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68 Route 6. GHENT. Inner Town:
hinges; 3. Renaissance room with leathern hangings; 4. Pictures, weapons,
necklaces, banners belonging to the Guild of St. Anthony; 5. Furniture
belonging to the Butchers’ and Grocers’ Guilds. — On the end-wall of the
chureh: weapons, pictures, ae insignia of the Archers’ Guild of St. George;
model of a man-of-war of 17
At the Carthusian Caneei (Pl. C, 2), in the Rue des Chartreux, to the
N.E. of the Museum, the ‘Treaty of Ghent’, which terminated the second and
last war between England and the United States of America (1812-14), was
signed on 24th Dec., 1814 (adm. on application at the main entrance).
The Rue Longue des Pierres (p. 67) is prolonged to the S.W. by
the Rue d Abraham (Pl. ©, 3), which contains the Mont-de-Piété, or
municipal pawn-shop, built by W. Koeberger in 1624. To the right
diverges the Cour du Prince (Pl. B, ©, 3), a street which derives its
name from the old palace inhabited by the Counts of Flanders after
the middle of the 144th cent. (p. 57), of which the only relic is a
gateway (freely restored) in the direction of the Avenue du Rabot.
Charles V. was born here in 1500.
The Avenue du Rabot, or Rabotdreef, leads to the N.W. to the
small fort, with two towers, called Le Rabot (Pl. B,3), which was
erected in 1489-91 at the point where an assault of the imperial
army, then advancing on Bruges to the assistance of Maximilian
(p. 37), was successfully resisted. The fort was somewhat altered
in 4872 when the loop-line was constructed. The old Flemish in-
scription on the outside of the gate records the bravery of the guilds
which fought under Duke Philip of Cleve.
The Boulevard du Béguinage (Begynhof Boul. ; Pl. B, 3), which
begins here, is named after the Grand Béguinage formerly on this
site (comp. p. 77), the arrangement of which has been preserved.
Near the former Bruges Gate, at its S. end (tramway No. 3; p. 54),
is a bronze monument of Jos. Guislain (4797-1860), the physician
for the insane. In the gardens behind the church of St. Elizabeth
(Pl. 7; B, 3) is a marble monument, by G. Minne, to Georges
Rodenbach (1855-98), the poet.
We now return to the Place Ste. Pharailde (p. 65) and pass thence
to the N.E. via the Quai dela Grue ( Kraankaai; P| ue 3, 4), in which
are two private houses of the 17th cent. (one named the ‘Vliegenden
Hert’), to the narrow Pont du Laitage or Zuivelbrug (Pl. C, 3).
At the N.E. end of the Rue Longue de la Monnaie (p. 65),
between the Lys bridge and the Marché du Vendredi, is placed a huge
fron cannon, called the ‘Dulle Griete’ (Mad Meg; 15th cent.), 19 ft.
long and 11 ft. in circumference (resembling ‘Mons Meg’, a cannon
in Edinburgh Castle). Above the touch-hole is the Burgundian
Cross of St. Andrew, with the arms of Philippe le Bon (1419-67).
The adjoining Marché du Vendredi (Vrydagmarkt; Pl. O, D,
3, 4), an extensive square, now planted with trees, has been the
scene of the most important events in the history of Ghent.
Homage was here done to the Counts of Flanders on their accession,
after they had sworn, ‘alle de bestaande wetten, voorregien, vryheden en ge-
woonten vant graafschap en van de stad Gent te onderhouden en te doen onder-
houden® (to maintain and cause to be maintained all the existing laws, |
