The Project Gutenberg eBook, Belgium, by Emile Cammaerts This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Belgium From the Roman Invasion to the Present Day Author: Emile Cammaerts Release Date: December 7, 2008 [eBook #27442] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BELGIUM***
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Transcriber's note: Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. Further transcriber's notes are indicated by dotted lines under the text. Scroll the mouse over the word and the original text will appear. The page advertising other books in the series has been removed to the end of this e-book. [i]The Latin number ] in the text refers to a transcriber's note at the end of this e-book.
BELGIUM FROM THE ROMAN INVASION TO THE PRESENT DAY Albert I albert i. Frontispiece. View larger image Photo LangfierBELGIUM FROM THE ROMAN INVASION TO THE PRESENT DAY BY EMILE CAMMAERTS WITH 36 ILLUSTRATIONS AND 9 MAPS T. FISHER UNWIN LTD LONDON: ADELPHI TERRACE Copyright by T. Fisher Unwin, 1921 (for Great Britain) Copyright by G.P. ...
The Project Gutenberg eBook, Belgium, by Emile
Cammaerts
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: Belgium
From the Roman Invasion to the Present Day
Author: Emile Cammaerts
Release Date: December 7, 2008 [eBook #27442]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BELGIUM***
E-text prepared by Brownfox, Hélène de Mink,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
(http://www.pgdp.net)
Transcriber's note:
Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original
document have been preserved. Obvious typographical
errors have been corrected. Further transcriber's notes
are indicated by dotted lines under the text. Scroll the
mouse over the word and the original text will appear.
The page advertising other books in the series has been
removed to the end of this e-book.
[i]The Latin number ] in the text refers to a transcriber's
note at the end of this e-book.
BELGIUM
FROM THE ROMAN INVASION
TO THE PRESENT DAY
Albert I
albert i.
Frontispiece.
View larger image
Photo LangfierBELGIUM
FROM THE ROMAN INVASION
TO THE PRESENT DAY
BY
EMILE CAMMAERTS
WITH 36 ILLUSTRATIONS
AND 9 MAPS
T. FISHER UNWIN LTD
LONDON: ADELPHI TERRACE
Copyright by T. Fisher Unwin, 1921
(for Great Britain)
Copyright by G.P. Putnam's Sons
(for the United States of America), 1921
First published 1921
Second Impression 1922
(All rights reserved)
PREFACE
We possess happily, nowadays, a few standard books, of great insight and impartiality, which allow us to form a general
idea of the development of the Belgian nation without breaking fresh ground. The four volumes of Henri Pirenne's
Histoire de Belgique carry us as far as the Peace of Münster, and, among others, such works as Vanderlinen's Belgium,
issued recently by the Oxford University Press, and a treatise on Belgian history by F. Van Kalken (1920) supply a great
deal of information on the modern period. To these works the author has been chiefly indebted in writing the presentvolume. He felt the need for placing the conclusions of modern Belgian historians within reach of British readers, and
believed that, though he might not claim any very special qualifications to deal with Belgian history, his knowledge of
England would allow him to present his material in the way most interesting to the English-speaking public.
Belgium is neither a series of essays nor a systematic text-book. Chronological sequence is preserved, and practically
all important events are recorded in their appointed time, but special stress has been laid on some characteristic
features of Belgian civilization and national development which are of general interest and bear on the history of Europe
as a whole.
The author wishes to express his sincere thanks to his friend, Professor Van der Essen, who has been good enough to
revise his work. He is also indebted to Messrs. Van Oest & Co. for allowing him to reproduce some pictures belonging to
l'Album Historique de la Belgique, and to the Phototypie Belge (Ph.B.), Sté anonyme, Etterbeek, Bruxelles, and other
holders of copyright for providing him with valuable illustrations.
CONTENTS
PREFACE 5
INTRODUCTION 15
CHAPTER I
THE COAL WOOD 19
Celts and Germans—Roman conquest—Roads of Roman civilization—First Christianization—Germanic invasion—
Natural obstacle presented by the "Silva Carbonaria"—Origins of racial and linguistic division.
CHAPTER II
FROM SAINT AMAND TO CHARLEMAGNE 37
Frankish capital transferred from Tournai to Paris—Second Christianization—St. Amand—Restoration of the old
bishoprics—Romanization of the Franks and germanization of the Walloons—Unification under Charlemagne—Aix-la-
Chapelle, centre of the Empire—First period of economic and intellectual efflorescence.
CHAPTER III
LOTHARINGIA AND FLANDERS 47
Partition after Charlemagne—Treaty of Verdun—The frontier of the Scheldt—Struggle of feudal lords against the central
power—The Normans.
CHAPTER IV
RÉGNER LONG NECK 52
Policy of the Lotharingian princes—Influence of the German bishops—Alliance with Flanders against the Emperor—
Decadence of the central power—Religious reform of Gérard de Brogne—The Clunisians and the struggle for the
investitures—The first crusade.
CHAPTER V
BALDWIN THE BEARDED 60
Policy of the counts of Flanders—Imperial Flanders—The English alliance—First prospect of unification—Robert the
Frisian.
CHAPTER VI
THE BELFRIES 66
Origin of the Communes; trade and industry—Resistance of feudal lords; Cambrai—Protection given by the counts of
Flanders and the dukes of Brabant—Social transformation extending to the country-side—The meaning of the belfries.CHAPTER VII
THE GOLDEN SPURS 78
Attraction of Flanders on the rest of the country—Attempts at maintaining neutrality between France and England—
Thierry and Philippe d'Alsace—Baldwin IX—Ferrand of Portugal—Bouvines —Increasing French influence—Flemish
reaction—"Matines Brugeoises"—Consequences of the Battle of Courtrai—Edward III and Van Artevelde.
CHAPTER VIII
THE CATHEDRAL OF TOURNAI 88
Religious spirit of Belgium in the Middle Ages—The Romanesque churches—Introduction of Gothic; Period of
transition, early Gothic, secondary period, third period—French and Flemish languages during the Middle Ages—
Picard writers in Walloon Flanders—First translations and chronicles in French—Origin of Flemish letters, Willem's
Reinaert, Van Maerlant.
CHAPTER IX
THE GREAT DUKES OF THE WEST 102
Decline of the Communes—Policy of the Burgundian dukes: Philip the Bold, John the Fearless, Philip the Good—
Territorial unification and political centralization—Philip's external policy—Charles the Bold—Dream of a new central
Empire.
CHAPTER X
THE TOWN HALLS 112
The meaning of Belgium's Gothic Town Halls—Result of a compromise between centralization and local liberties—
Decline of the cloth industry—Economic prosperity under the new régime—Transformation of trade—Antwerp
succeeds Bruges.
CHAPTER XI
THE ADORATION OF THE LAMB 124
Civilization under Burgundian rule—French and Flemish; bilingualism—Flemish letters: Jean Boendaele, Ruysbroeck
—The Brothers of the Common Life—Writers in French: Jean Le Bel, Froissart, Chastellain—Development of music:
Dufay, Ockeghem, etc.—Life in fifteenth-century Belgium—The early "Flemish School of Painting"—Its place in the
history of Art—The brothers Van Eyck—Origins of the school; sculpture, illuminating.
CHAPTER XII
HAPSBURG AND BURGUNDY 140
Reaction after the death of Charles the Bold—The "Great Privilege" of Mary of Burgundy—Her marriage with Maximilian;
its consequences—Conflict between Burgundian and Hapsburgian policies—Philip the Handsome—Margaret of
Austria—Accession of Charles to the Empire—Projects of founding a separate kingdom—Margaret's second
governorship.
CHAPTER XIII
THE LAST STAGE OF CENTRALIZATION 154
Mary of Hungary—Revolt of Ghent—Complete unification—Augsburg transaction—Pragmatic Sanction—Abdication of
Charles V.
CHAPTER XIV
ANTWERP 163
Development of modern trade—Rural industry—Humanism and Lutheranism—The placards—Anabaptism—
Calvinism.
CHAPTER XV
THE BEGGARS 174
Philip II—Marguerite of Parma and the Consulta—Resistance of the Council of State—The "Compromise"—The
Iconoclasts—Catholic reaction.
CHAPTER XVISEPARATION 182
North and South—The Duke of Alba and the Council of Blood—Requesens—"Spanish Fury"—Pacification of Ghent—
Don Juan—Policy of Orange—Archduke Matthias—The Duke of Anjou—The "Malcontents"—Confederation of Arras—
Union of Utrecht—"French Fury"—The fall of Antwerp.
CHAPTER XVII
DREAM OF INDEPENDENCE 204
Albert and Isabella—Catholic reaction—Siege of Ostend—Policy of the Spanish kings—The Walloon League—The
States-General.
CHAPTER XVIII
THE TWELVE YEARS' TRUCE 213
Period of reconstruction—Ruin of Antwerp—Revival of industry and agriculture—Social conditions under Albert and
Isabella—Influence of the Church.
CHAPTER XIX
RUBENS 221
Contrast between Flemish Art in the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries—Italian influence—Intellectual action of the
Jesuits—Neglect of Flemish—Popular Art: Breughel, Jordaens.
CHAPTER XX
POLITICAL DECADENCE UNDER SPAIN 230
Situation of the Southern Netherlands between the United Provinces and France—Projects of Partition—Münster Treaty
—Wars of the Spanish Succession—The Anglo-Batavian Conference—Treaty of Utrecht—The Barrier system.
CHAPTER XXI
THE OSTEND COMPANY 245
Economic Renaissance under the Austrian régime—Efforts to liberate Belgian trade—War of Austrian Succession—
Charles de Lorraine—Intellectual decadence—Popular restlessness.
CHAPTER XXII
THE BRABANÇONNE REVOLUTION 254
Joseph II and Philip II—Strength of the Burgundian tradition—Suppression of the Barrier—The "War of the Cauldron"—
The emperor's internal reforms—Popular resistance: Van der Noot and Vonck—The "Etats Belgiques Unis"—"Statists"
and "Vonckists"—The Reichenbach Convention—Restoration of the Austrian régime.
CHAPTER XXIII
LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY 268
Jemappes—Excesses of the "Sans Culottes"—Neerwinden—Treaty of The Hague—Policy of the Convention towards
occupied territory—Annexation—The "War of the Peasants"—Napoleonic rule—The Vienna Treaty.
CHAPTER XXIV
BLACK, YELLOW AND RED 279
The Joint Kingdom—Causes of failure—Belgian grievances—Policy of William I—Reconciliation of Catholics and
Liberals—The September days.
CHAPTER XXV
THE SCRAP OF PAPER 289
The Conference of London—Attitude of the Belgian delegates—The "Bases of Separation"—The Luxemburg question
—The XVIII Articles—Prince Leopold—Dutch invasion—The XXIV Articles—Their final acceptance—Guaranteed
neutrality.
CHAPTER XXVINEUTRAL INDEPENDENCE 301
The meaning of neutrality—The question of national defence—Risquons Tout—The policy of Napoleon III—The
entrenched camp of Antwerp—British action in 1870—Leopold II and Emile Banning—Liége and Namur—Military
reform.
CHAPTER XXV