1843.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



.33 



BUILDINGS IN BELGIUM. 



By George Godwin', Jun\, F.R.S., &c. 



" Perhaps no study reveals (o us more forcibly the social condition anil 

 true feeling of passed generaiions than lhat of their monuments."— M. Guizot. 



Chapter II. 



Concerning the age of the Cathedral, there has been some con- 

 troversy. Monsieur B. C. Dumortier, a member of the Belgic Cham- 

 ber of Representatives and of the Royal Academy of Brussels, (and in 

 company with whom the writer had the good fortune to examine the 

 building) published first in 1S37, ' some remarks on the Cathedral, 

 and then in 1841, a second pamphlet,- with a view to prove that the 

 nave of the existing building belonged to the 6th century. These 

 essays display much learning and ingenuity, but more enthusiasm, and 

 this latter has served to blind the writer to all that militated against 

 his desire to obtain unlimited reverence for his favourite building, 

 and like an unruly Pegasus, has carried him far away from the goal 

 he sought, namely the truth. Absence of direct statement by early 

 writers that the nave was destroyed, serves to prove to M. Dumortier, 

 (as in some similar cases it has been urged by other continental anti- 

 quaries) that it has not been rebuilt, and so far from the fact that 

 pointed arches form an essential feature in it being deemed sufficient 

 to weaken his opinion, it is proof strong as holy writ that the system 

 of pointed architecture arose in Belgium, and that in the cathedral of 

 Toumay is to be found its first out-budding. In confirmation of his 



1 " fftiue de Bnuelles," Dec. Is:. 7. 

 - •• Dissert nio i sur Cage de la Cat! e~Irale 



No. 65.— Vol. VI.— February, iSM. 



:" Bruxsller, 1841. 



opinion, M. Dumortier informed me, that a charter had been receutly 

 discovered dated 1257, proving that the architect of Cologne Cathe- 

 dral was a Belgian. It sets forth that the monks of Cologne, in con- 

 sideration of the services performed by Master Gerard, of St. Trend 

 CGtrardus de Sancto Tradone), in directing the construction of their 

 Cathedral, had assigned to him a certain estate of land. 



Although apart from the present purpose, I cannot avoid repeating 

 here a portion of the King of Prussia's speech when laying the first 

 stone of the new works in completion of the last mentioned wonderful 

 building. "Here where the ground stone lies," said the king, "hen; by 

 these towers, will arise the noblest portal in the world. Germ any builds 

 it — may it be for her, with God's will, the portal of a new era, great 

 and good. Far from her be all wickedness, all iniquity, and all that 

 is ungenuine and therefore un-German. May dis-union between the 

 German princes and their people, between ditVerent faiths and diffe- 

 rent classes, never find this road; and never may that feeling appear 

 here, which, in former times stopped the progress of this temple — aye, 

 even stopped the advance of our Fatherland. Men of Cologne, the 

 possession of this building is a high privilege for your city, enjoyed 

 by none other, and nobly this day have you acknowledged that it is 

 so. Shout, then, with me, and while you shout will I strike the 

 ground-stone, — shout loudly with me your rallying cry, ten centuries 

 old, "Cologne for ever I" And then, while a thousand voices re- 

 echoed " Cologne for ever! " the ancient crane on the top of the south 

 tower was once again put into motion, and was seen slowly raising a 

 ponderous stone. The amount both of time and money required to 

 complete the Cathedral renders the issue sosaewhat doubtful. Let us 

 hope, however, that this fear may be unfounded, and that this mag- 

 nificent building may gradually gain its intended proportions — an em- 

 blem of unity, a worthy offering to God, and an ornament to the world. 



To return, however, to Toumay ; there is sufficient evidence to 

 induce the belief that the Cathedral was founded at the end of 

 the 3rd century, and rebuilt about the middle of the 5th century, 

 with the aid of Clovis, by St. Eleutherius. Chilperic in 578, endowed 

 the Cathedral largely, and his original deed of gift " cum sigillis," 

 remained amongst the archives of the chapter until they were burnt 

 in 1566. 3 Louis le-dcbonnaire added to the cloisters of the Ca- 

 thedral in SI 7, and Charles the Simple further endowed it. Soon 

 after this, however, namely in 8S2, the Normans ravaged Belgium 

 with fire and sword, and inspired such universal dread, that the 

 people, adding to their prayers "from the fury of the North-men, 

 Good Lord deliver us," fled hi all directions. Toumay, rich 

 and important as it then was, did not escape; the walls and the 

 chief buildings were destroyed, and the inhabitants were forced to 

 abandon the town, to which it seems they did not return until the 

 beginning of the luth century. At the time of this invasion tliere can 

 be little doubt the Cathedral was pillaged, and partly if not wholly 

 demolished; and it is probable that its re-erection was not attempted 

 until quite the close of the 10th century, in which the inhabitants 

 returned, or rather the beginning of the 1 1th. All analogy shows that 

 earlier than this, the nave and transepts could hardly have been com- 

 menced, and that it was probably much later before they were com- 

 pleted. 4 If analogy, however, were deemed in sufficient t o remove 



"Triie deeds must have been very numerous, if we believe a contemporary 

 writer, who says that the melted wax from the seals formed a stream down 



' « It is but fair towards M. Dumortier to give, in his own words, his argu- 

 ment against the assumed destruction of the Cathedral by the Nurmaiw :— 



" L'histoirc de la translation dn corps de Saint Eleuttew sous leveque 

 Hedilion en 870, immediatement avant 1 invasion dea Najrmanda, nous fait 

 connaitreqn'acetteepoquel'on avail demoh la Candle de Saint biienne, 

 qui etait iituee i la suite de la cathedrale. Voici comment aW.me u 

 chroniuue write au Xle siecie : Presulatwu t,„ ■ 



prudenti t-t just,, posshlenle, basilic, l„ati St,,,!,,,,,, ,,, ,,ll,„„„irt,r ,. 

 ,msl rrclcsium Chrhti ^nitrieis .,v,« / «r, / «c nrfims Man,,; ,t,str,,cta ,s 



Lesoin que prend le chroniqueur a nous apprendre la destruct m tU a 

 chaf*ile de Saint Ktienne .annexee (P) a la ■<-*■ bed rale, tadique churmentla 



conservation tie < 



lle-ci. Si ce v.istc mununu'itt, aont 1 existen :e est u< 



"■'•t au VI,' eta" IXe siecie, avalt ate detrnlt lor. de linvas.on des Now 

 mands le chrouiquenr se serait-il borne 1 nous apprendre la destruction d un- 

 dases parties f C'est id que s'applique se vied adage j tnol 



partie; 



Elevatic corporis beati EUutlurii tor 

 Libra Sancti Martini Tornactnsis. 



epUCO/li ft COtlfit. 



