little travels and roadside sketches-第4节

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good　as　Paul　Potter's；　and　Keyser　has　dwindled　down　into　namby…

pamby　prettiness；　pitiful　to　see　in　the　gallant　young　painter　who

astonished　the　Louvre　artists　ten　years　ago　by　a　hand　almost　as

dashing　and　ready　as　that　of　Rubens　himself。　　There　were　besides

many　caricatures　of　the　new　German　school；　which　are　in　themselves

caricatures　of　the　masters　before　Raphael。





An　instance　of　honesty　may　be　mentioned　here　with　applause。　　The

writer　lost　a　pocket…book　containing　a　passport　and　a　couple　of

modest　ten…pound　notes。　　The　person　who　found　the　portfolio

ingeniously　put　it　into　the　box　of　the　post…office；　and　it　was

faithfully　restored　to　the　owner；　but　somehow　the　two　ten…pound

notes　were　absent。　　It　was；　however；　a　great　comfort　to　get　the

passport；　and　the　pocket…book；　which　must　be　worth　about　ninepence。





BRUSSELS。



It　was　night　when　we　arrived　by　the　railroad　from　Antwerp　at

Brussels；　the　route　is　very　pretty　and　interesting；　and　the　flat

countries　through　which　the　road　passes　in　the　highest　state　of

peaceful；　smiling　cultivation。　　The　fields　by　the　roadside　are

enclosed　by　hedges　as　in　England；　the　harvest　was　in　part　down；　and

an　English　country　gentleman　who　was　of　our　party　pronounced　the

crops　to　be　as　fine　as　any　he　had　ever　seen。　　Of　this　matter　a

Cockney　cannot　judge　accurately；　but　any　man　can　see　with　what

extraordinary　neatness　and　care　all　these　little　plots　of　ground

are　tilled；　and　admire　the　richness　and　brilliancy　of　the

vegetation。　　Outside　of　the　moat　of　Antwerp；　and　at　every　village

by　which　we　passed；　it　was　pleasant　to　see　the　happy　congregations

of　well…clad　people　that　basked　in　the　evening　sunshine；　and

soberly　smoked　their　pipes　and　drank　their　Flemish　beer。　　Men　who

love　this　drink　must；　as　I　fancy；　have　something　essentially

peaceful　in　their　composition；　and　must　be　more　easily　satisfied

than　folks　on　our　side　of　the　water。　　The　excitement　of　Flemish

beer　is；　indeed；　not　great。　　I　have　tried　both　the　white　beer　and

the　brown；　they　are　both　of　the　kind　which　schoolboys　denominate

〃swipes；〃　very　sour　and　thin　to　the　taste；　but　served；　to　be　sure；

in　quaint　Flemish　jugs　that　do　not　seem　to　have　changed　their　form

since　the　days　of　Rubens；　and　must　please　the　lovers　of　antiquarian

knick…knacks。　　Numbers　of　comfortable…looking　women　and　children

sat　beside　the　head　of　the　family　upon　the　tavern…benches；　and　it

was　amusing　to　see　one　little　fellow　of　eight　years　old　smoking；

with　much　gravity；　his　father's　cigar。　　How　the　worship　of　the

sacred　plant　of　tobacco　has　spread　through　all　Europe！　　I　am　sure

that　the　persons　who　cry　out　against　the　use　of　it　are　guilty　of

superstition　and　unreason；　and　that　it　would　be　a　proper　and　easy

task　for　scientific　persons　to　write　an　encomium　upon　the　weed。　　In

solitude　it　is　the　pleasantest　companion　possible；　and　in　company

never　de　trop。　　To　a　student　it　suggests　all　sorts　of　agreeable

thoughts；　it　refreshes　the　brain　when　weary；　and　every　sedentary

cigar…smoker　will　tell　you　how　much　good　he　has　had　from　it；　and

how　he　has　been　able　to　return　to　his　labor；　after　a　quarter　of　an

hour's　mild　interval　of　the　delightful　leaf　of　Havana。　　Drinking

has　gone　from　among　us　since　smoking　came　in。　　It　is　a　wicked　error

to　say　that　smokers　are　drunkards；　drink　they　do；　but　of　gentle

diluents　mostly；　for　fierce　stimulants　of　wine　or　strong　liquors

are　abhorrent　to　the　real　lover　of　the　Indian　weed。　　Ah！　my

Juliana；　join　not　in　the　vulgar　cry　that　is　raised　against　us。

Cigars　and　cool　drinks　beget　quiet　conversations；　good…humor；

meditation；　not　hot　blood　such　as　mounts　into　the　head　of　drinkers

of　apoplectic　port　or　dangerous　claret。　　Are　we　not　more　moral　and

reasonable　than　our　forefathers？　　Indeed　I　think　so　somewhat；　and

many　improvements　of　social　life　and　converse　must　date　with　the

introduction　of　the　pipe。



We　were　a　dozen　tobacco…consumers　in　the　wagon　of　the　train　that

brought　us　from　Antwerp；　nor　did　the　women　of　the　party　（sensible

women！）　make　a　single　objection　to　the　fumigation。　　But　enough　of

this；　only　let　me　add；　in　conclusion；　that　an　excellent　Israelitish

gentleman；　Mr。　Hartog　of　Antwerp；　supplies　cigars　for　a　penny

apiece；　such　as　are　not　to　be　procured　in　London　for　four　times

the　sum。



Through　smiling　corn…fields；　then；　and　by　little　woods　from　which

rose　here　and　there　the　quaint　peaked　towers　of　some　old…fashioned

chateaux；　our　train　went　smoking　along　at　thirty　miles　an　hour。　　We

caught　a　glimpse　of　Mechlin　steeple；　at　first　dark　against　the

sunset；　and　afterwards　bright　as　we　came　to　the　other　side　of　it；

and　admired　long　glistening　canals　or　moats　that　surrounded　the

queer　old　town；　and　were　lighted　up　in　that　wonderful　way　which　the

sun　only　understands；　and　not　even　Mr。　Turner；　with　all　his

vermilion　and　gamboge；　can　put　down　on　canvas。　　The　verdure　was

everywhere　astonishing；　and　we　fancied　we　saw　many　golden　Cuyps　as

we　passed　by　these　quiet　pastures。



Steam…engines　and　their　accompaniments；　blazing　forges；　gaunt

manufactories；　with　numberless　windows　and　long　black　chimneys；　of

course　take　away　from　the　romance　of　the　place　but；　as　we　whirled

into　Brussels；　even　these　engines　had　a　fine　appearance。　　Three　or

four　of　the　snorting；　galloping　monsters　had　just　finished　their

journey；　and　there　was　a　quantity　of　flaming　ashes　lying　under　the

brazen　bellies　of　each　that　looked　properly　lurid　and　demoniacal。

The　men　at　the　station　came　out　with　flaming　torchesawful…looking

fellows　indeed！　　Presently　the　different　baggage　was　handed　out；

and　in　the　very　worst　vehicle　I　ever　entered；　and　at　the　very

slowest　pace；　we　were　borne　to　the　〃Hotel　de　Suede；〃　from　which

house　of　entertainment　this　letter　is　written。



We　strolled　into　the　town；　but；　though　the　night　was　excessively

fine　and　it　was　not　yet　eleven　o'clock；　the　streets　of　the　little

capital　were　deserted；　and　the　handsome　blazing　cafes　round　about

the　theatres　contained　no　inmates。　　Ah；　what　a　pretty　sight　is　the

Parisian　Boulevard　on　a　night　like　this！　how　many　pleasant　hours

has　one　passed　in　watching　the　lights；　and　the　hum；　and　the　stir；

and　the　laughter　of　those　happy；　idle　people！　　There　was　none　of

this　gayety　here；　nor　was　there　a　person　to　be　found；　except　a

skulking　commissioner　or　two　（whose　real　name　in　French　is　that　of

a　fish　that　is　eaten　with　fennel…sauce）；　and　who　offered　to　conduct

us　to　certain　curiosities　in　the　town。　　What　must　we　English　not

have　done；　that　in　every　town　in　Europe　we　are　to　be　fixed　upon　by

scoundrels　of　this　sort；　and　what　a　pretty　reflection　it　is　on　our

country　that　such　rascals　find　the　means　of　living　on　us！





Early　the　next　morning　we　walked　through　a　number　of　streets　in　the

place；　and　saw　certain　sights。　　The　Park　is　very　pretty；　and　all

the　buildings　round　about　it　have　an　air　of　neatnessalmost　of

stateliness。　　The　houses　are　tall；　the　streets　spacious；　and　the

roads　extremely　clean。　　In　the　Park　is　a　little　theatre；　a　cafe

somewhat　ruinous；　a　little　palace　for　the　king　of　this　little

kingdom；　some　smart　public　buildings　（with　S。　P。　Q。　B。　emblazoned

on　them；　at　which　pompous　inscription　one　cannot　help　laughing）；

and　other　rows　of　houses　somewhat　resembling　a　little　Rue　de

Rivoli。　　Whether　from　my　own　natural　greatness　and　magnanimity；　or

from　that　handsome　share　of　national　conceit　that　every　Englishman

possesses；　my　impressions　of　this　city　are　certainly　anything　but

respectful。　　It　has　an　absurd　kind　of　Lilliput　look　with　it。　　There

are　soldiers；　just　as　in　Paris；　better　dressed；　and　doing　a　vast

deal　of　drumming　and　bustle；　and　yet；　somehow；　far　from　being

frightened　at　them；　I　feel　inclined　to　laugh　in　their　faces。　　There

are　little　Ministers；　who　work　at　their　little　bureaux；　and　to　read

the　journals；　how　fierce　they　are！　　A　great　thundering　Times　could

hardly　talk　more　big。　　One　reads　about　the　rascally　Ministers；　the

miserable　Opposition；　the　designs　of　tyrants；　the　eyes　of　Europe；

&c。；　just　as　one　would　in　real　journals。　　The　Moniteur　of　Ghent

belabors　the　Independent　of　Brussels；　the　Independent　falls　foul　of

the　Lynx；　and　really　it　is　difficult　not　to　suppose　sometimes　that

these　worthy　people　are　in　earnest。　　And　yet　how　happy　were　they

sua　si　bona　norint！　　Think　what　a　comfort　it　would　be　to　belong　to

a　little　state　like　this；　not　to　abuse　their　privilege；　but

philosophically　to　use　it。　　If　I　were　a　Belgian；　I　would　not　care

one　single　fig　about　politics。　　I　would　not　read　thundering

leading…articles。　　I　would　not　have　an　opinion。　　What's　the　use　of

an　opinion　here？　　Happy　fellows！　do　not　the　French；　the　English；

and　the　Prussians；　spare　them　the　trouble　of　thinking；　and　make　all

their　opinions　for　them？　　Think　of　living　in　a　country　free；　easy；

respectable；　wealthy；　and　with　the　nuisance　of　talking　politics

removed　from　out　of　it。　　All　this　might　the　Belgians　have；　and　a

part　do　they　enjoy；　but　not　th