here in ditches made for the purpose of fattening them.-Tholen, on the island of the same name, has 1,900 inhabitants, who are chiefly occupied with flax-spinning, which is carried to so great perfection here that a pound of yarn has been sold in its manufactured state for 250 to 300 florins.-Sas Van Ghent is a fortified town on a canal running from Ghent

CHAP. XIV.-THE PROVINCE OF NORTH BRABANT.

The surface of North Brabant is level. The soil is in many places very fertile; but there are extensive heaths and moors. On the E. side of this province is the Peel,-an immense marsh of 10 leagues in length and from 1 to 3 in breadth. The principal rivers are the Maas, the Easternscheldt and the Diest. The climate is damp, but temperate, and in most parts not unhealthy. The want of wood is supplied by extensive peat-moors. The industry of this province is particularly flourishing, especially in the large towns, which furnish fine linen and broad cloth.

Chief Towns.] The principal towns are Herzogenbusch, or Bois-leduc, the capital of the province, situated in a low country, intersected by rivers and canals, by which the whole surrounding country may be placed under water. This town has strong fortifications, and conducts an extensive commerce. The population is said to be 13,100.-Eindhoven, a town of 2,400 inhabitants, holds ten fairs each year.-Aerschott, a town of 5,300 inhabitants, chiefly Catholics, possesses some extensive hat-manufactories.

City of Breda.] Breda, at the juncture of the Aa and Werck, was formerly the capital of Dutch Brabant, and of an ancient barony containing 17 considerable villages, and a forest about 5 English miles in length, and 2 in breadth, which has belonged to the family of Orange since the year 1404. The king of the Netherlands has a magnificent palace on this patrimonial domain, built in 1680 by king William. The city is triangular, and contains 1,500 houses, 7 churches, and 9,000 inhabitants. At every angle is a gate; and elm-trees are planted along the ramparts. It bas a magnificent cathedral with a spire 362 feet in height, and a large town-house. It is one of the strongest fortified towns in the Netherlands, having 15 bastions, 4 ravelins, and 5 hornworks; and is surrounded on all sides by water and morasses, which renders approach to a besieging army exceedingly difficult. In the annals of the United Netherlands, this place is celebrated for its siege of 10 months, in 1625, by an army of 30,000 men, under the Spanish general Spinola, who surrounded it with such incredible works, that it was impossible for prince Maurice to relieve it; and its gallant defender, the brave Justin of Nassau, a natural son of William prince of Orange, was obliged to surrender the place, from absolute famine. It was re-taken in 1637, after a siege of 4 months, by the prince of Orange. In 1793, it was shamefully surrendered to the French, after a siege of only 3 days. At that time it was much more strongly fortified than when besieged by Spinola; 200 pieces of artillery were mounted on the ramparts,-2,300 infantry, with a regiment of cavalry, composed the garrison, and nothing but another Justin of Nassau was wanted to make the place impregnable. The French army consisted of only 5,000 men, It was again ignominiously abandoned to its fate in September 1794, by the retreat of the allies, and surrendered without resistance to the French general Pichegru. It was abandoned by the French in December 1813, on the approach of the Russian advanced guard under Benkendorf. It lies

46 miles S. of Amsterdam; 18 miles S. W. of Bois-le-duc; and 22 miles S. E. of Rotterdam.

Town of Bergen-op-Zoom.] Bergen-op-Zoom is a maritime town of 1,150 houses, and 5,600 inhabitants, situated on the river Zoom, near its confluence with the Scheldt. It derives its name from its high situation on the Zoom, in the midst of a morass, a mile and a half from the eastern branch of the Scheldt, with which it has a communication by a navigable canal. The houses are well-built; the market-places and squares handsome and spacious. This place was first surrounded with a wall in 1287, and is so strongly fortified, both by nature and art, as to be deemed almost impregnable; the fortifications are reckoned the master-piece of the celebrated Coehorn, the rival and contemporary of the famous Vauban. Towards Antwerp is a grand half-moon, furnished with four redoubts, and well-mounted with cannon. Between the town and the sea are 11 forts, well-supplied with redoubts and pallisadoes. In the direction of Steinbergen also, the outworks are very strong. It was unsuccessfully besieged by the famous duke of Parma, in 1586; and afterwards, in 1622, it defied the utmost attempts of Spinola, who was forced to abandon the enterprise, after a siege of ten weeks, with the loss of 12,000 men. In 1747, however, it was taken by count Lowendahl, at the head of 36,000 men. During the last revolutionary war this place made no defence whatever. In 1814, it was again rendered famous by an unsuccessful attempt of the British troops under Lord Lynedoch, then Sir Thomas Graham, to take the place by surprise, on the night of the 8th of March. The troops destined for the attack numbered 3,950, and were divided into four columns, two of which, after most desperate efforts and gallant conduct, succeeded in establishing themselves upon the ramparts of the place; but the other two columns were completely unsuccessful, and driven back with prodigious loss. Above two-thirds of the whole assailing force were killed, wounded, or taken in this attempt. A tablet of marble, recording the names of the brave men who fell in this ill-fated enterprise, has been erected in the church, by the British officers. The place was, however, given up at the treaty of peace, in May 1814. Bergen-op-Zoom is 15 miles N. of Antwerp, and

22 S. W. of Breda.

CHAP. XV.-THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES.

THE southern provinces consist of the ancient Austrian Netherlands, recently belonging to France, some parts of Jülich and Cleve-berg,-the bishoprick of Liege, a small part of the department of the Ardennes, ceded in the peace of 1815,-and some other districts. The number of provinces is 9, which are divided into 30 districts and 217 cantons.

PROVINCE OF SOUTH BRABANT.-Physical Features.] South Brabant is a complete level, diversified only in the E. and S. by a few small hills, the steep banks of the rivers, and some forests. The soil is on the whole very fertile, a great part being rich mould. Sand, with decayed shells, is predominant in many places. The principal rivers are the Dyle, the Demer, and the Senne. The two large canals of Louvain and Brussels facilitate the communication. The climate is less damp than that of North Brabant, and is considered healthy.10 The productions are the com

10 In a late volume of the proceedings of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Brussels, M. Kickz has communicated the result of above 20 years' observation on the atmospheric

mon domestic animals, fowls, game, fish, beer, corn of all kinds, vegetables, potatoes, flax, oil-plants, hops, honey, fruit, and wood. The whole country is in excellent cultivation, and seems a garden. The rich pastures favour the rearing of cattle which are particularly good here. There are some considerable forests, of which that of Soignies on the S. of Brussels, is the largest. The lace-manufactures are highly celebrated; there are also some good cotton and linen manufactures.

Inhabitants.] The population is mostly Catholic. In the N. districts they speak Flemish, and in the S. Walloon; but French is also very generally spoken, particularly in the towns.

City of Brussels.] Brussels, the second city in the kingdom, with a population of above 80,000, chiefly Catholics, was formerly the capital of the Austrian Netherlands. It is situated on both sides of the little river Senne, Long. 4° 28′ E. Lat. 50° 51'. N. and 2 miles to the N. of the forest of Soignies. No city in Europe, except Naples and Genoa, makes a finer appearance at a distance; but like them it is all up and down hill. It lies in a rich and fertile country abounding in all the necessaries and comforts of life." It was formerly surrounded by a double wall and ditch, but these were destroyed by Joseph II. They are now planted with trees and form most delightful walks for the use of the inhabitants. It has extensive suburbs, and villages, joined to the city by a continuity of streets. The lower part of the town is irregular and somewhat unhealthy; but the more modern streets, which are in the vicinity of the Park, are straight and wide. The private houses in this quarter are lofty and elegant, while the public structures display both taste and magnificence. Brussels contains 9,500 houses, and 7 parish churches within the walls, and is divided into eight sections. Of the eight public squares the most remarkable are the great market-place, a regular parallelogram of considerable extent surrounded with buildings which have upon the whole an elegant appearance; and St Michael's, which deserves the particular attention of every traveller; being an extensive oblong, formed of elegant buildings of uniform architecture, ornamented with pillars of the Doric order. The city has 7 gates and is 7 miles in circumference, and may be said to unite the magnificence of Paris with the cleanliness of a Dutch city. The imperial palace, or palace of Laacken, a large and magnificent structure, was begun in the year 1300, by John Duke of Brabant,-enlarged in 1452, by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy,—and finished by his successors. At the extremity, near the gate of Louvain, stands a pleasure-house built by Charles

constitution of the province of South Brabant. It appears that on the average, winds from S. to W. have prevailed for 166 days in the year; winds from W. to N. for 84 days; winds from N. to E. for 92 days; and winds from E. to S. for only 23 days. On the average there have been in the 365 days,-245 of common wind, 81 of strong wind, 29 of violent wind, and 10 of hurricane. It has rained on the average 149 days in the 365; viz. 69 days of gentle rain, 48 of showers, 10 of heavy showers, and 22 of tempestuous rain.

"The author of the Brussels Companion gives the following comparative table of the expense of a good dinner for four persons, in London and Brussels:-In London, three pounds of beef-steaks 3s. 6d. ; potatoes, 2d.; pot of porter, pepper and salt, 6d.; bread, 2d.; cheese and butter 4d.; coals for cooking, 4d.; total, 5s. Now, for the same number of persons, a dinner admirably cooked may be procured from a Restaurateur at Brussels, consisting of the following dishes:-A roast of veal, (or beef, or mutton); a broiled fowl, with mushroom sauce; a beef-steak, or mutton pie; an apple-pudding, or fruit tart; a dish of stewed red cabbage, or mashed spinage, and plain potatoes; the above will cost 3 francs 5 sous, or 38 sous. To which you may add, cheese, 2 sous; butter, 2 sous; four rolls, 2 sous; 4 French pears, 2 sous; one pound of grapes, 3 sous; a bottle of Bourdeux, 14 sous; porterage of dinner, 2 sous; mustard, salt, pepper, and vinegar, 2 liards, or sous; total 66 sous, or 6 francs, or 5s. sterling.

V. where he for some time resided after his abdication. In the marketplace is a grand structure, called the Hotel de Ville, begun in 1380, and finished in 1423. Its turret is an admirable piece of Gothic architecture, 364 feet in height, and surmounted with the figure of St Michael, in copper gilt, 17 feet high, which turns with the wind. Here are many palaces belonging to the nobility, as those of the Prince de Ligne, the Duke of Aremberg, Egmont Alva, Orange, and Bourneville. All these palaces, and the imperial palace of Laacken, are adorned with a vast variety of paintings, executed by the best Flemish and Dutch masters, and disposed in large galleries built for the purpose. There are several literary and scientific societies in this city, and a fine library of 80,000 volumes. The Jesuits had formerly a fine college and church here. The Senne in its progress through the city branches into several streams, forming many islands, which add to the beauty of the city. This city is celebrated for its fine lace, camblets, and tapestry. Woollen and cotton stuffs, silk-stockings, gold and silver lace, vitriol, potash, and earthenware are also manufactured here. Brussels suffered much by the plague, in 1489, which swept off 33,000 persons. In 1695, it was bombarded by the French under Marshal Villeroy, when the stadthouse, 14 churches, and above 4000 houses were destroyed. It was taken in 1746, by Marshal Saxe; in 1792, by Dumourier; retaken in March 1793; and again taken by the French in 1794, who levied contributions to the amount of half-a-million sterling upon the city. It remained in the hands of the French till the year 1814, when it was retaken by the Prussians under general Bulow. It was the head-quarters of the British troops on the eve of the memorable battle of Waterloo. Brussels is 23 miles S. of Antwerp, and 26 miles S. E. of Ghent.-Louvain or Loewen, was an important manufacturing town in the 14th century, when from 60,000 to 80,000 people were occupied in its cloth-manufactures. It has now only 25,400 inhabitants. The university of Louvain was founded in 1426, by John IV. duke of Brabant. By a grant of Pope Sextus IV. it had the privilege of presenting to all the livings in the Netherlands. It contained 43 Foundations; 4 of which were called pedagoges or schools, as they were chiefly designed for the instruction of boys. In 1653, there were 1600 students at this university, but in 1818, only 262. A new college was founded here in 1818.-Tirlemont, with 7,900 inhabitants, has some manufactures. -Nivelles, with 7000 inhabitants, has manufactures of lace and linen.— Waterloo village, near the forest of Soignies, celebrated by the ever-memorable battle of the 18th of June, 1815, contains 1,900 inhabitants.

CHAP. XVI.-THE PROVINCE OF ANTWERP.

THE surface of this province is a perfect level. The soil is in general a light sand, covered with fertile vegetable earth. The level is so low that water may always be found at a depth of 8 to 10 inches. The N. and E. part of the province are covered with an extensive moor, presenting many lakes and morasses, and in other parts a white sand scarcely producing grass. The best agricultural land is in the neighbourhood of Mechlins. The principal river is the Scheldt, which, near Antwerp, is 2,160 feet broad, and 30 feet deep. The canal of Brussels and that of Louvain run through this province. The neighbourhood of the sea prevents the climate from being so cold as might be expected from its northern situation, but it is very

damp and misty, and the temperature is very variable. Although the soil is not very fertile, the careful cultivation produces more corn than is requisite for the consumption of the province. There is not much wood. The cattle are very fine, and the general commerce is very animated.

City of Antwerp.] This celebrated city was formerly the pride of the Netherlands, and contained, in the zenith of its commercial splendour, more than 200,000 inhabitants. The conduct of the Dutch towards this unfortunate city affords one of the most striking instances of commercial jealousy recorded in the page of history. Though Antwerp had taken part in the cause of liberty equally with themselves, and had consequently been subjected to the loss of its commerce and the depopulation of its inhabitants, yet even when besieged for more than a year by the duke of Parma, in 1584-5, the Dutch merchants of Amsterdam used every underhand method to prevent assistance being given to their rival brethren. At the peace of Munster in which Spain acknowledged the Dutch independence, Antwerp was sacrificed as a peace-offering; for it was agreed by an article of that treaty, that no large vessel should sail up to Antwerp, without having unloaded her cargo in a Dutch port, whence the merchandise might be conveyed to Antwerp in barges or small craft. The emperor Joseph attempted to open the navigation of the Scheldt, but was prevented by the resolute opposition of the Dutch, supported by the king of Prussia. But when the French obtained possession of Antwerp, in August, 1794, they immediately declared it a free port, opened up the navigation of the river, and dismantled all those forts which the Dutch had constructed at vast expense to prevent vessels from going up to Antwerp. The city is environed with a large wall, planted with rows of trees on each side with walks between, broad enough for two coaches to go abreast; and is also defended by a large, strong, and regular citadel, of a pentagonal form, erected by the duke of Alva, in 1568. The western banks of the Scheldt can also be put under water. No expense was spared by Buonaparte to deepen the river, enlarge the harbour, and to strengthen the fortifications. Nevertheless, during the bombardment of the city, by Lord Lynedoch in 1814, the British thunders reached the menof-war even in their well-defended dock-yards, and several of them, whose masts are still visible above water, were then sunk. The cathedral of Antwerp is one of the finest pieces of Gothic architecture in Europe. It has 66 chapels, and the paintings above the altars are the workmanship of Rubens, who is buried here in the church of St Jacob. The steeple belonging to the cathedral is 441 feet high; the ascent is by 620 steps to within 30 feet of the top, whence there is an extensive prospect of the adjacent country, and even of the isles of Zeeland. This steeple is of such admirable workmanship, that Charles V. used to say, that it deserved to be put in a case, and only shown on holidays. In the days of Guicciardini, Antwerp or Anvert, had 13 gates, 13,500 houses, 74 bridges over the 8 canals in the town, 200 streets, and 22 magnificent squares; but its population has since wofully declined, from causes we have already mentioned. The city, however, now numbers 11 canals, 162 streets, 10,088 houses, and 65,000 inhabitants. Perhaps it may not be a waste of time to give those who are imperfectly acquainted with the rate of hotels in the Netherlands a statement of the charges to which the traveller is exposed at Antwerp. An excellent supper for four, including preserves, fruits of the choicest kinds, &c. will generally cost about 2s. 74d. each. If a gentleman cannot sup without a flask of Champagne, he