The _10th chapel_ has a famous *altar-piece by Rubens, St. Bavon renouncing his worldly goods to embrace the monastic life. The Saint is seen, attired as a Duke of Brabant of the 17th century, in his armour and ducal robes, attended by his pages, making his profession at the door of a stately Renaissance church, such as certainly did not exist in the North in his time, and received with acclamation by a dignified body of nobly-robed ecclesiastics, including St. Amand (see later, under the Monastery of St. Bavon). The features of the patron saint are said to be those of Rubens; they certainly resemble his portrait of himself at Florence. The foreground is occupied by a group of poor, to whom St. Bavon’s worldly goods are being profusely scattered. On the L. are two ladies, in somewhat extravagant courtly costumes, who are apparently moved to follow the Saint’s example. They are said to be the painter’s two wives, but the resemblance to their known portraits is feeble. This is a fine specimen of Rubens’s grandiose and princely manner, of his feeling for space, and of his large sense of colour; but it is certainly _not_ a sacred picture. It was appropriately painted for the High Altar in the Choir (1624), after the church was dedicated to St. Bavon and erected into a cathedral, but was removed from that place of honour in the 18th century to make room for a vulgar abomination by Verbruggen. (I defer consideration of Rubens and his school till we reach Brussels and Antwerp.) Fair monument of a 17th century bishop. Descend the steps again. Enter the =Choir=, a very fine piece of architecture, cleared of the monstrosities of the last century: it has beautiful grey stone arches (about 1300), a handsome Triforium, and excellent brick vaulting. The lower portion, however, is still disfigured by black-and-white marble screens and several incongruous rococo tombs, some of which have individual merit. (That to the left, Bishop Triest by Duquesnoy, is excellent in its own _genre_.) Over the _High Altar_ flutters a peculiarly annoying and flyaway 17th century figure of the Apotheosis of St. Bavon, the patron saint of the Cathedral, who of course thus occupies the place of honour. It is by Verbruggen. The huge copper candlesticks, bearing the royal arms of England, as used by Charles I, belonged to his private oratory in Old St. Paul’s in London, and were sold by order of Cromwell. Impressive view down the Nave from this point. =Tip the Sacristan= at the rate of 1 franc per head of your party. _D._ THE OUTSKIRTS