Window Smashers
Due to figures like Hugo Verriest and Gustaaf Flamen, Guido Gezelle and Lodewijk Leonard De Bo became the heroes of the West-Flemish student movement. The students struggled for a far-reaching application of the law on the dutchification of catholic education (1883). In their punchy magazine De Vlaamsche Vlagge (The Flemish Flag) they became ever more critical towards the diocese and the Davidsfonds. The tensions reached their apogee after Leonard De Bo’s death in late summer 1885. A few weeks after the grand national Flemish students’ day Guido Gezelle took the floor, much against his will, during the big homage to De Bo in Tielt on 30 September, 1885, organised by the Tielt Davidsfonds branch. During his speech Gezelle explicitly distanced himself from the student struggle and called the students window smashers. This didn’t go down well with the Flemish-minded students and they openly distanced themselves from their “Master”. Follow the conversations.
Pieter Baes
to Guido Gezelle Izegem 26.05.1885
Mr. De Bo received the last rites on Pentecost Eve. I called on him yesterday. He is very weak, though slightly better since Saturday.
Pieter Baes
to Guido Gezelle Izegem 17.08.1885
Now, be ready to read aloud something at his grave.
Pieter Baes
to Guido Gezelle Ingelmunster 25.08.1885
Mr. De Bo passed away and will be burried on Friday.
Edward Verraes
to Guido Gezelle Tielt 02.09.1885
Guido, The Tielt Davidsfonds branch would like to pay tribute to the Flemish author De Bo. A funeral service in the church of Tielt including a eulogy given by you, would be the heart of it; followed by a cheap meal necessarily, also meant as fraternisation. Do you agree with this?
Guido Gezelle
to Pieter Baes Kortrijk 02.09.1885
Couldn’t you go to Tielt and explain things to Verraes by mouth? I neither can nor will accept the eulogy.
Pieter Baes
to Guido Gezelle Izegem 04.09.1885
Consider it well before you refuse! How so! Prof. De Gryse was allowed to give the eulogy at Conscience’s funeral in Rousselaere and say something about the Flemish-minded students, and shortly afterwards Mr. De Gryse became Professor at the major seminary. And you, you wouldn’t want to give Mr. De Bo’s eulogy? Write me back that you have changed your mind.
Guido Gezelle
to Pieter Baes Kortrijk 04.09.1885
Yesterday I went to see Dean Verraes and spoke with him; it was agreed that after the last retreat, on a weekday in Tielt, homage will be paid to the memory of Dean De Bo by the Davidsfonds. No eulogy.
Pieter Baes
to Guido Gezelle Izegem 05.09.1885
Was in Tielt to see Mr. Dean yesterday. Speech by Gezelle is and remains the main issue. Meersseman thinks that the articles in The Flag will hinder the reestablishment of St. Luitgaarde, and that you should firmly disapprove of them, all the more because you are by so many considered the inspirer and approver of these articles.
Edward Verraes
to Guido Gezelle Tielt 06.09.1885
Dear Friend, during our Davidsfonds meeting it was decided : on Wednesday 30 September I. Service in the church at 11 o’clock : enough booklets to be had at the college. Funeral cards by Gezelle. - send me the text. II. dinner at 12. III. Eulogy, at 2.30h. Short acknowledgement by the chairman. 2. Poems by Claeys (Oostakker), Lodewyk Deconinck, or K. Degheldere, depending on what we can get. 3. Something by Bols (Brabant). 4. Guido Gezelle. 5. Vocals - no one else would be allowed to speak.
Adolf Duclos
to Gezelle Bruges 21.09.1885
Rev. Friend, I would like this whole De Bo copy to be ready before next Friday. Useless to say that it mustn’t include anything that would favor the so-called student struggle, or enable them to come to disagreeable conclusions about me or you. Be careful to let this out of the question.
Edward Verraes
to Guido Gezelle Tielt 22.09.1885
Dear Friend, the registrations are coming in well. Over one hundred already, apart from Tielt, including Senators: Lammens, Surmont and Van Ockerhout, Representatives: Struye and Berten, Baron Maurice Vanderbruggen, Baron Bethune, Soenens Lawyer, Verriest id., etc., etc. apart from the other ones known to you already.
Guido Gezelle
to Adolf Duclos end of 09.1885
I left the whole student struggle unmentioned, as you will see, I even rejected audacious follies committed in the name of the Fl. I honor the peaceful, diligent De Bo and prefer to let him speak for himself. I expect that day the 30th of September to be very good, as good as his lordship himself, if I’m right, would wish. Only the liberal Flemings, geuzen, freemasons, etc. will possibly be angry, if they are foolish enough.
Guido Gezelle
to Adolf Duclos end of 09.1885
Do lend me a hand so that I can hold this difficult discourse printed in my hand and preferably on separate sheets on that day so difficult and dreadful for me. I would be so sorry if, despite my efforts, I would have written even one single word deserving to be deleted.
Guido Gezelle
to Adolf Duclos end of 09.1885
Will you send me the sheets to read aloud so that I can learn to read them somewhat? Wouldn’t it be preferable to print them on black margin sheets, the black margins towards the audience?
Guido Gezelle
to Adolf Duclos end of 09.1885
My hand and my heart are quivering on reading The Churchyard now, for the first time in my life.
Adolf Duclos
to Gezelle Bruges 26.09.1885
Rev. Friend, His Excellency has read the draft : all is well : not one comment. I give one : your discourse ends like the beautiful beast in Horatius ad Pisones : in piscem!
Guido Gezelle
to Adolf Duclos end of 09.1885
Thank you for your kind concern! About putting a tail on my fish now, une queue de morue, 1° time is lacking, 2° it will take trouble reading it at all.
Guido Gezelle
to Adolf Duclos Kortrijk 29.09.1885
Leave for Tielt / See to it that I will have the fish
Guido Gezelle
Speech Tielt 30.09.1885
People now speak a lot and often of the flemish movement, a word which is, said among us,
no more than a flemish mimic of the belgian-french mouvement flamand. De Bo truly was a movement, he never stood still, he never stood at rest. He was the flemish movement in the true flemish sense of the word; indeed, he was the example of priestly, christian and genuine flemish diligence and zeal.
no more than a flemish mimic of the belgian-french mouvement flamand. De Bo truly was a movement, he never stood still, he never stood at rest. He was the flemish movement in the true flemish sense of the word; indeed, he was the example of priestly, christian and genuine flemish diligence and zeal.
Guido Gezelle
Speech Tielt 30.09.1885
Such was his struggle, such was his battlefield, and on that battlefield it was that he, free of all haughtiness, free of selfishness, free of opposition and strife, faithful till the end and obedient towards his superiors, on that battlefield it was that he fell and died, arms in hand. Too many Flemings, alas, have lost mast and sails, oars and rudder, and like defenseless wrecks, know no other movement than the movement of foreign, unflemish vessels by whom they are captured and taken in tow and dragged along in the world’s maddening maelstrom.
Guido Gezelle
Speech Tielt 30.09.1885
Too many Flemings there are whose useless movement is comparable to a bunch of strange jumps and funny gambols, yes, even to nameless rascal tricks and cocky windowpane smashing by powerless children, whose parents pay the bill afterwards.
Ernest Rembry
to Guido Gezelle Bruges 09.10.1885
Dear Friend, What Mr. Ducos told you in the name of His Excellency is the real truth. H.E. said, me praesente, that he read your discourse with the greatest pleasure, and approves of its basic contents, and ordered Mr. Duclos to present you, in his name, his greetings and congratulations. It was well deserved; I have rarely read anything nicer and more remarkable than your speech. Vous vous êtes surpassé, as the French would say. The feast in Tielt, I say feast, because it was a true triumph, it must have been beautiful beyond words; the name of Mr. De Bo has become immortal, especially thanks to your talk.
Juliaan Claerhout
to Guido Gezelle, Tielt 10.1885
You asked me for news about Tielt: - everybody talks about it. They still think that there was a risk of catcall. I heard people say that you should have gone to Bruges and show your discourse to the Bishop. All agree that it was a beautiful feast.
Johan Winkler
to Guido Gezelle Haarlem 21.10.1885
Rev. Sir and Good Friend, I enjoyed your discourse in memory of De Bo in Tielt. It was a beautiful day, wasn’t it?
Emiel De Visschere
Article 15.11.1885
After the Fl. students from Antwerp have been silenced, it is the turn of the W.-Flemish. But silencing was not enough over there, words like gambols and change of mind had to be heard there. The ex-teacher and great poet, who turned so many of his students into courageous defenders of language and morals, and whom the Blauwvoeten granted the name Lord and Master, called his students, once raised by himself, Windowpane smashers and gambollers during a public meeting. That is why we call to you : Do smash windowpanes, otherwise you will never penetrate your own home.
Joseph Samyn
to Guido Gezelle Moeskroen 15.11.1885
I have just read the “Window smashers”. It is shameful and moreover stupid. It is most regrettable that they have to use lies in their struggle like those others. But - may I advise you - or better, speak my mind? I wouldn’t answer to that. It is no more than a West-Flemish flea sent to Antwerp and, in my view, was written by the ordinary writers of the Flag. Everyone will understand this well enough, and everyone knows the sense of the words you said in Tielt well enough to understand that you did not speak according to the spirit of the “Window smashers”.
Alfons Verdoodt
to Guido Gezelle Mechelen 16.11.1885
Master Gezelle grasps the opportunity to firmly uncover his opinion about the language situation, straightforwardly and publicly, in the presence of hundreds of Dutchified Davidsfonds members, and to draw arms on pedantry and rascalry. Not much more than that did it mean to me. O yes, I did read about strange jumps, gambols and windowpane smashing; in my opinion however those jumpers, gambolers and windowpane smashers were no else than our Dutchified pedants, whom we may justly, I think, call the windowpane smashers, that is those who smash down our good, pure, truly Flemish written language
Alfons Verdoodt
to Guido Gezelle Mechelen 16.11.1885
All right! But, how easy it is for one to misunderstand things sometimes! Didn’t we receive some kind of Drieske de Nijper here yesterday, in which these your very own words are interpreted in a totally different way? Maybe you already know this tiny writing; it is named “The windowpane smashers”. One main issue pops up from all that they write : “Lord and Master Gezelle has stigmatized and renounced his most faithful people; all those nice words like wild horses, foolish fellow horselets, gambollers, etc..., etc…, are directed not against pedantry and rascalry, but against … the Flemish student movement”.
Alfons Verdoodt
to Guido Gezelle Mechelen 16.11.1885
Look, when I read this, it was as if I got a blow on the head. How is it possible? How is it possible? So, it would be the student movement, - their passion for regaining their school rights, for studying their mother tongue, for the revival of our Fl. people; so it would be their national gatherings, their strife and struggle against the French, Frenchified and French-minded government, so it would be, in one word, this big Flemish-minded student movement that my reverend Gezelle argued against so bitterly in Tielt?
Gustaaf Vandeputte
By the Fireside 11.1885
Gezelle treacherously denied and condemned us all, and there we lay now, we without head, and Gezelle without body: it is fatal for both!
Gustaaf Vandeputte
By the Fireside 11.1885
In his lukewarm and unforgivable discourse in Tielt, Gezelle has given a sneaky order; he bowed and scraped, spoke against his heart; he lied, ridiculed, defamed, betrayed and condemned us.
Adolf Duclos
to Guido Gezelle Kortrijk 17.11.1885
What do you say about the Window smashers? To my mind, I wouldn’t answer to that. The less attention it is given, the better. Don’t you think so, too?
Edward Van Robays
to Guido Gezelle Bruges 17.11.1885
Yes, really, that’s a good threshing you get there, and too much of it unfortunately, this Windowpane Smasher’s booklet of last Sunday is beyond limits. And, for your information, I’m telling you that the words of your discourse are being argued against even among your dearest and most affectionate friends, but, of course, in a different, even most decent way. Your publication of these very same words in Loquela has caused great displeasure.
Edward Van Robays
to Guido Gezelle Bruges 17.11.1885
So, might I speak my mind for once as good friends and without any blame? I feel most sorry for you and for the Flemish sake that you said these words like that. No problem, certainly, that you should say something about those who are too violent, but not so firmly, I think, and you should have said it in a different tone. If they deserved it, the French-minded deserved it a thousand times more and yet they got less of it and triumphed in a gathering where not showing up was all they had to do. Moreover, it is my sincerest opinion : your metaphoric style has made you say more than you intended to. From the contacts that I had with you, I even know that the words that are attacked now, do not express what you think yourself.
Edward Van Robays
to Guido Gezelle Bruges 17.11.1885
We even need those boisterous ones. They are the only ones who attain something, all the others keep on giving in where there is nothing more to give in to, and as they often have no more than a half opinion, they move back at the slightest opposition. Moreover, to my mind, it would be impossible to keep all Flemings in that calmer conviction; with lacking flame and fire their passion will cool and they will become like blocks of ice, unable to act.
Joseph Samyn
to Guido Gezelle Moeskroen 18.11.1885
And the “Window smashers”, what about them? If these guys had done their best to justify your words “nameless rascal tricks”, they couldn’t have done it better. What do the friends say? Do they think it is necessary to answer?... Everyone cries shame on it, and besides, entering into a discussion with “nameless rascals” seems no big deal. Don’t do it.
Adolf Duclos
Unpublished Article End of November 1885
At the beginning of the XXIst year of By the Fireside I would like to speak my mind on the Flemish struggle. Before all we are moral creatures of God, following, in the Catholic Church, the teachings of Christ. Next to this we are Belgians, next Flemings. After all we consider our Flemish-mindedness as the best guarantee for the existence of our Belgian homeland and for the devotion of the Flemings to the Roman Catholic religion.
Adolf Duclos
Unpublished Article End of November 1885
This is way we pitch our tent between the camp of the French-minded and the camp of the Dutch-minded, and stand up against both, sword in hand, for our own home. Our army didn’t come about yesterday. It has chieftains. These chieftains are : Gezelle, De Bo. De Bo died. Long live our chieftain Gezelle!
Guido Gezelle
Reaction to Unpublished Article by Adolf Duclos End of November 1885
Opinor, salvo meliori, ut scripsi dom(inic)a pro(xima) elapsa, potius nihil, et, in omni casu, tacito meo nomine (I believe, with due respect for the better opinion of someone else, as I wrote after last Sunday: preferably nothing and in any case concealing my name).
Guido Gezelle
to Adolf Duclos second half November 1885
Why answer now? Let The Flag and the Student speak first. Let us first listen to what will say about the nameless writing from Antwerp!
Guido Gezelle
to Adolf Duclos second half November 1885
I prefer to answer agendo rather than loquendo, everywhere, and to continue as if nothing, really nothing has happened. Why consider so bad what no one dares to say : I am the one who planned and did it. Do you want to do something, have Beyaert make a big sign board saying Answer of G.G. to all his opponents
Guido Gezelle
to Adolf Duclos second half November 1885
Do you want something else? Print a mockery against me yourself, anywhere, with or without printer’s name, and send it wherever you think the windowpane smashers were sent, and write in it : “Too many Flemings there are, who…” G.G. We, those “nameless rascals know through a special fake friend of G.G. that he not only wants to Frenchify but also to Anglify the fl. People! Beware!
Johan Winkler
to Guido Gezelle Haarlem 30.11.1885
Reverend and Good Friend! These rascals won’t annoy you anymore by now, I think. I have held them captive in the drawer of my writing desk for a long time, so that you wouldn’t see them every day. God knows what may have brought these rascals to treat you so unworthily. And for you to experience such a treatment from the bosom of your own people, from yougsters belonging to your own supporters - jes! This must have grieved and harmed you. In the beginning, at least. You certainly must have regained your composure by now and are now shocking your shoulders with laughter about this attack. Punctum. - Buried.
Juliaan Claerhout
to Guido Gezelle Tielt end of 11.1885
Moreover, with all the power of our souls and of our Flemish-mindedness we resist against the cowardly attack by an anonymous taunt writing from Antwerp, and gather with all the more affection around our beloved Master.
Guido Gezelle
to Alfons Janssens 29-31.12.1885
but giving a discourse in public so to say, in front of fiery youngsters unknown to me, has frightened and disgusted me; in appearance it is wonderful enough, but in general nothing useful or lasting results from it. In Tielt I couldn’t refuse, but long before that day already I had said goodbye to giving discourses.
Hugo Verriest
The Flemish Flag New Year Number 1886
Speaking like this was a great mission on your behalf. “Who defended, loved, transported your name and your books all over Belgium? It was these students. Are these their strange jumps and funny gambols? Well, our Master, you were wrong. Be it like that. But still you remain our Master. You are our poet, the King of our writers. You are our language connoisseur, the King of our linguists, no one can take your place. Moreover, you are the beginning, the origin, the source of our language and people movement in W.-Fl. and this we will never forget. You are our glory, our pride, and this we will never forget.
Hugo Verriest
The Flemish Flag New Year Number 1886
Gezelle makes us smile when we see him, the great, learned and celebrated writer, bow to the ground at a meeting in Tielt [...] hear him call the students all kinds of scandalous and unworthy names, perhaps because Monseigneur likes such singing, who knows; when we hear him end his discourse encouraging all attendants to shout “Long live Monseigneur”.
Ernest Rembry
to Guido Gezelle Bruges 10.01.1886
After the discourse you gave in Tielt, you couldn’t but expect a letter or something like that in De Vlagge (The Flag). The men who draft this vicious magazine, full of arrogance, full of hatred and envy against all that is associated with government, have always thought that they could catch you in their nets. Seeing that they are wrong, they are angry and, as Voltaire said about Guénée, one of his opponents, : “Ils mordent jusqu’au sang en faisant semblant de vous baiser la main”.
Ernest Rembry
to Guido Gezelle Bruges 10.01.1886
I would pretend to be dead, like the spiders, and not answer by a word. “Le dernier mot est toujours à qui sait se taire” a French writer says., and “silence is golden”. After all, those Flaggers are unable to hinder you and everybody will praise your silence as a proof of careful wisdom. This is my opinion; it is up to you to accept or to reject it. Mr. H.V. is playing with fire; but this is a dangerous game… I have torn your letter. gescheurd.
Guido Gezelle
to Polydoor Daniëls Kortrijk 05.1886
I did in Tielt, and moreover I learned, to my deep regret, that I was considered the setter-on of all this windowpane smashing all over the country! I swept this off my back, and likewise I received the Bishop of Bruges’ congratulations and approval. (...) Students should study, search and gather.
Edward Van Robays
to Guido Gezelle Bruges 10.1886
May I tell you? - but don’t see me as a blabbermouth because of this - Today I’ve heard that Mr. Nelis has often attacked your verses, your language, your aspirations in the Boerenbond (Farmers’ Union) where he is almighty. He thinks your discourse in Tielt “lame”. “He had expected something much better”. “Some of the verses you wrote are nice, but other pieces are miserable” etc
