the complete writings-2-第5节

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he　sunset　light　on　its　noble　front　and　towers　and　spire　and　flying　buttresses；　and　the　morning　rays　bathing　its　rich　stone。　　As　one　stands　near　it　in　front；　it　seems　to　tower　away　into　heaven；　a　mass　of　carving　and　sculpture；figures　of　saints　and　martyrs　who　have　stood　in　the　sun　and　storm　for　ages；　as　they　stood　in　their　lifetime；　with　a　patient　waiting。　　It　was　like　a　great　company；　a　Christian　host；　in　attitudes　of　praise　and　worship。　　There　they　were；　ranks　on　ranks；　silent　in　stone；　when　the　last　of　the　long　twilight　illumined　them；　and　there　in　the　same　impressive　patience　they　waited　the　golden　day。　　It　required　little　fancy　to　feel　that　they　had　lived；　and　now　in　long　procession　came　down　the　ages。　　The　central　portal　is　lofty；　wide；　and　crowded　with　figures。　　The　side　is　only　less　rich　than　the　front。　　Here　the　old　Gothic　builders　let　their　fancy　riot　in　grotesque　gargoyles；figures　of　animals；　and　imps　of　sin；　which　stretch　out　their　long　necks　for　waterspouts　above。　　From　the　ground　to　the　top　of　the　unfinished　towers　is　one　mass　of　rich　stone…work；　the　creation　of　genius　that　hundreds　of　years　ago　knew　no　other　way　to　write　its　poems　than　with　the　chisel。　　The　interior　is　very　magnificent　also；　and　has　some　splendid　stained　glass。　　At　eight　o'clock；　the　priests　were　chanting　vespers　to　a　larger　congregation　than　many　churches　have　on　Sunday：　their　voices　were　rich　and　musical；　and；　joined　with　the　organ　notes；　floated　sweetly　and　impressively　through　the　dim　and　vast　interior。　　We　sat　near　the　great　portal；　and；　looking　down　the　long；　arched　nave　and　choir　to　the　cluster　of　candles　burning　on　the　high　altar；　before　which　the　priests　chanted；　one　could　not　but　remember　how　many　centuries　the　same　act　of　worship　had　been　almost　uninterrupted　within；　while　the　apostles　and　martyrs　stood　without；　keeping　watch　of　the　unchanging　heavens。

When　I　stepped　in；　early　in　the　morning；　the　first　mass　was　in　progress。　　The　church　was　nearly　empty。　　Looking　within　the　choir；　I　saw　two　stout　young　priests　lustily　singing　the　prayers　in　deep；　rich　voices。　　One　of　them　leaned　back　in　his　seat；　and　sang　away；　as　if　he　had　taken　a　contract　to　do　it；　using；　from　time　to　time；　an　enormous　red　handkerchief；　with　which　and　his　nose　he　produced　a　trumpet　obligato。　　As　I　stood　there；　a　poor　dwarf　bobbled　in　and　knelt　on　the　bare　stones；　and　was　the　only　worshiper；　until；　at　length；　a　half…dozen　priests　swept　in　from　the　sacristy；　and　two　processions　of　young　school…girls　entered　from　either　side。　　They　have　the　skull　of　John　the　Baptist　in　this　cathedral。　　I　did　not　see　it；　although　I　suppose　I　could　have　done　so　for　a　franc　to　the　beadle：　but　I　saw　a　very　good　stone　imitation　of　it；　and　his　image　and　story　fill　the　church。　　It　is　something　to　have　seen　the　place　that　contains　his　skull。

The　country　becomes　more　interesting　as　one　gets　into　Belgium。　Windmills　are　frequent：　in　and　near　Lille　are　some　six　hundred　of　them；　and　they　are　a　great　help　to　a　landscape　that　wants　fine　trees。　At　Courtrai；　we　looked　into　Notre　Dame；　a　thirteenth　century　cathedral；　which　has　a　Vandyke　（〃The　Raising　of　the　Cross〃）；　and　the　chapel　of　the　Counts　of　Flanders；　where　workmen　were　uncovering　some　frescoes　that　were　whitewashed　over　in　the　war…times。　　The　town　hall　has　two　fine　old　chimney…pieces　carved　in　wood；　with　quaint　figures；…　…work　that　one　must　go　to　the　Netherlands　to　see。　　Toward　evening　we　came　into　the　ancient　town　of　Bruges。　　The　country　all　day　has　been　mostly　flat；　but　thoroughly　cultivated。　　Windmills　appear　to　do　all　the　labor　of　the　people；raising　the　water；　grinding　the　grain；　sawing　the　lumber；　and　they　everywhere　lift　their　long　arms　up　to　the　sky。　　Things　look　more　and　more　what　we　call　〃foreign。〃　Harvest　is　going　on；　of　hay　and　grain；　and　men　and　women　work　together　in　the　fields。　　The　gentle　sex　has　its　rights　here。　　We　saw　several　women　acting　as　switch…tenders。　　Perhaps　the　use　of　the　switch　comes　natural　to　them。　　Justice；　however；　is　still　in　the　hands　of　the　men。　We　saw　a　Dutch　court　in　session　in　a　little　room　in　the　town　hall　at　Courtrai。　　The　justice　wore　a　little　red　cap；　and　sat　informally　behind　a　cheap　table。　　I　noticed　that　the　witnesses　were　treated　with　unusual　consideration；　being　allowed　to　sit　down　at　the　table　opposite　the　little　justice；　who　interrogated　them　in　a　loud　voice。　At　the　stations　to…day　we　see　more　friars　in　coarse；　woolen　dresses；　and　sandals；　and　the　peasants　with　wooden　sabots。

As　the　sun　goes　to　the　horizon；　we　have　an　effect　sometimes　produced　by　the　best　Dutch　artists；a　wonderful　transparent　light；　in　which　the　landscape　looks　like　a　picture；　with　its　church…spires　of　stone；　its　windmills；　its　slender　trees；　and　red…roofed　houses。　　It　is　a　good　light　and　a　good　hour　in　which　to　enter　Bruges；　that　city　of　the　past。　　Once　the　city　was　greater　than　Antwerp；　and　up　the　Rege　came　the　commerce　of　the　East；　merchants　from　the　Levant；　traders　in　jewels　and　silks。　　Now　the　tall　houses　wait　for　tenants；　and　the　streets　have　a　deserted　air。　　After　nightfall；　as　we　walked　in　the　middle　of　the　roughly　paved　streets；　meeting　few　people；　and　hearing　only　the　echoing　clatter　of　the　wooden　sabots　of　the　few　who　were　abroad；　the　old　spirit　of　the　place　came　over　us。　　We　sat　on　a　bench　in　the　market…place；　a　treeless　square；　hemmed　in　by　quaint；　gabled　houses；　late　in　the　evening；　to　listen　to　the　chimes　from　the　belfry。　The　tower　is　less　than　four　hundred　feet　high；　and　not　so　high　by　some　seventy　feet　as　the　one　on　Notre　Dame　near　by；　but　it　is　very　picturesque；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　it　springs　out　of　a　rummagy…　looking　edifice；　one　half　of　which　is　devoted　to　soldiers'　barracks；　and　the　other　to　markets。　　The　chimes　are　called　the　finest　in　Europe。　　It　is　well　to　hear　the　finest　at　once；　and　so　have　done　with　the　tedious　things。　　The　Belgians　are　as　fond　of　chimes　as　the　Dutch　are　of　stagnant　water。　　We　heard　them　everywhere　in　Belgium；　and　in　some　towns　they　are　incessant；　jangling　every　seven　and　a　half　minutes。　　The　chimes　at　Bruges　ring　every　quarter　hour　for　a　minute；　and　at　the　full　hour　attempt　a　tune。　　The　revolving　machinery　grinds

out　the　tune；　which　is　changed　at　least　once　a　year；　and　on　Sundays　a　musician；　chosen　by　the　town；　plays　the　chimes。　　In　so　many　bells　（there　are　forty…eight）；　the　least　of　which　weighs　twelve　pounds；　and　the　largest　over　eleven　thousand；　there　must　be　soft　notes　and　sonorous　tones；　so　sweet　jangled　sounds　were　showered　down：　but　we　liked　better　than　the　confused　chiming　the　solemn　notes　of　the　great　bell　striking　the　hour。　　There　is　something　very　poetical　about　this　chime　of　bells　high　in　the　air；　flinging　down　upon　the　hum　and　traffic　of　the　city　its　oft…repeated　benediction　of　peace；　but　anybody　but　a　Lowlander　would　get　very　weary　of　it。　　These　chimes；　to　be　sure；　are　better　than　those　in　London；　which　became　a　nuisance；　but　there　is　in　all　of　them　a　tinkling　attempt　at　a　tune；　which　always　fails；　that　is　very　annoying。

Bruges　has　altogether　an　odd　flavor。　　Piles　of　wooden　sabots　are　for　sale　in　front　of　the　shops；　and　this　ugly　shoe；　which　is　mysteriously　kept　on　the　foot；　is　worn　by　all　the　common　sort。　　We　see　long；　slender　carts　in　the　street；　with　one　horse　hitched　far　ahead　with　rope　traces；　and　no　thills　or　pole。

The　women…nearly　every　one　we　saw…wear　long　cloaks　of　black　cloth　with　a　silk　hood　thrown　back。　　Bruges　is　famous　of　old　for　its　beautiful　women；　who　are　enticingly　described　as　always　walking　the　streets　with　covered　faces；　and　peeping　out　from　their　mantles。　　They　are　not　so　handsome　now　they　show　their　faces；　I　can　testify。　Indeed；　if　there　is　in　Bruges　another　besides　the　beautiful　girl　who　showed　us　the　old　council…chamber　in　the　Palace　of　justice；　she　must　have　had　her　hood　pulled　over　her　face。

Next　morning　was　market…day。　　The　square　was　lively　with　carts；　donkeys；　and　country　people；　and　that　and　all　the　streets　leading　to　it　were　filled　with　the　women　in　black　cloaks；　who　flitted　about　as　numerous　as　the　rooks　at　Oxford；　and　very　much　like　them；　moving　in　a　winged　way；　their　cloaks　outspread　as　they　walked；　and　distended　with　the　market…basket　underneath。　　Though　the　streets　were　full；　the　town　did　not　seem　any　less　deserted；　and　the　early　marketers　had　only　come　to　life　for　a　day；　revisiting　the　places　that　once　they　thronged。　　In　the　shade　of　the　tall　houses　in　the　narrow　streets　sat　red…cheeked　girls　and　women　making　lace；　the　bobbins　jumping　under　their　nimble　fingers。　　At　the　church　doors　hideous　beggars　crouched　and　whined；　specimens　of　the　fifteen　thousand　paupers　of　Bruges。　　In　the　fishmarket　we　saw　odd　old　women；　with　Rembrandt　colors　in　faces　and　costume；　and　while　we　strayed　about　in　the　strange　city；　all　the　time　from　the　lofty　tower　the　chimes　fell　down。　　What　history　crowds　upon　us！　　Here　in　the　old　cathedral；　with　its　monstrous　tower　of　brick；　a　portion　of　it　as　old　as　the　tenth　century；　Philip　the　Good　established；　in　1429；　the　Order　of　the　Golden　Fleece；　the　last　chapter　of　which　was　held　by　Philip　the　Bad　in　1559；　in　the　rich　old　Cathedral　of　St。　Bavon；　at　Ghent。　　Here；　on　the　square；　is　the　site　of　the　house　where　the　Emperor　Maximilian　was　imprisoned　by　his　rebellious　Flemings；　and　next　it；　with　a　carved　lion；　that