Bruxelles
Hotel de Flandre
Thursday May 9th
My dear Henry,
Do you enjoy such delightful summer weather in England as we do here? & such moonlight nights? I cannot wish it for your sake, as it must make the House of Commons intolerable – I suppose you are very busy just now – I hear dark rumours of the Unions being in arms & marching to London – I wish you would write me a petit mot de politique; <1> one is so behind hand here – the post only coming in twice a week – I saw Sir Robert Adair <2> yesterday, who expressed great alarm about the state of England – Here everything looks flourishing though people say they are ruined – there never were so few foreigners here, & there is nothing going on, on account of the Elections which begin shortly – every body therefore is busy canvassing. Ld & Lady Arundel of Wardour <3> are staying at this Hotel – we met him at the table d’hôte – he inquired with great interest about Laycock Abbey, where he had often been in old Lady Shrewsbury’s <4> time – the rest of the company consisted of an ex- Député <5>, an Under Secretary of State, a Secretary of the Treasure, and Elève de l’Ecole Militaire, <6> & the Editor of l’Indépendant –
The language of Belgium is the oddest I ever knew – a strange mixture of French, Dutch, German & English, but principally the last – these are some phrases I remarked on the shops. “Hier verkoopt men alle soorten van drank”. <7> – “Goud und Silver Smid”. <8> “Woollen Draper”. – “Koffy Huys”. <9>– 23 is drei und twenty. It is frightful to listen to. – The method of driving too is extremely awkward – three horses en arbalète, <10> so that the first goes wherever he pleases, & not unfrequently turns round completely the contrary way. This happened particularly between Ghent & Malines which is a new road & very little frequented – We made an excursion to Antwerp from Malines, by which means we only left Bimbo <11> for part of a day.– The usual road from Ghent to Antwerp is impassable from the Dutch having inundated the country. Leopold <12> is very popular, though there is still an Orange party – At Brussels there are fewer Orangists than elsewhere – There is a splendid Botanic garden here, which I have only yet seen at a distance – We shall stay here till next Friday, so go on directing here Poste Restante I believe our next direction will be Ems – but I shall let you know – We are all quite well – nothing is so wholesome as travelling, and Bimbo is the best traveller of all. He is growing very intelligent & can is beginning to distinguish names.
The centre of the Place Royale, where we are living, is ornamented by the tree of Liberty, decorated by the Belgian tricolor flag – blue, yellow & red. Several houses near the park are in ruins, & the gates, statues & trees very much injured by shot.
Lebe wohl, mein theurer Bruder Schreibe mir bald deine Schwester - <13>
Karolina
Notes:
1. A small word of politics.
2. Sir Robert Adair (1763–1855), author and Whig MP. He was made ambassador in 1809 and was assigned to the Low Countries from 1831 to 1835.
3. 10th Baron Arundell of Wardour (1785–1834), and his wife Mary Anne (1787–1845).
4. The wife of John Talbot, 16th Earl Shrewsbury (1791–1852).
5. Ex-member of parliament.
6. Cadet of the Military Academy.
7. Here one can purchase all types of drinks.
8. Gold and Silver smith.
9. Coffee house.
10. One horse hitched loosely in front of the two wheel horses.
11. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.
12. In 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1790–1865) became King Leopold I of Belgium, the first monarch of modern Belgium after the country separated from the Netherlands.
13. Farewell my dear Brother, write me soon. Your Sister.