are bred in it, and immense quantities of butter and cheese made. It is, besides, abundantly productive of all sorts of culinary vegetables-fruit in great quantities-corn and flax, which last is not only raised in great plenty, but is celebrated for the fineness and strength of its staple. It is true, that in some parts they have not corn sufficient for the inhabitants; but this is well recompensed by other productions, with the redundance of which they purchase the superfluous grain of their neighbours-for, where the inhabitants do follow tillage, the produce is unequalled, and the superfluity must of course be great.

The superior fecundity of the sheep of this country is very remarkable, and difficult, perhaps, to be accounted for-a ewe here bringing forth constantly three lambs at a birth, sometimes four, sometimes five, and some have been known to produce as many as six and seven—no small instance of the prodigality of nature in providing for this spot.

At some distance from the sea-coast, the face of the country is decorated with a profusion of wood, fitted either for timber or for fuel; and towards the coast, where nature has been rather niggard of that blessing, the inhabitants substitute, in its stead, for fuel, a kind of turf, which they find at the depth of four or five feet from the surface of the earth, and which makes a fire, not only cheerful, pleasant, and hot, but remarkably wholesome, being free from the destructive sulphurious and bituminous vapour attendant upon coal.

Perhaps no part of the world is better supplied than this province with all sorts of fish, as well those of sea as fresh water; fowl and venison were extremely plenty and reasonable; and a great deal of excellent beer was brewed in it. It is washed by several rivers, four of which are noble streams, namely, the Scheldt, the Lys, the Scarpe, and the Dender; and there are several canals, the chief of which is that between Bruges and Ghent.

Thus, in whatever way it be considered, nature seems to have made ample provision for the happiness of the people how far they are so, you shall hear when I come E

to give a general view of the Netherlands-that which is applicable to Austrian Flanders being equally so to all the other parts of the Netherlands, excepting those under the dominion of the Republic of the United States,

The States of this country, according to the constitu tion it once possessed, consisted of clergy, the nobility and the commoners. The clergy were the bishops and abbots; the nobility was composed of certain families holding hereditary offices or baronies, to which that privilege was annexed; and the commoners were made up of the burgomasters, pensioners and deputies of the cities and districts. But the only religion professed or tolerated in this country, was the Roman Catholic.

Of the people of Austrian Flanders a celebrated Author gives the following account, which I transcribe for your use, the rather as my stay there was too short to enable me to make any material observation on them, or their manners.

"With respect to the persons and characters of the inhabitants," says he, "they are, generally speaking, lusty, fat, and clumsy-very industrious, both in culti vating their lands, and in their trades and mauufactures -lovers of liberty, and enemies to slavery and not defective in good sense or judgment, though they have not so lively an imagination as some other nations. Their women are fair, handsome enough, and honest by their natural constitution, as well as from a principle of vir tue as they cannot pretend to wit and repartee, they do not make themselves ridiculous by the nauseous affectation of them. Both sexes are great lovers of public diversions; and every city, town, and village, have their kermisses, or fairs, in which all sorts of shews are exhibited,"

Many arts which now enrich other nations, and the importance of which has excited contests and struggles of the most serious kind in the political world, were invented or improved in that country. Weaving, in general, though not invented, was greatly improved; and the art of forming figures of all sorts in linen was first invented there. To the Flemings we are also indebted for the arts of curing herrings, dyeing cloths and stuffs,

and oil-colours. But those arts, and the manufactures, have gradually fled away from them, and left but a small share behind, when compared with their former flourishing state: they have flown to a land of liberty and security, where hoftile feet never tread, where slavery corrupteth not, where war devoureth not, nor Priests nor Despots break in and steal. Nevertheless, silk, cotton and woollen stuffs, brocades, camblets, tapestry, linen, and lace, are still manufactured to some small extent.

This province had courts of its own, from the ninth century up to the year 1369, when it was made over, by marriage, (like a farm of cattle) to the dukes of Burgundy; and afterwards, again, was by them made over, in like way of marriage, to the House of Austria. In 1667 France seized the southern part; and the States General obtained the northern, partly by the treaty of Munster, and partly by the Barrier treaty of 1715.

To reckon upon the natural endowments of this country, one would suppose that it should be a terrestrial paradise yet such is the wickedness of man, and the outrageous spirit of power, that it is almost the last country in Europe in which I would have property, and fix a permanent residence. Just now, while I am writing, I have before me an account, that the French, to whom they have opened their gates, have plundered them to the last atom of their movable possessions; and that the property of the unfortunate people is now in waggons, on its way to Paris.

Once more, my boy, I say, bless your God, that planted you in a country cheered by the voice of freedom, defended by British valour, and, what is of more consequence, surrounded by the Ocean.

LETTER XI.

HAVING conducted you through that part of the Netherlands called Austrian Flanders, we are now to direct our attention to that called Austrian Brabant, of

which part, as well as of the Netherlands in general, Brussels, where I arrived the same day I left Ghent, is the capital, giving its name to a quarter or territory that surrounds it.

In all parts of the Netherlands through which I travelled, I could not help admiring the uniform decorations of the roads, rivers, and canals, with rows of lofty trees, which form a most agreeable shade from the summer's burning sun, and yet do not obstruct any great extent of prospect, the country is so extremely flat. And one thing I remarked, and which certainly seems, at first view, extraordinary, is, that in the great extent of country through which we have hitherto passed, from Ostend to Brussels, being sixty-eight miles, I scarce saw one nobleman or gentleman's seat-nothing above the house of a husbandman, a curate, or some person of small fortune and yet the country is extremely rich; and I saw many spots, as I went along, charming beyond description, and such as would tempt, I should think, a man of taste and opulence to settle in them. This must appear unaccountable to those who do not recollect, that in a country subject like this to the ravaging incursions of contending armies, fortified towns are considered as the most pleasing, because the most secure retreats of opulence.

As I approached the city of Brussels, I was struck with a mixed sensation of surprise and delight at the appearance it made-none that I had ever seen being comparable to it, and not one in Europe, by the account of travellers, being in that respect superior to it, Naples and Genoa only excepted: like them, however, it, when entered, falls far short of the expectation raised by its external appearance, being all composed of hills and hollows, which not only fatigue, but render the appearance of the streets, though well built, contemptible and mean.

Brussels stands on the beautiful little river Senne, on the brow of a hill. The city is about seven miles in eircumference; has seven gates, with extensive suburbs, and is encompassed with a double wall made of brick, and ditches; but its size is too great for strength, as a

face of defence of such extent could not possibly hold out a long siege a great and insuperable defect in such a country as I have described.

Great as is the extent of ground on which this city stands, it is nevertheless very well built, and extremely populous. It is ornamented with no fewer than seven squares, all of them remarkably fine, particularly the great square or market place, which is reckoned to be perhaps the finest in Europe. Around it are the halls of the different trades, the fronts of which are adorned, in a superb manner, with emblematical sculpture, with gilding, and a variety of Latin inscriptions. One quarter of this square is entirely occupied by the town-houses, a noble pile of building, in which there were apartments where the States of Brabant met, finely adorned with tapestry in gilt frames, and some admirable original paintings. At the time I was there, the whole city was in motion, preparing for the inauguration of the Emperor, who was then impatiently expected, and whose approach made such a bustle, and promised such a spectacle, as made me regret the necessity I lay under of proceeding on my journey. The town-house was put into the highest order, and subsequently fell a sacrifice to the great and important event for which it was prepared.

The steeple of this building is of a most stupendous height three hundred and sixty-four feet; and on the top of it is erected a statue of Saint Michael killing the Dragon, of the enormous height of seventeen feet: this colossal statue is so constructed as to serve for a weather-cock; and being made of copper, well gilt, is at once conspicuous, magnificent, and ornamental.

The public buildings of Brussels, particularly the palaces and courts of the several princes, counts, and other persons of distinction, (and, you may be sure, the churches and cloisters too), are spacious, expensive, and magnificent. Behind the imperial palace, which stood in the highest part of the city, but was burnt down many years ago, is a park, well stocked with deer, and planted with trees, like St. James's-park at London, for the inhabitants to walk in. At the farther end of it is a fine