the complete writings-2-第7章

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Antwerp　takes　hold　of　you；　both　by　its　present　and　its　past；　very　strongly。　　It　is　still　the　home　of　wealth。　　It　has　stately　buildings；　splendid　galleries　of　pictures；　and　a　spire　of　stone　which　charms　more　than　a　picture；　and　fascinates　the　eye　as　music　does　the　ear。　It　still　keeps　its　strong　fortifications　drawn　around　it；　to　which　the　broad　and　deep　Scheldt　is　like　a　string　to　a　bow；　mindful　of　the　unstable　state　of　Europe。　　While　Berlin　is　only　a　vast　camp　of　soldiers；　every　less　city　must　daily　beat　its　drums；　and　call　its　muster…roll。　　From　the　tower　here　one　looks　upon　the　cockpit　of　Europe。　　And　yet　Antwerp　ought　to　have　rest：　she　has　had　tumult　enough　in　her　time。　　Prosperity　seems　returning　to　her；　but　her　old；　comparative　splendor　can　never　come　back。　　In　the　sixteenth　century　there　was　no　richer　city　in　Europe。

We　walked　one　evening　past　the　cathedral　spire；　which　begins　in　the　richest　and　most　solid　Gothic　work；　and　grows　up　into　the　sky　into　an　exquisite　lightness　and　grace；　down　a　broad　street　to　the　Scheldt。　What　traffic　have　not　these　high　old　houses　looked　on；　when　two　thousand　and　five　hundred　vessels　lay　in　the　river　at　one　time；　and　the　commerce　of　Europe　found　here　its　best　mart。　　Along　the　stream　now　is　a　not　very　clean　promenade　for　the　populace；　and　it　is　lined　with　beer…houses；　shabby　theaters；　and　places　of　the　most　childish　amusements。　　There　is　an　odd　liking　for　the　simple　among　these　people。　　In　front　of　the　booths；　drums　were　beaten　and　instruments　played　in　bewildering　discord。　　Actors　in　paint　and　tights　stood　without　to　attract　the　crowd　within。　　On　one　low　balcony；　a　copper…colored　man；　with　a　huge　feather　cap　and　the　traditional　dress　of　the　American　savage；　was　beating　two　drums；　a　burnt…cork　black　man　stood　beside　him；　while　on　the　steps　was　a　woman；　in　hat　and　shawl；　making　an　earnest　speech　to　the　crowd。　　In　another　place；　where　a　crazy　band　made　furious　music；　was　an　enormous　〃go…round〃　of　wooden　ponies；　like　those　in　the　Paris　gardens；　only　here；　instead　of　children；　grown　men　and　women　rode　the　hobby…horses；　and　seemed　delighted　with　the　sport。　　In　the　general　Babel；　everybody　was　good…natured　and　jolly。　　Little　things　suffice　to　amuse　the　lower　classes；　who　do　not　have　to　bother　their　heads　with　elections　and　mass　meetings。

In　front　of　the　cathedral　is　the　well；　and　the　fine　canopy　of　iron…work；　by　Quentin　Matsys；　the　blacksmith　of　Antwerp；　some　of　whose　pictures　we　saw　in　the　Museum；　where　one　sees；　also　some　of　the　finest　pictures　of　the　Dutch　school；the　〃Crucifixion〃　of　Rubens；　the　〃Christ　on　the　Cross〃　of　Vandyke；　paintings　also　by　Teniers；　Otto　Vennius；　Albert　Cuyp；　and　others；　and　Rembrandt's　portrait　of　his　wife；a　picture　whose　sweet　strength　and　wealth　of　color　draws　one　to　it　with　almost　a　passion　of　admiration。　　We　had　already　seen　〃The　Descent　from　the　Cross〃　and　〃The　Raising　of　the　Cross〃　by　Rubens；　in　the　cathedral。　　With　all　his　power　and　rioting　luxuriance　of　color；　I　cannot　come　to　love　him　as　I　do　Rembrandt。　　Doubtless　he　painted　what　he　saw；　and　we　still　find　the　types　of　his　female　figures　in　the　broad…hipped；　ruddy…colored　women　of　Antwerp。　　We　walked　down　to　his　house；　which　remains　much　as　it　was　two　hundred　and　twenty…five　years　ago。　　From　the　interior　court；　an　entrance　in　the　Italian　style　leads　into　a　pleasant　little　garden　full　of　old　trees　and　flowers；　with　a　summer…house　embellished　with　plaster　casts；　and　having　the　very　stone　table　upon　which　Rubens　painted。　　It　is　a　quiet　place；　and　fit　for　an　artist；　but　Rubens　had　other　houses　in　the　city；　and　lived　the　life　of　a　man　who　took　a　strong　hold　of　the　world。




AMSTERDAM

The　rail　from　Antwerp　north　was　through　a　land　flat　and　sterile。　After　a　little；　it　becomes　a　little　richer；　but　a　forlorner　land　to　live　in　I　never　saw。　　One　wonders　at　the　perseverance　of　the　Flemings　and　Dutchmen　to　keep　all　this　vast　tract　above　water　when　there　is　so　much　good　solid　earth　elsewhere　unoccupied。　　At　Moerdjik　we　changed　from　the　cars　to　a　little　steamer　on　the　Maas；　which　flows　between　high　banks。　　The　water　is　higher　than　the　adjoining　land；　and　from　the　deck　we　look　down　upon　houses　and　farms。　　At　Dort；　the　Rhine　comes　in　with　little　promise　of　the　noble　stream　it　is　in　the　highlands。　　Everywhere　canals　and　ditches　dividing　the　small　fields　instead　of　fences；　trees　planted　in　straight　lines；　and　occasionally　trained　on　a　trellis　in　front　of　the　houses；　with　the　trunk　painted　white　or　green；　so　that　every　likeness　of　nature　shall　be　taken　away。　》From　Rotterdam；　by　cars；　it　is　still　the　same。　　The　Dutchman　spends　half　his　life；　apparently；　in　fighting　the　water。　　He　has　to　watch　the　huge　dikes　which　keep　the　ocean　from　overwhelming　him；　and　the　river…banks；　which　may　break；　and　let　the　floods　of　the　Rhine　swallow　him　up。　　The　danger　from　within　is　not　less　than　from　without。　　Yet　so　fond　is　he　of　his　one　enemy；　that；　when　he　can　afford　it；　he　builds　him　a　fantastic　summer…house　over　a　stagnant　pool　or　a　slimy　canal；　in　one　corner　of　his　garden；　and　there　sits　to　enjoy　the　aquatic　beauties　of　nature；　that　is；　nature　as　he　has　made　it。　　The　river…banks　are　woven　with　osiers　to　keep　them　from　washing；　and　at　intervals　on　the　banks　are　piles　of　the　long　withes　to　be　used　in　emergencies　when　the　swollen　streams　threaten　to　break　through。

And　so　we　come　to　Amsterdam；　the　oddest　city　of　all；a　city　wholly　built　on　piles；　with　as　many　canals　as　streets；　and　an　architecture　so　quaint　as　to　even　impress　one　who　has　come　from　Belgium。　　The　whole　town　has　a　wharf…y　look；　and　it　is　difficult　to　say　why　the　tall　brick　houses；　their　gables　running　by　steps　to　a　peak；　and　each　one　leaning　forward　or　backward　or　sideways；　and　none　perpendicular；　and　no　two　on　a　line；　are　so　interesting。　　But　certainly　it　is　a　most　entertaining　place　to　the　stranger；　whether　he　explores　the　crowded　Jews'　quarter；　with　its　swarms　of　dirty　people；　its　narrow　streets；　and　high　houses　hung　with　clothes；　as　if　every　day　were　washing…day；　or　strolls　through　the　equally　narrow　streets　of　rich　shops；　or　lounges　upon　the　bridges；　and　looks　at　the　queer　boats　with　clumsy　rounded　bows；　great　helms'　painted　in　gay　colors；　with　flowers　in　the　cabin　windows；boats　where　families　live；　or　walks　down　the　Plantage；　with　the　zoological　gardens　on　the　one　hand　and　rows　of　beer…gardens　on　the　other；　or　round　the　great　docks；　or　saunters　at　sunset　by　the　banks　of　the　Y；　and　looks　upon　flat　North　Holland　and　the　Zuyder　Zee。

The　palace　on　the　Dam　（square）　is　a　square；　stately　edifice；　and　the　only　building　that　the　stranger　will　care　to　see。　　Its　interior　is　richer　and　more　fit　to　live　in　than　any　palace　we　have　seen。　　There　is　nothing　usually　so　dreary　as　your　fine　Palace。　　There　are　some　good　frescoes；　rooms　richly　decorated　in　marble；　and　a　magnificent　hall；　or　ball…room；　one　hundred　feet　in　height；　without　pillars。　Back　of　it　is；　of　course；　a　canal；　which　does　not　smell　fragrantly　in　the　summer；　and　I　do　not　wonder　that　William　III。　and　his　queen　prefer　to　stop　away。　　From　the　top　is　a　splendid　view　of　Amsterdam　and　all　the　flat　region。　　I　speak　of　it　with　entire　impartiality；　for　I　did　not　go　up　to　see　it。　　But　better　than　palaces　are　the　picture…galleries；　three　of　which　are　open　to　the　sightseer。　　Here　the　ancient　and　modern　Dutch　painters　are　seen　at　their　best；　and　I　know　of　no　richer　feast　of　this　sort。　　Here　Rembrandt　is　to　be　seen　in　his　glory；　here　Van　der　Helst；　Jan　Steen；　Gerard　Douw；　Teniers　the　younger；　Hondekoeter；　Weenix；　Ostade；　Cuyp；　and　other　names　as　familiar。　　These　men　also　painted　what　they　saw；　the　people；　the　landscapes；　with　which　they　were　familiar。　　It　was　a　strange　pleasure　to　meet　again　and　again　in　the　streets　of　the　town　the　faces；　or　types　of　them；　that　we　had　just　seen　on　canvas　so　old。

In　the　Low　Countries；　the　porters　have　the　grand　title　of　commissionaires。　　They　carry　trunks　and　bundles；　black　boots；　and　act　as　valets　de　place。　　As　guides；　they　are　quite　as　intolerable　in　Amsterdam　as　their　brethren　in　other　cities。　　Many　of　them　are　Jews；　and　they　have　a　keen　eye　for　a　stranger。　　The　moment　he　sallies　from　his　hotel；　there　is　a　guide。　　Let　him　hesitate　for　an　instant　in　his　walk；　either　to　look　at　something　or　to　consult