Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-13

the birthplace of Charles V. the creates
tyrant of all her rulers. In the fou.-
teenth century. by the marriage of Mar
garet of Flanders with Philip the Boil
philippe lie Harding. son of the famous
Jean lie Mon, who was very far from
good, the two vassal principalities of the
French crown were joined. Later under
three princes. who in turn re.gned over
Flanders. it became practically an in
dependent state. Its rulers were not only
Flemish dukes, but French princes win.
played an important part in the histor
OF France. BY marriage treaty and con
quest they acquired not only what is nov
modern Holland. but a large TERRITORY
which Is today part of France.
Client. or Gand as II is called in F'lem-
ish. is built upon twenty-six islands join
ed by eighty bridges With Its old walls
seven gates. great Cathedral of ST.
Bavon. its noble buildings and fine monu-
ments. famous paintings and wonderful
sculptures. it is one OF the most interest
ing of the Flemish cities. In fact, in the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries Client
was considered not only the most inpor-
tant city of Flanders. but of Europe.
being particularly noted for its manu-
features and the cultivation Of flowers.
In 1900 Charles V was elected to the
empire upon the death of his grand
sire. Macmillan l of Austria and thus
became at the same time not only en-
peror. but King of Spain. as well as Duke
of Austria and ruler of the Low toun-
tries as Holland and Belgium were then
known.
Charles was despot and demanded an
enormous subsidy from the good burgil-
ers of Client but the ststd old Flem!ngs
not only firmly declined to pay. but even
tried to interest Francis |. Charles pa
ticular enemy, in their case Franc"
being as great a despot as Charles pre-
tended to side with the citizens of Ghent.
but not only disclosed their plan g.
Charles but gave him permission O.
march his army through Spain to runt =
his disobedient subjects
In due time Charles. at the head of
troops. appeared before Client and
terrorized citizens made haste to imli
the kings clemercy. But spurning I'll
tardy submission. the king was deaf II"
their pleas and old Client soon ran y.
blood. Alva, his brutal Spanish G
mander, it is said. begged Charles to
him destroy the rebellious town, but So
king would not consent. for Client
not only his largest but richest
Therefore, Alva had to content him
by Selling and beheadng the most pro
inent burghers. while hundreds OF tn,
minor officials We're sent into exile apu
all their property confiscated by thu
crown.
The city of Client was publicly declared
to be guilty of ''lese-ma jeste'' and all
of the town officials who had escaped the
ak were commanded to appear before
the king with halters around their necks
to implore pardon, ana henceforth 1t was
decreed that no magistrate of the IN
ruly city should ever be seen in publ
without halter, as the badge of the city .
disobedience. In time the halter becarn.
merely a decoration in the form Of "a
slken cord.
Charles not only deprived his birth
place of all its privileges but had their
famous Rolandt bell removed from tn
belfry which had typified their civic in
still celebrated. and the prison cells I'M
derneath the old belfry are one of the
sights Of the quaint city.
Crossing the bridge over the Lys is the
Church of st. Michael. in viii. h hangs
Van Dykes famous painting of the cruel
fixion. Not far beyond. turning the cor
ner to the west of the Boulevard Grandc
Boucherie with its quaint statue OF Our
Lady and the Child. and crossing the
bridge, is seen the massive old gateway
and ruined bastions of the Oudeburg. or
the castle of the princes. the historic
abode of the ancient counts of Flanders.
arches is said to date back to the twelfth
century.
In the year 1873 the Duke of Palma
son Of Margaret of Palma. the DAUGHTER
of the notorious Charles was sent as
governor of the Netherlands and after
besieging Antwerp for fourteen months
he took it. In the Spanish fury which
followed the siege, most of the oity's
noblest buildings not already ruined were
destroyed. Under the Infanta Isabella
and Albert, Archduke of Austria. ANTWERP,
became the home Of Rubens who was
made court painter and given a house in
the city.
The name Antwerp means lat the
wharf" Its situation at the mouth of
the estuary of the Schelde exposed it to
every piratical invader, but early in the
sixteenth century Antwerp rose suddenly
to great commercial importance, its large
deep port being better adapted to ship
ping than the shallow and narrow canals
and rivers of Client Rru~es and Other
Flemish cites. To this time of pres
perity Antwerp owes s Ere blu idIngs.
which still adorn it bat during the at
tempt of the provinces o sra'-e off the
yoke of Spain more than S,oeh in-ocent
cit Zens We're ruthiess.y rlasacre7 and
almos hundred of the finest edifces de-
stroyed.
The end of Antwerp's golden age was
under whose regime the population was
scattered and trade ruined. and to make
the climax for the city's misfortunes the
Dutch erected forts on their own terri
tory and refused to permit ships to pro-
coed up the river. All car2oes had to
be un!oaded at Dutch port and for
waried by river craft to Antwerp. Erorl
that day Antwerp's Importance faded
away, while Amsterdam and Rotterdam
took its place. commercially.
History repeats itself, and Antwerp OF
today is once more a thriving commercial
city and one of the greatest seaports of
Europe, serving as the great outlet for
the commerce of Germany as well as Bel
giun The city is one of the most inter
esting in Belgium, and is as Dutch as
Brussels is French Its cathedral of No
tire Dame is one of the handsomest and
most beautiful Gothic churches in Europc
and the possessor of veritable art gal
lery of old masters. of which Rubens
magnificent masterpiece. the Descent
from the Cross is most famous.
In the Place Verte, once a churchyard
is now a splendid square, In the center Of
which stands the statue to the great art
list, erected about half a century ago.
The figure is thirteen feet high, and at