du Commerce reaches from the northern end of the city to its magnificent
squares in the center, known as Place de la Commune and Place de la
Victoire. Here begins Avenue des Arts, which, with Avenue de l'Industrie,
leads to the southern confines of the city. These avenues consist of three
parallel roadways with two broad foot-pavements between them, and wide
pavements at the sides. Let us cross this avenue from one side to the
other, and estimate the width of its different parts. First we cross a
broad payement of perhaps 30 feet; then a roadway of about 50 feet; next a
foot-pavement lined by thick rows of trees whose branches form an arch
over it; then the central roadway, perhaps 150 feet wide; and afterwards,
another foot-pavement, a roadway and the pavement on the other side,
corresponding with those already mentioned. The great square in the center
of the city occupies about 6 acres. In this section of Antwerp, nearly all
the old buildings have been torn down and new ones erected during the last
few years; and in many other sections the same work of widening streets
and erecting new buildings in place of the old, is being done with
reckless haste. It seems as if old houses were regarded as a disgrace to
the city. That few images are to be seen in the new sections of the city,
is a sure sign that commerce, art and industry (see the names of three
avenues which run through this city) have sounded the tocsin of
revolution, and that the ancient religion with its emblems, forms and
ceremonies, is yielding to the spirit of modern civilization and
refinement, as many other cities of Europe have already done.

It is a remarkable fact, that as Catholicism sinks in Continental Europe,
its communicants will not stop to join Prodestantism, but go strait over
to Rationalism. France, for example, has had these two extreme elements
fighting each other for the ascendency, for a long time, and no
middle-road sentiment ever gained a foothold. Prodestant Europe will cling
to the church the longest, and, do we not already see the indications very