Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-06
Correspondence Of the Spectator:

! the 9th, by railway. lne weather 10 uioio %
we're than usual for this country. we wer'
| very sorry to part with Miss Drummond, but he
pupils have an elder brother at College at Bonn
and we hope to be rejoined by this darling Ok
maid at Paris. The secont-cass railcars are bet
ter than the first with us and as to the flrst-class
we hear common saying every day, that only
princes and fools ride in it. We were detained
two days at Namur, by rheumatic something
that sweled up the Majors foot. together with
an inflamed eye, which had to be eeched. Inc
doctor wanted him 10 become coldwater man io
month or two; but he laysit all to the bad
5read and getting no tobacco to chew. he mas
however become very fund of the German haas
ter, or smoking tobacco, which he calls cut-slraw
He vows il is all made of lugs and stems. oy
the byc, do you know that great deal OF the
Maryland kite foot and other light leaf tobacco
comes into this country, favour the poor sorts
The Major reminded me OF place in Tnstram
Shandy, which connects Namur with Uncle 10
by You know these paris of Belgium used to
be called Flanders In those days. And these fiat
and fertile plains became The battlefield of Europe
So it is The world over; which may reconcile
Nanny to living between two chains of mountains
You will never have Waterloo in Rockinghac
Uncle Toby was no donbt engaged at the siege ol
\
the English under William the Great, reiook II
from The French. This was lhe siege at which
William. who never walked up fairly but in bat
tie, took double allowance Of snuff, and clapping
the Elector of Bavaria on the back cried Out,-
"L Look, uok at my brave English!" So many
amateur soldiers used TO try TO get glinpses OF
warfare that the hing was known to drive these
nouisitiye persons away with a horsewhip. One,
Had Of Il, cid " a
cannon-ball; OF any rate Capt. Ling SO read it to
Us out of an English book in the coffee ROOM
Namur was made more powerful, as on the line
Of e.. defence by the duke of Wellington. The
view from the Citadel must be charming in sum-
mer. At length am where my German does
me little goud, and as the Major and are about
a match in French, he has the laugh on me-
Still he has acquired the habit OF making me the
spokesperson. Ia most taverns. we find some up
per servant who speaks either German or English;
and we hear one another say French essuns 10
Oilendoftf But the Alajur is dull student in
the evenings He hales foreign llngoes. and has
plan for aboshing all but the English, OF which
ne proposes to have dictionary issued upon Viz
uinian principles. He further quotes DR.. johnson
as saving, ..fur what can see, all foreigners are
FOOLS" The manners are said to be pretty much
ly falling in with people from France. must
oyvt like them nightly far more than the
English. Without exception, our French fellow
travellers have laid themselves cut to do us pleas
ure, and to do pleasure to every one around them
ftbis sometimes arises from a sort of vanity, the
effect is not less agreeable on strangers. than the
starched and noli-me tangere virtue of Mr. and
Mrs. John Bull who do you solid fayors with
reserve which robs them of half their worth.
wish YOU could have seen how MademoIsele
Rieu. in the coach from Waterloo, shared with US
her little store of bread and chocolate (the latter
in solid sticks-for a snack) and her bottle OF
cherry water. 1t was delight rendered to her,
for which she thanked US with smile like May
more acceptable than even the valuable service OF
Cant. Ling, who next day disclosed to US The un,
faithfulness of our commissionare, but with be-
nevoIence almost surly.
Brussels is a mock-turtIe Paris. You know it
is the ViLLette Of that charming novel which we
read together at the Salt Sulphur. almost know
the house of Madame Beck. The policy Of COM
inc here before Paris is doubtful; like heavy
snack of yellow pickle ETC., just before Ginner.-
The first blush of Paris will certainly be less
rose colored. We are at the Hotel de PUnicers;
for the Americans are not alone in big names;
ouethouse In Long New Street, very convenient
to the railway station of the North, and not far
from the Grande Place, and Hotel de Vile or
town hall, which is the greatest piece OF Gothic
art, not ecclesiastical, that The world affords. 1t
is chiefly in Belgium, that civic edIices are vast
and richly decorated; and this has historical rela-
lions. Ii was in these wealthy plain countries,
that feudasm, chieftainship and villanage, first
gave place to the powerful middle class, the lib
erty of the artisan, and the political strength OF
towns. You will see the dawn of this even in
the stories of Fiussart, which lies in uncle's WIN
dow at Bellefone. For the tremendous outbreak
of numbers against family. you must look at the
annals of the Low Countries. English people
are here in great numbers; some OF them all The
year round. Nurses may be seen in the coldest
weather, carrying cherubs of English babies in
their arms, in the Park, near the Royal Palace.
| wish had our old Hoole's Tapo, that might
compare the picture Of Godfrey of Bouillon, over
which we split the egg nog one Christmas
with his statue in the Place Royal Of Brussels.
The next time you have visit lrum the young
LADY that teaches at Col. Browns, let her know
what follows, and which is as remarkable as any
feats of her rapping and tipping medicines, and
quite as we'll allesled. ln ST. Gudule's Church,
here, there is Chapel (by which understand
sub. Church, or distinct portion, with separate al
tar, Sc } named a;ter the Holy Sacrament
wonderful relic is here connected with these facts.
One Good Friday certain Jews sule from an al
tar the waters or LOSS used by The Catholics 10
the sacrament. These are about the size OF an
e:ghieenpence and marked with cross. Alter
consecraiiJn. they are held to be no longer bread
but the body, blood, soul and divinity OF Christ
himself: hence their sacredness. these wicked
pers,Ds not tDIy stole these sacred waters, but
actually pierced them with their knives; upon
which (feariu To relate) streams Of b'ooG issued
from The wound, and they were struck senseiess.
They were then arrested, upon information 0! one
who tur..ed Christian and States evidence, and
we pn, to torture. mad their flesh torn off with
req no. ojncers an, were finally burnt alive. II
we had -1me here in July we might have seen
the anne celebration commemorative nf TINS
sacrii and the triumph over it.. shall send
you Il lille book, containing the account; II may
be- useful in coniounding some of our Know Moth
ng friends We brought Prescoll's Phi'iP ii
aloag, which was 0pportune. Luok at volu'ne <
page =, and YOU will see how the famous name
Gueur or beggars, came 10 be assumed by the
prolestants. a PRISM occupies line very spot IN
Brussels where me ..Request" was presented Ia
Margaret of Parma, whose alarm was que;ed by
the Whisper OF cpuriier; "They are only pack
of beggars, l.,tsaa." From thai lime The perse-
cuted Professions took the name, and acted it out.
often dressing ike mendicans, and carrying wal
let and begga;'s dish. Some of these. accoutre
ments are sill Kept IN museums IN Hoand.-
Those acts Of contempt lost the rich Spanish
Netherlands 10 Spain.
The Major pretends to think came here entire
ly for brussels lace, as he would also have you
believe went 10 Cologne for the eau Of sditto,-
We'll, seeing we are here, | have gotten some
samples o. this costly vanity. Nota heae,t the fig
ures are worked by needle separately and then
sewed on. The fax is peculiar and comes from
Rebeccque; it is worth lis weight in gold; the
spinners Of Ulster can do nothing like II. IT is
spun in chambers almost without light. so that
the delicate touch of the spinners may not be in