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158 Route 12. VILVORDE. From Brussels
The Baulers-Fleurus-Chdtelineau- Cha
23 M., in 14%, hr. Fleurus, see P 244, 245; Chatelineau, p. 220
2314/9 M. Obaix-Buxet. — 251/5 M. Luttre (465 ft.), the junction of
lines to Jumet-Brilotte (26,50 704 inhab. ; Charleroi, Chatelinean) and
to Piéton (p. 216) via Trazegnies (p. 249). Our line here unites with
the Ghent and Braine-le-Comte railway, which proceeds via (29 M.)
Courcelles-Motte (p. 219), (830 M.) Roux, (33 M.) Marchienne-au-
Pont (junction for Piéton), and (334/g M.) Marchienne-Est (junction
for the line from Luttre to Charleroi via Jurnet-Brilotte), to —
35 M. Charleroi (Sud), see p. 219.
f line diverges at Nivelles-Est:
12. From eel to anaes via Malines.
(fares 2 fr. 10, 1 fr. 40, 80c.);
min.-1l/2 hr. (fares Af,
a The brains: some of which are uloon-trains
p. aay start from the Gare du } Nord, but passengers from the
the Quartier Léopold (p. 89) may sometimes make connection at
— The line from Brussels to Malines, opened in 1835, is the oldest r.
in Belgium.
Brussels, see p. 89. — 2M. Schaerbeek (p. 236); 41/, M. Haren-
Nord (comp. p. 236). A fertile and gr plain, through which the
Senne winds, is traversed.
61/,M. Vilvorde (52 ft.), Flem. Vilvoorde, a small and very an-
cient town on the Senne, has 15,400 a hab. and a handsome school
of horticulture (on the N., to the right of the line). A monument
near the station commemorates the painter Portaels (1848-95), a
native of the place. The parish-church (44th cent.) contains some
choir-stalls from Grimberghen (p. 445).
A melancholy interest attaches to Vilvorde as the scene of the martyr-
dom of Wintiam TynpaLe, the zealous English Reformer and trans-
lator of the Bible. He was compelled to leave England on account of his
heretical doctrines in 1524, and next year he completed his translation
of the New Testament from the Greek. He then began to publish it at
Cologne, but was soon interrupted by his Romish antagonists, to escape
from whom he fled to Worms, where the publication was completed in
1525. Copies soon found their way to England, where prohibitions were
issued against them, in consequence of which most of them were burnt.
‘They have done no other thing than I looked for’, observed the pious
translator, on hearing of this; ‘no more shall they do, if they burn
me also!” Notwithst anding the vehement opposition of Archbp. Warham,
Bp. Tunstall, Card. W olsey, and Sir Thomas More (who vainly strove to
refute the new doctrine in a work of 7 vols.), four new editions rapidly
found their way to England. In 1529 Tyndale began to publish the first
four books of the Old Testament at Antwerp, where he acted as chaplain
to the British merchants there. He was at length arrested through the
treachery of a spy, and sent to Vilvorde, where he v imprisoned for
a year and a half. He was then tried, and condemned as a heretic. On
6th Oct., 1536, he was chained to the stake, strangled, and finally burnt to
ashes. His last words were: ‘Lord, open the King of England’s eyes !
He wasa man of simple and Winning manners, indefatigable industry,
and fervent piety. His New Testament, which was translated indepen-
dently of his illustrious predecessor Wycliffe , and his still more cel-
ebrated contemporary Luther, forms the basis of the Authorised Version. It
is a remarkable fact, that the year after his martyrdom the Bible was
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