The Place du Sablon is very striking from the space it occupies, and on it is a fountain erected by Lord Bruce.[5] The fountains which are to be met with in various parts of the city are highly ornamental, and among them I must not omit to mention a singularly grotesque one which is held in great veneration by the lower orders of the Bruxellois and is by them regarded as a sort of Palladium to the city.  It is the figure of a little boy who is at peace, according to the late Lord Melville’s[6] pronunciation of the words, and who spouts out his water incessantly, reckless of decorum and putting modesty to the blush.  What would our vice-hunters say to this?  He is a Sabbath breaker in the bargain and continues his occupation on Sundays as well as other days and in fine he rejoices in the name of Mannekenpis.

The ramparts, or rather site of the ramparts (for the fortifications of Bruxelles no longer exist), form an agreeable promenade; but the favourite resort of all the world at Bruxelles in the afternoon is the Attee verte.  Here all classes meet; here the rich display their equipages and horses; and the lower orders assemble at the innumerable guinguettes which are to be met with here, in order to play at bowls, dominoes, smoke and drink beer, of which there is an excellent sort called Bitterman. The avenues on each side of the carriage road are occupied by pedestrians, and on one side of the road is the canal, covered at all times with barges and boats decked with flags and streamers.  At the cabarets are benches and tables in the open air under the trees; and here are to be seen the artisan, the bargeman and the peasant taking their afternoon delassement, and groups of men, women and children drinking beer and smoking.  These groups reminded me much of those one sees so often in the old Flemish pictures, with this difference, that the old costume of the people is almost entirely left off.  Female minstrels with guitars stroll about singing French romances and collecting contributions from this cheerful, laughter-loving people.  The dark walk, as it is called, near the park is a favourite walk of the upper classes in the evening.  There his Grace of Wellington is sometimes to be seen with a fair lady under his arm.  He generally dresses in plain clothes, to the astonishment of all the foreign officers.  He is said to be as successful in the fields of Idalia as in those of Bellona, and the ladies whom he honours with his attentions suffer not a little in their reputations in the opinion of the comperes and commeres of Bruxelles.