B R U 



The church of Notre Dame is a very beautiful struc- 

 lure, .iiid its lofty steeples serve as a soa-mark to 

 the shijii, which frequent the port of Ostend. It con- 

 tains two tombs of gilt copper, of extraordinary 

 magnificence ; and i i the treasury are preserved the 

 rich vestments of Thomas a Becket, adorned with 

 precious stones. Besides these, Bruges has several 

 Hospitals and schools, where 300 poor children are 

 maintained and educated ; and no place in the low 

 countries is more distinguished for the provision which 

 it affords to widows and orphans. 



Bruges formerly held the first place among the 

 cities of the Netherlands; and, in the 13th and 14th 

 centuries, was the greatest emporium in Europe. 

 From the imperfection of navigation, a voyage be- 

 tween the Baltic and Mediterranean could not be 

 performed in one season ; Bruges was therefore se- 

 lected as the most convenient station for establishing 

 a magazine, about midway between the commercial 

 cities of the North and those of Italy. Consequently, 

 this city became the staple for the woollen and linen 

 manufactures of the 'Netherlands, the naval stores 

 and other commodities of the north, and for the In- 

 dian as well as domestic productions imported by 

 Venice and the other Italian states. Consuls from 

 every nation resided here, and seventeen palaces or 

 houses are still shewn as their ancient habitations. It 

 carried on also a considerable trade with England ; 

 and it was declared, by a treaty, to be the only mar- 

 ket of the Hans-towns in the Low Countries. The. 

 herring- fishery was prosecuted hereto a great extent. 

 Indeed, the inhabitants of Bruges were the first who 

 made it an object of commercial speculation ; and it 

 was to this city that the Hollanders were indebted for 

 their knowledge of curing their herring, and also for 

 this branch of commerce, which was the first foun- 

 dation of their maritime strength. 



Bruges, now the first in commerce, soon became 

 also the first in opulence and grandeur ; and we are 

 told by Guiccardini, that Joanna of Navarre, queen 

 of France, having been some days in Bruges in 1301, 

 was so struck with the splendid dress of the citizens, 

 and the magnificence of their buildings, that she ex- 

 claimed, with envy and indignation, " I thought that 

 I had been the only queen here, but I find that there 

 are many hundreds more." This city, however, 

 whicli had risen so rapidly to such an eminence in 

 the commercial world, and had flourished so long 

 under the hiispices of the Dukes of Burgundy, as sud- 

 denly declined. Its success had excited the envy of 

 Antwerp and Amsterdam ; audits sovereign, the Arch- 

 duke Maximilian, against whom they had rebelled, and 

 whom they had even arrested, assisted by these ci- 

 ties, blocked up the port of Sluys in 1487, which 

 destroyed its. principal communication with the ocv an. 

 During this retu-llion, which lasted for fourteen 

 months, Amsterdam and Antwerp seized ihe op- 

 portunity of drawing its commerce to their own 

 ports, and thus rose upon its ruins to be its rivals, 

 and soon its superiors. Being thus reduced to great 

 straits, and fearful of worse consequences, Bruges 

 implored the clemency of its prince, when 56 citi- 

 zens were condemned to death, a considerable num- 

 ber banished, and the city heavily fined. But from 

 this blow it has never been able to recover. Much 



11 B R U 



of its commerce was removed to Dort, and after- 

 wards to Antwerp, where many of its principal mer- 

 chants also rrtin-d ; and the improvements in navi- 

 gation had rendered its convenience as an emporium 

 for merchatidi/e less necessary. Much as it has fal- 

 len, however, from it* former grandeur, it ktill re- 

 tains a traffic equal to any city in Flanders. Be- 

 sides its easy communication with Antwerp, Lou- 

 vain, Mechlin, and Brussels, it communicates also, 

 by means of navigable canals, with Ghent, Sluys, 

 Ostend, Nieuport, Fumes, and Dunkirk, &c. ; and 

 this communication is extended by the rivers Scheldt, 

 Scarpe, and Lys, as far as Tournay, Lille, Menin, 

 and Douay. Its port is at the extremity of the ca- 

 nal which leads to Ostend, and is capable of con- 

 taining 100 merchant-vessels ; and, from the sluices 

 which are constructed on the Reye canal between 

 Bruges and the sea, at Lecke and Plassendal, which 

 are defended by forts, vessels of 400 tont can easily 

 approach the very centre of the city. 



Bruges has various manufactures of broad says 

 serges, baize, and other woollen stuffs ; also dimi- 

 ties, camlets, and fine linens, which last are equal 

 to those of Holland, and are sold in a market held 

 every week under the arcades of the Hotel de Ville. 

 Its laces pass for those of Mechlin, and are sold at 

 the same price. Besides its manufactures, Bruget 

 exports a considerable quantity of corn, and all kinds 

 of seeds proper for making oil, particularly colzat. 

 Its imports are nearly the same with the other cities 

 of Flanders and Brabant. 



It was at Bruges, in 1430, that Philip the Good, 

 Duke of Burgundy, instituted the illustrious order 

 of the Golden Fleece, upon his marriage with Eli- 

 zabeth, princess of Portugal. The property be- 

 longing to this order was called the Franc of Bruges, 

 and contained 37 villages, which enjoyed consider- 

 able immunities. The fortifications of this city are 

 very indifferent, and have never been able to stand 

 a long siege. It was several times taken and retake* 

 during Queen Anne's war, and was at last surren- 

 dered to the allies, December 30th, 1709. The 

 French troops entered it on the 24th of July 1794, when 

 the magistrates signed a formal submission to the re- 

 public of France. 



Bruges has a prefect, a secretary-general, a recei- 

 ver-general, a payer of the public money, and a di- 

 rector of the customs. It has also a chamber and tri- 

 bunal of commerce. Population 35,OCO. North la- 

 titude, 51 11' 30" ; east longitude, 8 5'. See Peu- 

 chet Dict:onn'ttre..S$c.\ and Tynna Almanack du Com- 

 mcrre, 1811. (>;) 



BRUGUI> RA, a genus of plants of the class Do- 

 decandria,and ;.i der Monogynia. See BOTANY, p. 226. 



BRUN, CHAKI.ES I.E, was an artist ot Mich emi- 

 nence, as to add lustre to the age of Loui.- XIV. 

 He was born inl6l9; and, as his father (who was 

 a sculptor by profession ) was descended from a Scotch 

 family, it is probable that the name was originally 

 written Brown. He was not an exception from the 

 general rule, that great excellence in any of the arts, 

 is the result of great industry, co-operating with 

 strong genius. As early as the age of four, Lc 

 Brun is said to have found a substitute for the pen- 

 til, in the lame expedient which supplied young 



