_4th._ Left Antwerp in the morning, and passing through Coutegle, Malines, or Mechlin, we arrived at Brussels about one o'clock. The road runs nearly the whole of the way on the bank of a large canal, and is often bordered by a row of fine beech trees. The appearance of this capital from a distance is rather imposing; the handsomer and more modern part of it being situated upon a hill, at the bottom of which lies the old town, on the banks of the river Senne. The gate through which we entered is remarkably handsome, and the style of architecture light and elegant. We drove to the Hôtel de Flandres, on the Place Royale, where we were very well accommodated. Before dinner I took a hasty run through the town, just to see the fine old gothic town-house, with its light and lofty spire, surmounted by a colossal statue of St. Michael and the dragon, which acts as a vane; and the parks, palaces, and fine public walks, which latter were crowded with English. English equipages and servants are also continually passing in the streets; and so many of the shops are completely English, that it is difficult to believe that one is in the capital of a foreign nation. The number of English generally in Brussels is said to exceed twenty thousand. At one of the English circulating libraries I procured the "Legend of Montrose," which amused Sir Humphry for the evening. _5th._ At nine in the evening we left Brussels by the Porte de Louvaine, and drove on to Tervueren, through a fine forest of beech trees; at the extremity of which is situated the summer chateau of the Prince of Orange, which, in external appearance, hardly equals the country residence of an English gentleman. From thence we proceeded to Louvaine, or Löwen; where we only stopped to change horses. The Hôtel de Ville is one of the finest specimens of gothic architecture in the Netherlands; but we could only catch a hasty view of it as we drove by and went on to Thirlemont, where we dined, and after dinner proceeded to St. Troud, which we made our resting-place for the night. _6th._ We quitted St. Troud after breakfast, in the midst of rain and snow, for Liege, or Lüttich, where we made no stay, but passed on to Battices. Between this last place and Aix-la-Chapelle, we crossed the boundary of the Netherlands, and entered upon the Prussian territory. The custom-house officers were very civil; and Count Bülow's _besonders empfohlen_, (particularly recommended), written in his own hand on Sir Humphry's passport, was of great utility. We entered Aix-la-Chapelle in the evening; and passing by the new theatre and the bath rooms, which are pretty, but small buildings, we drove to the grand hotel, which was neither grand nor comfortable. Our book for this evening was Swift's "Tale of a Tub."