The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-10-15
The Cathedral mt Antwerp.
BY REV. j. II. PETTENGILL, SEAMAN s
CHAPLAIN At ANTWERP.

Europe Is lllc -Nolrc 'dIlic 'tG iAHI"clp.-
Its magnitude, its antiquity, its beautiful
proportions, its wonderful history, it:
sweet carlton of bells, and especially it:
grand and lofty tower, the highest bu
one in the world, and equalled by none il
grace and beauty-all combine to give i
renown, and to mark it one of the most in
tercsting works of art on the continent.
The writer has seen most of the celebra
ted churches of Europe. He has seer
many that were more richly adorned, some
that were more ancient, a few that Were
larger, and, at Strasburg, one that had q
taller spire; but he has never seen one
that as 4 work of art, gave him so mucl
pleasure and real satisfaction as this. Ono
never tires in gazing upon its wonderful
spire, which, like a pyramid of delicate
lace work, or rather like a tower of Chi
nese ivory carving, picrces the clouds; MOI
in listening to the music of its bells, ring
ing out their sweet melody eight times
every hour; nor in examining the works OF
art that adorn its interior. There is
within rs well as without, a chaste sim
plicity of arrangement which gives il
greatly the advantage over many that are
more eXtravagantly furnished.
AS one enters the main door from the
west-all the principal churches of Europe,
excepting St. Peters, at Rome, and some
few others, perhaps for local reasons, face
i'll the same dircction-thc organ-gallery,
with its grand old organ-one of the lar
gcst class, and of extraordinary power
and compass-is directly over his head
His eye rests upon the main altar at the
eastern extremity, with nothing to inter
rupt the view through the long vista of the
central arch. On either side of the main
I l. ln1 ,rln sos
arated from each ether by immense tlutcd
columns, but all open to view at the same
time Along the sides Of the building, on
either hand, running parallel with the
aisles, and separated from them only by al
open railing, is a series of small chapels,
with their affairs, paintings, and family
monuments.
AS one goes up the nave, midway on the
right. he notices the little pulpit over
Swallowed by the sounding board, all deli
cately carved, SO slender and SO well placed
as not to obstruct the view. Arriving at
the centre. he meets the transept, which
crosses the main aisle at right angles, and
is of the same width. From this point, he
has 4 view of the whole interior at once
Behind him is the main entrance from the
west: to the right, at the southern end OF
the transept, is the door from the south
and to the left, at the other end, is the
northern door. Immediately in front is
the choir; outside of TIL, are the north and
south aisles of the choir, which meet in
a circle in the rear of the main altar, and
are thanked throughout their whole course
by various public ana private chapels, filled
with affairs, paintings, tombs, and statuary.
On either side of these two aisles hang two
of the most celebrated paintings by Rubens
-" The Elevation of the Cross and The
Descent from the Cross The latter is
generally considered to be his masterpiece,
and by many it is regarded as one of the
tinest-perhaps the finest painting i'll the
world
But there is no room here even to men,
ton the many other works of art that
adorn the interior of this church.
The extreme length Of the building is
aisles, go feet. The roof is supported by
125 columns; the largest are ~ feet 6
inches in circumference. The tower, in
Guiding the cross, is 40 feet high, and is
assembled by G22 steps. 1t numbers 80
bells, large and small. 1t has two separate
chimes: the one is played by the machinery
of the clock-the other by hand, with keys
and pedals like an organ The smallest
bell is Is inches in diameter, and the lar
gest weighs 16, 000 pounds, and sixteen men
are required to ring it. 1t is called
"Carolus, - from Charles the Fifth, who
stood godfather at its baptism. 1t is runG
only on extraordinary occasions.
The Notre Dame at Antwerp is one OF
the oldest churches in the city. 1t was
commenced in the ninth century, and owes
it's origin to the superstition of the people.
The Normans had seized the city, and pill
LACED and burned it. After they were out,
a rude image of the Virgin was found in a
swamp near the city, half covered with
mud, and clinging by one hand to root
1t was said to possess miraculous power,
and it became at once the object of idola-
trous homage. A small church was erected
in honor Of this image, on the spot where
it was found, and dedicated to "Ouze here
urou,r opt staeksh:en.' (Our dear lady on
a little stick) This church became the re-
sort of multitude of pilgrims from all
quarters 1t soon became too small, and
gave place to another of larger proportions
in the thirteenth century. This having
been destroyed by fire, the present world
renowned cathedral was erected in its
place, principally during the fifteenth CEN
years in building. The ground upon which
necessary to elevate the floor some three
feet to keep it dry. This slightly Injuries
the proportions of the interior, but only a
practiced eye would observe it.
This old cathedral, like the city of which
it is the chief ornament, has had an event
full history Several times it has been
nearly destroyed by fire-once before it
was finished, and once again in 1860. Six
years after this it was invaded by tanatical
mob, who had been goaded to frenzy by
religious persecution, and all its statuary
completely broken to pieces, its paintings
destroyed, its carved work marred, and its
gold and silver ornaments carried away
An old English writer, i'll describing this
scene, says:
In coming into owre Lady's Church,
vt lookyd lykc a hell, wheae were above
1000 tourches brannying: & syche 4 noise.
as if heven & ert1 had gone togeder, with
fallyng of images Il bctyng down of costly
works, in syche sort that the spoil was so
grett that man could not we'll pas through
the church, so that, in fine, | cannot wryte
YOU in y sheets of paper the strange sight
| saw there
After this, the Professionals who had cot
the upper hand in this city occupied it for
time, as they did also several other of the
most important churches of the city; but
after one of tn severeSt. cruelcst. bloodiest
prosecutions the world has ever seen, by
the Inqustion and the Spanish power, in
stigated hy the Pope, they were put down,
and Try viStage of evangelical religion
was crushed out ard destroyed. and Ro-
manism established as the only religion
that could be tolerated here.
Again, in the French Revolution, which
swept over Belgium in the latter part OF
the last century this cathedral suffered
great damage at the hands of the .Jacobins,
in common with all the churches through
out this region. Bat when Napoleon Bon
aparte came into power, he restored it i'll
part, but carried away, as he did every
where throughout Europe, all the choicest
works of art lie could lay his hands on
But many of these has since been returned.
The cathedral has recently been very eX-
tel sively repaired and renovated, so that
now, more than four centuries old, ii
shows no signs Of weakness nor of speedy
decay.
The lookout from its spre is charmingly
beautiful. Rising from the midst of a
plain as level us the ocean, and apparently
as boundless. the view it commands is one
of the most extensive and magnificent any,
where to he found. Looking upon the tops
of the houses from this great height, they