At  the  in  vital  tun  of  tfie  monarch,  Mn  Stephenson
made  a  second  visit  to  Belgium  in  1837,  on  ihe
occasion  of  the  public  opening  of  the  line  from
Brussels  to  Ghent.  At  Brussels  there  was  a  public
procession,  and  another  at  Ghent  on  the  arrival  of
the  train.  Stephenson  and  his  party  accompanied
it  to  the  Public  Hall,  there  to  dine  with  the  chief
Ministers  of  State,  the  municipal  authorities,  and
about  five  hundred  of  the  principal  inhabitants  of
tltecit}';  the  Knglish  Ambassador  being  also  present.
After  the  King's  health  and  a  few  others  had  been
drunk,  that  of  Mr.  Stephenson  was  proposed  ;  on
which  the  whole  assembly  rose  up,  amidst  great
excitement  and  loud  applause,  and  made  their  way
to  where  he  sat,  in  order  to  jingle  glasses  \vith  him,
greall^^  to  his  own  amazement.  On  the  day  following,
our  engineer  dined  with  the  King  and  Queen  at
their  own  table  at  Laaken,  by  special  invitation;
afterwards  accomj)anying  his  Majesty  and  suite  to
a  public  ball  given  by  the  municipality  of  Brussels,
in  honour  of  the  opening  of  the  line  to  Ghent,  as
well  as  of  their  distinguished  English  guest.  On
entering  the  room,  the  general  and  excited  inquiry


I

4


CHAP  XIVJ      RAILWAYS   OPENED    FOR    TRAFFIC


323


b


was,  "  Which  is  Stephenson  ? "  The  English
engineer  had  not  before  imagined  that  he  was
esteemed  to  be  so  great  a  man.
The  London  and  Birmingham  Railway  having
been  completed  in  September,  1838.  after  being
about  five  years  in  progress,  the  great  main  system
of  railway  communication  between  London,  Liver-
pool, and  Manchester  was  then  opened  to  the  public.
