up, BRUGES his purpose; which is more than can be said of two heads by Rubens of St. Peter and St. Paul, in the same sacristy, which are neither a good representation of individual or general nature: however, each of these heads is enshrined in a rich tabernacle of silver, locked and shown only on high festivals. The great reputation which Rubens has so justly acquired, is here extended to pictures slightly painted, and which perhaps he himself would be ashamed to acknowledge as his: they appear to have nothing to recommend them, but a tint of colour and lightness of pencil; a merit which indeed Rubens seldom wanted: they are insipid, without grace, dignity, or character of any kind. MICHAEL CHURCH OF NOTRE DAME. THE Virgin and Christ (Bambino) in marble, said to be of Michael Angelo. It has certainly the air of his school, and is a work of considerable merit; it was a prize taken by a Dutch Corsair going from Civita Vecchia to Genoa. GHENT. THE CATHEDRAL. In this great Church is the St. Bavon of Rubens. This picture was formerly the ornament of the high altar of this cathedral, but was displaced to make room for an ordinary piece of sculpture. When Rubens was thus degraded, one may conclude his fame was then not established: he had not been dead long enough to be canonized, as he may be said to be at present. It is now placed in a chapel behind the great altar. The saint is represented in the upper part of the picture, in armour, kneeling, received by a priest at the door of a church; below is a man who may be supposed to be his steward, giving money to the poor. Two women are standing by, dressed in the fashion of the times when Rubens lived; one of them appears to be pulling off a chain which falls from her neck, as if she intended to follow the example before her. This picture, for composition, colouring, richness of GHENT. RUBENS. GHENT. effect, and all those qualities in which Rubens more particularly excelled, claims a rank amongst his greatest and best works. It is engraved by HUBERT and JOHN Pilsen. a In a chapel is a work of the brothers VAN EYCK. Hubert and John Van Eyck, representing the Adoration of the Lamb, story from the Apocalypse: it contains a great number of figures in a hard manner, but there is great character of truth and nature in the heads; and the landscape is well coloured. GERARD THORST, In the third Chapel on the right, is a picture of St. Sebastian, by Gerard Honthorst (1663). This picture is mentioned, not for any great excellence that it possesses, but from its being much talked of here: people fancy they see great expression of tenderness in the woman who is drawing the arrows from the Saint's body; but she appeared to me perfectly insipid, and totally without expression of any kind: the head of St. Sebastian is hard and disagreeable; the body indeed is well drawn and not ill coloured, and is the only part of the picture that deserves any commendation. ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH. GHENT. In this church is, or rather was, the VANDYCK. famous crucifixion of Vandyck; for it is almost destroyed by cleaning. It is well known by the fine print of Bolswert, and it appears by what remains to have been one of his most capital works. Vandyck has here introduced a most beautiful horse in an attitude of the utmost grace and dignity. This is the same horse on which he drew Charles the Fifth, which is in the gallery at Florence; the head of the Emperor he copied from Titian. St. John's hand in this picture comes round the Virgin Mary's neck, and falls on the other shoulder. The first impression of Bolswert's plate has this cir GHENT. SEGERS. LANG JAN. RUBENS. cumstance; but it was afterwards changed, being supposed to be too familiar an attitude. Christ scourged, by Segers; the arm finely drawn, and the body well coloured, but too large. St. Hubert, a well painted and well composed picture, by Lang Jan. THE RECOLLETS. THE high altar; a profane allegorical picture by Rubens. Christ with Jupiter's thunder and lightning in his hand, denouncing vengeance on a wicked world, represented by a globe lying on the ground with the serpent twined round it: this globe St. Francis appears to be covering and defending with his mantle. The Virgin is holding Christ's hand, and showing her breasts; implying, as I suppose, the right she has to intercede and have an interest with him whom she suckled. The Christ, which is ill drawn, in an attitude ་ |