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248 gesticulating and a crowd of men, mostly of the lower classes, were standing outside the railing. My spell was broken, and I left the great court edifice in all haste! This vast building was inaugurated in 1883 at the Jubilee (50th year) of Belgium's existence as a separate kingdom, and its construction cost two million pounds sterling.

Travelling northwards by the Rue de la Regence I came to the monument of Counts Egmont and Hoorn. The monument consists of colossal figures in bronze representing Egmont and Hoorn on the way to execution, which took place under orders of the cruel Philip II. of Spain as every reader of Motley knows.

Further north along the Rue de la Regence is the Place Royale one of the finest parts of Brussels. To the right stands the handsome Palais du Comte de Flandre, the heir apparent of Belgium; and on the left is the new Palais des Beaux Arts, a building in classical style with four enormous bronze figures in front, representing Music, Architecture, Sculpture and Painting. To the west of this is the present Royal Library and museum where there is a large collection of modern paintings.

Place Royale ends here, and Rue Royale begins. To the right are the Royal Palace and the park stretching in front of it; and at the north end of the park is the Legislative Assembly of the nation. At a short distance from the park is the famous Cathedral of Brussels, an imposing Gothic