1906
Preface
There is no part of Europe more wanting in what is known as 'scenery' than Flanders; and those who journey there must spend most of their time in the old towns which are still so strangely mediæval in their aspect, or in country places which are worth seeing only because of their connection with some event in history—Nature has done so little for them. Thus the interest and the attraction of Flanders and the Flemish towns are chiefly historical. But it would be impossible to compress the history of such places as Bruges, Ypres, Furnes, or Nieuport within the limits of a few pages, except at the cost of loading them with a mass of dry facts. Accordingly the plan adopted in preparing the letterpress which accompanies Mr. Forestier's drawings has been to select a few leading incidents, and give these at some length.
The Flemish School of Painting and Architecture has been so well and frequently described that it would have been mere affectation to make more than a few passing allusions to that topic.
Some space has, however, been devoted to an account of the recent development of the Flemish littoral, which has been so remarkable during the last quarter of a century.
Contents
THE MARKET-PLACE AND BELFRY—EARLY HISTORY OF BRUGES
BALDWIN BRAS-DE-FER—THE PLACE DU BOURG—MURDER OF CHARLES THE GOOD
THE BÉGUINAGE—CHURCHES—THE RELIC OF THE HOLY BLOOD
THE BRUGES MATINS—BATTLE OF THE GOLDEN SPURS
DAMME—THE SEA-FIGHT AT SLUIS—SPLENDOUR OF BRUGES IN THE MIDDLE AGES—THE FALL AND LOSS OF TRADE
'BRUGES LA MORTE'
THE PLAIN OF WEST FLANDERS—YPRES
FURNES—THE PROCESSION OF PENITENTS
NIEUPORT—THE BATTLE OF THE DUNES
THE COAST OF FLANDERS
COXYDE—THE SCENERY OF THE DUNES