Chapter 13

COXYDE--THE SCENERY OF THE DUNES

The whole of the coast-line is within the province of West Flanders, and its development in recent years is the most striking fact in the modern history of the part of Belgium with which this volume deals. The change which has taken place on the littoral during the last fifteen or twenty years is extraordinary, and the contrast between the old Flanders and the new, between the Flanders which lingers in the past and the Flanders which marches with the times, is brought vividly before us by the difference between such mediæval towns as Bruges, Furnes, or Nieuport, and the bright new places which glitter on the sandy shores of the Flemish coast. But in almost every corner of the dunes, close to these signs of modern progress, there is something to remind us of that past history which is, after all, the great charm of Flanders.

One of the most characteristic spots in the land of the dunes is the village of Coxyde, which lies low amongst the sandhills, about five miles west from Nieuport, out of sight of the sea, but inhabited by a race of fisherfolk who, curiously enough, pursue their calling on horseback. Mounted on their little horses, and carrying baskets and nets fastened to long poles, they go into the sea to catch small fish and shrimps. It is strange to see them riding about in the water, sometimes in bands, but more frequently alone or in pairs; and this curious custom, which has been handed down from father to son for generations, is peculiar to the part of the coast which lies between La Panne and the borders of France.

Near Coxyde, and at the corner where the road from Furnes turns in the direction of La Panne, is a piece of waste ground which travellers on the Vicinal railway pass without notice. But here once stood the famous Abbey of the Dunes.

In the first years of the twelfth century a pious hermit named Lyger took up his abode in these solitary regions, built a dwelling for himself, and settled down to spend his life in doing good works and in the practice of religion. Soon, as others gathered round him, his dwelling grew into a monastery, and at last, in the year 1122, the Abbey of the Dunes was founded. It was nearly half a century before the great building, which is said to have been the first structure of such a size built of brick in Flanders, was completed; but when at last the work was done the Abbey was, by all accounts, one of the most magnificent religious houses in Flanders, consisting of a group of buildings with no less than 105 windows, a rich and splendid church, so famous for its ornamental woodwork that the carvings of the stalls were reproduced in the distant Abbey of Melrose in Scotland, and a library which, as time went on, became a storehouse of precious manuscripts and hundreds of those wonderfully illustrated missals on which the monks of the Middle Ages spent so many laborious hours. We can imagine them in the cells of Coxyde copying and copying for hours together, or bending over the exquisitely coloured drawings which are still preserved in the museums of Flanders.

But their most useful work was done on the lands which lay round the Abbey. There were at Coxyde in the thirteenth century no fewer than 150 monks and 248 converts engaged at one time in cultivating the soil.[*] They drained the marshes, and planted seeds where seeds would grow, until, after years of hard labour on the barren ground, the Abbey of the Dunes was surrounded by wide fields which had been reclaimed and turned into a fertile oasis in the midst of that savage and inhospitable desert.

[Footnote *: Derode, _Histoire Religieuse de la Flandre Maritime_, p.86.]

When St. Bernard was preaching the Crusade in Flanders he came to Coxyde. On his advice the monks adopted the Order of the Cistercians, and their first abbot under the new rule afterwards sat in the chair of St. Bernard himself as Abbot of Clairvaux. Thereafter the Cistercian Abbey of the Dunes grew in fame, especially under the rule of St. Idesbaldus, who had come there from Furnes, where he had been a Canon of the Church of Ste. Walburge. 'It has also a special interest for English folk. It long held lands in the isle of Sheppey, as well as the advowson of the church of Eastchurch, in the same island. These were bestowed on it by Richard the Lion-Hearted. The legend says that these gifts were made to reward its sixth abbot, Elias, for the help he gave in releasing Richard from captivity. Anyhow, Royal charters, and dues from the Archbishop of Canterbury, and a Bull of Pope Celestine III., confirmed the Abbey in its English possessions and privileges. The Abbey seems to have derived little benefit from these, and finally, by decision of a general congregation of the Cistercian Order, handed them over to the Abbot and Chapter of Bexley, to recoup the latter for the cost of entertaining monks of the Order going abroad, or returning from the Continent, on business of the Order.'[*]

[Footnote *: Robinson, _Bruges, an Historical Sketch_, p. 176.]

The English invasion of the fifteenth century destroyed the work of the monks in their fields and gardens, but the Abbey itself was spared; and the great disaster did not come until a century later, when the image-breakers, who had begun their work amongst the Gothic arches of Antwerp, spread over West Flanders, and descended upon Coxyde. The Abbey was attacked, and the monks fled to Bruges, carrying with them many of their treasures, which are still to be seen in the collection on the Quai de la Poterie, beyond the bridge which is called the Pont des Dunes. The noble building, so long the home of so much piety and learning, and from which so many generations of apostles had gone forth to toil in the fields and minister to the poor, was abandoned, and allowed to fall into ruins, until at last it gradually sunk into complete decay, and was buried beneath the sands. Not a trace of it now remains. History has few more piteous sermons to preach on the vanity of all the works of men.

The fishermen on the coast of Flanders have, from remote times, paid their vows in the hour of danger to Notre Dame de Lombaerdzyde. If they escape from some wild storm they go on a pilgrimage of thanksgiving. They walk in perfect silence along the road to the shrine, for not a word must be spoken till they reach it; and these hardy seafaring men may be seen kneeling at the altar of the old, weather-beaten church which stands on the south side of the highway through the village, and in which are wooden models of ships hung up as votive offerings before an image of the Virgin, which is the object of peculiar veneration. The Madonna of Lombaerdzyde did not prevail to keep the sea from invading the village at the time when the inhabitants were driven to Nieuport, but the belief in her miraculous power is as strong to-day as it was in the Dark Ages.

There is a view of Lombaerdzyde which no one strolling on the dunes near Nieuport should fail to see--a perfect picture, as typical of the scenery in these parts as any landscape chosen by Hobbema or Ruysdael. A causeway running straight between two lofty dunes of bare sand, and bordered by stunted trees, forms a long vista at the end of which Lombaerdzyde appears--a group of red-roofed houses, with narrow gables and white walls, and in the middle the pointed spire of the church, beyond which the level plain of Flanders, dotted with other villages and churches and trees in formal rows, stretches away into the distance until it merges in the horizon. Adinkerque, a picturesque village beyond Furnes, is another place which calls to mind many a picture of the Flemish artists in the Musée of Antwerp and the Mauritshuis at The Hague; and the recesses of the dune country in which these places are hidden has a wonderful fascination about it--the irregular outlines of the dunes, some high and some low, sinking here into deep hollows of firm sand, and rising there into strange fantastic shapes, sometimes with sides like small precipices on which nothing can grow, and sometimes sloping gently downwards and covered with trembling poplars, spread in confusion on every side. Often near the shore the sandy barrier has been broken down by the wind or by the waves, and a long gulley formed, which cuts deep into the dunes, and through which the sand drifts inland till it reaches a steep bank clothed with rushes, against which it heaps itself, and so, rising higher with the storms of each winter, forms another dune. This process has been going on for ages. The sands are for ever shifting, but moss begins to grow in sheltered spots; such wild flowers as can flourish there bloom and decay; the poplars shed their leaves, and nourish by imperceptible degrees the fibres of the moss; some hardy grasses take root; and at length a scanty greensward appears. By such means slowly, in the microcosm of the dunes, have been evolved out of the changing sands places fit for men to live in, until now along the strip which guards the coast of Flanders there are green glades gay with flowers, and shady dells, and gardens sheltered from the wind, plots of pasture-land, cottages and churches which seem to grow out of the landscape, their colouring so harmonizes with the colouring which surrounds them. And ever, close at hand, the sea is rolling in and falling on the shore. 'Come unto these yellow sands,' and when the sun is going down, casting a long bar of burnished gold across the water, against which, perhaps, the sail of some boat looms dark for a moment and then passes on, the sky glows in such a lovely, tender light that those who watch it must needs linger till the twilight is fading away before they turn their faces inland. There are few evenings for beauty like a summer evening on the shores of Flanders.

INDEX

Abbey of the Dunes; of Melrose Adinkerque 'Adoration of the Immaculate Lamb' Albert, Archduke, portrait at Furnes; at the Battle of the Dunes, marries the Infanta Isabella; character of; wounded Albert, Prince, at Bruges Ancona, Bishop of André, St., village of Âne Aveugle, Rue de l' Angelo, Michael Anglaises, Couvent des Dames Antwerp, Cathedral of Arschot, Duc d' Artevelde, Jacques van Artevelde, Philip van Artois, Comte d' Augustinian Nuns

Baldwin, Bras-de-Fer, real founder of Bruges; defends Flanders; marries Judith; builds Church of St. Donatian Baldwin, King of Jerusalem Baldwin of Constantinople Baldwin VII. Bannockburn Bardi, money-changers at Bruges Bassin de Commerce at Bruges Battle of the Dunes _et seq._ Battle of the Golden Spurs _et seq._ Béguinage at Bruges; grove of Béhuchet, Nicholas Belfry of Bruges Belgian Parliament passes law for harbour near Heyst Berlaimont, Comte Florent de Bernard, St., of Clairvaux Bertulf, Provost of St. Donatian Bexley Bicycles, import duty on 'Bird of Honour' Blankenberghe, new harbour near; English fleet at, in 1340 Boniface VIII. Bouchoute, Hôtel de Borthwick, Colonel Boterbeke Bourg, Place du, at Bruges Brangwyn, William Breidel, John Breskens Bristol, Earl of, at Bruges Bruges, described by John of Ypres; origin of name; primitive township of; boundaries in early times; Market-Place; Halles; early trade; the Loove at; growth of; capital of West Flanders; Baldwin Bras-de-Fer its real founder; Place du Bourg; murder of Charles the Good; Joanna of Navarre at; death of Marie, wife of Maximilian; Hôtel de Ville; Customs House; Oriental appearance in Middle Ages; produce sent to, in Middle Ages; Hanseatic League at; Consulates at; splendour of, in Middle Ages; under the House of Burgundy; loss of trade; pauperism; Charles II. at _et seq._; list of Charles II.'s household at; death of Catherine of Braganza at; fate of Church at French Revolution; Napoleon at; state of, since Revolution of 1830; English Jesuits at; Queen Victoria at; relic of Holy Blood at _et seq._; Procession of the Holy Blood _et seq._; relic of the Holy Cross Bruges Matins Brussels, Charles II. at; Church of Ste. Gudule; Hôtel de Ville Burchard Burgundy, Charles, Duke of Burgundy, House of Burnet, Bishop Butler, Mr. J.

Caine, Mr. Hall 'Cairless,' Mr. Capucins, Chapel of, at Furnes Casa Negra Cathedral of Antwerp Cathedral of St. Martin at Ypres Cathedral of St. Sauveur at Bruges Catherine of Braganza Celestine III. Chapel of the Capucins at Furnes Chapelle du Saint-Sang (St. Basil's) at Bruges Charlemagne Charles II. of England at Bruges _et seq._ Charles the Bald Charles the Bold Charles the Good Charles V. Charles VI. Châtillon, Jacques de Chemins-de-fer Vicinaux Church of Jerusalem at Bruges Church of Notre Dame at Bruges Church of St. Donatian at Bruges Church of Ste. Walburge Cistercians Clairvaux Clauwerts Clement V. Clement VII. Cologne Comte de la Hanse Congress of Vienna Coninck, Peter de Consulate of France; of Spain; of Smyrna Coolkerke Courtrai Couvent des Dames Anglaises Coxyde Cranenberg Crecy, Battle of Cromwell Customs House at Bruges

Dalgetty, Dugald Damme _et seq._; population of; Röles de; harbour blocked up Dampierre, Guy de David, Gerard Deprysenaere, Jean of Ypres _Digues de mer_, construction of Donatian, Church of St., built by Baldwin Bras-de-Fer; Bertulf, Provost of; site of; murder of Charles the Good in; destroyed Don John of Austria Dordrecht Duinbergen Dunes, Battle of the; scenery of _et seq._ Dyver, the, at Bruges

Edward III. Edward IV. Egmont, Count Elias, sixth Abbot of Coxyde English Merchant Adventurers Erembalds _et seq._; feud with Straetens; destruction of Ethelbald Ethelwulf, husband of Judith, daughter of Charles the Bald Evendyck Eyck, van, elder and younger

Flanders, state of, in early times; invaded by Normans; origin of title 'Count of'; defended by Baldwin Bras-de-Fer; allied to England; neutrality of, in 1340 and 1830; invaded by French; plain of _et seq._; ignorance of country people in; smuggling between France and; annexed to France; invaded by English; causes of disunion in; ceded to the Infanta Isabella; contrast between different parts of; coast of _et seq._ Flotte, Pierre, Chancellor of France Flushing Fox, Sir Stephen France, Flanders annexed to France, Palais du French Consulate at Bruges Furnes; procession of penitents at; Church of Ste. Walburge; Hôtel de Ville and Palais de Justice; Church of St. Nicholas; Corps de Garde Espagnol and Pavillon des Officiers Espagnols

Gand, Porte de Gardiner, Dr., quoted Gauthier de Sapignies Genoese merchants, house of, at Bruges George III. Germany, emigrations from Flanders to Ghent Ghiselhuis Gilliat-Smith, author of _The Story of Bruges_ Gloucester, Henry, Duke of _et seq._ Godshuisen Golden Fleece, Order of the Golden Spurs, Battle of the Golf in Belgium 'Governor of the English Colony beyond the Seas' Grande Dame of Béguinage Grande Salle des Echevins at Bruges Great storm of thirteenth century Gruthuise Guildhouse of St. Sebastian at Bruges Gustavus Adolphus Guy de Dampierre

Haecke, Canon van Halle de Drapiers at Ypres Halle de Paris at Bruges Halles at Bruges Hamilton, Sir James Hanseatic League Het Paradijs Heyst Hobbema Hogarth Holland, Béguinages in Holy Blood, relic and chapel of, at Bruges; Procession of the Holy Cross, relic of Holy Sepulchre, Church of, at Jerusalem Hoogenblekker Horn, Count Hôtel de Bouchoute at Bruges Hôtel de Ville at Bruges; at Furnes House of the Seven Towers Hyde (Lord Clarendon)

Idesbaldus, St. Inquisition in Flanders Isabella, the Infanta

Jerusalem, Baldwin, King of Jerusalem, Church of, at Bruges Jesse, _Memoirs of the Court of England_ Jesuits at Bruges Joanna of Navarre John of Ypres Joseph II. Joseph of Arimathæa Judith, wife of Baldwin Bras-de-Fer Justice, Palais du, at Bruges; at Furnes

Kadzand Kermesse King, Thomas Harper Knights of the Golden Fleece Knocke

Lac d'Amour La Panne Le Coq _Legend of Montrose_ Lejeusne, Mathurin Leliarts Leonius Leopold I. Leopold II. Lilly the astrologer Lincoln, Bishop of Lombaerdzyde Longfellow, quoted Loove, the, at Bruges Louis of Maele Louis of Nevers Louis XIV. Louvain Luxembourg Lyger

Maele, Louis of Maison des Orientaux Mannaert Marbriers, Quai des Mariakerke Maria Theresa Market-Place of Bruges Mary, 'The Gentle' Matins of Bruges Maurice of Nassau Mauritshuis at The Hague Maximilian, Archduke Mazarin Melrose Abbey Memlinc Meuninxhove, John van Michael Angelo Middelkerke Minnewater Miracles wrought by the Holy Blood at Bruges Morgarten Mother Superior of Béguinage Murray, Sir Robert

Napoleon at Bruges; return from Elba; canal to Sluis constructed by Navarre, Joanna of Neutrality of Flanders in 1340 and 1830 Nevers, Louis of Nicholas I., Pope Nicholas, Sir Edward Nieuport; origin of; besieged by Prince Maurice; fallen state of Nieuport-Bains 'Nieuwerck,' at Ypres Nimeguen, Treaty of Nivelles Noé, Michael Normans in Flanders Norwich, Earl of Notre Dame, Church of, at Bruges Notre Dame de Lombaerdzyde Notre Dame de Thuine

'Old England' at Bruges Oosterlingen Plaats Oostkerke Orientaux, Maison des; Place des Ormonde Osburga Ostend, growth of Otlet, M. Paul _note_ Ouden Burg

Palais de Justice, at Bruges; at Furnes Palais du Franc Paradijs, Het Parijssche Halle Paris Parma, Duke of, in Flanders Pauperism of Bruges Philip II. cedes Spanish Netherlands to his daughter Philip III. Philip of Valois Philip the Fair Place des Orientaux Place du Bourg Pont des Dunes Pope Clement V.; VII.; Boniface VIII.; Celestine III.; Urban VI. Poperinghe Porte de Damme Porte de Gand Porte Ste. Croix Procession of the Holy Blood at Bruges _et seq._; of Penitents at Furnes Pruyssenaere, Peter

Quai Espagnol; Long; des Marbriers; du Miroir; de la Potterie; du Rosaire; Spinola; Vert

Rastadt, Treaty of Richard I. Robinson, Mr. Wilfrid, author of _Bruges, an Historical Sketch_ Rochester, Earl of Rodenbach Röles de Damme Rome, flight of Baldwin and Judith to Roosebeke, Battle of Rosaire, Quai du Roulers Route Royale Roya Rue Anglaise, in Bruges; de l'Âne Aveugle; des Carmes; Cour de Gand; Espagnole; Flamande; Haute; Neuve; du Vieux Bourg Ruysdael

Santhoven Scarphout 'Schielt ende Vriendt' Schomberg Schoutteeten 'Scotland,' at Bruges Scottish merchants at Bruges Scott, Sir Walter See-Brugge Senlis Sheppey, Isle of Sluis Smith, Gilliat- Smet de Naeyer, Comte Smyrna, Consulate of, at Bruges Spaniards, at Bruges; at Furnes Spanish Inquisition Spencer, Henry, Bishop of Norwich St. André, Village of St. Basil, Church of St. Bavon St. Bernard of Clairvaux St. Donatian, Church of St. George, Society of St. Idesbaldus St. John, Hospital of St. Martin, Church of, at Furnes St. Nicholas, Church of, at Furnes St. Omer, Jesuits of St. Peter's, at Ghent St. Sauveur, Church of St. Sebastian, Society of, at Bruges; at Ypres Ste. Elizabeth, Church of Ste. Gudule, Church of Ste. Monica, Church of Ste. Walburge, Church of, at Bruges; at Furnes Straetens Stübben, Herr Swift, Dean Sybilla, wife of Thierry d'Alsace Sydenham, Colonel Syria

Tarah, Viscount 'Ter Streep' Thierry d'Alsace _et seq._ 'Thuindag' Thurloe State papers Titelman the Inquisitor Torquemada Tournai 'Tower of London' at Bruges Turner, Sir James

Valois, Philip of Van Eyck Vauban, fortifies Ypres Verhaeren, M., Belgian poet Vienna, Congress of Vieux Bourg, Rue du Virgin and Child, Statue of, at Bruges

Urban VI.

Victoria, Queen, at Bruges

Walburge, Ste., Church of, at Bruges; at Furnes Walcheren Waterloo, Battle of Weavers, Guild of Wenduyne Westcapelle Westende, village; Plage William, Bishop of Ancona

York, Duke of, at Bruges _et seq._ Ypres; field preaching near; churches sacked; taken by Parma; by the Protestants; Place du Musée; besieged by Louis XIV.; fortified by Vauban; ceded to France; described by Vauban in 1689; taken by the French in 1794; during the Hundred Days; end of military history; Grand Place and Cloth Hall; monopoly of weaving linen; manages with Bruges the Hanseatic League in Flanders; the Nieuwerck; riots at; siege of, by English _et seq._; John of Ypres describes early Bruges Yser

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