this city sent many of the
best manufacturers from the Low Countries to England; and Queen
Elizabeth received them gladly.

Yours, &c.,

WELD.

Letter 35.

ANTWERP.

DEAR CHARLEY:--

I believe the lads have told you what they have seen in Belgium; and as
they are just now busily employed, I shall endeavor to tell you our
doings and enjoyments for the last day in this noble old city. We have
been to see St. James's Church, where the great attraction is the tomb
of Rubens. The altar is exquisitely fine, and was the work of Duquesnoy.
Rubens brought it from Italy. Over the tomb is the famous Holy Family,
in which Rubens has introduced himself as St. George, his father as
Jerome, his wives as Martha and Magdalene, his grandfather as old Time,
and his son as the Angel. This wonderful creation of art was carried off
by Napoleon to the Louvre, but was restored to the church in 1815. From
hence we repaired to St. Paul's Church. It was built in 1679. It has a
noble appearance, and retains its cloisters. In this building we noticed
the Flagellation, by Rubens; Jesus bearing the Cross, by Vandyke; the
Crucifixion and Resurrection, by Jordaens; and the Adoration of the
Shepherds, by Rubens. As we left the church, we visited the Calvary,
which is at the entrance, or, rather, off from it, at the right. It is
meant to represent the place of Christ's death. There are several
statues of prophets and apostles, and a sort of grotto. At the end is
Mount Calvary, and the summit is the scene of the Savior's crucifixion.
Beneath is the tomb, the body, and the stone rolled away; and at the
left are bars and flames, and poor creatures in purgatorial fires. A
more wretched-looking burlesque was never placed in the vicinage of art
and the productions of genius. Popery employs such trickery unblushingly
in Papal countries, but withholds their exhibition from the common sense
of England and America, waiting till our education shall fit us for the
simple, unalloyed system of delusion.

We find the number of priests in Belgium much greater than in France. We
see them in the cars, at the stations, and in every street. At one
station, on our way to Antwerp, we saw a most strangely-dressed man. He
wore a cloak, and the cape formed a sort of hat. His head was shaved,
and his feet were bare. We learnt that he was a monk of La Trappe. He
was as noble a looking man as I have seen in Europe.

We devoted the morning to the Museum, which is