The Abbey was attacked, and the monks fled to Bruges,
carrying with them many of their treasures, which are still to
be seen in the collection on the Quai de la Poterie, beyond the
bridge which is called the Pont des Dunes. The noble building,
so long the home of so much piety and learning, and from which so
many generations of apostles had gone forth to toil in the fields
and minister to the poor, was abandoned, and allowed to fall into
ruins, until at last it gradually sunk into complete decay, and was
buried beneath the sands. Not a trace of it now remains. History
has few more piteous sermons to preach on the vanity of all the
works of men.
The fishermen on the coast of Flanders have, from remote times,
paid their vows in the hour of danger to Notre Dame de Lombaerdzyde.
If they escape from some wild storm they go on a pilgrimage of
thanksgiving. They walk in perfect silence along the road to the
shrine, for not a word must be spoken till they reach it; and these
hardy seafaring men may be seen kneeling at the altar of the old,
weather-beaten church which stands on the south side of the highway
through the village, and in which are wooden models of ships hung
up as votive offerings before an image of the Virgin, which is
the object of peculiar veneration.
Pages:
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151