The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-27
The Chateau in Which Napoleon Considered
Plans for Wharf.-The Picture Galleries.
A Chamber of Horrors.

see.
Here document Of Ohio the Great. says
that church was dedicated to God 966 Two
centuries later the town was surrounded by
walls and in the twelfth century the people
united and formed nobility, giving the first
place to the Count of Louvain, who was
christened Duke de Brabaut." There is so
much to see in Brussels that it is difficult to
say which pleaSes the most. the handsome
public buildings, fine galleries of art, beauti-
full boulevards and parks, or the splendid
shops and cafes. Among the public build
ings the Palais de Justice not only ranks
first in Brussels and Belgium, but it also
stands as the largest architectural work of
the present century, and is one of the most
beautiful of modern edifices. In size it
covers 10000 square feet, which is more
than any. other single building in Europe.
St. Peters at Rome comes next with an area
of 212,OOO feet. This tremendous pile, mas
sive and yet so beautiful, is almost square
at the base. 560X590 feet, and it rises in sue
cessive layers. like the Egyptian pyramids,
terminating IN small dome which is Just
400 feet above the pavement Colossal
statues artlstcally executed of Lycurgns,
Cicero, Demosthene5 and others adorn the
YeStl0ules and stairways, while the rotunda
Is embeliished with such categorical figures
as justice, law, strength and clemency. The
cost OF this building was 100000 francs, or
about S10,000,0C0 OF our money.
Not far from the Palais de Justice is the
Hotel de Vile, or City Hall.
THE FIRST IMPRESSION
An American gets Of this handsome struc-
tnre is, how beautiful, how graceful, and yet
what was the matter with the architect?
Here is splendid building of the n0blest
and most beautiful Gothic design, and very
properly capped with a lace-like tower that
shoots nearly 400 feet into the air, and yet,
instead of nlapiup the fpNVpr aYaptlV in 10
center of the building, for some un-
explained reason the architect pushes
it to one side. which gives the
whole structure decidedly lopSided ap-
peaTance. Then instead of allowing the
open spire which is delicate and fine in all
its proportions, to gradually decline and fin
ism IN needle-llke point, the designer car
rles out In part this idea, but be places on
the apex bulky, ponderous figure in brass
of the Archangel Michael, which spells a
work so well begun. But evidently Michael
or some of his friends are not pleased with
the idea, as every once in while belt of
lightning comes crashing along and gives
the big statue tremendous thump.
The Hotel de Vile fronts ON square
which Is called Grande Place or Market
Place. In 1868 the Duke of Alva who was
terrorizng the country at the time, led
twenty-five OF the list mobiles of Belgium to
the spot and caused them to be beheaded in
the presence of the populace. On certain
articles or things, for Instance, Monday will
be all of birds; Tuesday. puppies and dogs;
Wednesday, flowers, and so on.
One of the prettiest girls ever saw in my
life was selling flowers in the market-place
to-day. She carried a platter loaded with
delicious rosebuds. and as she passed from
place TO place, smiling at one, dropping her
eyes modestly before another, her long, dark,
! wavy hair in contrast with the soft pink of
| her cheeks. could not resist the temptation
Of ttu hnOch I fnuiprpi n franc in
| payment, but she smiled so sweetly when
f, offering me the change that could not think
| Of taking it. Her face covered with bushes
her eyes, made a courtesy, and tripped
lightly away. l thought what n lovely
creature, but have since changed my mind,
as friend has told me that this same pretty,
graceful creature has a husband at home
whom she whips twice a day.
| one OF the finest galleries of painting in
any country is the Musee Royale de Bel
gique here in Brussels. 1t contains many
TREASURES OF THE EARLY MASTERS,
Especially of the Flemish school, that cannot
be seen elsew here. Rubens is well repre-
scented in this collection. also Teniers, Rem
brandt, Van Dyck, Quinten Massys, and
many others. The cost of some OF these
paintings was simply enormous. The
temptation OF st. Anthony by an unknown
artist cost 100000 francs, and bit of can
vas, landscape scene which was about to
pass without notice, the guide told me came
at 100000 francs, or about 100000. There are
cranks In Belgium as well as in America. In
1896, an eccentric though wonderful man was
born here in Brussels, by the name of Wiertz
de became painter, but unlike other NOR
| tails his ideas and notions took the strange
! form OF plcturing on canvas the most revolt
ing features of life and death. He never sold
| his works, but kept them together, and at
| his death bequeathed them to the Belgian
! Government, which has placed them in one
| museum by themselves. The mere mention
| of few of the titles to this gifted crank's
productions will tell what curious ideas
the man man. must have had; The Triumph
Patroelus," 'Polyphemus Devouring the
Companions of Ulysses" Contest of Good
| With Evil, ~ ision of a Beheaded Man."
'Entombment With the Angel of Evil"
Forge Of Vulcan" Hunger, Madness and
Alive" The Suicide" Napoleon in
| He'll" "rhe Revolt of the Angels" Zone
! Minute After Death, 1.-The DEVILS Mir
ror, )" and many others of the kind Here is
a man pushing up the lid of his coffin and
| peeping out. In one part of the room are
two little loopholes. You peep IN the first
and behold lovely woman dressed in the
| handsOmest style imaginable gazing quietly
at you. Look in at the next and you see
the same Identical woman, but this time en-
iirely innocent of any drapery whatever,
smiling mischieyously back at you.
| A picture that is painted with great force
! and mastery effort represents young and
! handsome girl, innocent of drapery, who is
being taught by an old witch how to ride a
| broom. One glance at Napoleon in HELP
is enough to give one the shlvers. This gal
| lery of art, which so oddly presents a mix
ture of the sublime and the revolving. has
| been aptly named by Americans, The
Chamber of Horrors" Notwithstanding
| the vilanous character of the subjects,
| nearly every canvas in the Wiertz gallery is
a gem, and some of the largest perfect
masterpieces of art in their conception and
| execution.
l never saw a city so we'll paved as Brus-
sells. Belgian pavementS haye considerable
celebrity at home, but here, in the
CAPITAL OF THE PIGAIY NATION
We find the perfection OF paving, for it
drains well, is sure footing for horses, and
wears forever.
In every street the little cubes Of stone
with rOughened upper surface are not only
used for roads, but. in modified way, for
sidewalks also. The rattle of hools and
heels, however, is almost deafeniug.
1t is almost like dream to gaze into the
fascinating shop windows Of Brussels,
| Laces and bi1outerie galore are spread for
display, but principally laces. From a
dealer | learned that 140,00 women in Bel
GUM are engaged in the manufacture of
iaces, and the value of their annual product
amounts to something like $4,000, 900 francs
or about 10, coz, 900 American dollars.
One of the principal streets or bouleyards
in Brussels is the ALE Verte 1t is double
avenue lined with tall, imposing lime trees.
and leads from the Boulevard d'Anvers to
the neighborng town of Laeken, where the
summer palace of the Belgian King is To-
Gated. This palace was completely Quilted
by fire less than two years ago, but is now
nearly II not quite restored. As stepped
from the tramway in front of the palace
there was procession of beggars ready to
greet me. but got rid of them all and made
them exceedingly happy by scattering a
handful OF ceniimes among them, which was
about or 3R cents Of our money. The
cemetery is the most interesting spot in
LaekeD. l paid a visit to the little white
chapel where lies all that is mortal of the
great singer, Malibran, and according to
custom left my card on the little white Slab
where dozens of others were lying. don't
know that Malibran will ever return my
call, but so great and SO lovely was this
noble woman that it is honor to pay ones
respects to her even after her DEATH The
Laeken Cemetery has catacomb depart