October 31, 1918 
LAND fe? WATER 
13 
THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI. BY MEMLING 
One of the most tamous pictures in the world 
crowded at remote intervals when pilgrims or tourists took 
part in the imposing ceremonies in its interior chapels. 
Still, it preserved the ■ silver gilt reliquary of 1617, 
studded with precious 
jewels and richly deco- 
rated with figures of 
Christ and St. Donatian, 
St. Basil, and Our Lady, 
set under imposing cano- 
pies of gold and ivory, a 
fitting resting-place for 
the most famous relic in 
Europe, the drops of the 
Holy Blood of the Saviour, 
brought, in 1149, from the 
Holy Land by Theodoric 
of Alsace, Count of Flan- 
ders, and deposited in his 
faithful city of Bruges. 
It was to receive this 
treasure of inestimable 
value that the Lower 
Chapel was erected by 
Theodoric in 1150, and 
the more gorgeous chapel 
above it was not built till 
the fifteenth century, when 
Bruges, rich and prosper- 
ous, desired to pay greater 
honour to the treasure 
which has rested in it for 
800 years, and has never 
left its custody for one 
single day ! 
How many of us remem- 
ber the stately ceremonies 
in this Upper Chapel and 
the magnificent and dex- 
terous manner in which, 
with high upward swings, 
the censers of smoking 
incense were swung be- 
fore the relic when Bene- 
diction was given to the 
kneeling crowds below. 
To most visitors, how- 
ever, the pictures in 
Bruges were its chief 
attraction. 
The Hospital of St. 
John (1188) still preserved 
in its Picture Gallerj' the 
exquisite wf)rks by Mem- 
ling, painted in 1480, for 
the very place where they 
still rest, the Chasse of 
St. Ursula, perhaps the 
chief object of interest, 
but rivalled in value by 
the Jan Floreins Triptych, 
the Martin Nieuwenhoven 
Diptych, the portrait of 
Marie Moreel, and the magnificent Triptych for the High 
Altar, which was also commissioned by Brother Jan Floreins 
for his much-loved hospital. 
The beautiful Reliquary bulit to contain the drops of the'Holy Biood brought 
from the Hoiy Land by Theodoric of Aisace, Count of Flanders, and deposited in 
the Sacred Chapel of Bruges 
The Cathedral and every 
church in Bruges had its 
treasures, and the little 
Academic des Beaux Arts 
was of even higher im- 
portance, inasmuch as on 
its walls hung a veritable 
altar piece by Jan van 
Eych, of circa 1390, the 
Memling Triptych of Wil- 
liam Moreel, and several 
paintings by Gerard 
David. 
If only all these trea- 
sures still remain unin- 
jured in Bruges, the place 
is indeed to be congratu- 
lated. 
Its inhabitants always 
stated that, "come wind,, 
come flood," Bruges and 
its. possessions, guarded for 
hundreds of years by the 
power of the great relic, 
would survive any trou- 
ble ; but Bruges never 
guessed of what has over- 
taken it, and if the Chapel 
of the Holy Blood, the 
Hospital of St. John, and 
the Academy still remain 
intact, Bruges will indeed 
have seen what to many of 
us may well appear to be 
of the nature of a miracle. 
[NOTE. — Since the fore- 
going lines were written, 
details of the German evacu- 
ation of Bruges have come 
to hand which prove that 
for once, at least, the Hun 
has suppressed his natural 
instincts, and, architec- 
turally, the city has been 
left practically intact. Ithas 
also been statedthat the Hun 
has made a belated repen- 
tance, and that such art trea- 
sures as have been removed 
will be carefully stored 
and returned. The enemy 
occupation of the city will 
certainly leave it poorer in 
the artistic sense, but, com- 
pared with other towns that 
have suffered German dom- 
ination, Bruges has escaped 
much andretainedthe greater 
part of its historic works.] 
