After The Storm | Page 9

is held in great veneration by the lower orders of the Bruxellois and
is by them regarded as a sort of Palladium to the city. It is the figure of a little boy who is
at peace, according to the late Lord Melville's[6] pronunciation of the words, and who
spouts out his water incessantly, reckless of decorum and putting modesty to the blush.
What would our vice-hunters say to this? He is a Sabbath breaker in the bargain and
continues his occupation on Sundays as well as other days and in fine he rejoices in the
name of Mannekenpis.
The ramparts, or rather site of the ramparts (for the fortifications of Bruxelles no longer
exist), form an agreeable promenade; but the favourite resort of all the world at Bruxelles
in the afternoon is the Attee verte
. Here all classes meet; here the rich display their
equipages and horses; and the lower orders assemble at the innumerable guinguettes
which are to be met with here, in order to play at bowls, dominoes, smoke and drink beer,
of which there is an excellent sort called Bitterman. The avenues on each side of the
carriage road are occupied by pedestrians, and on one side of the road is the canal,

covered at all times with barges and boats decked with flags and streamers. At the
cabarets are benches and tables in the open air under the trees; and here are to be seen the
artisan, the bargeman and the peasant taking their afternoon délassement, and groups of
men, women and children drinking beer and smoking. These groups reminded me much
of those one sees so often in the old Flemish pictures, with this difference, that the old
costume of the people is almost entirely left off. Female minstrels with guitars stroll
about singing French romances and collecting contributions from this cheerful,
laughter-loving people. The dark walk, as it is called, near the park is a favourite walk of
the upper classes in the evening. There his Grace of Wellington is sometimes to be seen
with a fair lady under his arm. He generally dresses in plain clothes, to the astonishment
of all the foreign officers. He is said to be as successful in the fields of Idalia as in those
of Bellona, and the ladies whom he honours with his attentions suffer not a little in their
reputations in the opinion of the compères and commères of Bruxelles.
I have only been twice to the theatre since I have been here. The _Salle de Spectacle_ is
indifferent, but they have an excellent company of comedians. The representations are in
French. I saw the Festin de Pierre of Corneille exceedingly well performed. The actors
who did the parts of Don Juan and Sganarelle were excellent, and the scene with M.
Dimanche, wherein he demands payment of his bill, was admirably given. I have also
seen the Plaideurs of Racine, a very favourite piece of mine; every actor played his part
most correctly, and the scene between the Comtesse de Pimbeche and Chicaneau and
L'Intimé wherein the latter, disguised as a Bailli, offers himself to be kicked by the
former, was given in very superior style. The scene of the trial of the dog, with the
orations of Petit Jean as demandeur and L'Intimé as défenseur, were played with good
effect. I never recollect having witnessed a theatrical piece which afforded me greater
amusement.
NAMUR, May 12.
We left Brussels yesterday afternoon, and having obtained passports to visit the military
posts we went to Genappe, a small village half-way between Bruxelles and Namur, where
we brought to for the night at a small but comfortable inn called Le Roi d'Espagne. Two
battalions of the regiment Nassau-Usingen are quartered in Genappe. We arrived at
Namur this morning at nine o'clock and put up at the Hôtel d'Arenberg. On the road we
stopped at a peasant's house to drink coffee; and we were entertained by our hostess with
complaints against the Prussians, who commit, as she said, all sorts of exactions on the
peasantry on whom they are quartered. Not content with exacting three meals a day,
when they were only entitled to two, and for which they are bound to give their rations,
they sell these, and appropriate the money to their own use; then the demand for brandy
and schnapps is increasing. But what can be expected from an army whose leader
encourages them in all their excesses? Blucher by all accounts is a vandal and is actuated
by a most vindictive spirit. The Prussians reproach the Belgians with being in the French
interest; how can they expect it to be otherwise? They have prospered under French
domination, and certainly the conduct of the Prussians is not calculated to inspire them
with any love towards themselves