that they would publish it in their own name, they declined it; assigning for a reason, that it contained some facts too little known to be credited, and perhaps too much acrimony against a prince whose power they still dreaded. The following year, the states, after long deliberations at the Hague, published an edict, excluding Philip from any sovereignty or authority over the Netherlands. This writing appeared on the 26th of July, 1581, under the title of "The abdication of Philip King of Spain." It was extremely well drawn up; stated in the strongest manner the mutual privileges of the king and people; proved that the allegiance of the latter was annulled by the breach of contract on the side of the former; enumerated the oppressive and tyrannical acts of his government; set aside his authority for the most cogent reasons; forbad money to be coined in his name; and took every other step towards independence. It was in vain for Philip to remonstrate: he knew the states were to be convinced only by the sword; to this therefore he appealed. The Duke of Parma blocked up Cambray so closely, that the garrison were reduced to the extremity of living upon horses, dogs, and cats; though they still refused to capitulate, in hopes of being succoured. At length the Duke of Anjou assembled a body of ten thousand foot and four thousand horse, and approached Cambray. The Viscount de Turrene and Count Voulandois undertook to force their way with a body of men into the town; but they were surrounded The beginning of the year 1582 exhibited a spectacle very unusual in the Netherlands, the public entry of a sovereign elected by the people. The Duke of Anjou, setting sail from England on the 8th day of February, arrived on the 10th at Flushing, where he was received by the Princes of Orange and D'Espinoi. Next day they set out for Antwerp with a magnificent retinue, and went up the Scheldt, attended by fifty barges. His reception at Antwerp was extremely splendid; it even exceeded the preparations made for Philip himself on his being appointed to the government of the Netherlands by his father. A theatre was erected before the walls of the citadel, in which was placed a chair of state, covered with cloth of gold. There the duke was seated, and the conditions were read to him, upon which he was received as Duke of Brabant. When he had sworn to observe the articles, he was clothed with the ducal robe, and his head adorned with the ducal coronet, by the Prince of Orange; who said, "I will pin it in such a manner that it will not be easily shaken ;" an expression which at that time was taken for a happy omen, though it soon proved fallacious. While the states of Brabant were employed in festivity, a Biscayan merchant, named Gaspar Amastra, had contrived a project to redeem his shattered fortune by the death of the Prince of Orange. He corrupted one of his domestics, by the promise of half the reward, to strike the blow. This assassin entered the citadel; and, as the prince was passing after dinner into another room, discharged a pistol, and dangerously wounded him behind the ear. The prince was stunned with the force of the ball, and before he recovered, the assassin was killed by his attendants; which prevented for a time the complete discovery of the plot. It was afterwards traced that he had confessed the secret to a Dominican, named Antonio Tunmernon, receiving from the wicked priest absolution, and a promise of eternal reward. Tunnernon was hanged, drawn, and quartered, his limbs being fixed upon the walls of Antwerp. But though for this time the prince escaped the danger, he every thing before him; and, by the end of the year 1591, the Dutch saw their frontiers extended, the whole country secured by rivers, and covered by fortified towns, with the greatest probability of driving the Spaniards out of Friesland in another campaign. was, in 1584, assassinated at Delft, by one Balthazar | must be the consequence. Prince Maurice now carried Guion, a person who had before served his highness with fidelity and zeal. He was at that very time employed by the prince to carry letters into France, and had received money to bear his expenses, with which he purchased pistols to murder, his benefactor. At the criminal's examination, it appeared that he had long meditated this horrid action, and was confirmed in his resolution by the Jesuits and Catholic priests: he even affirmed on the rack, that the Duke of Parma was privy to the design, who promised he should have the reward. The United Provinces were now in a most deplorable situation. The Duke of Anjou had been totally unable to resist the Duke of Parma; in consequence of which many towns had been taken, and in other respects the states had sustained immense losses. The Duke of Anjou, chagrined and disappointed, had retired to France, where he died. But the death of the Prince of Orange seemed to give the finishing stroke to the affairs of the states; and confusion and anarchy now reigned in their councils. The provinces of Zealand and Holland alone endeavoured to repair the loss, and show their gratitude to William by electing his son, Maurice, their stadtholder and captain-general by sea and land. Maurice was at that time only eighteen years of age; but appeared in every respect worthy of the high dignity which had been conferred upon him. The first step taken by the confederates was a solemn renewal of the treaty of Utrecht; after which the most vigorous preparations were made for the defence of the country. But before any thing of consequence could be done, the Duke of Parma had reduced Liskenshouk, Dendermonde, Vilvorde, Ghent, and Antwerp; which struck the states with such terror, that they again offered the sovereignty to Queen Elizabeth. This was once more refused; though that princess engaged, by a new treaty, to assist the states both with men and money. An army was accordingly sent into the Netherlands, under the command of the Earl of Leicester: but it does not appear that this was of any essential service to the cause; for the conduct of that officer was so improper, that he drew upon himself a general odium. It is probable, indeed, that the states could not long have supported themselves in such circumstances, had not the defeat of the Spanish armada, in 1588, given such a blow to the power of Spain, as totally disabled them from carrying on the war in the Netherlands. Instead of sending the proper assistance to the Duke of Parma, that general received orders to hasten to the aid of the Duke of Mayence, who had been defeated by Henry IV. The duke was obliged to comply with this order, though he was sensible the loss of the United Provinces The remainder of the history of this war is only a detail of the losses and misfortunes of the Spaniards which now ensued. Their affairs were at last totally ruined by a decisive victory gained by Prince Maurice, in the year 1600, over the Archduke Albert, who had been appointed the Spanish governor of the Netherlands. King Philip II. died in 1598, leaving the affairs of his kingdom in the most distressed situation; notwithstanding which, his successor, Philip III., was too haughty to consent to peace, or to acknowledge the independence of the states, though he was altogether unable to keep them in subjection. At last, in 1607, a suspension of hostilities took place, and, in 1609, a treaty was concluded. In 1621, war was renewed with Spain; and, in 1628, the Spaniards met with a dreadful blow by the capture of their flotilla from Mexico. This was the greatest prize the Hollanders had ever met with; being valued at no less than fifteen millions of livres. From this time the Spaniards were defeated and baffled in almost every enterprise they undertook; nevertheless, they carried on the war with an obstinacy hardly to be equalled, for twenty years longer. At last, in 1648, a treaty was concluded, by which his Catholic majesty renounced all right and sovereignty over the statesgeneral of the United Provinces, who were henceforth declared a free and independent republic. After the independency of the Seven United Provinces was acknowledged, the other ten provinces, or, as they are generally called, the Netherlands, remained subject to the crown of Spain, until the Duke of Marlborough, as general of the allies, gained the memorable victory of Ramilies, in the year 1706; after which, Brussels, the capital, and great part of these provinces, acknowledged Charles VI., afterwards emperor of Germany, for their sovereign. His daughter, Maria Theresa, remained in possession of them until the war of 1741, when the French reduced them, with the exception of part of the province of Luxembourg; and would have retained them from that time, but for the exertions of the Dutch and the English, in favour of the house of Austria; which remained in undisturbed possession of that part of the Netherlands secured to it by the peace of 1748, till the disputes which took place between these provinces and the Emperor Joseph, in the years 1788 and 1789. This quarrel originated concerning the prerogatives But, on the overthrow of Buonaparte in 1814, they were transferred to the illustrious house of Orange;— and though great apprehension was excited for their safety, in consequence of the Corsican's second ursur assumed by the emperor, which were more extensive | induced the Belgic provinces to re-unite themselves than his subjects would allow; and, as the emperor re- under the Austrian crown. These provinces were seized, soon after the French solved to make use of force in asserting his claims, many of the discontented Brabanters sought a refuge revolution, by those republican armies which effected in the United States. The measures adopted by his such astonishing changes in Europe; and, by the treaty imperial majesty in respect of the insurgents, were of Campo Formio and the subsequent peace of Lunemarked by severity. Count Trautmansdorff, the gover-ville, the possession of them was confirmed to France. nor of Brussels, issued a proclamation, stating, that no quarter should be given them, and that the villages in which they concealed themselves should be set on fire. General Dalton also marched with seven thousand men, to retake the forts which had been occupied by the mal-pation, the glorious victory of WATERLOO bas sealed contents, avowing his design of taking them by assault, their security and prosperity, under the Sovereign and putting every individual within them to the sword. Prince of the Netherlands. Notwithstanding these measures, the public discontent continued to increase, and almost every town in the Austrian Netherlands resolved to oppose the emperor. A formidable army was soon raised, which, after some successful skirmishes, made themselves masters of Ghent, Bruges, Tournay, Malines, and Ostend; so that General Dalton was compelled to retire to Brussels. A battle was fought before the city of Ghent, in which the patriots proved victorious, though they sustained a loss of one thousand men, besides women and children. It reflected indelible disgrace on the commanders of the imperial troops, that they committed the most inhuman cruelties on all the unfortunate objects who fell into their hands. The soldiers were expressly ordered to plunder and destroy, whenever they could obtain any booty, and the unrelenting savages not only killed the men, but barbarously murdered unprotected females and sucking infants. By these cruelties they fanned the flame of disaffection; and, in a short time, the whole of Brabant, Flanders, and Malines, declared themselves independent, and for ever released from the yoke of the house of Austria. Convinced of the bad effects of the measures which had been adopted, the emperor now assumed more pacific language, and published proclamations of indemnity, &c. These, however, were treated with the most ineffable contempt by the patriots; who pursued their conquests with such success, that, before the conclusion of the year, they were in possession of every place in the Netherlands, except Antwerp and Luxembourg. Notwithstanding they thus appeared to be finally separated from the house of Austria, the death of the Emperor Joseph, which happened soon after, produced such a change in the conduct of government, as gave an unexpected turn to the situation of affairs; and the mild disposition of Leopold, who succeeded his brother, the conciliatory measures which he adopted, and the mediation of Great Britain, Prussia, and Holland, Belgium is a flat country, containing no mountains, and but few hills. "The rural scene," says Mr. Shaw, "presents here pleasing prospects on all sides: fields crowned with fruitful crops, meadows covered with numerous herds, neat and commodious farm-houses, set singly or in groups, cheerful and extended villages, embowered among trees, and divided from each other by small intervals; while through such fair landscapes wind the rivers, and extend the clear canals, of Flanders and Brabant." In the duchy of Luxembourg, the country is less cultivated, and presents a less lively scene. The air of Brabant, and upon the coast of Flanders, is bad; that in the interior parts is more healthful, and the seasons more settled, both in winter and summer, than they are in England. The soil and its produce are rich, especially in corn and fruits. Pasturage is abundant, and Flanders has been reckoned the granary of France and Germany, and sometimes of England. Even those parts which are too barren to yield corn, rear far more profitable crops of flax, which is here cultivated to great perfection. The agriculture of the Netherlands has been celebrated for many centuries, ever since their commerce and manufactures became eminent; and they still so far excel in the art, that they never allow the land to lie fallow, regarding the destruction of weeds as the sole advantage of this practice, which may be equally accomplished by crops of turnips, rape, beans, and clover, that not only destroy the weeds, but enrich the soil. The inhabitants of the Netherlands commonly use to their ploughs four horses, without a driver, the ploughman holding the reins, and being equipped with a long whip stuck into a socket. The vegetable productions do not differ much from those of Great Britain: all the plants that are natives there may be met with in the sandy and marshy districts of the south-east of England, except the gentiania cruciata. The marsh-ragwort is common in the shallow ditches; the field-eringo is found in great plenty by the lands to Paris by Buonaparte, the churches of Ant sides of the road; and the fringed water-lily adorns the❘ werp, Brussels, &c. now abound with the chefs d'œuvres canals and other deep streams. Great quantities of of the first masters. corn, flax, and madder, are grown here, and the pasturage for cattle is particularly abundant. The animals are the same as those in the neighbouring countries, but the horses and black cattle are of a superior size. Among the curiosities of this country is a stonequarry, under a hill near Maestricht, which is worked into a sort of subterranean palace, supported by pillars twenty feet high. The established religion of the Netherlands is the Roman Catholic, but all other sects are tolerated; and the protestant is in no danger of persecution on account of his religious sentiments. The manufactures and commerce of the Netherlands were, for many ages, superior to any in the west of Europe; but of late years they have suffered an almost total decline, owing partly to the other powers entering into competition, and partly to the establishment of freedom in the United Provinces, when Amsterdam arose on the ruins of Antwerp. In consequence of the treaty of Munster, in 1648, it had become almost null; but it began to revive when the Netherlands became a part of France. It is said that, in the year 1800, sixtyone vessels arrived from Embden, Altona, and Hamburgh: and, in 1802, the commercial connexions of the This quarry has several vent-holes cut in it, as also some small reservoirs of water, and, in time of war, it is a safe retreat for the country-people, who, being acquainted with all its meanderings, secure their cattle and valuable effects in this subterranean repository, which affords convenient room for forty thousand men. Ellis, who went into the quarry, says it is more wonderful than has been described; it is nine miles in length, and three miles broad; and capable of shelter-Netherlands began to be more extensive, and ships aring one hundred thousand men; that its excessive coldness cost him a fit of the ague, and that the stone dug from it is like our kettling-stone. A stranger who should visit it without an experienced guide, would be in danger not only of bewildering himself, or of stumbling against the corners of the pillars, but likewise of being suddenly shot by villains lurking in it. rived from the Baltic, the Mediterranean, and even from the West-Indies; the chief imports being coffee, sugar, cotton, and cotton-cloths, hides, dyeing woods, tea, indigo, &c.; and, in 1805, previously to the end of July, there had arrived no less than three hundred and fifty-four, two being from Canton, and one from Batavia the number of those under the Prussian flag In the year 1607, one thousand six hundred gold was the greatest, and these were followed by the Amepieces were found in Dendermond, and proved to be a ricans. Cambray is renowned for cambrics, which collection of ancient medals of Antoninus Pius, and Lu- thence derived their name. At Bruges there are macius Verus. Some Roman highways are yet entire, and nufactures of baize, woollen cloths, &c.: the manuruins of temples and other buildings are found in many factures of broad cloths, druggets, shalloons, and parts. stockings, are conducted at St. Omers: but the chief The vernacular language of this country is the Fle-manufactures are those of tapestry, fine linen, and laces, mish, a dialect of the Dutch, but it is now nearly superseded by the French; except among the lower classes of the people. These provinces boast of early literature, and can recount various chronicles and biographies of the saints so long back as the seventh century, the period at which they date the conversion of their ancestors to Christianity. But in modern times they have rarely produced writers of great talents. at Mechlin, Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, and Louvain; which enrich the country, and induce the farmers to cultivate flax, even on the poorest soils. BRUSSELS. This city, the capital of Belgium, is pleasantly situated on the brow of a hill, and watered by the little river Senner; and is allowed by all travellers to be the most delightful residence in the Netherlands. So early as the year 900, it had a market and a castle: and in There is nothing in this country that will interest the intelligent traveller or the connoisseur, more than the admirable productions of the Flemish painters. Un-the year 1340, it was surrounded with a wall of freefortunately, the paintings of the most distinguished masters, viz. Rubens, Van Dyck, Van Balen, Gonzales, Teniers, Jordaans, De Champaigne, &c. are become extremely scarce; particularly as many of them have been carried out of the country during the late war. Some individuals, however, are still possessed of very fine collections; and in consequence of the restoration of the works of art transported from the Nether stone, the ruins of which are yet visible. Between the years 1357 and 1370, it was considerably enlarged, and is now said to be nearly seven miles in circumference. In this city are some vestiges of the ancient predilection for the number seven; as there are seven principal streets that enter into the great market; seven stately houses for the residence of the corporation; seven pa rish-churches; seven noble families, eminent for their antiquity and great privileges; and seven public gates, of Doric work, remarkable for leading to so many places of pleasure, or different exercises; one to fowling, a second to fishing, a third to hunting, a fourth to pleasant fields, a fifth to pasture-grounds, a sixth to springs and vine-yards, and a seventh to gardens. The subject is the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. They are standing under the tree of Knowledge, the branches of which, loaded with apples, are also occupied near Eve by such birds and animals as the peacock, the parrot, and the ape, designed to represent the frailties of the female sex: over Adam is seen the eagle, the ostrich, &c. which characterize the qualities of the man, The canopy over this piece of sculpture is supported by two angels, and by the branches of the tree, and crowned by a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary, holding the divine infant in her arms. There are se From Brussels a canal is cut to the river Rupple, a little beyond the village of Willebroeck, by means of which there is a daily communication in barges with Antwerp: this canal was begun the 11th of June, 1550, and made fit for navigation, on the 11th of October, 1561, under the direction of the celebrated architect | veral angels at her feet, and with a cross, which she George Rinaldi; the elevation of the ground is fifty feet, and regulated by means of five sluices; the length of the canal is about seven leagues, and is said to have cost eighteen hundred thousand florins: by this means both the ocean and the Scheldt are open to Brussels, to the great convenience of the commerce of the city.. The Hotel de Ville, situated in the great square, is one of the finest Gothic buildings in the Netherlands. The tower, three hundred and sixty-four feet in height, is an admirable piece of workmanship; it is entirely constructed of stone, and its summit is crowned by a gigantic statue of St. Michael, of gilt copper. It is singular, that the architect should have neglected to place this tower in the centre of the edifice; but a degree of irregularity has also been remarked in the doors, windows, &c. of the building, presenting a tout ensemble altogether original. holds in her hand, she bruises the head of the serpent. This church has two towers, upon each of which a telegraph was placed by the French government. A grand stair-case of blue marble, which led to the principal entrance, was decorated by a ballustrade; but, being thrown down in some popular commotion, it has been subsequently removed. In the choir of this church there is a tomb of black marble, surmounted by the figure of a lion on copper, which is said to weigh more than six thousand pounds. This mausoleum contains the ashes of John II. Duke of Brabant, who died in 1312, and those of his wife, Margaret, daughter of Edward, King of England, who died in 1318. Philip II. is also interred here; he died in 1480. In the nave are fourteen very fine statues, which are greatly admired by connoisseurs; they represent the The great market-place is one of the most singular Saviour, the Virgin Mary, and the Twelve Apostles. in Europe, being a regular parallelogram, the four In one of the chapels in which service is performed, sides of which, though ornamented with buildings of the superb mausoleums of the families of Spinola and different forms and orders of architecture, is never-Jean Erueghel, a celebrated painter, attract great attheless consistent with the general plan. Among the numerous ornaments that embellish this structure, there were some that held the first rank among the finest pieces of sculpture; but these were destroyed in the revolution. M. Dumis, a French author, has thus described the architecture of the Netherlands in a few words. "It is peculiar to itself, being a compound of the Gothic and the Morisco, equally as astonishing for its lightness and its boldness, as for the beauty of its forms, and the harmony of its proportion." This, style of architecture was introduced into the Netherlands by the Spaniards, who borrowed it from the Moorish edifices in Spain. The church of St. Gudule contains a number of fine marble tombs, with the remains of many nobles, princes, and governors of the Netherlands. In the nave of this church is a pulpit, or chair de verite, constructed of oak, enriched with a beautiful piece of sculpture bv Henry Verbruggen, of Antwerp. tention. Most of the streets in Brussels are commodious, and have fine openings;-the architecture of the houses is grand, being ornamented with Ionic pilasters, and the fronts painted with oil-colours: the prevailing colours are white, a nankeen yellow, and light green. The dates of the buildings are nearly all equal, being subsequent to the bombardment of the city by Marshal Villeroy, in the autumn of 1695. The style in which the houses were rebuilt, after that calamity, is a sufficient indication of the opulence of the inhabitants of Brussels, even at that period. Most of the houses built in the time of the Spaniards, have their gable ends towards the street. St. Michael's Square, in the neighbourhood of the new street De La Loi, is a long square, formed by magnificent buildings of the same architecture, ornamented with pilasters of the Doric order. This has been a promenade for some years past; and to increase the |