Charles de Bourgeois
At the large south column of the transept crossing, one can see a remarkable funerary monument of the knight Charles de Bourgeois, a member of the Grand Council of Brabant, belonging to a prominent Brussels family that had been admitted to the Sleeus lineage. He had married Adrienne van der Noot. Charles de Bourgeois was commissioned by the Archdukes Albert and Isabella to restore the churches of the bishopric, which had suffered the ravages of the Wars of Religion. He was knighted in 1629. The monument dates from 1633. It bears this beautiful Latin epitaph, full of puns:
« Officio clarus et charus
Sanctorum die sanctiora cogitans
Obiit non abiit. »
This translates as: “Appreciated and renowned for his office, he died on All Saints’ Day, thinking of even holier things; he departed but did not die. 1633.” At the top of the monument, one finds an hourglass, a symbol of passing time and life slipping away, as well as the head of Charles de Bourgeois. Its resemblance to the one painted in the cartouche of the 17th-century boat, placed beneath the large rose window in the south transept, leads to the belief that he was the donor. Previously, based on a document mentioning the donation of a boat by Michel Angeliwenoni – whose funerary monument faces it, attached to the first large column on the north side –, he was believed to be the donor.
Fr. Sweertius praises Councilor Bourgeois in Latin, which can be translated as: “A man born for grace, an incomparable admirer and defender of Antiquity and all elegance; in whom it is difficult to know what to praise more: a mind formed and refined by all kinds of knowledge, combined with subtle judgment, or very gentle manners, entirely shaped for humanism and by which he is accustomed to making himself loved by both the greatest and the humblest.”
« Memoriæ
CAROLI DE BOVRGEOIS
Toparchæ, eqvitis
Et brabantiæ primi consiliari
Qvi post IV. et L. svi mvneris
- et LXXX. ætatis,
VIII. et XL matrimoni
Expletos annos.
Conivgi svæ, D. ADRIANÆ VANDERNOOT
Gvilielmi, eqvitis, et procancellari filiæ
Hieronymi, eqvitis, et cancellari nepti
Sexennio prope svperstes
PHILIPPIS II. III. ET IIII.
Hispaniarvm Regibvs
ALBERTO ET ISABELLÆ
Belgi principibvs
Officio clarvs et charvs
Sanctiorvm die
Sanctiora cogitans
Abiit non obiit
CD.D.CXXXIII »
Which can be translated as
“In memory of
CHARLES DE BOVRGEOIS
lord, knight
and first councilor of Brabant,
who after 54 years of service
at the age of 84
and after 48 years of marriage
to his wife, ADRIENNE VAN DER NOOT,
daughter of Guillaume, knight and vice-chancellor,
granddaughter of Jérôme, knight and chancellor,
who survived him by nearly six years.
During the reigns of PHILIP II, III and IV
Kings of Spain
and of ALBERT AND ISABELLA
Princes of Belgium,
appreciated and renowned for his office,
he died on All Saints’ Day
thinking of even holier things,
he departed but did not die
1633″