Stephen Capello has given me a cedarwood rosary, in return for which I was to take and have taken his portrait. I paid 4 stivers for furnace brown and a pair of snuffers; I gave 3 stivers for paper; made a portrait of Felix, kneeling, in his book in pen and ink, and Felix gave me one hundred oysters. I gave Herr Lazarus, the great man, an engraved "Jerome" and three large books. Rodrigo sent me some wine and oysters. I paid 7 white pf. for black chalk. I have had to dinner Tomasin, Gerhard, Tomasin's daughter, her husband, the glass painter Hennick, Jobst and his wife, and Felix, which cost 2 florins. Tomasin made me a gift of four ells of gray damask for a doublet. I have changed a Philip's florin for expenses.
VISIT TO ZEELAND (December 3-14, 1520)
On St. Barbara's Eve I traveled from Antwerp to Bergen-op- Zoom; I paid 2 stivers for the horse, and I spent 1 florin 6 stivers here. At Bergen I bought my wife a thin Netherlandish head cloth, which cost 1 florin, 7 stivers, besides 6 stivers for three pairs of shoes, 1 stiver for eyeglasses, and 6 stivers for an ivory button; gave 2 stivers for a tip. I have drawn the portraits in charcoal of Jan de Has, his wife, and two daughters; and the maid and the old woman in silverpoint, in my sketch-book. I saw the Van Bergen house, which is a very large and beautiful building. Bergen is a pleasant place in summer, and two great fairs are held there yearly.
On Our Lady's Eve I started with my companions for Zeeland, and Sebastian Imhof lent me five florins; and the first night we lay at anchor in the sea; it was very cold and we had neither food nor drink. On Saturday we came to Goes, and there I drew a girl in the costume of the place. Thence we traveled to Arnemuiden, and I paid 15 stivers for expenses. We went by a sunken place, where we saw the tops of the roofs standing up above the water, and we went by the island of Wolfersdyk, and passed the little town Kortgene on another island lying near. Zeeland has seven islands, and Arnemuiden, where I lay the night, is the biggest. From there I traveled to Middelburg. There in the abbey Jan de Mabuse has made a great picture, not so good in the drawing as in the colouring. From there I went to the Veere, where ships from all lands lie. It is a very fine little town.
But at Arnemuiden, where I landed, there happened to me a great misfortune. As we were coming to land and getting out our rope, just as we were getting on shore, a great ship ran into us so hard that in the crush I let everyone get out before me, so that no one but myself, George Kotzler, two old women, the sailor, and a little boy were left in the ship. When now the other ship knocked against us and I with those mentioned was on the ship and could not get out, the strong rope broke, and at the same moment a violent storm of wind arose which forcibly drove back our ship. So we all called for help, but no one would risk himself, and the wind carried us back out to sea. Then the skipper tore his hair and cried aloud, for all his men had landed and the ship was unmanned. It was a matter of fear and danger, for there was a great wind and no more than six persons in the ship, so I spoke to the skipper that he should take heart and have hope in God, and should take thought for what was to be done. He said that if he could pull up the small sail, he would try if we could come again to land. So we all helped one another and pulled it half-way up with difficulty, and went on again towards the land. And when those on the land who had already given us up saw how we helped ourselves, they too came to our aid, and we got to land.
Middelburg is a good town; it has a very beautiful town hall with a fine tower. There is much art shown in all things here. There are very rich and beautiful stalls in the abbey, and a splendid gallery of stone and a beautiful parish church. The town is excellent for sketching. Zeeland is beautiful and wonderful to see on account of the water, for it stands higher than the land.
I have made a portrait of my host at Arnemuiden. Master
Hugo, Alexander Imhof, and the Hirschvogel's servant
Frederick gave me each of them an Indian nut that they had
won at play, and the host gave me a sprouting bulb.
Early on Monday morning we went back to the ship and set out for the Veere and for Zierikzee; I wanted to get sight of the great fish, but the tide had carried it off again. I paid 2 florins for fare and expenses and 2 florins for a rug, 4 stivers for a fig-cheese and 3 stivers for carriage, and I lost 6 stivers at play. When we came back to Bergen I gave 10 stivers for an ivory comb.
I have taken Schnabhan's portrait, and I have also taken the portrait of my host's son-in-law, Klautz. Gave 2 florins less 5 stivers for a piece of tin; also 2 florins for a bad piece of tin. I have also taken the portrait of little Bernard of Brussels, George Kotzler, and the Frenchman from Kamrick; each of them gave me 1 florin at Bergen. Jan de Has' son-in-law gave me 1 Horn florin for his portrait, and Kerpen of Cologne also gave me a florin, and besides this I bought two bed-covers for 4 florins less 10 stivers. I have made the portrait of Nicolas, the jeweler. These are the number of times that I have dined at Bergen since I came from Zeeland: IIIIIIIII and once for 4 stivers. I paid the driver 3 stivers and spent 8 stivers, and came back to Antwerp, to Jobst Planckfelt's, on Friday after St. Lucy's, 1520, and I have dined this number of times with him: IIII. It is paid, and my wife: IIII, and that is paid.
AT ANTWERP (December, 1520 - April, 1521)