VIII. COURTRAI AND THE BATTLE OF THE SPURS 146 IX. GHENT IN THE DAYS OF THE FLEMISH COUNTS 169 X. THE AGE WHEN GHENT WAS GOVERNED BY ITS GUILDS 192 XI. PHILIP THE GOOD AND THE VAN EYCKS 218 XII. TOURNAI, THE OLDEST CITY IN BELGIUM 242 XIII. THREE CENTURIES OF TOURNAISIAN ART 268 XIV. THE FALL OF CHARLES THE BOLD--MEMLING AT BRUGES 285 XV. MALINES IN THE TIME OF MARGARET OF AUSTRIA 311 XVI. GHENT UNDER CHARLES THE FIFTH--AND SINCE 344 XVII. AUDENAERDE AND MARGARET OF PARMA 367 XVIII. OLD ANTWERP--ITS HISTORY AND LEGENDS 393 XIX. THREE CENTURIES OF ANTWERP PRINTERS 411 XX. ANTWERP FROM THE TIME OF RUBENS TILL TO-DAY 438 XXI. WHERE MODERN FLANDERS SHINES--OSTENDE AND "LA PLAGE" 464 XXII. THE SPELL OF FLANDERS 480 BIBLIOGRAPHY 485 INDEX 489 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE CATHEDRAL OF ST. SAUVEUR, BRUGES (_in full colour_) (_See page 47_) _Frontispiece_ MAP OF BELGIUM AND THE NETHERLANDS, SHOWING THE OLD FLEMISH PRINCIPALITY _facing_ 1 BÉGUINAGE BRIDGE, BRUGES 35 TOMB OF MARIE OF BURGUNDY, CHURCH OF NOTRE DAME, BRUGES 51 PALAIS DU FRANC, BRUGES (_in full colour_) 59 THE BELFRY, BRUGES 63 THE MINNEWATER, BRUGES 71 SHRIMP FISHERMEN, COXYDE 93 TOWER OF THE TEMPLARS, NIEUPORT 99 AN ANCIENT PAINTING OF THE FLEMISH KERMESSE BY TENIERS 115 CLOTH HALL, YPRES 119 HOTEL MERGHELYNCK, YPRES 139 CHURCH OF ST. PETER, YPRES 141 STATUE OF PETER DE CONINCK AND JOHN BREIDEL, BRUGES 154 CASTLE OF THE COUNTS, GHENT 170 RUINS OF THE ABBEY OF ST. BAVON, GHENT 184 POST OFFICE, CHURCH OF ST. NICHOLAS, BELFRY AND CATHEDRAL, GHENT 195 DE DULLE GRIETE, GHENT 208 WORKROOM, PETIT BÉGUINAGE DE NOTRE DAME, GHENT 210