Part 14 (2/2)
STRASBURG.
DEAR CHARLEY:--
James's long letter gave you a pretty correct view of our pa.s.sage from Coblentz to Frankfort. You will recollect that we went up the Rhine, which gave us more time to look about; but I fancy that in going down stream the sh.o.r.es would show to better advantage, if possible, than in the ascent. From Coblentz to Mayence the river is narrower than before; and every rock more precipitous than its neighbor, has a castle. How some of these towers were built, or could be got at, seems a mystery. I had no idea of the number of these robbers' nests, for such they were.
Much as I love the Hudson, yet I cannot help saying that the Rhine is _the_ river of the world, so far as I have seen the watery highways.
Frankfort is one of the free towns of Germany, and lies on the Maine. It has about sixty-five thousand inhabitants, of whom seven thousand are Jews. I like the city much, and think a residence here would be very agreeable. Some of the modern streets are very handsome, and the dwellings are fine. The old part of the town is old enough. At our hotel we found a sentinel on guard, in honor of an Austrian general staying at the house. The house is a capital one, like all the other great hotels we have yet seen on the continent. We all went to see the Romer, or Town Hall, which was built about 1425, and which is quite famous for its historical a.s.sociations. Here the German emperors were formerly elected and inaugurated. We saw the great hall where they were entertained and had crowned heads for waiters. Here, on its walls, are all the portraits of the series of emperors from Conrad I. to Francis II., and each emperor has his motto underneath. Some of these are quaint enough.
Directly in front of this building is the Romerberg, or Market-place, in which the carousing incident to coronation used to occur; and it is large enough to accommodate a vast a.s.sembly. We rode along the banks of the river, to see a pretty little palace belonging to Duke Somebody, and especially to see the grounds and hothouses. They were exquisitely beautiful. As we were here upon a holiday of the church, the Museum was closed, and we lost the sight of some good pictures. We were much pleased with a visit to the garden of Mr. Bethman, a banker, where we saw a pretty little collection of statuary, the gem of which is Dannecker's statue of Ariadne. The building in which these are placed is neat. We, of course, went to see No. 74 in the Hersch-Graben, where Goethe was born, in 1749. In the corner house of the Dom Platz, Luther once dwelt We rode through the Jews' quarters; and, of all the wretched-looking streets, I think the worst and filthiest is that in which Baron Rothschild was born. As we pa.s.sed a Sabbath here, we attended the English Episcopal Church, a neat building. The service was well read by the chaplain, and an excellent sermon was preached by a stranger. After service I spoke to the chaplain, who was quite anxious to hear about the prospects of Popery in America. He seemed to have very just views of the system, and anxiously deprecated its influence in our Country.
We visited many shops, and found the richest collections of curiosities and antiquities. Here we met with several American friends upon their tour; and at Frankfort we took leave of our New York friends, whose kindness and agreeable company we had been favored with for a few days.
We took the rail for Heidelberg, on our way to Strasburg. The whole of the first few miles was through a very flat-looking country, and our interest was not called out till we came to Darmstadt, a fine town, with thirty thousand inhabitants. We saw a tall column, but could not find out its historical allusion. This is the capital of the grand duchy of Hesse Darmstadt. In pa.s.sing through Odenwald, we saw a tract of woody country; and off to our left we were quite sure that the scenery must be very beautiful. The hills in the distance form the boundary on the eastern part of the valley of the Rhine; and the mountain ranges are richly covered with vineyards and castles all the way, parallel with the railroad. This beautiful region is called the Bergstra.s.se, and I am sure a week or two on these hills would amply repay the pedestrian. It is in these wild regions of romance that the Castle of Rodenstein is found, some ten miles from Erbach; and not far from it Castle Schnellert, where the wild Jager is supposed to live, who haunts the forests and gives spectral forewarnings of battles. Off to our left there was a constantly s.h.i.+fting panoramic view of hill top and ruins.
Heidelberg is sweetly situated on the bank of the Neckar--a beautiful river, and one that I long to trace by its course through wood and hill.
This town is famous for its university and castle. It has about seven hundred and fifty students. We could only see the castle, and admire its exterior. The college was founded in 1386, and is very distinguished as a law school. The library is very large and excellent. The barbarian Tilly is said to have provided litter for his cavalry from books and MSS. out of this then magnificent collection. The ruin of this glorious old castle dates from 1764, when it was burnt by lightning. It is built of red stone. If I live, I hope to visit this place again, and make a thorough exploration of this stupendous ruin. It is here, in a cellar, that the largest wine b.u.t.t in the world is found, and it will contain eight hundred hogsheads. It has long been empty, however. I never longed to follow a river more than I do this same Neckar--it is so clear, and all my glimpses of it have been so filled up with quiet beauty and wild scenery. We saw a hill, near the town, which affords the finest view, we are told, in Germany, and even takes in Strasburg Cathedral spire, which is quite ninety miles off!
From Heidelberg we again took the cars for Kehl, about four miles from Strasburg, a distance of nearly ninety miles. The first-cla.s.s cars are very luxurious and reasonable; second cla.s.s, excellent, and very genteel-looking persons using them. Lord Cowley, father of Lady Bulwer, wife of the minister from England at Was.h.i.+ngton, was in the cars with us, and two of his children--one a beautiful little girl. They were going to Baden, and were accompanied by a governess.
We found no more of the extraordinary beauty that had made our morning ride so charming. Bruchsal seemed a dull place, as seen from the station; and Durlach had not much greater attractions. Carlsruhe is quite a place, has some repute for its baths, and is the capital of the grand duchy of Baden. Off to the south of this town we saw the skirts of the Black Forest. All around we saw a fine growth of poplars. Pa.s.sing Etlingen and Muggensturm, we come to Rastadt--rather a pretty station, and the town is fortified. At Oos our pa.s.sengers for Baden took a branch train, which, after three miles' ride, brought them into the famous Baden-Baden. We reached Kehl, which is a mere village on the Rhine, but has seen enough of war. Here we took an omnibus and started for Strasburg, distant some four miles. When we reached the French custom-house, over the river, we had quite a searching time; and even a flask of cologne was taxed some twenty cents. We were weary enough, and glad to get into quarters, which we established at the Ville de Paris, a very superior house, with excellent rooms and elegant furniture, while the cookery was perfect. To-morrow we have enough to see and to do.
To-night we shall retire early; but, go where we may, we shall furnish you the promised account of our wanderings.
Yours affectionately,
J.O.C.
Letter 43.
STRASBURG.
DEAR CHARLEY:--
Long before we entered this city, we obtained a fine view of its great glory, the Cathedral spire. What an object! It does not seem as if hammer and chisel had had any thing to do here. I can almost fancy that this spire was thought out and elaborated by mere intellect. It would be long ere I grew weary of looking at this wondrous work of man. The more you examine this edifice, the more you are impressed with its magnificence. Let me tell you about this same minster, as it is called.
The spire is four hundred and seventy-four feet high--one hundred and forty feet higher than St. Paul's, and twenty-four feet higher than the Pyramids of Egypt. The architect was Erwin of Steinbach, and his plans survived him. He died in 1318, when the work was carried on by his son.
The tower was not finished till four hundred and twenty-five years after the commencement of the building, and then Hultz, from Cologne, came to effect the undertaking. The tracery of this lofty pinnacle is inimitably beautiful. We ascended the spire, and I can a.s.sure you that the prospect amply repays the trouble. We saw the winding, silvery Rhine, the Black Forest, and the long line of the Vosges Mountains. I never felt more keenly my inability to describe a place than when I walked through this gorgeous sanctuary. You must see it, to form an adequate idea of its grandeur. The nave was begun in 1015, and completed in 1275. The choir is yet older, and is thought to belong to the times of Charlemagne. The large rose window, over the front entrance, is thought to be the finest specimen of stained gla.s.s now existing. The stone pulpit of 1486 is the grandest we have yet seen, and in better taste than some of the carved wood pulpits in Belgium. The columns are very ma.s.sive. One of the chief attractions in this church is the mechanical clock, which occupies a large s.p.a.ce at the left hand as you enter the building. The true time to see it is at twelve o'clock, when Death strikes the hour, the apostles all pa.s.s before you, a large c.o.c.k up above flaps his wings and crows admirably three times, flags are waved, and the affair ends. Here, close by, is the architect Erwin's effigy, in stone.
We next went to St. Thomas's Church, to see the superb tomb of Marshal Saxe, which is a work of great merit. In a vault we saw the remains of a Count of Na.s.sau and his daughter, who had been coffined down for--I forget how long, but I think more than two centuries. It was here that Guttemburg began his experiments in printing, which he perfected at Mayence. We made some purchases here of embroidery, which we thought very beautiful, and also cheap. General Kleber's tomb and monument are in the Place d'Armes. Of course, we did not visit Strasburg and forget that it furnishes _pate's des fois gras_. We obtained some good engravings of the churches and other points of interest, and, on a fine afternoon, took the railroad for Basle.
Yours affectionately,
GEORGE.
Letter 44.
<script>