The Portuguese factor has given me a present of wine in the inn, both Portuguese and French. Signor Rodrigo of Portugal has given me a small cask full of all sorts of sweetmeats, amongst them a box of sugar candy, besides two large dishes of barley sugar, marchpane, many other kinds of sugar-work, and some sugar-canes just as they grow; I gave his servant in return 1 florin as a tip. I have again changed for my expenses a light florin for 12 stivers.
The pillars in the Convent of St. Michael of Antwerp are all made out of single blocks of a beautiful black touchstone. Herr Egidius, King Charles's warden, has taken for me from Antwerp the "St. Jerome in the Cell," the "Melancholy," and three new "Marys," the "Anthony" and the "Veronica" for the good sculptor, Master Conrad, whose like I have not seen; he serves Lady Margaret, the Emperor's daughter. Also I gave Master Figidius a "Eustace" and a "Nemesis." I owe my host 7 florins, 20 stivers, I thaler—that is, on Sunday before St. Bartholomew: for sitting room, bedroom, and bedding I am to pay him 11 florins a month.
I came to a new agreement with my host on the 20th August— on the Monday before St, Bartholomew's, I am to eat with him and pay 2 stivers for the meal, and extra for drink, but my wife and the maid can cook and eat up here.
I gave the Portuguese factor a statuette of a child: besides that, I gave him an "Adam and Eve," a "Jerome in his Cell," a "Hercules," a "Eustace," a "Melancholy," and a "Nemesis;" then of the half-sheets, three new "Virgins," the "Veronica," the "Anthony," "The Nativity," and "The Crucifixion," also the best of the quarter-sheets, eight pieces, and then the three books of the "Life of the Virgin," "The Apocalypse," and the "Great Passion," also the "Little Passion" and the "Passion" on copper, all together, 5 florins' worth. The same quantity I gave to Signor Rodrigo, the other Portuguese. Rodrigo has given my wife a small green parrot.
VISIT TO BRUSSELS
On the Sunday after St. Bartholomew's, I traveled with Herr Tomasin from Antwerp to Mechlin, where we lay for the night; there I invited Master Conrad and a painter with him to supper, and this Master Conrad is the good carver in Lady Margaret's service. From Mechlin we traveled through the small town of Vilvorde and came to Brussels on Monday at midday; I gave the messenger 3 stivers; I dined with my lords at Brussels; also once with Herr Bannisis, and I gave him a "Passion" on copper. I gave the Margrave Hansen of Brussels the letter of recommendation which my lord of Bamberg wrote for me, and I made him a present of a "Passion," engraved on copper for a remembrance.
I have also dined once more with my lords of Nuremberg. I saw in the town hall at Brussels, in the golden chamber, four paintings which the great Master Rogier did; and behind the King's palace in Brussels, the fountains, labyrinth, zoological garden. Anything more beautiful and pleasing to me, more like a paradise, I have never seen.
Erasmus is the name of the little man [Editor's note: not Erasmus of Rotterdam, but a clerk of Bannisis] who wrote out my supplication at Jacob Bannisis' house. At Brussels there is a very splendid town hall, large and covered with beautiful stonework, with a noble open tower. I have made a portrait of Master Conrad of Brussels by candlelight; he is my host. At the same time I drew Doctor Lamparter's son in charcoal, and also the hostess.
Also I have seen the things which they have brought to the King out of the new land of gold: a sun all of gold, a whole fathom broad, and a moon, too, of silver, of the same size, also two rooms full of armour, and the people there with all manner of wondrous weapons, harness, darts, wonderful shields, extraordinary clothing, beds, and all kinds of wonderful things for human use, much finer to look at than prodigies. These things are all so precious that they are valued at 100,000 gulden, and all the days of my life I have seen nothing that reaches my heart so much as these, for among them I have seen wonderfully artistic things and have admired the subtle ingenuity of men in foreign lands; indeed, I don't know how to express what I there found.
I also saw many other beautiful things at Brussels, and especially a great fish bone there, as vast as if it had been built up of square stones; it was a fathom long, very thick, weighs up to 1 cwt. (15 centner), and it has the form as is here drawn; it stood behind on the fish's head.