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494

Dr. Bathurst, Bishop of Norwich.

CH. XVIII. His attentions to me would have been flattering, could 1815. I have thought them distinguishing, but probably they proceed from a habit of courtesy. I had scarcely exchanged ten words with him when, speaking of ancient times in reference to the former splendour of the buildings attached to the Palace, he said, “Ah! Mr. Robinson, bishops had then more power than you or I wish them to have," as if he knew I was born a Nonconformist. I afterwards met him in the gardens, where a balloon was to ascend; he was arm-in-arm with a Roman Catholic, and on my going up to him he took hold of me also, and remained with us a considerable time walking about. On my uttering some jest about bishops in partibus, he eulogized the Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland as eminently apostolic. The bishop's manners are gentle, and his air is very benignant. He is more gentlemanly than Grégoire, and more sincere than Hohenfels.

Continental

tour.

TOUR IN BELGIUM AND HOLLAND.

Rem.* The Battle of Waterloo having taken place in June, I was determined to make a tour in Belgium, to which I was also urged by my friend Thomas Naylor, who was my travelling companion from Sunday, August 6th, to Saturday, September 2nd.

Written in 1850.

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Father of Samuel Naylor, the translator of Reineke Fuchs," and son of Samuel Naylor, of Great Newport Street, agent to Mr. Francis, in whose office Mr. Robinson was an articled clerk. H. C. R. says, "S. Naylor, Senr., took me to the first play I ever saw in London; it was 'Peeping Tom of Coventry.' I have forgotten all about it, excepting that I was troubled by the number of people on the stage, and that I saw and admired Jack Bannister."

Tour to Waterloo.

I kept a journal of this tour, and have just finished a hasty perusal of it. It contains merely an account of what occurred to myself, and the incidents were SO unimpressive that the narrative has brought to my recollection very few persons and very few places. I shall, therefore, not be tempted to dwell upon the

events.

495

CH. XVIII.

1815.

Stewart.

Naylor and I went to Margate on the 6th, and next Travelling companion. day, after visiting Ramsgate, embarked in a small and unpromising vessel, which brought us to Ostend early on the following morning. There were on board four young men, who, like ourselves, were bound for Waterloo. We agreed to travel together, and I, being the only one who understood any language but English, was elected governor; most of us remained together till the end of the journey. I have lost sight of them all, but I will give their names. There was a young Scotch M.D., named Stewart, whom I afterwards met in London, when he told me the history of his good fortune. It was when travelling in France, after our rencontre, that he by accident came to a country inn, where he found a family in great alarm. An English lady was taken in premature labour. The case was perilous. No medical man was there. He offered his services, and continued to attend her until her husband, a General, and personal friend of the Commander-inChief, Lord Wellington, arrived. The General acknowledged him to be the saviour of his wife's life, and in return obtained for him a profitable place on the medical staff of the English army.

The other young men were Barnes, a surgeon, and

496

Netherland Voyage.

CH. XVIII. two merchants or merchants' clerks, Watkins and

1815.

Places visited.

Canal voyage.

Waterloo.

Williams.

Our journey lay through Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp, Breda, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leyden, the Hague, Delft, Rotterdam, and the Briel, to Helvoetsluys, and from thence to Harwich.

No small part of the tour was in barges. One in particular I enjoyed. It was the voyage from Bruges to Ghent, during which I certainly had more pleasure than I had ever before had on board a vessel, and with no alloy whatever. This canal voyage is considered one of the best in the Netherlands, and our boat, though not superbly furnished, possessed every convenience. We took our passage in the state-cabin, over which was an elegant awning. I found I could write on board with perfect ease; but from time to time I looked out of the cabin-window on a prospect pleasingly diversified by neat and comfortable houses on the banks. The barge proceeded so slowly that we could hardly perceive when it stopped. A man was walking on the side of the canal for a great part of the way, and I therefore suppose our pace was not much more than four miles an hour.

We embarked at half-past ten, and at two o'clock an excellent dinner was served up, consisting of fish, flesh, and fowl, with rich pastry, and plenty of fruit. For this dinner; and the voyage of between thirty and forty miles, we paid each 5fr.

Field of❘ The main object of the tour was to visit the field of the recent great Battle of Waterloo. It was on the 14th of August when we inspected the several points

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1815.

famous in the history of this battle. Not all the CH. XVIII. vestiges of the conflict were removed. There were arms of trees hanging down, shattered by cannon-balls, and not yet cut off. And there were ruined and burnt cottages in many places, and marks of bullets and balls on both houses and trees; but I saw nothing in particular to impress me, except that in an inn near the field I had a glimpse of a lady in weeds, who was come on a vain search after the body of her husband, slain there. A more uninteresting country, or one more fit for a glorious victory," being flat victory," being flat and almost. without trees, than that round Waterloo, cannot, be imagined. I saw it some years afterwards, when ugly monuments were erected there, and I can bear witness to the fact of the great resemblance which the aspect of the neighbourhood of Waterloo bears to a village a mile from Cambridge, on the Bury road.

On the field and at other places the peasants brought us relics of the fight. Dr. Stewart purchased a brass cuirass for a napoleon, and pistols &c. were sold to others. For my own part, with no great portion of sentimental feeling, I could have wished myself to pick up some memorial; but a mere purchase was not sufficient to satisfy me.

We dined at Waterloo. Our host was honest, for on my ordering a dinner at 2fr. a head, he said he never made two prices, and should charge only 11⁄2 fr. In the village, which is naked and wretched, a festival was being held in honour of the patron saint; but we were told that, in consequence of the battle, and out of

VOL. I.

K K

Relics.

498

Holland. Stillness and

CH. XVIII. respect to brave men who lay there, there was to be no dancing this year.

1815.

In the circular brick church of Waterloo we saw two plain marble monuments, bearing simply the names of the officers of the 1st Foot Guards and 15th King's Hussars who had fallen there. Even the reward of being so named is given but to one in a thousand. Sixty thousand men are said to have been killed or wounded at Waterloo. Will sixty be named hereafter? Churches. In general I admired the towns of Belgium, but Ghent was my favourite. The fine architecture of the Catholic churches of the Netherlands gratified me, while I was disgusted with the nakedness and meanness of the Protestant churches of Holland.

Brock.

Among the few objects which have left any traces in my memory, the one which impressed me most was the secluded village of Broek, near Amsterdam. My journal for the 21st of August contains the account of our visit to this village and that of Saardam. The people of Broek live in a state of proud seclusion from the rest of mankind, and, being industrious, are able to banish the appearance of poverty, at least from their cottages. We walked for about an hour through the narrow streets, which are moated on a small scale. There were a great number of inferior houses, but not a single poor one—all were adorned more or less. of them are painted white and green-some entirely green. In general the blinds were closed, so that we could scarcely get a peep into any of them. When we did look in we observed great neatness and simplicity, with marks of affluence at the same time. The shops

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