THE STADT-HAUS, LOUVAIN.

LOUVAIN, though one of the largest cities in Belgium,is a remarkably dull and gloomy place, its population havingdwindled within a few centuries from 150,090 down to 40,000.With the exception of its breweries, which are upon anextensive scale, it is a place of but little commercial ormanufacturing activity. The celebrated university was sup-pressed by the French; it has however been re-establishedby the present government. The chief object worthy atten-tion at Louvain, is the Town Hall. This is indeed the mostbeautiful and splendid specimen of florid gothic architecturein the Low-Countries, and gives us strong evidence of thewealth and magnificence of former times.