[Railway to Thielt, and to Oudenarde. Thielt (Station) is the chief place ofa canton in the district of Bruges. Itis the birth-place of Olivier le Daim, the celebrated barber of Louis XI. Pop., 12,000. From here a branch runs through Pitthem (Station) to Lichtertervelde (Station) on the way to Dunkirk; and another is open to Meulbeke (Station) and Ingelmünster (Station), a place for carpet factories.

The Lys, which passes Deynze, rises in France, in the department of the Pas de Calais, not far from Bethune; after watering Aire, Estaires, and Armentières, it runs north-easterly along the border of France and Belgium, by Warneton and Wervick, which it passes, and entering West Flanders, passes

Courtrai, then enters East Flanders, near Olsene, crossing Deynze, and taking a winding course of

about 100 miles, it falls into the Scheldt at Ghent.]

Leaving Deynze the stations of Deurle (3 miles), La Pinte (2 miles), and St. Denis Westrem (1 mile), are passed successively, from which it is 4 miles to Gand.

GHENT (Station)-French, Gand; Flemish, Gent; where John of Gaunt was born.

tion (1886), 145,424. Hotels:

Popula

Hotel Royal, Place d'Armes, in the centre of the town, and nearest to the railway station, a first-class hotel-highly recommended to English travellers.

Hotel de la Poste, Place d'Armes.-This old established first-rate hotel is highly recommended. Hotel de Vienne, second class hotel-moderate charges and excellent accommodation.

De l'Etoile; Lion d'Or; d'Allemagne; Grande Cour Royale.

There is a good Buffet at the station, which is within the town. Cabs are always in attendance. There are two smaller stations on the other side of the town.

Post Office.-Rue de l'Université.

English Church Service.

The traveller will be most agreeably surprised on entering this rich and populous city, through one of its seven gates, situated at the confluence of the Scheldt and the Lys, to observe the anima

of its manufactories. Its population is chiefly engaged in the manufacturing of linen and cotton threads by machinery, and the bleaching and printing of calicoes. Ghent is built on twenty-six islands, united by bridges, and contains three hundred streets. Though no longer the great commercial city of former days, when the Emperor Charles V. (its most distinguished native, born here 1500) said of it-"Je mettrais tout Paris dans mon Gand," (i.e., I could put all Paris in my glove, gant). Ghent is still the Manchester of Belgium. In 1800 an enterprising Fleming, named Lieviere Baucus, brought over from Manchester several English workmen and spinning jennies; manufactures quickly took root, and in a short time 30,000 workmen were

employed, and sixty steam-engines required to

set in motion the machinery of the various cotton

mills, many of which appear to a Lancashire tra

veller like a transplant from his native county.

The political history of Ghent is various and interesting. Notwithstanding the strictures of Hallam, it calls up to the recollection many scenes which inspire us with every sentiment of sympathy and good-will towards many a name illustrated in centuries past by deeds of patriotism and do. mestic virtue. Its citizen-magistrates being condemned by the Emperor Charles V. to implore his clemency, and to wear a rope round their necks whenever they acted judicially, they turned it into an honour with this device, in which the city is characterised, along with others:

"Nobilibus Bruxella viris, Antverpia nummis,
Gandavum laqueis, formosis Bruga puellis,
Lovanium doctis gaudet Mechlinia stultis."

The Pacification of Ghent, when the North and South Provinces united against Spain, was celebrated 1876.

Ghent is one of the handsomest towns on the Continent; its streets and public squares are wide and spacious; it has more the appearance of a modern city than Bruges. Most of the houses, as in Holland, are furnished with espions, or little reflectors, placed outside the windows, and showing all the passers in the street. Its objects of attraction may be enumerated as follows:

The Beffroi.-Belfry tower, 386 feet high, erected in 1183. Permission to erect a tower, or belfry, was the earliest privilege that the citizens obtained from their feudal lords, and was, hence, long regarded by them as a monument of their power and wealth. It originally served as a watch tower, from whence an enemy could be descried, and in which was a tocsin-bell that called the citizens to arms, and to debate. The gilt dragon on the top was carried off from Bruges by the Gantoises, as a trophy of their conquest of that town, under Philip Vlaenderlandt. It has lately been re-gilt. Its history is rather a remarkable one, it having originally adorned a Greek church at Constantinople, from whence it was carried off by the men of Bruges, who went to the first crusade as soldiers under Baldwin, Count of Flanders. The lower part of the tower is now used as a prison, and had deposited in it, the title deeds and records of Ghent, now in the Town Hall. From its top a magnificent view can be had, and the entrance to it is in the St. Jan Straat. Fee to the concierge, 1 franc for a single person. The following reply was made by Charles V. to his cruel and atrocious minister, Alva, who advised him to destroy the city, "Combien faudrait-il de peaux d'Espagne pour faire un gant de cette grandeur?" -(How many skins of Spanish leather would it take to make such a glove?) The tower contains 44 bells; the mode adopted for ringing the chimes is curious and should be seen.

The Cathedral, 13th cent., is one of the handsomest Gothic buildings in Belgium. It was formerly a church dedicated to St. John, but took the name of St. Bavon or Baefs in 1540, when Charles V. removed thither the collegiate chapter of the Abbey of that saint, and 19 years afterwards it was raised to the dignity of a cathedral church. The present building was commenced in the thirteenth, and finished in the beginning of the sixteenth century. The majestic effect which the structure is calculated to produce is much impaired by the want of an open area around and in front. The tower is remarkable for its elegance; it is 271 feet high, and the ascent to the platform which terminates it is by 446 steps; the view from the summit is of great extent and beauty. The Cathedral itself is divided into three aisles by a double range of light and elegant columns. On each side are disposed

twelve chapels, which, as well as the choir, are in excellent keeping with the rest of the building. The choir which has two side aisles, is raised above the floor of the body of the church by a flight of steps: in front is the grand altar, enclosed by three bronze doors of elaborate workmanship, and surmounted by Corinthian columns of the purest Carrara marble, with a statue of the saint in his ducal robes, and two colossal marble statues by Van Pouche, representing the apostles Peter and Paul. In front of the altar are four tall copper candlesticks, remarkable as having been the property of Charles the First of England. is surmised that they may have adorned the Chapel of Whitehall, or Old St. Paul's. It is supposed that they were sent out of England and sold. On them are still seen the arms of England.

It

The stalls of the canons in the Choir are said to be the finest specimens of carving in mahogany known to exist in the world. Over these stalls are eleven paintings in imitation of bas-relief, by P. Van Reysschoot. Most of the numerous chapels which line the Cathedral are adorned with paintings. The first contains the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, by Crayer; the second, the Donation of St. Colette (a saint of Ghent, who died in 1447) of a piece of ground for a convent, by Paelinck, a modern artist; the third, the Baptism of our Saviour, by Crauwer; the fourth, a Dead Christ, by Abraham Janssens; the sixth, Christ disputing with the Doctors, by Pourbus, all the figures of which are portraits of different individuals holding official situations under Phillip II.; the seventh, a fine picture of the Martyrdom of St. Barbe, by Crayer; the tenth, a Christ between the Thieves, by Van der Menen, a pupil of Van Dyck. In the eleventh is the Agnus Dei, one of the most celebrated pictures of the Flemish school, painted by the brothers Van Eyck, the inventors of oil painting, in 1482; and, though more than four hundred years have elapsed since this picture was painted, the colours retain a vividness truly wonderful, the numerous figures are all finished with the most elaborate care, and each countenance is endued with admirably appropriate expression. The towers, which in the luminous horizon are supposed to represent the New Jerusalem, are painted from those of Maestricht, near which town the artists were born,