are　stupid；　hard　to　please；　and　intolerably　insolent　and　air…
  giving。　　I　walked　with　an　Englishman　yesterday；　who　asked　the　way
  to　a　street　of　which　he　pronounced　the　name　very　badly　to　a　little
  Flemish　boy：　the　Flemish　boy　did　not　answer；　and　there　was　my
  Englishman　quite　in　a　rage；　shrieking　in　the　child's　ear　as　if　he
  must　answer。　　He　seemed　to　think　that　it　was　the　duty　of　〃the
  snob；〃　as　he　called　him；　to　obey　the　gentleman。　　This　is　why　we　are
  hatedfor　pride。　　In　our　free　country　a　tradesman；　a　lackey；　or　a
  waiter　will　submit　to　almost　any　given　insult　from　a　gentleman：　in
  these　benighted　lands　one　man　is　as　good　as　another；　and　pray　God
  it　may　soon　be　so　with　us！　　Of　all　European　people；　which　is　the
  nation　that　has　the　most　haughtiness；　the　strongest　prejudices；　the
  greatest　reserve；　the　greatest　dulness？　　I　say　an　Englishman　of　the
  genteel　classes。　　An　honest　groom　jokes　and　hobs…and…nobs　and　makes
  his　way　with　the　kitchen…maids；　for　there　is　good　social　nature　in
  the　man；　his　master　dare　not　unbend。　　Look　at　him；　how　he　scowls　at
  you　on　your　entering　an　inn…room；　think　how　you　scowl　yourself　to
  meet　his　scowl。　　To…day；　as　we　were　walking　and　staring　about　the
  place；　a　worthy　old　gentleman　in　a　carriage；　seeing　a　pair　of
  strangers；　took　off　his　hat　and　bowed　very　gravely　with　his　old
  powdered　head　out　of　the　window：　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　our　first
  impulse　was　to　burst　out　laughingit　seemed　so　supremely
  ridiculous　that　a　stranger　should　notice　and　welcome　another。
  As　for　the　notion　that　foreigners　hate　us　because　we　have　beaten
  them　so　often；　my　dear　sir；　this　is　the　greatest　error　in　the
  world：　well…educated　Frenchmen　DO　NOT　BELIEVE　THAT　WE　HAVE　BEATEN
  THEM。　　A　man　was　once　ready　to　call　me　out　in　Paris　because　I　said
  that　we　had　beaten　the　French　in　Spain；　and　here　before　me　is　a
  French　paper；　with　a　London　correspondent　discoursing　about　Louis
  Buonaparte　and　his　jackass　expedition　to　Boulogne。　　〃He　was
  received　at　Eglintoun；　it　is　true；〃　says　the　correspondent；　〃but
  what　do　you　think　was　the　reason？　　Because　the　English　nobility
  were　anxious　to　revenge　upon　his　person　（with　some　coups　de　lance）
  the　checks　which　the　'grand　homme'　his　uncle　had　inflicted　on　us　in
  Spain。〃
  This　opinion　is　so　general　among　the　French；　that　they　would　laugh
  at　you　with　scornful　incredulity　if　you　ventured　to　assert　any
  other。　　Foy's　history　of　the　Spanish　War　does　not；　unluckily；　go
  far　enough。　　I　have　read　a　French　history　which　hardly　mentions　the
  war　in　Spain；　and　calls　the　battle　of　Salamanca　a　French　victory。
  You　know　how　the　other　day；　and　in　the　teeth　of　all　evidence；　the
  French　swore　to　their　victory　of　Toulouse：　and　so　it　is　with　the
  rest；　and　you　may　set　it　down　as　pretty　certain；　1st；　That　only　a
  few　people　know　the　real　state　of　things　in　France；　as　to　the
  matter　in　dispute　between　us；　2nd；　That　those　who　do；　keep　the
  truth　to　themselves；　and　so　it　is　as　if　it　had　never　been。
  These　Belgians　have　caught　up；　and　quite　naturally；　the　French
  tone。　　We　are　perfide　Albion　with　them　still。　　Here　is　the　Ghent
  paper；　which　declares　that　it　is　beyond　a　doubt　that　Louis　Napoleon
  was　sent　by　the　English　and　Lord　Palmerston；　and　though　it　states
  in　another　part　of　the　journal　（from　English　authority）　that　the
  Prince　had　never　seen　Lord　Palmerston；　yet　the　lie　will　remain
  uppermostthe　people　and　the　editor　will　believe　it　to　the　end　of
  time。　。　。　。　　See　to　what　a　digression　yonder　little　fellow　in　the
  tall　hat　has　given　rise！　　Let　us　make　his　picture；　and　have　done
  with　him。
  I　could　not　understand；　in　my　walks　about　this　place；　which　is
  certainly　picturesque　enough；　and　contains　extraordinary　charms　in
  the　shape　of　old　gables；　quaint　spires；　and　broad　shining　canals
  I　could　not　at　first　comprehend　why；　for　all　this；　the　town　was
  especially　disagreeable　to　me；　and　have　only　just　hit　on　the　reason
  why。　　Sweetest　Juliana；　you　will　never　guess　it：　it　is　simply　this；
  that　I　have　not　seen　a　single　decent…looking　woman　in　the　whole
  place；　they　look　all　ugly；　with　coarse　mouths；　vulgar　figures；　mean
  mercantile　faces；　and　so　the　traveller　walking　among　them　finds　the
  pleasure　of　his　walk　excessively　damped；　and　the　impressions　made
  upon　him　disagreeable。
  In　the　Academy　there　are　no　pictures　of　merit；　but　sometimes　a
  second…rate　picture　is　as　pleasing　as　the　best；　and　one　may　pass　an
  hour　here　very　pleasantly。　　There　is　a　room　appropriated　to　Belgian
  artists；　of　which　I　never　saw　the　like：　they　are；　like　all　the　rest
  of　the　things　in　this　country；　miserable　imitations　of　the　French
  schoolgreat　nude　Venuses；　and　Junos　a　la　David；　with　the　drawing
  left　out。
  BRUGES。
  The　change　from　vulgar　Ghent；　with　its　ugly　women　and　coarse
  bustle；　to　this　quiet；　old；　half…deserted；　cleanly　Bruges；　was　very
  pleasant。　　I　have　seen　old　men　at　Versailles；　with　shabby　coats　and
  pigtails；　sunning　themselves　on　the　benches　in　the　walls；　they　had
  seen　better　days；　to　be　sure；　but　they　were　gentlemen　still：　and　so
  we　found；　this　morning；　old　dowager　Bruges　basking　in　the　pleasant
  August　sun；　and　looking　if　not　prosperous；　at　least　cheerful　and
  well…bred。　　It　is　the　quaintest　and　prettiest　of　all　the　quaint　and
  pretty　towns　I　have　seen。　　A　painter　might　spend　months　here；　and
  wander　from　church　to　church；　and　admire　old　towers　and　pinnacles；
  tall　gables；　bright　canals；　and　pretty　little　patches　of　green
  garden　and　moss…grown　wall；　that　reflect　in　the　clear　quiet　water。
  Before　the　inn…window　is　a　garden；　from　which　in　the　early　morning
  issues　a　most　wonderful　odor　of　stocks　and　wallflowers；　next　comes
  a　road　with　trees　of　admirable　green；　numbers　of　little　children
  are　playing　in　this　road　（the　place　is　so　clean　that　they　may　roll
  in　it　all　day　without　soiling　their　pinafores）；　and　on　the　other
  side　of　the　trees　are　little　old…fashioned；　dumpy；　whitewashed；
  red…tiled　houses。　　A　poorer　landscape　to　draw　never　was　known；　nor
  a　pleasanter　to　seethe　children　especially；　who　are　inordinately
  fat　and　rosy。　　Let　it　be　remembered；　too；　that　here　we　are　out　of
  the　country　of　ugly　women：　the　expression　of　the　face　is　almost
  uniformly　gentle　and　pleasing；　and　the　figures　of　the　women；
  wrapped　in　long　black　monk…like　cloaks　and　hoods；　very　picturesque。
  No　wonder　there　are　so　many　children：　the　〃Guide…book〃　（omniscient
  Mr。　Murray！）　says　there　are　fifteen　thousand　paupers　in　the　town；
  and　we　know　how　such　multiply。　　How　the　deuce　do　their　children
  look　so　fat　and　rosy？　　By　eating　dirt…pies；　I　suppose。　　I　saw　a
  couple　making　a　very　nice　savory　one；　and　another　employed　in
  gravely　sticking　strips　of　stick　betwixt　the　pebbles　at　the　house…
  door；　and　so　making　for　herself　a　stately　garden。　　The　men　and
  women　don't　seem　to　have　much　more　to　do。　　There　are　a　couple　of
  tall　chimneys　at　either　suburb　of　the　town；　where　no　doubt
  manufactories　are　at　work；　but　within　the　walls　everybody　seems
  decently　idle。
  We　have　been；　of　course；　abroad　to　visit　the　lions。　　The　tower　in
  the　Grand　Place　is　very　fine；　and　the　bricks　of　which　it　is　built
  do　not　yield　a　whit　in　color　to　the　best　stone。　　The　great　building
  round　this　tower　is　very　like　the　pictures　of　the　Ducal　Palace　at
  Venice；　and　there　is　a　long　market　area；　with　columns　down　the
  middle；　from　which　hung　shreds　of　rather　lean…looking　meat；　that
  would　do　wonders　under　the　hands　of　Cattermole　or　Haghe。　　In　the
  tower　there　is　a　chime　of　bells　that　keep　ringing　perpetually。
  They　not　only　play　tunes　of　themselves；　and　every　quarter　of　an
  hour；　but　an　individual　performs　selections　from　popular　operas　on
  them　at　certain　periods　of　the　morning；　afternoon；　and　evening。　　I
  have　heard　to…day　〃Suoni　la　Tromba；〃　〃Son　Vergin　Vezzosa；〃　from　the
  〃Puritani；〃　and　other　airs；　and　very　badly　they　were　played　too；
  for　such　a　great　monster　as　a　tower…bell　cannot　be　expected　to
  imitate　Madame　Grisi　or　even　Signor　Lablache。　　Other　churches
  indulge　in　the　same　amusement；　so　that　one　may　come　here　and　live
  in　melody　all　day　or　night；　like　the　young　woman　in　Moore's　〃Lalla
  Rookh。〃
  In　the　matter　of　art；　the　chief　attractions　of　Bruges　are　the
  pictures　of　Hemling；　that　are　to　be　seen　in　the　churches；　the
  hospital；　and　the　picture…gallery　of　the　place。　　There　are　no　more
  pictures　of　Rubens　to　be　seen；　and；　indeed；　in　the　course　of　a
  fortnight；　one　has　had　quite　enough　of　the　great　man　and　his
  magnificent；　swaggering　canvases。　　What　a　difference　is　here　with
  simple　Hemling　and　the　extraordinary　creations　of　his　pencil！　　The
  hospital　is　particularly　rich　in　them；　and　the　legend　there　is　that
  the　painter；　who　had　served　Charles　the　Bold　in　his　war　against　the
  Swiss；　and　his　last　battle　and　defeat；　wandered　back　wounded　and
  penniless　to　Bruges；　and　here　found　cure　and　shelter。
  This　hospital　is　a　noble　and　curious　sight。　　The　great　hall　is
  almost　as　it　was　in　the　twelfth　century；　it　is　spanned　by　Saxon
  arches；　and　lighted　by　a　multipl