Here Monsieur Passemier acted to the life encore le tres grande bouleversement, flinging down, with great force, fire, fury, and energy, stool, tripod, candelabra, chairs, &c., and scattering around the broken fragments of marble tables. He then, with the agility of a Shamois goat, bounded from stool to chair and settee, indeed he seemed as if recently escaped from Bedlam; he jumped, he stamped, he danced, he laughed, he chattered, racing round the room, jumping on chairs and settees, and violently stamping and kicking thereon, and by practical illustrations demonstrating how les quatres petites diables des enfants d'Egmont had accomplished cet horrible bouleversement! and all dat in defiance of le petite dieu de silence, dans le grande vestibule, who, avec le main droite, to his lip does (tout le gentilhomme) impose silence, and avec le main gauche, does vid beaucoup de politesse point de way en haut! pour vous montez. Le bon Evêque de Brugès left me au dèsespoir! pauvre homme, car, malheureux,
Il ne pouvoit pas,
ni liré,
ni diré,
ni riré,
ni priér,
ni ecriré,
et mon Dieu! quelle horrible, il ne pouvoit pas dormire!
The duchess came in for more of the bouleversement than her Grace had calculated upon; and having concluded her bargain, hastened to depart before the lank landlord in the red night-cap could, by possibility, be seized with another fit of la maladé du bouleversement.
Sir Patricius was extremely diverted with the eccentricities of this original, and declared that the Monsieur was wondrous comical—most amusingly facetious.
The duchess and Lady Adelaide, &c. drove through the squares and principal streets of Brussels, they visited the park l'Alle Verte, &c.; and then drove to Soignies Forest: Adelaide was highly delighted, and with much liveliness and enthusiasm, she said:—"Fair Brussels! renowned in days of ancient chivalry, aye, full many a joust, tilt, and tournament, hast thou witnessed within thine princely walls, when kings and mighty paladines sought valour's prize and beauty's smile, while trumpets brayed the victor's fame, and damsels gave the guerdon to the brave! Nor, Soignies, ever be thy dark forest forgot, here many a chase has re-echoed throughout thy woodland waste, led on by prince and peer, what time the savage boar of the forest, roused from his lair, started forth on the hunter's path, and sunk beneath his valiant spear, while blithely the bugle reckless rung his requiem!"
"My dear daughter, you are the child of romance, and you should have been born in the days of chivalry, for our own days are too tame and common-place for thee withal!"
"I do commend, my lady duchess," said Sir Patricius, "the enthusiasm of the Lady Adelaide; and I must take occasion to observe, that although there is much liveliness, there is likewise much historical truth in the young lady's remarks. Certes Brussels is a fine city; in many respects it may vie with Paris. Look at the park, at the promenades, the palaces, the mansions, churches, fountains, &c.; and I will be bold to say that in healthfulness of its climate, the beauty of its local situation, the spaciousness of its streets, the abundance and cheapness of its provisions, that at this period Brussels is probably second to no city in Europe. It is proverbial for the luxuriance of its fruits and vegetables.—And now, my Lady Duchess, I do remember me that Anne of Cleves, the consort of King Henry VIII. of England, whom he somewhat ungallantly called a Flanders mare"——
"It was indeed," observed the duchess, "not only an uncourtly, but it was an unkinglike phrase!"
"I was about to observe, my Lady Duchess, that Anne of Cleves used frequently to send to the Pays Bas for a sallad! and I dare be sworn, my lady, that if her Majesty had only known what a luxurious fruit Flemish cherries and strawberries were, which latter they call here fraisès l'Anglaises, and in size are as large as the largest walnut, and their exquisite flavour quite unparalleled—no doubt, I think, but that the queen would have despatched a special messenger to procure a dessert of those delicious fruits of Flanders, provided they would have borne the carriage. Ay, though even her royal head were to pay the forfeit I' faith!—ha, ha, ha!"