mafque of bluntnefs, I laughed at his furmises, and told him, that I should be obliged to any person who would take his comrade out of my fight. Our intimacy grew ftronger; and I was surprised was surprised to hear that every thing I faid, was repeated with exaggeration to Mr. Calcraft. This indeed did not displease me, as I moft cordially hated the perfon, who had deftroyed all my hopes of happiness, and the fight of whom caufed my greatest misery.

As foon as my new acquaintances left Hollwood, I fet off for Flushing in my way to Bruffels, on my propofed vifit to Mrs. Child. The vifit I had intended to Voltaire, was prevented by the death of my introductor, the Marquis de Verneuil. That accomplished nobleman, among other fciences, was killed in alchymy. During a process on which he was very intent, an explofion happened, which coft him his life. And in him I loft another valuable friend. Before Ifet off, I left a letter for Mr. Calcraft, who was from home, wherein I reminded him of his promise to pay my debts, the only trifling reparation he could make me for the bafeness of his conduct.

mates.

When I arrived at Bruffels, I found Mrs. Child encompaffed with many of my intiThe reception fhe gave me proved that my vifit afforded her great fatisfaction. She endeavoured, by every method in her H.6

power

power to make the place agreeable to me, to induce me to forget the unhappiness that preyed upon my mind. The Elector of Cologn was captivated with this lady's beauty, and fhowed himself a Prince in munificence as well as in dignity.

I will here give you fome account of the city of Bruffels; but as it can only be a curfory one, if you wish for more particulars, I must beg leave to refer you to thofe who write profeffedly upon the fubject. This city deals in the number seven. There are feven parishes, seven capital streets, and they even defcend to fo minute a punctilio in this fingularity, that there are but feven midwives in the place. Upon a remarkable high fteeple, there is an image of St. Michael killing the dragon, in copper gilt, The palaces are magnificent; and there is a park, fomewhat like that of St. James's.

The buildings in general are grand. The opera- houfe is the finest in Europe. You may travel for two-pence farthing an hour, in large covered boats called track-fchuyts. These are drawn by one horfe, and arrive at Bruffels twice a day from Antwerp, returning each time. The moft remarkable church here is that of St. Gunhilda. It is an old Gothic building, but finely ornamented within. There are many elegant monuments of illuftrious princes in it. And, among many chapels, there is one, where

they

they worship three Hofts, which, they fay, were ftabbed by a Jew, and actually bled. These are expofed, upon every festival, in a chalice richly adorned with jewels; and in the month of July there is an annual proceffion in memory of this ftabbing. The inhabitants of Bruffels value themselves upon having entertained, at one time, feven crowned heads.

care.

In this agreeable place I should have spent three happy months, but for corroding Reflection obtruded itself, at times, and imbittered my most chearful hours. And the very idea of returning and entering once more the doors of my deserted manfion, made me the most miferable of human beings.

From Bruffels I went to Antwerp. I took the opportunity of vifiting that place, in order to make enquiries relative to the late Mr. Sykes's fortune, of his brother who refided there. Upon my arrival, I learnt that Mr. Sykes, (who befides his profeffion as a painter, kept a jeweller's and bijou shop) having had an invitation from the Duke de Berry, in order to make fome alterations in his Grace's gallery, was gone to Paris. Some other great perfonage taking offence at Mr. Sykes's giving the Duke the preference to himself, had procured a Lettre de cachet against him. And as he was, one day, at the coffee-house, an exempt took him afide,

and

and defired he would take an airing with him, in a coach which stood at the door, as far as the Baftile. It would have been in vain for him to refift, enquire the reafon. request a gentleman

and equally as vain to He had only time to of his acquaintance,

who was in the room, to let his wife know the difafter. This his friend did; and it had fuch an effect upon her, that she lost her fenfes in confequence of it. Such being their unfortunate fituation, it was much feared neither Mr. or Mrs. Sykes would ever return to their family more.

I was likewife informed, that the States General had taken poffeffion of the late Mr. Sykes's effects at the Hague, which he had bequeathed to me; fo that I had nothing further to hope from that quarter. As dif appointments of this nature, from my want of knowing the value of money then, made but a tranfient impreffion on my mind, I received the information with becoming fortitude. And as it had never been in my poffeffion, the lofs fat the more lightly on me,

G. A. B.

LET

LETTER LXIX.

June 28, 17-›

THE beauty of the city of Antwerp, and the many curiofities it contains, determined me to stay a few days in it. On these, also, I shall content myself with giv ing you a few curfory and unconnected obfervations. The cathedral, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is a noble pile of building; and the fteeple of it is a beautiful piece of architecture. There are thirtythree bells and two chimes in it, with a clock; together with a crofs at the top, of an incredible height. The ftadt-house is well worth viewing; as is Mere-street, wherein a brazen crucifix is placed upward of thirty feet high. There are twenty-two fpacious fquares in Antwerp. The number of ftreets I cannot recollect, but they are wide and numerous.

The churches are decorated with many capital pictures, by Rubens, and likewife by Quintin Matsys, a blacksmith, who commenced painter, in order to obtain for wife the daughter of a painter, who would give her hand to no perfon but one of his own profeffion. At the entrance of the cathedral, is placed an effigy of this true votary to the God of Love, with an infcription, imply

ing