On the Sunday after St. Bartholomew's, I traveled with Herr
Tomasin from Antwerp to Mechlin, where we lay for the night;
there I invited Master Conrad and a painter with him to
supper, and this Master Conrad is the good carver in Lady
Margaret's service. From Mechlin we traveled through the
small town of Vilvorde and came to Brussels on Monday at
midday; I gave the messenger 3 stivers; I dined with my
lords at Brussels; also once with Herr Bannisis, and I gave
him a "Passion" on copper. I gave the Margrave Hansen of
Brussels the letter of recommendation which my lord of
Bamberg wrote for me, and I made him a present of a
"Passion," engraved on copper for a remembrance.
I have also dined once more with my lords of Nuremberg. I
saw in the town hall at Brussels, in the golden chamber,
four paintings which the great Master Rogier did; and behind
the King's palace in Brussels, the fountains, labyrinth,
zoological garden. Anything more beautiful and pleasing to
me, more like a paradise, I have never seen.
Erasmus is the name of the little man [Editor's note: not
Erasmus of Rotterdam, but a clerk of Bannisis] who wrote out
my supplication at Jacob Bannisis' house. At Brussels there
is a very splendid town hall, large and covered with
beautiful stonework, with a noble open tower. I have made a
portrait of Master Conrad of Brussels by candlelight; he is
my host. At the same time I drew Doctor Lamparter's son in
charcoal, and also the hostess.
Also I have seen the things which they have brought to the
King out of the new land of gold: a sun all of gold, a whole
fathom broad, and a moon, too, of silver, of the same size,
also two rooms full of armour, and the people there with all
manner of wondrous weapons, harness, darts, wonderful
shields, extraordinary clothing, beds, and all kinds of
wonderful things for human use, much finer to look at than
prodigies. These things are all so precious that they are
valued at 100,000 gulden, and all the days of my life I have
seen nothing that reaches my heart so much as these, for
among them I have seen wonderfully artistic things and have
admired the subtle ingenuity of men in foreign lands;
indeed, I don't know how to express what I there found.
I also saw many other beautiful things at Brussels, and
especially a great fish bone there, as vast as if it had
been built up of square stones; it was a fathom long, very
thick, weighs up to 1 cwt. (15 centner), and it has the form
as is here drawn; it stood behind on the fish's head.
I have also been in the Lord of Nassau's house, which is so
magnificently built and so beautifully decorated. I have
again dined twice with my lords. Lady Margaret sent after me
to Brussels and promised that she would speak in my behalf
to King Charles, and has shown herself quite exceptionally
kind to me: I sent her my engraved "Passion" and such
another to her treasurer, Jan Marnix by name, and I made his
portrait in charcoal. I paid 2 stivers for a buffalo ring,
and also 2 stivers for opening St. Luke's picture. When I
was in Herr von Nassau's house I saw in the chapel the fine
painting that Master Hugo has made, and I also saw two large
beautiful halls, and all the treasures in various parts of
the house, and the large bed in which fifty men can lie. And
I also saw the great stone which the storm cast down in the
field close to Herr von Nassau. This house lies high, and
there is a most beautiful view at which one cannot but
wonder. And I think that in all German lands there is not
the like of it.
Master Bernhard, the painter, invited me to dinner, and had
prepared a meal so costly that I do not think 10 florins
will pay for it. Three friends invited themselves to it to
give me good company, to wit, Lady Margaret's treasurer,
whose portrait I made, and the King's steward, de Metenye,
and the town treasurer, Van Busleyden; I gave him a
"Passion" engraved on copper, and he gave me in return a
black Spanish bag worth 3 florins. And I also gave a
"Passion" engraved on copper to Erasmus of Rotterdam;
likewise one to Erasmus, the secretary of Bannisis. The man
at Antwerp who gave me the "Child's Head" is called Lorenz
Sterk. I took the portrait in charcoal of Master Bernhard,
Lady Margaret's painter. I have taken Erasmus of Rotterdam's
portrait once more. I gave Lorenz Sterk a sitting "St.
Jerome" and the "Melancholy," and I made a portrait of my
hostess's godmother. Six people whose portraits I painted at
Brussels gave me nothing. I paid 3 stivers for two buffalo
horns and 1 stiver for two Eulenspiegels.
So then on the Sunday after St. Giles', I traveled with Herr
Tomasin to Mechlin and took leave of Herr Hans Ebner, and he
would take nothing for my expenses while I was with him
seven days; I paid 1 stiver on behalf of Hans Geuder; I gave
1 stiver as a tip to the host's servant; and at Mechlin I
took supper with the Lady Nieuwekerke; and early on Monday I
traveled from Mechlin to Antwerp.