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diff --git a/old/65004-0.txt b/old/65004-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index dc148ee..0000000 --- a/old/65004-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,14559 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Alhambra and the Kremlin, by Samuel -Irenæus Prime - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: The Alhambra and the Kremlin - The South and the North of Europe - - -Author: Samuel Irenæus Prime - - - -Release Date: April 6, 2021 [eBook #65004] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ALHAMBRA AND THE KREMLIN*** - - -E-text prepared by Sonya Schermann and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 65004-h.htm or 65004-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/65004/65004-h/65004-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/65004/65004-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/alhambrakremlin00prim - - -Transcriber’s note: - - When italics were used in the original book, the corresponding - text has been surrounded by underscores (_italics_). - - Some corrections have been made to the printed text. These are - listed in a second transcriber’s note at the end of the text. - - - - - -[Illustration: THE GENERALIFFE.] - - -THE ALHAMBRA AND THE KREMLIN. - -The South and the North of Europe. - -by - -SAMUEL IRENÆUS PRIME, - -Author of “Travels in Europe and the East.” - - - - - - -New York: -Anson D. F. Randolph & Company, -770 Broadway. - -Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by -Anson D. F. Randolph and Company, -In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. - -Press of -John Wilson and Son, -Cambridge. - -Bindery of -Robert Rutter, -82 and 84 Beekman St., -New York. - - - - - TO - - MRS. E’LOUISA L. PRIME - - THIS VOLUME - - IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED. - - - - -[Illustration: Decorative illustration] - - -THE South and the North of Europe are contrasted in this volume. Not by -any formal comparison of the morals and manners, the institutions and -condition of the peoples in different latitudes, but by candid statement -and description, I have sought to give a fair view of life as it is in -Spain and Scandinavia. - -Since the journey was made, the Queen of Spain has fled, and the Emperor -of France has perished from among men. But the social life of the -nations remains the same from age to age. - -The Alhambra is a type of the South. The Kremlin is a symbol of the -North. Both of them are fortresses enclosing palaces: the glory of Spain -in ruins, the pride of the North in its strength and beauty. - -Vague and indefinite ideas of these wonderful edifices, and of the -countries they represent, have been entertained by many, who may find in -these pages pictures of things as they are, which the writer trusts are -faithful and portable. - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - The Generaliffe _Frontispiece._ - - Bridge, Gateway, and Cathedral of Burgos 16 - - The Cid 17 - - The Escorial 22 - - The Royal Palace, Madrid 40 - - Toledo 54 - - The Alcazar 59 - - Cordova 82 - - Court of Oranges, Cordova 87 - - The Great Mosque, Cordova 89 - - “La Geralda,” Seville 93 - - She wept and told her Beads 96 - - The Bull-Fight 101 - - The Picador 106 - - In the Alameda, at Malaga 118 - - The Diligence 125 - - Outer Wall of the Alhambra 130 - - Portion of a Door 138 - - The Vermilion Tower 142 - - The Alhambra 156 - - Geneva and the Rhone 166 - - Merle d’Aubigné 167 - - D’Aubigné’s Birthplace and Residence 169 - - Lausanne, and the Lake of Geneva 171 - - Castle of Chillon 173 - - The Lake and City of Geneva 175 - - Cathedral and Platform at Berne 182 - - On the Lake of Thun 184 - - Pilatus, Lake of Lucerne 190 - - Monument to the Swiss Guard. (_By Thorvaldsen_) 195 - - Tell’s Chapel, Lake of Lucerne 198 - - Swiss Horn Blowers 211 - - Peasants of Eastern Switzerland 212 - - Female Costumes in Appenzell 217 - - Death of the Chamois 231 - - On the Rhine 241 - - Aix-la-Chapelle 245 - - Frankfort Dining-Table 269 - - Polish Peasants 283 - - Scene at Railway Station 294 - - A Rainy Day in a Russian City 309 - - Street Scene in a Russian City 315 - - A Russian Porter 321 - - The Kremlin 331 - - Plan of the Centre of Moskva City 335 - - The Russo-Greek Service 342 - - Helsingfors 383 - - Stockholm Steamers 396 - - Upsala 413 - - Costumes of Sweden 421 - - Roxen Locks 435 - - Travelling in Carioles in Norway 457 - - Palace of Frederiksberg 462 - - A Domestic Scene in Denmark 469 - - Façade of the Thorvaldsen Museum, Copenhagen 471 - - Portrait of Thorvaldsen. (_By Horace Vernet_) 473 - - Hamburg 480 - - Home Again 482 - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - ------- - - - CHAPTER I. - - GRANADA. - - PAGE - -Lodgings at the Alhambra.—Restoration.—Webs of Falsehood.—The Sierra - Nevada Mountains.—Fruits.—Progress of the Peasantry.—The Moors.—Adam’s - Visit to Spain.—Expulsion of the Moors.—Decline of the Empire.— - Railroads.—Mines.—Early Settlers.—Iberians.—Phœnicians.—Goths.—Moors.— - Waning of the Crescent.—Capture of Cordova.—Flight of the last Moorish - King - - 1 - - - CHAPTER II. - - OUT OF FRANCE INTO SPAIN.—THE BASQUE PROVINCES. - -Biarritz.—Chateau Eugenie.—Dangerous Coast.—Breakwater.—The Virgin’s - Partiality.—Bathing Grounds.—Couriers.—Antanazio.—His Honesty and - Zeal.—Crossing the Boundary.—Island of Conference.—Spanish Courtesy.— - The Basque Provinces.—Peculiar Customs.—Ancestry.—The Language.— - Spanish Stupidity.—La Fayette.—St. Sebastian.—Duke of Wellington’s - Sack of the City.—Bull-ring.—Likeness of the Country to Switzerland.— - Physique of the Inhabitants.—Productions.—Industries.—Primogeniture.— - Tolasa.—Vittoria.—Wellington’s Victory.—Miranda.—Roderick, the last - King of the Goths - - 6 - - - CHAPTER III. - - BURGOS.—THE ESCORIAL. - -A sleepy Town.—Origin of the Name.—Fusion of the Crowns of Leon and - Castile.—The Coffer of the Cid.—Swindling a Jew.—Moorish Lies.— - Hotels.—A Change of Base.—The Cathedral.—Statues.—Carvings.—Verdict of - Charles V. and Philip II.—Devil beating the Railroad.—Carving by - Nicodemus.—Miracles.—Castle.—Engineer hoisted by his own Petard.— - Burgos Taverns.—Philip II. His Character.—Conception of a Palace, - Monastery, and Tomb.—The Escorial.—Dimensions.—St. Lawrence.— - Turning-point of his Life.—Description of the Palace.—Death of Philip - II.—Mausoleum.—The Sagrario.—A _toe_-tal Loss.—Cellini Crucifix.— - Library - - 15 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - MADRID.—A SABBATH AND A CARNIVAL. - -A polyglot Valet.—Missionary Schools.—Foreign Chaplains.—The Church - _Militant_.—Upper Chamber.—Religious Intolerance.—Inquisition.— - Persecution.—Spanish Sabbath.—Devotion.—Infidelity.—The Prado.— - Bull-ring.—Wine Shops.—Frolicking.—Dancing.—Cheap Wines.—Carnival.— - Costumes.—Politeness.—Maskers.—Ancient Belle.—Hobbling Monk.—Pope.— - Natural Goose.—Devil.—Orang-outang.—General Abandon.—Religion and - Folly.—Good Humor - - 29 - - - CHAPTER V. - - MADRID.—PALACE.—BANK.—PICTURE-GALLERY. - -Napoleon’s Epigram.—Royal Palace.—Cavalry.—Military Parade.—Plains of - Castile.—Armory.—Swords of Gonzalo de Cordova, Ferdinand, and Charles - V.—Armor of Boabdil.—Revolvers.—Mighty Men of War.—Toledo Blade.— - Stables.—Spanish Horses.—Merino Sheep.—Royal Equipage.—Crazy Jane’s - Carriage.—Her Effigy.—Mischievous Display.—French Language and - Influence.—Slow Coaches.—Cheap Labor.—Architecture.—Banking-house.— - Bank of Spain.—Repose of Manner.—Gold at last.—Railroads.— - Post-office.—Personal Identity.—Rebel General.—Lost Letters.— - Telegraphs.—Progress.—Picture-gallery.—The Immaculate Conception.— - Vision of St. Bernard.—Christ sinking under his Cross.—Equestrian - Portrait of Charles V.—Titian.—Correggio.—Mary in the Garden.—Blas del - Prado.—Hidden Gems.—Murillo.—Material and Ideal Art - - 39 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - TOLEDO.—ITS FLEAS, LANDLORDS, ANTIQUITIES, AND LUNATICS. - -Progress.—Hotel Lino.—The wicked Flea.—Easy Manners.—Breakfast.—Model - Landlord and Waiters.—Toledo Butter.—City set on a Hill.—Monuments of - departed Peoples.—Romance.—Architecture.—Oldest City in the World.— - Mythic Founders.—Perfidy of Roderick.—Reign of the Archbishops.— - Decline of Power and Glory.—Cathedral.—Descent of the Virgin.—A fair - Penitent.—Orthodoxy of the Priesthood.—Burning of the Missals.—The - Muzarabe.—The dead Lion better than a living Dog.—Eloquent Epitaph.— - Honors paid the Virgin.—The Alcazar.—Derivation of Mango.—Spanish - Pride.—Peacocks.—Foreign Impressions.—Moorish Gates.—San Juan de los - Reyes.—Thank-offerings.—St. Florinde.—Cave of Hercules.—Legend of the - Cid.—Café.—Toledo Blades.—Virtues of the Tagus.—Sword of Boabdil.— - Lunatic Asylum.—Don Quixote.—Crazy Editors.—Statistics.—Causes of - Insanity.—Spanish Slowness and Temperance.—Sophomores - - 53 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - LA MANCHA.—ANDALUSIA. - -Smoking.—Cigarettes at Dinner.—Taking Sanctuary.—Retort.—Tobacco - Culture.—Cuban Monopoly.—Chewing tabooed.—Early Smoking.—Children and - Ladies.—Tobacco Factory.—Cigareras.—Flavored Cigars.—Potash.—Soda.— - Opium.—Intemperate Clergyman.—La Mancha.—Don Quixote.—Treeless - Landscape.—Sheep.—Corn.—Primitive Ploughing.—Husbandry.— - Primogeniture.—Lands of Church and Crown.—Agricultural Schools.— - Periodicals.—Sierra Morena Mountains.—Cautious Engineer.—Manjibar.— - Pickled Chicken.—Moving on.—Perfumes of Arabia.—Resting-place.— - Transatlantic Indigestion.—Andalusia.—Ignorance and Crime.—Government - Education.—Statistics.—Salamanca.—Influence of Climate.—Population.— - The Aloe and Olive.—Oranges and Lemons.—Hills of Andalusia.—Sheep - - 69 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - CORDOVA. - -Cleanliness.—Paved Streets.—Bridge over the Guadalquiver.—Age of the - City.—Wholesale Butchery.—Government.—Mosques.—Baths.—Inns.—Schools.— - Library.—Rural Fête.—Departed Glory.—Palace of Abdurhama.—Beautiful - Evergreens.—Fruits.—Interior of an Ancient House.—Moorish Style.— - Cathedral.—Converted Mosque.—Gate of Pardon.—Court-yard.—Orange - Grove.—Fountains.—Gold Fish.—Elders in the Gate.—The Mecca of Europe.— - Holy Shrine.—Symbolism.—Indulgences.—Bronze Ornaments.—Inscription in - Gothic and Arabic.—Dimensions.—Precious Stones.—The Mihrab.—The - Kalif’s Oratory.—Mosaics.—Devout Mussulmans.—Chapels.—Etching on - Stone.—Impressive Monuments - - 83 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - SEVILLE, ITS CATHEDRAL AND BULL-FIGHTS. - -Delicious Climate.—Customs.—Exile of the Moors.—Consequent Decay.—The - Alcazar.—Barbaric Splendor.—A Christian Kingdom.—Cathedral.—A House of - God.—Giant Columns.—High Mass.—Unconscious Worshipper.—Beautiful - Women.—Venus-worship.—Port of Seville.—Fruits.—Don Juan.—Barber of - Seville.—Murillo’s House.—Mosaics.—Moorish Castle.—_Auto-da-fé._—The - Quemadaro.—Field of St. Sebastian.—Circulation of the Bible.—Tower of - Gold.—Treasure House.—Prison.—Bins of Gold.—Decline and Fall of - Spain.—Demoralizing Influences.—Corruption and Robbery.—Yellow Fever.— - Guadalquiver.—Amphitheatre.—A Delicate Lady.—Warlike Husband.—Her - Description of a Bull-fight.—The Ring.—Spectators.—Trumpet-blast.— - Picadors.—Entrance of the Bull.—Charge.—Horseman.—Terrible Sight.— - Chulos.—Banderilleros.—Squibs.—Matador.—Applause.—The Ladies.— - Different Tastes.—Squeamish Husband - - 92 - - - CHAPTER X. - - SEVILLE. - -La Caridad.—Art Treasures.—St. John.—Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes.— - Moses striking the Rock.—Recovery of Pictures at Waterloo.—French - Thieves.—Venus de Medici.—Thoughtful Amateur.—Museum Fees.—Guardian - Angels of Seville.—Martyrdom.—Murillo’s Pages of the Gospel.—Old - Masters.—Decay of Art.—Bull-fighting.—The Season.—Exaggeration.— - Curious Development.—Effect on the National Character.—Street-plays.— - Feats.—Demoralization.—Spanish Pride.—Morality.—Contrast between the - North and South of Europe.—Costume of Andalusia.—Fashion.—Life of the - People.—Price of Labor.—Food.—Climate.—Beer.—Wine cheaper than Water.— - Sack.—Intemperance.—Physical Circumstances.—Social Burdens.—Beautiful - Trait.—Obedience.—Veneration of the Aged - - 107 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - MALAGA. - -An ill Wind that blows no Good.—Curious Excuse for Crime.—Old World like - the New.—Resort for Invalids.—Genial Clime.—Range of Thermometer.— - Mineral Waters.—Sunshine.—Rainfall.—Heavenly Skies.—Advice to - Consumptives.—Grapes.—Raisins.—Wine and Oil.—A Sabbath.—Service at the - British Consulate.—Mrs. Partington.—English Chaplain.—Sermon.—Narrow - Streets.—Sweet Memories of Cologne.—Picturesque Moors.—Cathedral.—High - Mass.—Florid Architecture.—Fruits.—Prayer of a Dying Moor.—Florinde.— - Chronicles of Washington Irving.—Luxuries of Travel.—Diligences.—Out - of Malaga.—Obstinate Mules.—Night.—Mountains.—Setting Sun.—Lovely - Scenery.—Orchards.—Armed Guards.—Gentlemen of the Road.—Loja.—Inn.— - Flock of Fleas.—A Stimulant.—Setting out for Granada.—Santa Fé.—Its - History.—Granada at Last.—In the Grounds of the Alhambra - - 118 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - THE ALHAMBRA. - -The Paradise of the West.—Rivers of Eden.—New Damascus.—Granada.—Origin - of the Name.—Fruits.—Mountains.—Skies.—Moorish Empire broken.—Zawi Ibu - Zeyri.—Alhambra.—Meaning of the Name.—Extension of the Castle.— - Original Grandeur.—Its first Prince.—His Improvements.—Roads.— - Colleges.—Hospitals.—Canals.—Arts.—Sciences.—Degeneracy.—Intrigues and - Murders.—Ruin.—Final Overthrow of Moorish Power.—Ferdinand and - Isabella.—Columbus.—Fleas and Cake.—Blessing and Gold.—New World in - the West.—Bookstore.—Irving’s Tales.—Gate of Judgment.—Plateau.— - Desolation.—Court of Myrtles.—Court of Lions.—Boabdil.—Abencerrages.— - Treachery.—Hall of Ambassadors.—Bensaken.—Walking Cyclopedia.— - Prudence.—Washington Irving.—Dolores.—Queen’s Garden.—Hall of Two - Sisters.—Harem.—Linderaka Gardens.—Queen’s Dressing-room.—Gypsies.— - Perfume Bath.—Water Bath.—Governor’s Court.—Bowed Slab.—The Morning - Star - - 129 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - THE ALHAMBRA (_continued_). - -The poor Cobbler of Granada.—Spanish Rule of Living.—Xantippe.—Search - for Gold.—Messenger Dove.—Dreams.—Landslip.—Fever cured.—Conversion.— - The Watch Tower.—Magic Bell.—Parapanda Mountains.—Reign of Law.—Gift - to the Duke of Wellington.—Bloody Pass.—Vega.—Water Gates.—The Last - Sigh of the Moor.—His Mother’s Reproof.—Moorish Race.—Political - Prisoners.—Birthplace of Eugenie.—The Generaliffe.—Ancient Tree.— - Suspected Queen.—Women of Spain.—Sins of Climate - - 144 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - GRANADA. - -Troubadour and Gypsy Life.—Dwarf.—Horse.—Fair.—Physique of the gitanos.— - Habits.—Habitations.—Moral Principle.—Chastity.—Swindling.— - Superstition.—Fortune-tellers.—Credulity.—Trickery.—Parisian - Spiritualist.—Gypsy Creed.—Musings.—Causes of Astonishment.—Paintings - and Cathedrals.—Unworthy Ambition.—Silence in Church.—Cathedral of - Granada.—Chapel Royal.—Tomb of Ferdinand and Isabella.—Tomb of Philip - and Crazy Jane.—Obliging Priest.—Fees.—Leaving Granada.—Disguised - Thief.—Seizure and Imprisonment.—Out of Granada - - 155 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - GENEVA.—FREYBURG.—BERNE. - -Geneva.—Color of the Rhone.—Cæsar’s Wall.—Cathedral.—Calvin.—Lady Jane - Grey.—Rousseau.—Voltaire.—Madame de Stael.—Byron.—Jura.—Mont Blanc.— - Celebrities.—Coppet.—Ninon.—St. Protais.—Lisus.—Morges.—Grand - Muveran.—Diablerets.—Mont Rosa.—Mont Blanc.—Lausanne.—St. Anne.—Sacred - Rat.—Cathedral.—Convention of Reformers.—Gibbon.—Classic Ground.— - Chillon.—Bonnivard.—Torture Chamber.—Hotel Byron.—Railroad.—Ice.—Swiss - Valleys.—Freyburg.—Suspension Bridge.—Great Organ.—Cathedral.— - Wonderful Music: its Power and Sweetness.—Berne.—Morat.—Burgundian - Custom.—Public Bears.—Unfortunate Englishman.—Curious Clock.—Market - Women.—Federal Palace.—Swiss Cantons.—Bernese Alps.—Thun.—Jungfrau - - 165 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - THE BRUNIG PASS.—LUCERNE. - -Pleasant Ride.—Interlaken.—Lakes Thun and Brienz.—Abendberg.—Faulhorn.— - Giesback.—Illumination.—Ascent of the Brunig.—Vale of Meyringen.—Falls - of Reichenbach.—Lungern.—Splendid Courage.—Cheap Suffering.—Modern - Reformers.—Mount Pilatus.—Myths.—Lucerne.—Population.—St. Leger.— - Service.—Crucifix.—A Devotee.—Mass.—Organ.—Cloisters.—Lake Lucerne.— - Lion of Lucerne.—Dance of Death.—Striking Scenery.—Gersau.—Brunnen.— - Bay of Uri.—Sir James Mackintosh.—Swiss Patriots.—Chapel of Tell.— - Cascades.—Fluellen.—Altorf.—Captain Lott - - 186 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - THE BLACK VIRGIN OF EINSIEDELN.—LIFE IN SWITZERLAND, ETC. - -The Hermit Meinrad.—His Black Virgin.—Murder.—Detective Ravens.— - Monastery.—Miracle.—Shrine.—Pilgrims.—Revenue.—A Barefooted Penitent.— - Village Church.—Fountain.—Gallery.—Abbot.—Hospitality.—Library.— - College.—Monastic Life.—Adieu.—Pleasant Quarters.—Meals.—Hotel Life.— - John Bull.—A Charming Couple.—Americans.—A National Feature.—Slang.— - Language.—Manners.—An Elegant Lady.—Selfishness.—French and Swiss - Railroads.—Improvements.—Accidents.—Accommodations - - 200 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - CANTON APPENZELL.—SWISS CUSTOMS. - -Trogen.—Convent.—Memento mori.—Scenery.—Religion.—German Service.— - Curious Custom.—Constance.—Martyrs.—Dividing Line.—Remarkable Change.— - Cause.—Pillory.—Evening Bell.—Watchman’s Song.—Bridal Custom.—Athletic - Sports.—Democracy.—Assembly.—Office Seekers.—Council.—Roads.— - Taxation.—Schools.—Foreign Pupils.—Pedestrians.—Moral Culture.— - Treatment of Women.—Cows.—Farm Work.—Manufactures.—Mechanics.—God’s - Acre.—Graves.—Funeral Ceremonies.—Simplicity.—Lonely Burial.— - Unpleasing Custom.—Costumes.—The Upper Classes.—Refinement and - Culture.—Manners.—Patriotism.—A Challenge - - 212 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - GERMAN WATERING-PLACES.—BINGEN ON THE RHINE. - -A German Watering-place.—Land of Salt.—Salt Works.—Last of the Barons.— - Homburg.—Kursaal.—Palace.—Gaming.—Kreusnach.—Spas.—Salt Springs.— - Cure-house.—Kissingen.—Baths.—Cures.—Long Sledge-ride.—Princess of - Mecklenburg.—Clerical Postman.—Whey-cure.—Grape-cure.—Rest.— - Rheingraffenstein.—Ebernburg.—Relics of Reformers.—French Cannon - Balls.—The Bingen of Poetry.—The Real Bingen.—Bishop Hatto’s Tower.— - Maüse-thurme.—Southey.—Ehrenfels.—Rudesheimer Vineyards.—Wine-making.— - Shallow Soil.—Johannisberg Vineyard.—The Rhine.—Mayence.—Printing.— - Guttenberg’s Statue.—Cathedral - - 232 - - - CHAPTER XX. - - PILGRIMAGE TO AIX-LA-CHAPELLE. - -Tomb of Charlemagne.—The Dead Emperor.—Cathedral.—Consecration.—Holy - Shrine.—Healing Waters.—Palace.—Holy Relics.—Remarkable List.— - Septennial Exhibition.—Sultan of Turkey.—Crowd.—Order and Devotion.— - Sultan and Suite.—Stolidity.—Priests and Women.—A Crush.—Pageant - opened.—Procession.—The Relics.—Puseyite Priest.—On the Road to Rome.— - Superstition.—Pictures.—Virgin’s Garment.—Modern Style.—Holy Shirt.— - Other Relics.—Pilgrims.—Revenue.—Waters.—Fountain.—Music.—Invalids.— - Kurhaus.—Social Ease.—Baths.—Sulphur Water.—Antiquities.—Tower of - Granus.—Statue of Charlemagne.—Bust and Skull - - 245 - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - FRANKFORT. - -Graveyard.—Childish Plays.—Cheerful Graves.—Grave of Goethe’s Mother.— - Inscription.—Lovely Sentiment.—Coffin of Goethe.—Wealthy Jew.— - Humiliation.—Ancient Glory.—Ariadne.—Elegant Cars.—Smokers.—Pine - Forests.—Women’s Rights.—Beer Drinking.—A Good Arrangement.— - Frankfort-on-the-Oder.—Krewz.—Dinner.—Gardens.—Scenery.—Nakal.— - Bromberg.—Wedges.—Attentive Servant.—Frontier.—Passports.—The - Vistula.—Poland.—Warsaw - - 264 - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - WARSAW. - -Historic Legend.—The Jesuits.—Partition.—Last Insurrection.—Nationality - crushed out.—Attempted Insurrection.—Defeat.—Warsaw.—Armed Despotism.— - Discontent.—Precarious Prosperity.—Russian Rule and Language.—Fate of - a Spy.—Consequence.—Russian Soldiery.—Ill-manners.—Botanical Gardens.— - Observatory.—Palace.—Sobieski’s Monument.—Grave Error.—Illumination.— - Streets.—Drunkenness.—Climate.—Lutheran Church.—Relics of Romanism.— - Mendicants.—Jewish Quarter.—Hospital.—War of Religions.—Statue of the - Virgin.—Little Russia.—Funeral.—English Cock - - 273 - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - FROM WARSAW TO ST. PETERSBURG. - -Pretentious Hotel.—Splendid Bridge.—Polite Ticket-seller.—Cars.— - Prairie.—Wretched Peasantry.—Jews.—Railroad Employes.—Lapy.—Mother and - Son.—Bialystok.—Grodno.—Diet of Poland.—Last King of Poland.—Jewish - Holiday.—Lithuania.—Plains.—Napoleon’s Hill.—Monument.—Wilna.—Ruins.— - Insurrection.—Babel.—Dunaberg.—Captive.—Short Night.—Serfs.—Reform.— - Board of Arbitrators.—Emancipation.—Pskof.—Lady Smoker.—St. Petersburg - - 284 - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - ST. PETERSBURG. - -Searching Process.—Peculiar Costumes.—Rough Streets.—Russian Bath.— - Dinner.—Model Guide.—Elegant Diction.—Peter the Great.—Catharine I.— - Striking Contrasts.—Accommodating Weather.—Palace of the Emperor.— - Column of Alexander.—Statue of Peter the Great.—Boy Czars.—Peter’s - Lawyers.—Devotion.—Cathedral.—Trophies.—Isaac’s Cathedral.—Amazing - Splendor.—Worship.—Offerings.—Holy of Holies.—Behind the Scenes.— - Careful Husbands.—Greek and Romish Churches.—Lent.—Sabbath.—Exorcism.— - Honors paid the Virgin - - 293 - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - RUSSIAN ART, CUSTOMS, AND MANNERS. - -Winter Palace.—Ways of Royalty.—Crown Jewels.—Orloff Diamond.— - Hermitage.—Art Galleries.—Curious Code of Laws.—Royal Museum.—Peter’s - Walking-stick.—Art Culture.—Condition of the Masses.—Laborers.— - Mechanics.—Prices.—Rent.—Food.—Dress.—Peculiar Custom.—Polite - Bankers.—Despot.—Justice.—Verdicts.—Story of Labanoff.—Siberia.— - Abuses.—Academy of Science.—Zoological Museum.—Sunset on the Neva.— - Boatman.—Light at Evening-tide - - 310 - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - FROM ST. PETERSBURG TO MOSCOW. - -American Engineers.—Sleeping Arrangements.—Newspapers.—Drama.—Courtesy.— - Lubanskaia.—Dinner.—Villages.—The Volga.—Murdered Bishop.—Sleeping - Car.—Ladder.—Russian Jargon.—Pathetic Appeal.—Board.—Refreshments.— - Greek Ecclesiastic.—Patriarch Nicon.—New Jerusalem.—Profanity.— - Tyranny.—Revolt.—Pope of the North.—Emperor’s Slight.—Nicon’s - Humility.—Banishment.—Patriarchates.—Dead Level.—Flight of Freedom - - 322 - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - THE KREMLIN AND THE BELLS OF MOSCOW. - -A Swiss Landlord.—Fleas.—Shrines.—Palaces, Cottages, and Churches.—The - Moskva.—Circular City.—Kremlin Walls.—Gates.—Chief Entrance.—Picture - of the Redeemer.—Respect.—Cannon.—Miracle.—Splendid Scene.—Tower of - Ivan.—Bells.—Medium of Worship.—Holy City.—Pilgrims.—Bell-making.— - Precious Metals.—Silver Bells.—Chapel of the Betrothed.—Music of the - Bells - - 330 - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - THE CHURCHES OF MOSCOW. - -Cathedral of the Assumption.—Bones of the Patriarchs.—The Iconastasis.— - Sanctuary.—Archbishop’s Throne.—Coronation Ceremony.—Tombs.—Cathedral - of the Archangel Michael.—Religious Freedom.—Churches.—Cathedral of - St. Basil.—Archangel Cathedral.—Pilgrims.—Golgotha.—Sacristy.— - Religion.—Holy Oil.—Baptism.—Making of the Holy Chrism - - 340 - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - - PALACE AND INSTITUTIONS OF MOSCOW. - -Royal Palace.—Empress’s Drawing-room.—Empress’s Cabinet.—Hall of St. - George.—Hall of St. Andrew.—Gold Court.—Napoleon’s Descent.— - Treasures.—Historical Curiosities.—Precious Orb.—Foundling Hospital.— - Mortality of Foundlings.—Orphan Asylum.—Sheep’s Clothing.—Harvest - Season.—Jews.—Peasants.—Riding School.—Wax-show.—Ethnological - Society.—Travel.—Sydney Smith’s Stick - - 350 - - - CHAPTER XXX. - - FROM MOSCOW TO ST. PETERSBURG. - -Commercial Travellers.—Sparrow Hills.—Church of the Saviour.—Simonoff - Monastery.—Novo-Devichi Convent.—The Moskva.—A Holiday.—Napoleon’s - March.—Borodino.—Evacuation of Moscow.—French Enthusiasm.—Triumphal - Entry.—Surprise.—Incendiarism.—Return of the French.—Horrors of the - March.—Russian Barbarism.—Public Kissing.—From Moscow to St. - Petersburg.—Fussy Ladies.—Klin.—Dinner.—Tver.—Beggars.—Night without - Darkness.—The Fussy Ladies again.—Sunrise.—Marriage Customs - - 359 - - - CHAPTER XXXI. - - FINLAND. - -Americans.—Cronstadt.—Fortifications.—Vessels.—Smoking.—Wyborg.— - Saw-mills.—Channel.—Ruined Tower.—Submission of Finland.—Religion.— - Government.—Harvests.—Famines.—Army.—Wages.—Fens.—Lakes and Islands.— - Drosky.—Huge Stones.—Excursion.—Eden in the North.—Serpent in the - Garden.—Long Bills.—Attentions paid Strangers.—A Finnish Lady.— - Fishermen.—A Killing Man.—Gulf of Finland.—Fredericksham.—Sclava.—Hard - Case.—Social Customs - - 371 - - - CHAPTER XXXII. - - Finland (_continued_). - -Helsingfors.—Sweaborg.—Fortified Islands.—Society House.—Ducal Palace.— - Finnish Gentlemen.—Senate House.—University.—Observatory.—Library.— - Literature.—Kalewala.—Schiller and Shakespeare.—Language.—Congress.— - Coats of Arms.—Botanical Garden.—House of Refreshment.—Health - Establishment.—Mineral Fountain.—Rocky Islands.—Fishing.—Peasantry.— - Abo.—Hotel.—Good Manners.—Castle.—Cathedral.—Tombs.—Conflagration.— - Carriole.—Kibitka.—Bondkara.—Finns - - 383 - - - CHAPTER XXXIII. - - SWEDEN. - -Harbor of Abo.—Swedish Customs.—Eating and Drinking.—Climate.—The - Baltic.—Stockholm.—Porters.—Hotel Rydburg.—Pleasant Quarters.— - Scandinavia.—Odin.—Sagas.—Christianity.—Lutheran Religion.—King.— - Congress.—Hospital.—Physicians.—Clergymen.—Education.—Religious - Toleration.—The Press.—Cost of Living.—Vice.—The Riddarholm’s Kyrkan.— - Tomb of Gustavus Adolphus.—Reformation.—Royal Palace.—Picture - Gallery.—Library.—Codex Aureus.—King of Sweden.—Mimic War.—Standing - Army.—Order.—Thieves - - 394 - - - CHAPTER XXXIV. - - Sweden (_continued_). - -Drottningholm.—Lake Malar.—Sigtuna.—Odin.—Superstition.—Pirates.—Rural - Life.—Professor Olivecrona.—Islands.—Chateau.—Commercial Life.— - Manuscripts.—University of Upsala.—Codex Argenteus.—Icelandic - Literature.—Standard of Education.—Students.—Costume.—Cathedral.— - Statue of Thor.—Old Upsala.—Mora Stone.—Mass Meetings.—Graves of Pagan - Deities.—Temple of Odin.—Ancient Tower.—Battle-field of Faith.—Deer - Park Restaurant.—Social Customs.—Swedish Homes.—Content.—Moral - Progress - - 409 - - - CHAPTER XXXV. - - Sweden (_continued_). - -Steam Canal.—The Oscar.—View of Stockholm.—Sodertelje.—St. Olaf.—The - Gota Canal.—Castles and Legends.—Soderkoping.—Tavern Breakfast.— - Sabbath in Sweden.—Church.—Costumes.—Service.—Snuffing and Nasal - Singing.—Watering-place.—Physician.—College of Health.—Baths.—Mineral - Waters.—Emigration.—Lodging and Board - - 423 - - - CHAPTER XXXVI. - - Sweden (_continued_). - -On the Gota Canal again.—Working-girl.—Lake Asplagen.—Swedish - Professor.—Lake Roxen.—Berg.—The Vetra-Kloster.—Graveyard.—Tombs of - the Douglases.—School-house.—Dinner on the Canal.—Crops.—Lock-keeper.— - Lake Boren.—Motala.—Iron-works.—Lake Wetter.—Wadstena.—Pea-crop.— - Peasantry.—Labor.—Cold.—Sunset.—Forsvik.—Russian Gentleman.—Lake - Wenner.—Trout.—Falls of Trollhatten.—River.—Unfortunate Sailor.— - Collection.—Hongfel Castle.—Gottenburg.—Cheap Lodgings.—Museum.—Daily - News.—Training House for Servants.—Philanthropy - - 433 - - - CHAPTER XXXVII. - - NORWAY. - -Embarkation.—Breakfast.—Skager-rack and Cattegat.—Freidericksvern.— - Christiania.—Hotel du Nord.—Flowers and Fountains.—Stove.—Norwegian - Breakfast.—Museum.—Superstition.—Duel of the Girdle.—Bridal - Ornaments.—Heathen Relics.—Learning and Letters.—Lake Mjosen.—English - Commercial Traveller.—Boat Library.—Sportsmen.—Church.—Fat Pastor.— - Remnants of Popery.—Costumes.—The Lord’s Supper.—Service.—Devotion and - Reverence.—Oneness of the Church.—Lillehammer.—Cheap Living.—Cripple.— - Christiania.—Carriole.—Post Horses and Boys.—Agershaus.—Robin Hood of - Norway.—Benevolent Institutions.—Grave of Bradshaw - - 447 - - - CHAPTER XXXVIII. - - DENMARK. - -Skager-rack and Cattegat.—Magnificent Sunset.—Elsinore.—Toll.—House of - Tycho Brahe.—Kronborg.—Treaty of Vienna.—Danish Giant.— - Fortifications.—Hamlet’s Grave.—True History.—Royal Castle.—Queen of - Christian II.—Touching Prayer.—Royal Forest.—Castle of Peace.— - Denmark.—Her History.—Valdemar II.—Schleswig-Holstein.—Christianity.— - General Intelligence.—Education.—Copenhagen.—Thorvaldsen’s Museum.— - Statues.—Vanity.—Hall of Christ.—Gems and Bronzes.—Vor Frue Kirke.— - Religion and Art.—Church Service.—Baptism.—Love of Amusement.— - Theatres.—Public Gardens.—Museum.—Ruins.—Monuments.—South American - Gentleman.—Zealand.—Fleas.—Kiel.—Elmshorn.—Home Again - - 462 - - - - - SPAIN. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - GRANADA. - - -IN the grounds of the Alhambra, the ancient palace of the Moorish kings -of Granada, what time those conquerors of Spain here held their right -regal court, I have come to sit down and to rest. - -My lodgings are just under the walls of the old castle, in sight of its -crumbling towers, in hearing of its many falling waters, and under the -shadow of its English elms, which the Duke of Wellington gave to Spain. -At any moment a few steps take me into the courts and halls and chambers -of the Alhambra. In years past, while this pearl of Arab art and -Oriental splendor was silently suffered to fall into ruin, with the -lapse of centuries, it has been the habit of some travelled authors more -addicted to romance than others, to get the easy privilege of sharing -lodgings with the bats in some deserted chamber, and they doubtless -fancied themselves inspired with the genius of the place, as they -dreamed and wrote where fair sultanas with their charms eclipsed the -splendors of the fairy place itself. - -As it is no part of my purpose to indulge in romance while writing these -sketches of the Alhambra and of Spain, and as the walls of a comfortable -inn are much more to the taste of a weary traveller than the stone -floors and open windows of a tumbling old castle, it is my preference to -take up my abode for the present with the good people in the Alhambra -Hotel, and not with the keepers of the palace itself. Besides, there is -no choice left. The government has undertaken the work of restoring the -Alhambra to its pristine beauty, and this process is now going onward -under the direction of Sr. Contreras. He has already displayed so much -skill in imitating the arabesque decorations of the walls, that only a -practised eye perceives the difference when the ancient and the modern -art appear in the same chamber. - -Architects as well as amateur travellers from all parts of the civilized -world, for centuries past, have made artistic and pleasure journeys -hither to study and admire the style that has nothing like it except in -Spain, and here only where the Moors held sway. And perhaps no work of -art in the whole world has been more frequently and fully described than -the Alhambra of Granada. History, poetry, and science have tried their -several hands upon it. Romance has been so busy with it that it is not -an easy task to disentangle the web of fiction, and get the only part of -the tale worth knowing. So dear is truth, the simple, naked truth of -history, to every true soul, that he is a great doer of evil who seizes -upon history, and while professing to write it, weaves into his story -the fancies of his own prolific genius, and that so deftly and so -charmingly that the whole is accepted as veritable history, and the -romance as the most credible and interesting of the whole. Early English -history has thus been illustrated and inextricably confused. The spell -of the magician’s wand has thus made the conquest of Mexico a poem -rather than a reliable narrative. And Spain, more than any other land, -is now hopelessly given up to legends and doubtful chronicles, modern -and antique, so that one who reads must have either the credulity of a -devotee, or the indifference of folly, to read with satisfaction the -ancient history of the Peninsula. - -But the Alhambra is here! Granada is where it was a thousand years ago! -The same deep blue sky, the bluest sky that covers any land, hangs over -its magnificent Vega or plain, through which the Darro and the Genil, -united, flow! The hills, each one with a story that can be scarcely -heard without a tear, stand where and as they did when the Moors were -masters of this region, which they thought the terrestrial paradise of -man, and immediately under the celestial mansions where the Prophet and -the Houris await the coming of all true believers. The Sierra Nevada, -covered with perpetual snow, seems close at hand, as it lies on the -eastern horizon, and in this cloudless sky and brilliant atmosphere the -long range shines like silver mountains in the noontide, as it did when -fleet horsemen brought its ice in baskets to cool the drinks of Wali -Zawi Ibu Zeyn, its first Moorish king. Those snowy summits reminded the -Arabs when they came here of Mount Hermon, and this plain seemed to them -to surpass in fertility and beauty the Vega around Damascus. - -And to this day the palm-tree, the pomegranate, and the fig, the orange -and lemon, the olive and vine, flourish under the genial sun. In these -declining years of the nineteenth century, with a railroad running into -the city across the heart of this paradise, and telegraphs linking it -with Madrid and London and Washington, the peasants still scratch the -ground with the root of a tree for a plough, and carry their produce to -market on the back of a donkey. - -The creations of the Moors in Spain form the most remarkable chapter in -human art. To me, Spain has been a new discovery; a sudden revelation of -a world within a world; the monuments of an extinct or departed race -standing alone in a desert. The generation that now possesses the soil -has nothing of the genius or taste or spirit of the barbaric tribes that -were once their masters. And the Alhambra at Granada, the Mosque at -Cordova, and the Alcazar at Seville, look like the wrecks of a stranded -empire, whose people live only in their glorious ruins. - -In the language of a brilliant historian, “Spain stands to-day a hideous -skeleton among living nations.” - -They have a legend here that Adam made a visit to the earth a few years -ago, to see how his farm was getting on. He alighted in Germany, and -found schools and colleges and books, and the people intent on learning. -He soon left it for France, where the people dressed in fantastic -styles, and were mad upon works of art and improvements unknown to our -great ancestor. Disgusted with all he saw, he came down to Spain, and, -with delight, exclaimed, “This is just as I left it.” - -Adam was nearly right. Of all the countries in Europe this is more _as -it was_ than any other. The greatest calamity that ever happened to -Spain was its expulsion of the Moors; and it will be a century, perhaps -many centuries, before the arts and sciences will flourish on this soil -as they did before that year, so memorable for the discovery of the New -World by Columbus, and the overthrow of the kingdom of Granada by -Ferdinand and Isabella. Both those events, forming the most momentous -epoch in the history of Spain, occurred in the year 1492, from which -period we may date the decline of an empire enriched by the untold -wealth of a new world added to its possessions, and strengthened by the -destruction of the last stronghold of its former conquerors and masters. -Foreign capital and enterprise have forced railroads across her -mountains and plains, but the capital and enterprise of the world cannot -make them profitable, when the people have no industry and no ambition. -The mines of Spain are so rich that she has no need of possessions in -the gold fields of the western hemisphere; and they have been known and -worked ever since the days of the Phœnicians, when Andalusia was the -Tarshish of Holy Scripture. Yet Spain is more distinguished to-day, as -being behind the world, than for aught it has done or is doing for -itself or others. And it often seems to a traveller here in Spain that -he is in the Orient, so many manners and customs, so many works, and, -much more, such a want of things he is wont to meet with in the more -civilized nations, remind him that he is among a people who have derived -much of what they have and are from lands at the other end of the -Mediterranean Sea. - -It has a mixed race of inhabitants. It would not be strange if it had a -mixed government also. Successive tides of people have swept over it, -and the vestiges of all are left on the surface of the nation. Very -little, indeed, is known of the days when the Iberians from Caucasus, -and the Celts from Gaul, were the rude settlers of Spain; but the traces -are more plain of the Phœnicians, who came here 1500 years before the -birth of Jesus, and founded Cadiz and Malaga, and Cordova and Seville. -In the year 218 before Christ the Romans came, and, of course, conquered -all Spain, and reigned here just six centuries. Then came the Goths, -sweeping the Romans out of Spain as they crushed Rome in Italy. And the -Goths ruled Spain precisely 300 years. Then came the Moors, and, in two -pitched battles, smote the Gothic Christian power to the earth; and, -like a hurricane from the African coast, rushed up from the south, and -never stayed its destructive course till the crescent had supplanted the -cross on every tower in Spain. The Moors were lords of Spain just seven -centuries. Gradually the crescent waned, as the Catholic Christian kings -recovered strength, until St. Ferdinand captured Cordova, in 1235, and -Ferdinand and Isabella completed the work at Granada, on the third day -of the year 1492, and the last of the Moorish kings fled from the -Alhambra. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - OUT OF FRANCE INTO SPAIN—THE BASQUE PROVINCES. - - -AWAY down in the south-west corner of France, on the Bay of Biscay, was -a hamlet on a rock-bound coast, which has of late years suddenly sprung -into the notice of the world. The sunshine of imperial favor ripened the -modest bud of a humble village into a flower of remarkable beauty. What -was a short time since quite unknown, is now the fashionable -watering-place of France. Selected by the late Emperor as his autumnal -resort, he built a handsome chateau, and named it _Eugénie_, and thus -made the fortune of Biarritz. - -Here we spent a few days of rest after a long and wearying journey. The -coast is dangerous. The bay is rough to a degree that has become a -proverb. An attempt was making under government direction to construct a -breakwater, so as to enclose a “harbor of refuge,” and one is greatly -needed. A process, new to me, but perhaps common, was going on: that of -building rocks, or blocks, to make the projecting pier. Thousands of -square feet of rock are here in the hills, but, for some reason, it is -preferred to form a concrete mass with stone and cement. These are made -in cubes of six or eight feet, with two grooves underneath them, and -when they have stood long enough to be proof against water, levers are -thrust under them, a derrick hoists them upon a platform which is moved -on a railway to the pier, where they are launched off into the deep. The -fury of the waves at this point, especially in rough weather, is -frightful. The new breakwater was recently swept away. Two or three -workmen were caught by the waves rushing higher than was expected, and -the poor fellows were carried off into a deeper ocean. This terrified -the others, and they declined to expose themselves to such dangers. The -priests came to the rescue. They set up an image of the Virgin on an -overhanging rock. She looks down benignly on the work and the workmen. -Not one has been swept away since she stood there!! Confidence is -restored. The breakwater is gradually extending. It will cost an immense -sum, and if the Virgin is so successful in saving the lives of the -landsmen in building it, one would think she might just as easily save -the sailors, and so render the harbor unnecessary. - -On this stormy coast, where the surf breaks over huge rocks, and -sometimes rushes curiously through them by passages worn in ages of -incessant roll, there are several coves where the beach slopes gradually -to the sea, and the smooth sand floor furnishes delightful bathing -grounds. Here, in the season, the court used to disport itself in other -robes than those of royalty, and among the crowds of fashionable people, -who in fantastic _deshabille_ indulge in the ocean bath, were daily seen -the Emperor and Empress and the remarkable boy who astonished the mayor -by being the son of an Emperor when only ten years of age! - -A courier, or travelling servant, is usually more of a nuisance than -assistance, but I had to have one. He had the Spanish name of Antanazio, -was of course familiar with the language, and he spoke French also, but -not a word of English. He was a half devout Catholic, and professed to -be very discriminating in his faith, rejecting many of the notions of -his countrymen, and swallowing others without a strain. He was a big -fellow, so big that he could easily have taken me under one arm and my -companion on the other, and marched into or out of Spain at any moment. -He was the terror of the cabmen and porters and waiters, bullying, -swearing, and pushing his way through the thickest of the fight, in -those struggles that attend every arrival of a passenger in any part of -the world. He was just about as honest as the race to which he belongs. -Every traveller thinks his own courier a pattern of honesty. I have had -them in a dozen different countries, and never yet was able to put the -word _honest_ into the certificate which they craved at the end of the -journey. Some are better than others. Any one of them is worse than -none, if you have a slight knowledge of the country. Antanazio was in -league with every hotel man to get as much out of us as he could, and he -made up for his frauds on a large scale by an excess of zeal to save a -few coppers for us when a poor porter or sacristan was to be paid for -service. The gnat and the camel were familiar to Antanazio. Yet he was -one of the best couriers to be found, and he shall have the benefit of -this notice. - -Just before we leave France to go into Spain we pass a village, here -mentioned only to cite an eloquent epigram inscribed around the dial of -the clock on its tower: “_Vulnerant omnes, ultima necat_.” Even so; each -flying moment wounds: the last slays. And after quitting the Hendaye -station, we dash across the river Bidassoa, which divides the two -kingdoms. It would take us the rest of the day merely to read the -history that invests this crossing with interest for all time. A little -dry spot is in the bed of the river. There kings and queens and generals -have met to settle affairs of state as on neutral ground, and the petty -patch has come to be called the Island of Conference. Here, in the -middle of the dividing river, Louis XIV. of France had his first meeting -with Maria Theresa, daughter of Philip IV. of Spain, and they were -married in the cathedral of St. Jean de Luz on the French side of the -river. On the same spot the kings of France and Spain met in 1463 to -negotiate; and here too, in 1645, Isabella the daughter of Henry IV. was -_exchanged_ for Anna of Austria, the one to be the wife of the king of -Spain, and the other of France. In 1526, Francis I., who was a prisoner -of Charles V., was here given up, and his two sons accepted as hostages -in his stead. We go thousands of miles to visit a spot that has thus -been made sacred and famous, yet one can hardly tell why he looks with -interest upon ground so sanctified. The grass and the weeds grow just as -freely, and the birds are as careless in their songs, and the water -flows on as it always flows; but still no thoughtful traveller can pass -such landmarks in the march of great events, without pausing to observe -the effect which those events have had on the history of the world. And -this is one of the greatest objects before us as we enter and traverse -Spain. It is a land of history: of romance too; and perhaps both are -equally interesting. For every line we cross, and every city and -province we visit, is rich in association, even if the land is now but a -great sepulchre of great peoples. - -And we were in Spain. On the northern frontier, and in instant contact -with the people of France, is a race that is Spanish only in name, and -hardly that; a race that has, through all the mutations of government in -this unstable country, maintained a sort of independence, with rights -and privileges, manners and customs so peculiar to themselves, that they -may be said to be _in_ Spain, but not _of_ Spain. - -On the anniversary of the death of one of their number, the friends -gather at the grave, and offer to the departed gifts of bread and fruit, -as if they required supplies of food for the endless journey in another -world. On the holidays, which are many in a year, they are wild in the -dance, with the tambourine and bagpipe and castanet, being far more -demonstrative in the height of their excitement than the more southern -inhabitants of Spain. They are a proud race, and more proud of their -ancestry than any thing else, the poorest peasant among the hills -displaying on the door of his hut a coat of arms, and claiming descent -from some ancient and illustrious house. As a race they have no trouble -in reckoning their pedigree back to Tubal and Noah, and unless your tree -of genealogy has branches springing out of a trunk that bears the name -of Adam, these people are far ahead of you in the line of their -ancestry. - -They occupy the Basque Provinces, three divisions, small in extent, -lying among the Pyrenees and on the Bay of Biscay. They are probably -lineal descendants of the first settlers of Spain, and may be correct in -their boast that they are not tainted with Roman or Moorish or -Gothic-German blood. They still speak a language so strange and so -formidable to a foreigner that it is said no one has been able to master -it. There is a tradition among them that the devil himself spent five -years in studying it, and was able to learn three words only. But after -much inquiry I could not trace this tradition to any reliable source. In -fact, it is said that one or two bold and persevering scholars have -actually made some inroads into the language, but the discoveries made -were a very poor reward for the time and labor spent. - -Into this new yet ancient country we enter at once, for it is the -northern gateway of Spain. At the outset of our journey we must “change -cars,” for the Spanish government, in granting license for a railroad to -enter its domains, refused to allow it to be made of the same width with -that of France, as it would in that case afford to the French facilities -for invasion in case of war! The idea is very characteristic of Spain. -And the same stupidity that dictates such an impediment to travel -forgets that every train of passengers coming in from the north is an -invasion that is just as fatal to the regime of Spain as would be -another incursion of Goths or Gauls. Ideas, rather than arms, work -revolutions now-a-days. - -The mountains have stretched themselves across this frontier to the -verge of the ocean, and on our right as we go south is a narrow pass -between two precipitous hills, and thus a safe and easily defended path -for ships is made. Within is a snug harbor, where the largest fleet may -lie unseen, and unreached by the storms at sea. Out of this little port -once sailed a man whose name is dear to the American heart; for in the -days that tried the souls of our fathers La Fayette came here into Spain -and took passage to the Western world, to give his sword and his fortune -and his life to the cause of liberty. A little farther on, a high -castle-crowned hill defends the city of St. Sebastian. It is the first -place of any importance after entering Spain. Being so near to France, -and so easy of access by rail, it is common for Englishmen and others to -take a trip to St. Sebastian, from Biarritz, which is only two or three -hours distant, and _then_ they can say they have been to Spain. There is -nothing of interest here to attract the traveller. The Duke of -Wellington, after losing 5,000 men in storming it, drove out the French, -and when his army got possession of the town, they sacked it, set it on -fire, and enacted such scenes of wild debauchery as are not remembered -without a blush of shame after the lapse of more than half a century. To -please visitors from the north, and to make their town a fashionable -resort in the season, the people of St. Sebastian have a bull-ring, and -exhibit on a small scale the national entertainment of a weekly -bull-fight. For it must not be supposed that Spanish blood only is -delighted with this savage sport. The French love to see blood; and the -English, whose highest national sport is the prize-fight; and Americans, -who have been known to allow a prize-fighter to be sent to their -national Congress,—all take great pleasure in seeing horses, bulls, and -men, in one grand _mêlée_, wounded, bleeding, dying; and the fairest of -some of the most delicate little women of these Christian countries clap -their hands when the bull gets the advantage and tosses his bleeding -victim into the air. - -We are now in the midst of the mountains. The road gradually rises as we -advance, and frequently makes its way through the heart of the hills. -The valleys lie sweetly far below. If the road followed the line of the -valleys it might be exposed to frequent injury by floods. And as this -range must be crossed, it is better to make the ascent as easy as -possible. We might be in Switzerland, so like it are these farms on the -hill-sides and in the valleys; the sounds that break on the ear are the -same: the houses scattered in cosy nooks, or clustered in little -villages which the church crowns with a blessing as of heaven. The oxen -have their head and necks covered with a sheepskin or a woollen blanket -to protect them from the rain. They drag a cart of which the wheels are -a solid block of wood secured with a tire. There has been a fair to-day -in some one of the villages, and men and women are going home, leading -cattle they have purchased. The men are well formed, athletic, straight, -and good-looking. The women are a superior race, and even when leading a -calf the peasant woman steps proudly along as if she were entering her -drawing-room. Their hair is their glory, worn pendant on their backs. Of -their moral and mental culture little is known, as they have slight -intercourse with the outer world. From the beginning they have had a -government of their own, sometimes being cut up into republics, and -managing the most of matters in their own way. Even when they have -claimed their own congress, and tariff, and army, the Spanish government -has thought it the part of discretion to humor them. When emerging from -these provinces into Castile, our luggage was searched to find any -tobacco we might be smuggling: for this is one of the privileges of the -Basque Provinces, that they may import tobacco free of duty, but it is -under a tariff the moment we pass beyond. In this region the Indian corn -of our own country is the principal production. Peaches, apples, and -cherries are abundant. Iron mines are worked, and furnaces are -frequently seen in full blast. Cloth and paper mills are in operation. -The inhabitants have an energy and enterprise far superior to that of -the people farther south. Many of them become seamen. Some have made -discoveries in distant seas. One of the most peculiar of their ideas, -and one that may account for the lofty bearing of their women, is, that -the right of primogeniture exists among them, but it applies to the -first-born child, whether son or daughter! This often places the woman -at the head of the house, so that she can say, as few women elsewhere -can say, “What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is my own.” - -Property is very widely diffused among the people; farms seldom comprise -more than ten acres, so that there can be no great practical -distinctions among them on account of wealth. They divide their farms -with hedges instead of fences or walls, while in the more southern parts -of Spain they put up no fences of any sort, but merely mark the bounds -of land with a stone, which cannot be moved without incurring a curse. - -In a charming valley, among hills clothed with chestnut-trees, and the -meadows with orchards of apples and pears, lies the village of Tolosa, -and farther on we rested at Vitoria, a famous city, the capital of the -Province of Alava, and celebrated as the scene of a great battle between -the English and the French in 1813. The Duke of Wellington led the -British and beat the French under Joseph Buonaparte, who fled in such -disorder and haste that all the pictures he had stolen in Spain, and -five millions of dollars, fell into the hands of the Duke. - -We are now leaving the Basque Provinces: Miranda is the first town in -Castile at which we stop. An immense railroad station is in progress of -erection, showing the expectation at least of a great amount of -business. We hope the hope may be realized. Crossing the river Zadorra, -and now the Ebro, and along the Oroncillo, we are again in the midst of -the wildest and grandest mountain scenery, as we take our iron way -through the frightful gorges of Pancorbo. And even here the legends of -Spain begin to invest the crags and ruined castles with the interest of -romance. For on these heights are the remnants of the castle where -Roderick, the last king of the Goths, brought the beautiful Florinda, -whom he saw as David saw Bathsheba, and seeing loved, not wisely but too -well, and loving, lost his crown, his honor, his kingdom, and his life. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - BURGOS—THE ESCORIAL. - - -NOTHING purely Spanish comes in sight till we get to Burgos. This old -city is half-way from the frontier to Madrid, and is just so slow, -sleepy, and sluggish a town as one should see to get a correct -impression of Spain at the start. About a thousand years ago, Diego -Porcelos, a knight of Castile, had a beautiful daughter, Sulla Bella, -who was loved and won by a German, and they founded this city, calling -it from a German _Burg_, a fortified place, Burgos. For many long years -it was independent, governed by a council. Afterwards, Gonzales was made -the governor, as Count of Castile, who and his heirs reigned until, -under Ferdinand I., in 1067, by a happy marriage, the crowns of Leon and -Castile were fused into one. - -[Illustration: BRIDGE, GATEWAY, AND CATHEDRAL OF BURGOS.] - -The legendary hero of Spain, whose exploits are only less than those of -Hercules, was born in Burgos, and what is more and better, his bones are -here in the Town Hall; and if any doubt is entertained of the fact that -he actually lived and died and was a wonderful man, between the dates of -his birth and death, such doubts ought to be dispelled by a sight which -I had of an old brass-bound, mouldering chest, sacredly preserved in one -of the inner and holy chambers of the cathedral, and called the coffer -of the Cid. Once on a time the Cid had occasion to borrow a large sum of -money of two Jewish bankers in Burgos, and he left with them as security -this trunk, with, _as he said_, all his jewels and gold in it. He did -not pay the money when it was due, and the chest being opened by the -lenders was found full only of sand! It was thought in those days a -merit to cheat a Jew, and the Romanists show their estimate of the trick -to this day by keeping the swindling coffer among their precious relics. -But it is hardly probable that a Jew ever lived who would lend money -without first _seeing_ the security, and the story therefore lacks -probability. However this may be, we are now in the city of the Cid, and -though a Christian knight, he had read the words of the Prophet of the -Moor,—“There are three sorts of lies which will not be taken into -account at the last judgment: 1st, One told to reconcile two persons at -variance. 2d, That which a husband tells when he promises any thing to -his wife; and 3d, A chieftain’s word in time of war.” Such is the -morality of Mahomet, and there is not a little of the same Jesuitism -under other names. - -[Illustration: THE CID.] - -The city has 25,000 inhabitants, and one of the most splendid cathedrals -of Europe; but not a hotel that is decent. We went to the best, and its -entrance was strong with the smell of the stables. The first flight of -steps inside was littered with dust and straw, and it looked as if we -were to be led to a manger, which word is, indeed, the same with the -French _salle à manger_, a dining-room. Yet this proved to be as fair a -hotel as Spain at present offers to its friends from abroad. They are -all inferior to second-rate hotels in France or Switzerland, and many -that profess to be first-class are execrable. The charges are higher -than in better houses in countries where living is dearer, so that the -business of entertaining strangers in Spain is an organized imposition. -The roads are now free from robbers who formerly infested them and made -travelling dangerous. The robbers have evidently left the highway and -gone to keeping the hotels. They still rob travellers, with less risk -and trouble than in the olden time. - -An Englishman by the name of Maurice, being high in the favor of -Ferdinand, the saint and hero, laid the foundation, A. D. 1221, of the -Burgos cathedral, which fairly challenges comparison with any or all of -the finest specimens of ecclesiastical architecture in the world. Having -been built in successive periods, and these at long distances from each -other, there is a want of harmony in the parts, but this is observed -only by the professional eye, while to others, and especially on one who -enters this first of the great edifices of Spain, its interior bursts -with a blaze of grandeur covered with beauty, that fairly dazzles while -it awes and delights him. And after having visited and leisurely studied -half a dozen others, including those of Toledo and Seville, I regard the -cathedral of Burgos as exhibiting a degree of perfection in detail, an -elaborate execution to adorn and embellish a sanctuary, not equalled by -any of its rivals in Spain. - -And it is to Spain that we must come to see what the art and consecrated -wealth of princes and priests can do to build temples in honor of God. -Italy has nothing like them. St. Peter’s is the largest Christian church -in the world, and perhaps more labor and money have been expended upon -it. But as a Christian church it is a failure, without and within. Not -so with any of these magnificent monuments of human power and devotion. -The towers of this, at Burgos, with their graceful, open-worked -pinnacles, spring up as if seeking the sky. The gates are grand, and -surrounded and crowned with _bas reliefs_. Around the towers are seventy -statues, of prophets and apostles, and over the transept are twenty-four -life-size statues of female saints, each covered with a canopy, as -guardian angels on this house of prayer. Moses and Aaron, in stone, -stand by one of the doors, with Peter and Paul, and in the vestibule is -the Saviour, and around him the four evangelists are writing the holy -gospels, while at least fifty statues, apostles, angels with -candlesticks, seraphs, and cherubs, add to the ornament of this one -gate. - -It is quite impracticable to convey by words, and it is a fact that -drawings or photographs of interiors fail to convey an idea of the view -which one meets on entering a vast cathedral. The impression is on a -devout mind, whether of the same faith with that professed by the -ministers at these altars or not, the impression is one of solemnity and -sublimity. When the enlightened stranger comes near to study the -wretched additions which superstition has made to the simplicity of -Christian worship as established by its founder, his taste and -principles may be shocked and revolted by what he sees and hears in -gorgeous and glorious cathedrals. But these are abuses that have crept -in: _fungi_ on the trunks of grand old forest trees, under whose -branches it is a delight to sit and think of him who dwells in a nobler -temple not made with hands. Three hundred feet long, and two hundred -feet and more wide within, and chapels yet beyond, each one large enough -for a church, and two hundred feet to the roof, which is supported by -vast pillars of stone, and each one of them wrought elaborately with -garlands, and fruits, and images of angels, and historic scenes and -incidents in Scripture,—such is the first grand view that lies before -us, as we enter the gates of this cathedral in Burgos. It is in the form -of the Latin cross, and at the intersection, the _crucero_, as it is -called in Spanish, the effect of the vaulted dome, and of the whole -minute and elegant workmanship, is so exquisite that the Emperor Charles -V. is reported to have said it should be placed under glass, and Philip -II. pronounced it the work rather of angels than men. I could discern -nothing worthy of such exaggerated eulogy, while admiring the harmonious -proportions and the graceful combinations that enhance the effect of -elaborate sculpture and ingenious decorations. - -Four massive columns, embellished with allegorical sculptures, form the -transept, and above them the main arches spring. Angels bear aloft a -banner, inscribed, “I will praise thee in thy temple, and I will glorify -thy name, thou whose works are miracles.” - -Just here, for we were coming toward the high altar, Antanazio dropped -upon his knees, on the marble floor. A little bell had been rung, and -all the Catholics in the cathedral bent to the ground as the host was -elevated for their adoration in the celebration of the mass. We stood -before the high altar, resplendent above and about it with wrought -silver and gold and rich carving and sculpture, in which the life and -death of the blessed Saviour are inscribed in mute yet expressive -symbols. In the choir are more than a hundred stalls or seats of carved -walnut, each one of them an elaborate work of art, rich with figures of -men and beasts, the virgin and saints in martyrdom and in glory; and one -of these saints is astride of the devil, in memory of the fact that the -devil did carry this saint from Spain to Rome in one night. That’s -better time than any of the Spanish railroads can make. - -We were led by a kind sacristan through the various chapels, all rich in -tombs of costly workmanship, and some containing relics which, to the -believer in their virtue, are of priceless value; one of these precious -treasures being a statue of Christ on the cross, which we were expected -to behold with deep reverence. It is asserted and believed to have been -carved by Nicodemus just after he had buried the Saviour. It is, -therefore, an authentic likeness; and if any doubt existed of its being -a genuine work, it is removed by the facts that the hair, the beard, the -eyelashes even, and the thorns, are all natural, _real_; that it sweats -every Friday; that it sometimes actually bleeds; and that it has -performed many miracles. It would have been more impressive on my -unbelieving mind if it had not been girt about with a red petticoat! - -[Illustration: THE ESCORIAL.] - -The castle has a history in which the names of all the great warriors of -the last thousand years have a part; it has been the prison of some -kings, and the bridal-chamber of queens, and the birth-place of more. In -modern times Napoleon conquered it. And what is more remarkable, -Wellington tried to drive out the French, and failed. It is now a heap -of ruins; for when the French abandoned it they blew it up, but so -bunglingly that some three hundred of them went up with it. The -explosion destroyed the painted windows of the cathedral, an irreparable -loss. - -There is nothing in Burgos to see but the cathedral; and that is worth -going to Spain to see, though you may have to put up _at_ and _with_ a -Burgos tavern. - -Philip II. came to the throne of Spain in 1556, less than twenty years -before the massacre of St. Bartholomew’s day in France, and in the same -century with the Reformation led on by Luther. His history and his -character are familiar to the world. Cold, cruel, bigoted, intolerant, -morose, gloomy, superstitious, the grandson of a woman who was known by -the name of Crazy Jane, and who earned the title, the son of the great -Emperor of Germany, Charles V., who was also Charles I. of Spain, this -Philip II., thus descended and thus endowed, was less a king than a -monk, and in the cloister or the cell was more at home than on the -throne. He was the husband of Bloody Mary of England, and, like her, -verily thought to please God by persecuting the saints and mortifying -himself. Perhaps his queer grandmother had put the idea of a palace and -a monastery and a tomb into his head. Perhaps his father, in the gloomy -hours when he meditated retirement and abdication of his sovereignty, -inspired the son with this strange purpose. Or, more likely, the -conception with him was original, and as no monarch, before him or -since, had such a heart under the guide of such a head, it is only just -to give him all the credit of devising and achieving one of the most -stupendous follies and gigantic monuments that was ever executed by the -hands of men. - -The Spaniards reckon the ESCORIAL as the eighth wonder of the world! - -About twenty-five miles north of Madrid, in the midst of the dreariest -wilderness of barren, rocky, all but uninhabitable hills, a region where -no beauty of scenery cheers the eye, no silver river winds along through -fertile vales, no verdant slopes are covered with grazing herds, and no -forests with their cool shades invite the tired traveller or the weary -citizen to seek repose,—here, in the last of all places for such an -edifice, is placed the ESCORIAL, the largest and grandest edifice in -Spain, and the most remarkable building now standing on the earth. What -Egypt had when Karnak and Thebes were in their prime, what Babylon and -Nineveh knew in the days of their now buried glory, we have but faint -knowledge. This house covers a square of five hundred thousand feet! It -is about 750 feet long, and 600 feet wide. It is a royal palace. It is a -monastery. It is the sepulchre of the royal family of Spain. It is a -church; and in that church, the chapel of this strange house, there is -more wealth lavished on the pulpits and altars than on any other that I -have seen, in this or any other country. Yet all this is in a -wilderness, far away from cities and the abodes of men who might be -supposed to admire and enjoy such grandeur,—a temple in a desert, a -palace and a sepulchre. - -Passing on by the rail from Burgos, we might stop at Valladolid, once -the most renowned of all the cities of Spain, now so utterly decayed as -to be of interest only to antiquarians. Here Ferdinand and Isabella were -married in 1469. Here Columbus, the worn and weary, died in his own -house in 1506. Here he slept in death six years, and then his bones were -removed to Seville, and again to Cuba, that they might rest in the New -World he found. Philip II., whose ESCORIAL we are going to see, was born -here in Valladolid, and after he grew to manhood had the pleasure of -seeing at one time fourteen Protestants, and thirteen at another, burnt -alive, in the Grand Square of the city: a most edifying spectacle, which -strengthened his faith so much that he afterwards dedicated his mighty -structure to the good St. Lawrence, who was broiled to death on a -gridiron, enduring his torments with so much fortitude that he said to -his executioners, “I am done on this side, perhaps you had better turn -me over,”—whence comes the expression, “done to a turn.” - -Philip II. made Madrid the capital of his kingdom, holding his court -there or at the Escorial, at his pleasure, for they were only a few -hours apart. - -It is a long but pleasant walk from the station to the palace, and it is -better to stroll along the shaded avenues, resting at times on the solid -stone seats, looking upward at the solitary pile ahead, and musing on -the wonderful dead past; the pomp and pageantry, the vast processions of -priests and kings and countless armies of Spain, of France, of England, -that have marched up this same street, in triumph, in penitential grief, -or in funeral array. Away from the world, the world has often come -hither, under the many garbs the world wears, according as it is in -glory or in shame. Entering the grand quadrangle by the chief gate, the -colossal edifice presents its central front and the two lateral -projections in one view; the main façade is adorned with statues of the -principal personages in Old Testament history. Crossing the court, paved -with great granite blocks, we enter, and the massive walls, the cold -damp halls, gloomy in their naked, solid grandeur, make us feel that we -are entering a fortress, and not a palace. It would be impossible to -find your way without a guide. There are sixteen courts within, and out -of each of them long passages lead to eighty staircases, and up these we -may go, if we have time, to twelve thousand doors, and look out of two -thousand six hundred windows, and worship at forty altars!! You wish to -be excused from such climbing and kneeling. Come, then, with me at once -into the church. It is more than 300 feet long, and 230 feet wide, and -320 feet high: of granite all; its columns are majestic in their -proportions, severe in Doric simplicity, supporting twenty-four arches, -so beautifully sprung that, wherever you stand, the eye takes in the -whole at a glance. The pulpits surpass, in the splendor of their finish, -any thing in Italy. The richest, variegated, and most precious marbles, -used as freely as though they were common wood, are adorned with gold -and silver, strangely in contrast with the severity of the church -itself. The altar is reached by a flight of several steps, and on the -right, as we stand in front of it, a window opens into a little chamber, -which we sought with more interest than any other apartment of this -remarkable structure. We went out of the church and into the room. It -was scarcely ten feet by six in dimensions; but it was the favorite -closet, the study and the bedchamber of the monarch who built the whole. -This was all he wanted for himself. It was in sight and hearing of the -service at the high altar. At midnight and before daybreak he could rise -from his couch, and join in the service of the church. I sat down in the -plain old chair, by the table, the same that he used, and put up my feet -on the camp-stool that often held his diseased and agonized limbs, and -looked down from the little window on the priests and people in the -church below. And here in this room death came and called for Philip II. -For long months he had suffered anguish not less than that he had -inflicted on better men than he. Let us leave it for others to say if -like Herod he was smitten for his sins, and destroyed with the same -disease. But when he saw that his end was near, at his order his -servants bore him on a couch through the palace, and the monastery and -the church, that his poor dying eyes might rest once more on all that he -had done, and then they brought him back to his lonely, comfortless -cell, and left him to die. It was on a September Sabbath morning, in -1598, while listening to the service at this altar, and holding in his -hand the same crucifix that fixed the dying eyes of the Emperor his -father, that Philip yielded his spirit into the hands of a just as well -as merciful God! - -We left this sad chamber, and descending a flight of steps made of -precious stones, the walls lined with beautiful, polished marbles, we -stood in a subterranean chapel, a mausoleum, shelves on each of the -eight sides, and on each shelf a bronze sarcophagus, and in each coffin -a dead king or queen. The name of each occupant is inscribed on the -outer shell. One of the queens scratched her name on her coffin with a -pair of scissors before she was put in. She could not have well done it -after. There is an altar in this dungeon, and here the late queen of -Spain, who is very devout in her way, came once a year and had a service -at midnight. It adds nothing to the solemnity to have mass here in the -night, for at noonday we had to hold candles in our hands to see our way -in and out. - -The _Sagrario_ was a more interesting apartment than this. It has some -fine paintings. I valued them more than the 7,400 relics which are here -preserved with pious care, including the entire bodies of eight or ten -saints, twelve dozen whole heads, and three hundred legs and arms. It -once had—but the fortunes of war have deprived the house of the -treasure—one of the bars on which St. Lawrence was burnt, and one of his -feet, with a piece of coal still sticking between its toes! but the coal -and the toes are lost _in toto_. - -One of the priests, who was leading a company of strangers visiting the -place, overheard me asking for the Cellini crucifix, and immediately -took us to the choir, and opened the door of a closet in which this -remarkable work is carefully preserved. It is a Carrara marble statue of -Christ on the cross, and marked by the great Benvenuto himself with his -name and the date, 1562. He was the first who made a crucifix in marble, -and the patient toil and great genius expended on this work have made it -justly esteemed as his master-piece of sculpture. - -Yet have I alluded to but one or two out of a thousand things that fix -the attention, and impress one rather with astonishment than delight. I -have not even mentioned the library, which is the crown of the whole, -designed to be the repository of all learning, and in spite of all its -sufferings by violence, it is still rich in rare and valuable books and -manuscripts. The cases are of ebony and cedar. Jasper and porphyry -tables stand through the hall, about 200 feet long, and allegorical -paintings adorn the ceilings. - -It was refreshing to get out of it, after walking through the palace and -the cloisters, and to enjoy the warm sunshine beyond the gloomy walls. -Two or three cottages have been built among the groves planted here, and -it seems a mercy to children to provide a more cheery home for them than -a sepulchral palace could be, though of wrought gold. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - MADRID—A SABBATH AND A CARNIVAL. - - -A VALET-DE-PLACE who was leading us to church on Sunday morning in -Madrid, spoke very fair English, and I asked him where he had learned -it. He said, “At the missionary’s school in Constantinople.” He was -quite a polyglot, professing to be able to speak seven languages -fluently. It was interesting to meet a youth who knew our missionaries -there, and entertained a great respect for his old teachers,—and it gave -us an idea, too, of the indirect influence which such schools must be -exerting, when youth are trained in them, and afterwards embark in other -callings than those that are religious in their purpose. - -He led us to the Prussian ambassador’s, where the chaplain preaches in -the French language. No Protestant preaching was then allowed in -Madrid,—none, indeed, in Spain,—except under the flag of another -government. The ambassador, or the consul, had the right, of course, to -regulate his own household as he pleases; and, under this necessary -_privilege_, he has, if he is so disposed, a chaplain, and divine -service on Sunday, when his doors are opened to all who choose to -attend. The practical working of it is that a regular congregation comes -to be established under each flag, if there are so many persons of that -country and of a religious tendency as to make it important. In most of -the great capitals of Europe there are people of other countries -resident for business, health, or pleasure, and they find a place of -worship in their own tongue. - -The Germans resident in Madrid speak the French language, as well as -their own, and the present chaplain preaches in French. He is an -earnest, excellent man, and his pulpit abilities would make him greatly -useful in a wider sphere than this. In an upper chamber, that would seat -fifty persons, a little congregation, not more than twelve or fifteen, -had come together to hear the Word. The desk, or pulpit, was habited -after the fashion in Germany, with black hangings, embroidered neatly by -the hands of the wife of the Prussian ambassador, and with the words in -French, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel.” I was told -that on Christmas and Easter festivals of the church some two or three -hundreds of German _Christians_ come to church and to the communion; but -the rest of the year their spiritual wants do not require the weekly -ordinances, and the congregation rarely exceeds thirty people. - -We went after church to the old Palace of the Inquisition. It is now -converted into dwellings. Over the main entrance was the inscription, -common all over these foreign countries, as in some parts of our own, -“_Insured against Fire_.” The poor victims who in former years were -dragged under that portal would have been glad to read such words, if -they could be interpreted into an assurance that they were to be safe -from the fire of an _auto da fe_. - -The Spanish Inquisition affords the saddest story in the annals of the -human race. Whatever the name or creed of the persecutor,—Jew or -Gentile, Roman, Greek, Protestant, or Mahometan,—the saddest of all -possible facts is this, that man has put to torture and to death his -fellow-man on account of his religious opinions. Let God be praised that -in all the earth men now may worship him in their own way, with none to -molest or make them afraid. - -And it is very well to bear in mind that persecution has its spirit, and -some of its power, even where the victims are by law insured against -fire. In the press and in the pulpit the venom of bigotry and the -bitterness of intolerance may be poured on the heads of those who are -guilty of other opinions than ours, and in God’s sight such persecution -may be as offensive as the rack and boot of the Inquisition. The spirit -of the Master rebukes the use of the sword, even in the hands of Peter, -to cut off a servant’s ear, and the same spirit forbids us to be -uncharitable towards the meanest of those who have not the light of the -grace to see as we see, or to defend Christ in our way. - -They have no cathedral in Madrid, but their churches are many, and on -Sunday morning they, women especially, go to church. The Spaniards are -more devout than the Italians. There is a proverb that to go to Rome is -to disbelieve. The people in Spain have not seen Romanism as it has been -seen in Italy, until the popular mind is sick of it. But they make short -work in Spain of their devotions. - -The Prado is their park, on the skirts of the town. And this is not -enough for them on Sundays. We saw the crowds pouring out towards one of -the gates, some in carriages, but most of them on foot,—men, women, and -children, hundreds, thousands, in holiday attire,—and we followed. -Beyond the Alcala gate, near which is the bull-ring, half a mile into -the country, we came to the meadows over which these pleasure-seeking -Castillians had spread themselves to enjoy their national and favorite -pastime. A little later in the season, when the weather is warmer, -thousands of these people would stop at the bull-ring, and see the -battle of men and beasts. It is too cool as yet, and the bulls do not -fight well except in hot weather. But it is not too cool to dance out of -doors, and for this divertisement these thousands have come. On the wide -meadows there is not a house, not a shanty, not a shed or booth. We have -passed on the way scores of wine-shops; and there the people can resort -if they choose. But on the grounds there is nothing to be had but the -pure and blessed air. The people are distributed in groups all over the -plain. The grass is green. The sun, a winter sun, is kind and genial. -The city lies in full view, with palaces and domes and pinnacles. And in -the distance, but in this blazing sun and lucid atmosphere apparently -very near, long ranges of mountains stand covered with snow, white, -pure, glistening like silver in the sunlight, and forming a magnificent -background to the gay picture at our feet. In the centre of each of -these many groups a dozen, more or less, of young men and women are -dancing to music. This is furnished by one, two, or three musicians, -strolling bands, with guitars and violins. Often one is an old man, -blind. His wife and daughter are with him, with their instruments. The -airs are not wild, not even lively, as compared with those of Italy. But -they are spirited, and sometimes familiar to a foreign ear; for the airs -of music, like the airs of heaven, travel all around the world. The -dances are pretty and modest, singularly tame, and far from being as -full of frolic and _abandon_ as one would expect to see in the -out-of-door amusements of the common people. For these are the lower -classes only. It is the pastime of the sons and daughters of toil, and -perhaps want. They were not ill dressed, and most of them were well -dressed. But they appeared to be the class of people who had but this -day in the week for pleasure, and were now seeking and finding it in a -way that cost them little or nothing. More were looking on than danced. -Yet the sets changed frequently, and the circle widened as the numbers -of dancers grew, and there was always room for more; for the meadows -were wide, and the heaven was a roof large enough to cover them all. - -And the strangest part of this performance is yet to be mentioned; more -than half the men in this frolic of the fields were soldiers of the -regular army, in their uniforms, without arms, enjoying a half holiday. -They and all the rest, men and women, seemed to be as happy as happy -could be. If we had thought the people of Spain, and especially of -Madrid, where the government is felt and seen more severely and nearly -than elsewhere, to be gloomy, sullen, discontented, miserable, and ready -to rise in revolt, such a thought would be put to rout by seeing these -soldiers and others, men and women, thousands and thousands, making -themselves so easily happy of a Sunday afternoon. - -In one of the circles of dancers two young men, better dressed than the -rest, were either the worse for liquor, or were feigning to be tipsy. As -the other dancers paid no attention to them, and let them amuse -themselves in their own way, it is quite probable they were playing the -fool. These were the only persons in that multitude, of the lower orders -of the city, who gave any sign of having been drinking any thing that -could intoxicate. There were scores of wine-shops on the street, within -the easy walk of all who wished liquors. It was necessary to pass them -going and coming to and from the city. And thousands doubtless “took -something to drink,” both going and coming. The young men would treat -the girls, and, of course, all would have as much wine as they wished. -For it is almost as cheap as water,—cheaper than water in New York -perhaps; for there the tax that somebody pays for the use of Croton is -something, but here in Spain wine is so cheap that what was left of last -year’s vintage has often been emptied on the ground, or used instead of -water to mix mortar with! Yet drunkenness is not one of the common vices -of Spain. - -And so passed my first Sabbath in Spain, worshipping in French with a -dozen Christians in the morning, and looking at thousands of the people -dancing on the green in the afternoon. - -Three days before Lent begins the people give themselves up to the -wildest kind of frolic, with a looseness of manner that to a grave and -thoughtful foreigner unused to such scenes at home is at first sight -exceedingly foolish, and then very stupid. The Carnival is a carne-vale, -a farewell to flesh; a grand celebration of the approach of Lent, or the -season when _lentiles_, beans or vegetables only, are to be eaten for -forty days. As the people see the time coming when for more than a month -their religion requires them in a very special manner to abjure the -world, the flesh, and the devil, it seems to be their idea to give the -last three days of liberty to the enjoyment of these three forms of -mammon-worship. If afterwards they served the Lord with half the zeal of -these three days of devil-worship, they would be the most pious people -on the earth. But to one whose religious prejudices are quite vivid -against the nonsense of a Catholic carnival, it seems the queerest way -in the world to get ready for serving God by plunging headlong into a -scene of mad revelry that utterly abjures all sense and reason, and -converts an entire city for three days into a pandemonium. - -Yet it is all in such perfectly good humor, so free from riot and -violence and drunkenness, that the only fault to be found with it is -simply this, that the whole community make fools of themselves. The -Romans had a proverb, “It is well to play the fool sometimes,” and -perhaps it is. But when the whole town takes leave of its senses, and -goes frolicking day after day, if it is a good thing, it is too much of -a good thing, and that spoils it all. - -Our windows look out upon the Puerta del Sol, the great square of the -city. From it radiate the eight chief streets, and through it every -moment the tide of life is flowing. Now it is the great centre of the -carnival. Along the streets are seen parading small companies of men in -masks and fantastic costumes, with all sorts of musical instruments, -making harsh melodies as they march. Two or three of the set are -constantly soliciting gifts from those they meet, or holding a cap to -catch money thrown to them from the people in the windows and balconies, -who are looking down to see the sport. Some of these rangers are women -in men’s clothes; more are men in petticoats and crinoline, ill -concealing their sex, which a close shaven chin and hard features too -plainly reveal. In this disguise, great liberties are taken. A young -woman stops a man on the sidewalk, claps him on the shoulder, asks him -for money, perhaps chucks him under the chin, and sometimes more -demonstrative still, she throws her arms around his neck and gives him -an affectionate salute in the broad light of day on the most public and -crowded thoroughfare. Even this boldness is taken in good part, and -seldom or never leads to any quarrel. The men were polite to the women. -In no case did I see any rudeness offered by a person in male attire to -a female on the street. The maskers were only out in hundreds, while the -others, looking on and enjoying, were thousands on thousands. These were -in the usual dress of ladies and gentlemen. They expected to find -walking somewhat rough, but they were prepared for it, and would have -been disappointed had it been otherwise. The maskers wore costumes as -various as the fancy of the wearers or the makers could invent them. -Some were clothed in white from head to foot, with stripes of red or -black; their faces painted white like ghosts, or with horns to look as -much like devils as possible. Many were imitation negroes, and this -seemed to be a fashionable attire, as if the African were popular among -the Spaniards, who once had a great horror of the Moors. Some wore a -fantastic head-gear that excited shouts of laughter as they passed. One -man strode along with a false head five times the life size, so nicely -fitted to his shoulders that it looked to be a sudden expansion of his -head into that of a monster. Solemnly the bearer of this prodigious -topknot walked the streets, apparently unconscious of the presence of -the little-headed race of beings who were laughing at his swelled head. - -Carriages, open, splendid barouches, and some with seated platforms -prepared for the purpose, drawn by four or six horses, passed by, with -six, eight, and even twelve maskers, all clad in the most inconceivably -ludicrous robes, with queer hats and trimmings; and some of them with -musical instruments, singing, gesticulating, bowing to the ladies in the -windows, and exchanging salutations with the people in the way. The -drivers and postilions and footmen were all rigged in livery to match -the costumes of the company in the carriage, who thus aped the nobility -and even royalty itself in its mockery of stately grandeur. And in the -midst of these maskers, carriages with elegant ladies, in full dress for -riding, go by, and among them, with his legs hanging over the side of -the carriage, is one of the most fantastically got-up maskers, whose -outlandish costume and ridiculous situation call out tremendous -applause. - -On the Prado, the great park of the city, thousands of elegant equipages -are out in the afternoon, and the most fashionable people of Madrid are -in the frolic. The ladies are loaded with sugar-plums to throw among the -maskers, and these gay fellows will rush up to any carriage, leap on the -steps, and demand a supply. On the walks, an old dowager in a splendid -velvet cloak and dress, masked and representing an ancient belle, got up -regardless of expense, attracts marked attention as she displays her fan -and feathers, and struts as if in a drawing-room where she imagines -herself admired. An old monk hobbles along, as if broken down with age -and poverty. A procession of priests mocks at religion itself, in a -country where we had thought it a capital crime to make fun of the -priesthood. - -And there goes the Pope himself; a man has actually mounted a hat like -the Pope’s, and with white robes and gold lace has made a disguise that -tells its story instantly. And the people laugh to see it. Nothing is -too sacred nor too dignified to be travestied here. A company of mock -soldiers pretend to keep order by making confusion more confounded. By -some strange metamorphosis a man has turned himself into a very -creditable goose, and waddles along most naturally, having some wires at -his command with which he works his bill, his wings, and tail. A bear on -horseback rides up, and Bruin is received with bravos. An ox is mounted -also on a horse, and then a wolf; and even the devil is represented on -horseback, and a woman rides astride behind him and her arms around him, -a hideous, incongruous, but exceedingly ludicrous spectacle. Her hoops -spread far behind, covering the horse’s hips and tail, so that the -figure is half horse, half devil, and the other half woman. One man, as -an orang-outang, leads and exhibits another dressed in the same way. -Parties of dancers, all in these ridiculous costumes, form a ring and -dance the fandango, with castanets and cymbals and guitars, executing -the freest flings and giving themselves to the wildest _abandon_ in the -public streets. Others, men and women, disguised as if in their -night-clothes and ready to go to bed, are wandering about, pretending to -be lost, and their appearance is so comical that one almost forgets it -is play, and pities the poor wanderers. - -But the description is growing more wearisome than the scene itself. -Nonsense all, but such nonsense as makes one laugh at first and then -feel sad that grown-up men and women can find amusement, day after day, -in such infinite folly. And where the religion comes in, it is hard to -see. Yet we observe that our American and English friends who have -leanings through their own church towards the Church of Rome, take a -wonderful interest in the carnival. They have some associations with it, -and the fast that follows, that give to all this sport some significance -quite incomprehensible to the uncovenanted unbelievers in the outer -courts. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - MADRID—PALACE—BANK—PICTURE-GALLERY. - - -WHEN Napoleon, as conqueror of Spain, entered the royal palace of Madrid -(it was in 1808, his brother Joseph, the new-made king of Spain, being -at his side), the great captain paused on the splendid marble staircase; -and, as the magnificence of the mansion burst upon him, he turned to his -brother, and said, in his epigrammatic way of putting his thoughts, “My -brother, you will be better lodged than I.” - -It is far more splendid than the Tuileries, or any palace in France, -England, Germany, or Italy. It cost more than five millions of dollars a -hundred years ago; and that was a much greater sum of money than now. It -has been enlarged and embellished from year to year ever since. When we -drove up to the grand court, it was so formidably filled with cavalry -that we thought the predicted insurrection was imminent, and the army -had been summoned to the defence of the palace. Not at all. These -mounted soldiers are only the regular guard. In this inner court, or -square, the cavalry, in long line and fierce array, are ready for a -fight with the revolutionists, if they are brave enough, or mad enough, -to try their hands in a tussle with the troops of government, trained -and paid to defend the existing order of things. From the windows of the -armory this martial parade was imposing, though there were but a few -hundreds of mounted men. The officers were clad in polished steel back -and breast plates, which flash brightly in the sun. The uniform is -brilliant, and the riding splendid. Artillery companies, with cannon -mounted, drawn by horses, manœuvre in the square, crossing and -recrossing constantly, under the eye of the royal household. A long line -of lounging people look on also; and, as they go and come all day, an -impression is certainly insinuated by this military parade that the -government is always ready to take care of itself. - -[Illustration: THE ROYAL PALACE, MADRID.] - -The palace stands on the verge of a height that commands a wide and -exciting view of the plains of Castile. The thought of what those plains -have seen in the last two thousand years makes them of more than -romantic interest to one who takes in the past with the present. What -successive tides of conquest have there ebbed and flowed! To know that -Charles V. and Napoleon and Wellington have followed one another up -those shaded avenues to this summit, with their legions, is enough to -invest them with grandeur. - -And here in this armory is the very sword that Gonzalo, of Cordova, -wore, and the sword with which Ferdinand, the saint and hero, smote the -Moors; and the sword of Charles V., and the complete suit of armor which -the great emperor often wore, and in which he was painted by Titian; and -the suit of armor worn by Boabdil, the last Moorish king who sat on the -throne in this Alhambra, and who left it behind, doubtless, when he -delivered his sword into the hands of Ferdinand and Isabella, at the -foot of the hill on which I am writing. We had thought revolvers a -modern invention, but here are elegant pistols, on the same principle, -used in the seventeenth century, and now as good as new. A crown, a -sword, a helmet, or something else, illustrates the life of all the -heroes of Spanish history; and the number of warlike memorials here -displayed is about three thousand. How men managed to fight while clad -from head to foot in these suits of steel armor is to me, a -non-combatant, one of the mysteries of the art of war. We read of -tournaments, and—more to be wondered at—of battle-fields, where all the -knights are clothed from head to foot in the identical garments that are -now before us, or in others made after the same pattern; and how, with -such a weight of steel and so constrained in the freedom of action, they -could manage to wield their swords and thrust their spears, I do not -understand. They were not men of more physical power than our soldiers. -Some of them were less than the present average size of men. But they -were mighty men with the sword. The Toledo blade was quite equal to that -of Damascus; and the helmet was often insufficient to save the brain, -when the sword, in a strong hand, came down, cleaving through steel and -skull. - -Two or three hundred horses stood in the stables; and the grooms are -only too happy, for a consideration to be paid at every door, to show -these pampered and famous steeds. Each one of them has a name, in large -letters, over his head, and on his blanket. Spain has some celebrated -breeds of horses, but, like every thing else in Spain, they are run out, -and the stock is only kept up by importation. It is so even with the -_Merino_ sheep, which belongs to Spain, but would have been extinct ere -this, if it had not been perpetuated and improved abroad. You may see -five hundred finer horses any pleasant afternoon in the Central Park, in -New York, than any one of these pet horses of royalty. But you will -never see, I hope, such a wealth and folly of equipage as the hundred -carriages, and more sets of harness, and plumes, and liveries, and -coachmen’s hats, and velvet saddles, and embroidered hammer-cloths, -which fill long apartments, and are shown together with the gilded -chairs of state in which the king or queen is borne by hand in -processions, and the chariot on which the royal personage is enthroned, -with a canopy overhead, trumpeters below, and herald angels above, for -the coronation parade. The carriages used by successive monarchs are -here preserved in long lines of antiquated grandeur, even to the one in -which Crazy Jane, the widow, carried about with her the corpse of her -handsome husband, Philip the First. Queer woman that she was, jealous to -insanity, she would not let her husband be buried while she lived; and -now she lies by his side, down here in Granada, in the cathedral, and -her marble effigy gives her an expression so gentle and loving, you -would not believe she was ever the victim of the fiercest and meanest -passion that makes hell of a woman’s heart. - -I have been taking you with me through the palace and armory and royal -stables, to give you a type of Spain. The poorest of all the -governments, compared with its population and resources, it has these -contrasts of wealth and poverty that mark its want of judgment, -principle, and power. In the stables is invested a capital of more than -half a million of dollars! This prodigality is royal, but also absurd. -The people see it, and the world has gone by the age, when gilt -trappings and gorgeous pageants struck the multitudes dumb with the -reverence of royal glory. - -The city of Madrid is well built, and has the appearance of a modern -French town. Indeed, it is more French than Spanish in its out-of-door -look, and the French language is very largely spoken in the shops and -private families of culture. The intercourse now so frequent and ready -with France by means of the railway and telegraph, and the abolition of -all passport regulations and annoyances, have given the Spanish capital -a start, and it will undoubtedly make rapid advancement. - -But there is nothing rapid in Spain just yet. Opposite the hotel in -Madrid where I was staying, an old building had been torn down to make -room for another. Workmen were engaged in removing the debris to renew -the foundation. You would suppose that horses and carts, or wheelbarrows -and shovels, would be in use. Such modern improvements had not reached -the capital of Spain. One man with a broad hoe hauled the dirt into a -basket made of grass, holding half a bushel; another man took the basket -and carried it a rod to another man, who handed it to another a few feet -above him, and he emptied it on a pile of dirt up there, and sent the -basket back to be filled again. And so, day after day, a job that with -our tools and appliances would be done in a few hours, was here spun out -indefinitely. Yet the palaces and cathedrals and fortresses of the -southern climes have all been erected at this snail’s pace, numbers and -cheapness making up for enterprise and force. In Paris, in the street, a -small steam-engine was at work to mix mortar, and the ease with which -the process was put through revealed the secret of the wonderfully rapid -transformations going on in that ever increasingly beautiful city. Here -in Spain, to this day, where there are smooth, good roads for wheels, -they still put a couple of baskets across the back of a donkey, and fill -them with dirt or brick or stones, and so transport them, even when they -are putting up the largest buildings. The architecture of Spain is more -imposing than that of any other country in Europe. It is the climate -that makes men differ so much in their physical as well as mental -manifestations. - -To see the mode of doing business in Spain, take the simple story of one -day’s work of mine in getting some money in Madrid. Holding a “letter of -credit” which is promptly honored in any part of the world, and is just -as good for the gold in Cairo or Calcutta as it is in London, I went in -search of a Spanish banker to draw a hundred pounds sterling, say five -hundred dollars. Anastazio led the way, and soon brought us to the house -where the man of money held his court. Being shown up stairs, through -two or three passages and an ante-chamber, we were at length ushered -into _the_ presence. Señor Romero, the banker, was a man of fifty, -dressed, or rather undressed, in a loose morning gown or wrapper, a red -cap on his head, slippers on his feet, and a pipe in his mouth. A clerk -was sitting near to do his bidding. I presented my letter. It was -carefully read, first by the clerk, then by the principal. A long -consultation followed, carried on in a low tone, and in Spanish, quite -unintelligible to me, if it had been audible. It was finally determined -to let me have the money, and after an amount of palaver sufficient for -the negotiation of a government loan from the Rothschilds, and taking -the necessary receipt and draft from me, I was presented with a check on -the Bank of Spain. When I had fancied the delays were over, they had -only just begun. The bank was in a distant part of the city, and thither -we hastened, taking a cab, to save all the time we could. The bank is a -large and imposing edifice of white stone. In the vestibule was a guard -of soldiers. A porter stopped us as we were about to enter the inner -door. We must await our turn as some one else was inside! One at a time -was the rule. Benches were there, and we sat down, admiring silently the -_moderation_ of banking business in Spain. At length our turn came. We -entered a room certainly a hundred feet long. Tables extended the whole -length. Behind them sat clerks very busy doing nothing. We were told to -pass on, and on, to the lower end of the room, where we entered another, -the back parlor, or private room of the officers. They were closeted out -of sight, smoking, of course, and giving their wisdom to the business in -hand. I presented the check at a hole out of which a hand was put to -take it. I saw nothing more. We sat down and waited. Waiting is a -Spanish institution. Everybody waits. Nobody gets any thing without it. -We waited, and waited, and waited, and at last the little hole opened -again, the mysterious hand was thrust out with the——money, you suppose; -not a bit, but with the check approved. We must present it at the table -or counter for payment. Returning to the long room, we presented the -check, and were directed to the proper bureau. And here, of course, we -got the money. Not yet. Bills of the Bank of Spain were given us, and -when I required the gold, I was told that gold was paid only at the -bureau of the bank in another street. Thither we now pursued our weary -way. It was a rear entrance of the same bank building. A long line of -gold hunters was ahead of us. We stood in the cue, and at last were -inside. In the ante-room we had to wait so long that we took to the -bench again. At last, admission being granted, we were told that only -_one_ could be admitted with a single draft. We sent Antanazio in, and -returned to the door. Here we were told that no _exit_, only _entrance_, -was allowed at the rear! Explaining the case, we got out, and returning -to the front, patiently as possible, we looked for the appearance of -Antanazio loaded with gold. At last, for the longest delay has an end, -the man emerged with the money in his hands. It had cost me from two to -three hours in the middle of the day to draw this money, which in New -York, London, Paris, or any city out of Spain, would have cost five -minutes or less. And I have been so particular in the detail, because it -lets you into the mode of doing business in the capital city, and the -greatest bank of this country. - -Until the French and English companies pushed railways into Spain, -travel and mails were on the slow-coach system. When the royal person -made a journey, it was like the march of an army, such was the retinue -required for comfort and display. And as the railways are now completed -only along a few great routes, the mails are largely carried in the -diligences and coaches expressly made for the purpose. It is said, and -there is no reason to disbelieve it, that down to the year 1840, when a -Spaniard proposed to himself the danger and toil of a journey, it was -his invariable custom to summon his lawyer and make his will; his -physician, to learn if his health were adequate to the undertaking; and -finally his priest, to confess his sins and get timely absolution. It is -not regarded now so formidable an excursion to go across the kingdom, -but the native travel is so little that the railroads are very -unprofitable. If it were not for _freight_ they would not be supported -at all. They have, however, greatly increased the correspondence of the -country, and the rate of postage has been reduced, so that it is about -as low as in other European countries. But the government keeps a sharp -look-out upon the letters that come and go. In times when conspiracies -are snuffed in every breeze, it would be quite unsafe for any one to -entrust a secret in a letter going by mail. A government spy would be -sure to have his hand on it and his eye in it, before it reached its -address. The letters in the post-office at Madrid are held four hours -after the arrival of the mail, before they are ready for delivery. The -mail from the north, the London and Paris mail, comes in at ten o’clock -A.M. We must _wait_ until two o’clock P.M. for our letters. Then a list -of all letters not directed to some particular street and number, or to -some post-office box, is posted up in the hall of the office,—an -alphabetical list. You look over the list, and if you find a letter for -yourself, you ask for it at the proper window. If you are a stranger, -your passport is demanded. But you had been told before coming to Spain -that no passports are required, and now you must have one merely to get -your letters. In default of a passport, you must in some way establish -your identity. This is not always easy in a foreign country, but then -nothing is easy in Spain. I got no letter from the post-office addressed -to me while I was in Spain! The noted rebel, General Prim, was a -dreadful bugbear to the authorities, and all letters addressed to me -were suspected by the local postmasters to be intended for the General. -They were therefore sent to the government, or otherwise disposed of. No -efforts to recover them were successful. Much good may they do the -people who had to read them. Some of them had hard work, I know. - -Telegraphs are spreading over Spain, as they are over the world, -civilized or not. Spain is one of the last countries where they could -become popular; but the business of any kingdom that has relations with -the outside world must be armed with the telegraph, or it cannot hold -its own. In traversing wild and secluded parts of the Peninsula, I have -been surprised by finding the telegraph poles set up, and the wire -stretching on, over hill and dale. Spain is slow, and the telegraph is -not demanded here by the energy and enterprise of the people as it is -elsewhere. Despatches of more than a hundred words are not sent. To or -from any part of the Peninsula ten words may be sent for about -twenty-five cents, twenty words for fifty cents, thirty words for -seventy-five cents; but the count includes each word written by the -sender, date, address, signature, and if a word is underscored it counts -two. Great precautions are taken to insure accuracy in transmission, and -a small extra charge is made for delivery. - -Before coming to Spain I had been told that the picture-gallery in -Madrid is the richest in the world. It seemed to me an idle tale, the -boast of boasting Spaniards, repeated until perhaps somebody believed, -as I certainly did not. But having seen it, day after day, for a week, I -cheerfully cast a vote in its favor. It is superior to any other in -Europe; and, of course, in the world. It is not complete in the series -of art studies. There are gaps of time which the student may desire to -see filled. But there are few who visit these great European galleries -as learners. The world comes to see them for the momentary pleasure to -be found in the contemplation of the pictures. And they will be -astonished to find that so many and so splendid pictures have been -gathered and preserved in the Spanish capital. - -The gallery is open to the public only on _Sundays_, but the director -allows it to be shown every day to strangers, who are expected to give a -fee to the attendants. On rainy days it is always shut; an obvious -reason is, that visitors will soil the floors with their shoes, but a -better reason is that the gallery is so badly lighted that in gloomy -weather some of the pictures are quite invisible. - -Who would suppose that sixty pictures by Reubens are to be seen in one -gallery in Spain! and fifty-three by Teniers; and ten grand pictures by -Raphael; and forty-six by Murillo; and sixty-four by Velasquez, some of -them very large and magnificent; and twenty-two by Van Dyck; and -_forty-three of Titian_, who spent three years in Madrid, by invitation -of Charles V.; ten of Claude Lorraine; and twenty-five by Paul Veronese; -and twenty-three by Snyder; and more than thirty by Tintoretto!!! There -are more than two thousand here. Among so many, of course, some are good -for nothing, as in every large collection. But one gallery in the world -has masterpieces only,—that is in the Vatican. And _there_ you have less -than a hundred pictures, all told. But they are all great. Here, as in -Florence and Dresden, good, bad, and indifferent have been hung -together; and perhaps the contrast makes the good appear better, and the -bad worse. - -Murillo, the greatest of Spanish painters, is here in his glory. We have -associated his name with his “Immaculate Conceptions” more than with any -other of his works. One copy was brought to America a few years ago, and -is now in the gallery of W. H. Aspinwall, Esq. A duplicate is in the -Louvre, at Paris. And still another is in Madrid. These are three -originals, undoubtedly, and they have been copied in every style of -human art, especially in Paris, until they are as common as heads of the -Saviour, all the world over. Yet this is not the _Murillo_,—not his -“Conception.” It is a grand conception by the artist, but it is not the -great picture of that subject on which, more than any other, his fame is -founded. This is in another attitude, with another expression; the -Virgin is looking downward, and not gazing, in an ecstasy, heavenward. -The artist, in this picture, imagines the Virgin Mary at the moment she -becomes conscious of the fact that by the overshadowing of the Holy -Ghost she is to be the mother of the Son of God! The accessories of the -painting are of no account, but into the countenance of the Virgin he -would throw the expression such as a spotless maiden might be supposed -to have when first alive to such a wondrous, awful, yet transporting and -delightful thought, “I,—I,—of all the daughters of Israel, am the highly -favored among women. Of me is to be the Messiah! I am the mother of the -promised Saviour!” - -Not far from this is a picture of the Vision of St. Bernard, exhibiting -marvellous skill. The head is one of those prodigies of the painter’s -art, that is to haunt the memory in after years. Like the “Communion of -St. Jerome,” in the Vatican, to see it is to have it photographed in the -mysterious chamber of the brain. Raphael painted one of his most -remarkable pictures, “The Christ sinking under His Cross,” for a convent -in Sicily. It is said by some to be a greater work than the -“Transfiguration,” which is held to be the finest picture existing. To -me, this in Madrid is the most impressive, the most nearly perfect. It -is taken at the moment when Simon, the Cyrenian, attempts to lift the -crushing cross, while the patient sufferer, with a face radiant with -love and holy resignation, says to the weeping women near, “Daughters of -Jerusalem, weep not for me but weep for yourselves and for your -children.” - -Titian’s equestrian portrait of Charles V. is sublime,—like a majestic -mountain, or a mighty rock in a desert. The solemn grandeur of the -picture is indescribable. The man and his times, a whole volume of -biography and history, on one grand tableau, seen and remembered. -Perhaps it would be as well to forget the women that Titian seems to -have been fond of painting. Two of them here are not less perfect, many -think they are more perfect, than the Venus of the Tribune. In other -times the zealous priesthood condemned these nudities to the flames, -with heretics, as corrupters of the people; but some have been saved. - -The picture that I desired more than any other to carry away and cherish -as a life-long treasure, is one by Correggio. After his resurrection the -Saviour appeared to Mary, and she supposed it was the gardener; but -Jesus, turning, said to her, “MARY,”—and the truth burst upon her, it -was her Lord! That moment of transport is the time the artist has seized -for the representation of the kneeling and rejoicing Mary and Jesus. The -love and tenderness in his look, the joy and reverence in hers! What -beauty, too: how the yellow hair falls in living lustre on her fair -shoulders, and her eyes speak the full expression of her yearning soul. -“Jesus said unto her, ‘MARY.’” - -In another hall I found a picture of great merit, unmentioned by the -guide-book, and by a painter unknown to me even by name before. It is a -Virgin and Child, with four venerable saints kneeling before them. The -artist is Bias del Prado. Few pictures in any gallery deserve more -admiration than this. The heads of the old men are done with great -power, and the thoughtful feeling in the face of the Virgin shows that -the artist had both the genius to conceive, and the skill to create, an -idea on the canvas, quite equal to the best of many others who have won -a world-wide fame. And scattered through these long apartments, in -narrow halls and basement rooms, in bad lights, and some almost in the -dark, are many gems of rare value, “blushing unseen,” and worth a better -place, and deserving wider renown. It would be tedious to read even a -brief mention of the celebrated pictures of the famous old masters here, -and that form so large a part of the attractions of Europe. - -There are very few minor galleries in Madrid. Probably there has been a -lack both of private wealth and taste to make collections. In one of -these we found Murillo’s “Queen Isabel of Hungary healing the Lepers,” a -picture that would be admired as one of his greatest and best, if it -were not so true to life as to make one almost sick to look at it. But -this is the height of the highest art. Birds have been deceived by -painted fruit. Bees have sought honey in flowers on the walls. And -perhaps this cheating of the senses, even to disgust, is the perfection -of human skill. But the imitation of the _material_ is easy. If portrait -painting were merely the reproduction of the form and features, it is -the lowest department of the art. But to conceive the expression that -belongs to the character of a saint, a prophet, a hero, a sibyl, a -Madonna, and thus to create an ideal that will demonstrate its reality -and truthfulness to an unbelieving or indifferent world, challenging -admiration and asserting its own immortality, this is the attribute of -genius only, and such is not the birth of every day or age. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - TOLEDO—ITS FLEAS, LANDLORDS, ANTIQUITIES, AND LUNATICS. - - -Ignorant of the state of civilization in the ancient city of Toledo, the -capital of Gothic Spain, the glory of the Jews and the Moors when they -lived luxuriously on its airy heights, we had imagined it easy enough to -find lodgings for a night. Unconscious of the fate awaiting us, we put -up at the Hotel Lino, the largest and best in the city; and here we -sought sleep. The search was vain. For the fleas are always going about -seeking whom they may devour. We fell a prey to them and to the -landlords too. Surviving the bloody night, we left a weary, wretched bed -at eight in the morning, and ordered breakfast with coffee. At nine it -was announced as ready. In the room where it was served three waiters -attended us, each one smoking a cigar in our faces, as we sat and they -stood around. The coffee was not on the table. On asking for it we were -told there was none in the house. - -“And is there none in Toledo?” - -“Perhaps so.” - -“Well, we will wait until you bring it. Give us some butter.” - -“There is no butter in the house.” - -“Is there none in Toledo?” - -“None that is fit to eat; it is all rancid.” - -[Illustration: TOLEDO.] - -After a time some wretched stuff for coffee was brought from a -restaurant, and we made a breakfast, paid as much for it as if we had -been in Paris, and left the house in disgust. - -The city stands on a hill; it is up, up, up, in a succession of narrow, -irregular, crooked, clean, and curious streets, showing at every step -the vestiges of successive stages of civilization, and often suddenly -revealing monuments of departed peoples that arrest the attention and -excite wondering interest. The Goths succeeded the Romans. The Moors -drove out the Goths, and, like eagles perched among these rocks, defied -the storms of centuries. Here the master of empires, the great Charles -V., reigned in grandeur, and gave laws to the world. It is a fitting -place for such a history as it has; and no other city has a more -romantic life. Indeed, romance has done so much to embellish the story -of Toledo, it is difficult to be in it, and study it here on its own -rocks, without asking for its enchanted towers, and haunted caves, and -knights, with magic swords and spectre horses, and its 200,000 mighty -men and beautiful women, that once made this castle-crowned crag the -glory of Spain, and as famous in the earth as Babylon or Damascus. - -It is more Oriental in its appearance than any city we have yet seen in -Spain. But it is too far north, and too far up in the air, to be adapted -to the life of Orientals. Its houses are usually low; and they have the -court in the midst of them, out of which doors open into the several -apartments. Many of them are very old, five hundred years, at least, and -repetitions of those that stood on the same site before; for this -reproduction of itself, from age to age, is a feature of the peoples and -climes with which Scripture history has made us familiar. Many of these -old houses are fine specimens of the Moorish manner of building; but -with this, perhaps the predominant style, is blended more or less of the -Roman, the Gothic, and the Saracenic, and every style except the modern; -for Toledo is a city of the dead past, and no resurrection is before it. -The Spanish chroniclers claim that Toledo was founded at the same time -with the creation of the world, but who lived in it before the human -race was made they do not help us to understand. Others less ambitious -find that Nebuchadnezzar, and others that Hercules, laid the first -stones. - -The last of the Goths who sat on the throne of Toledo was Roderick. And -when weighed down with the guilt of a seducer and a betrayer of his -friend, he went forth from Toledo in his chariot of ivory, and, with his -mailed legions, marched to the banks of the Guadalquiver, and at -Guadalete encountered the flood of Moorish barbarism just then setting -in upon Spain, he disappeared, the city began its downward career, and -no emperors, no bishops, no kings, have since been able to purge it from -the sin and the shame of the perfidious Roderick. - -In after centuries, when the Moors were expelled and the cross again -supplanted the crescent, the archbishops of Toledo were more than kings, -and lived here in luxury, and wealth, and grandeur, without a parallel -in the history of the church. Great patrons of art and science, they -founded universities and cultivated the arts of peace, while they were -often plunging the country into war, which they waged with valor and -skill. Under them the city reached a degree of splendor unsurpassed in -the dreamy reign of Oriental voluptuousness and taste. But when it -succumbed, as it did to the great German Czar, and the court was removed -to Valladolid, its sun went down, never to rise again. - -The cathedral is a glory, even in Spain, which is richer in cathedrals -than any other country. Toledo has always been favored by the Romish -Church. It is believed by many that the Virgin Mary came down from -heaven, in person, to attend the investiture of one of its archbishops, -and there is not to be found a grander and more beautiful Gothic temple -than this. As we entered it the dim light that was chasing away the -shades from among the vast columns and the lofty arches gradually -brightened as we became more accustomed to it, and a sense of majestic -proportions and solemn grandeur took possession of the soul. A service -was in progress, and we paused till it was concluded, for it matters not -what the form of religious worship, and however much our views may -differ from those engaged in it, it is unseemly to be gazing at the -temple while its ministers are serving at its altar. In the midst of the -service a priest was receiving a young woman’s confession. As she put up -her lips to his ear to whisper her penitential words, she beat upon her -breast with one hand, as if she were in agony of soul. Her tale of sin -completed, she rose from her knees, bowed low again, kissed her -confessor’s extended hand, and went away. - -Toledo and its priesthood have been famous for their devotion to the -strictest orders and dogmas of the church, till Rome itself scarcely -stands higher for holiness and orthodoxy. In the disputes that have at -different times agitated the Romish communion, they have not been afraid -to appeal directly to the judgment of God, and to claim his verdict in -their favor. In the great contest about the proper form of words in the -mass, when the old missals were used in Spain, in spite of the orders to -substitute the Gregorian mass, or the Roman improved form, the first -appeal to the divine judgment was in favor of Toledo, and the early -missals. Again the trial was demanded; and the old and newer missals -were brought out, great folio volumes, into one of the public squares, -and, in presence of the city, fire was applied to them. The older was -burnt to ashes, and the newer survived the ordeal. Toledo was not -willing to abide even by this very conclusive test, and finally it was -settled by blending the two masses into one. - -Their richest and most sacred chapel in the cathedral is the Muzarabe, -or Mixed Arabic; so called because it was built to preserve the forms of -the old Gothic service, such as was used when the Goths consented to -live under the dominion of the Moors while allowed their own religious -rites. In this cathedral lie the ashes, and over them are the tombs of -some of the early kings of Spain, and several of those grand archbishops -whose reign was not less kingly than that of kings. Cardinal Albornoz -died in Italy, and the Pope sent his body home to be buried here. To -save the expense of transportation, for there was no express company, -not even a steamboat then (1364) to bring it,—Urban V. issued a decree -granting a plenary indulgence to all who would lend a hand in carrying -the dead cardinal on his long journey. Gladly did the poor peasantry -bear the body on their shoulders from one town to another till it -reached Toledo. In front of one of the chapels I was suddenly arrested -by a strange Latin inscription in a brass plate in the pavement. It was -in these words:— - - “HIC JACET PULVIS, CINIS, NULLUS.” - -_Here lies dust, ashes, nothing else._ Over the bones of one of the most -powerful cardinals who ever reigned in Spain, and himself called a king -maker, the epitaph is eloquent: perhaps an affectation, however, of -humility, a virtue for which Fernandez de Portocarrero was not -illustrious in his life. - -The Virgin Mary has been pleased to come from heaven to this cathedral, -as I have said, and if any one doubts it, he can see the very stone on -which she first set foot as she alighted from her aerial excursion. And -now the faithful kiss this precious stone, touching with their loving -lips the very spot which her foot once pressed. Her image is clad with -gold and precious stones and costly raiment, crowns and bracelets and -chains, the gifts of royal hands, and the greatest ladies of the kingdom -are her maids of honor. On gala-days she is borne in state through the -streets, and honors are paid to her at every step, as the Queen of -Queens. - -A sleepy old porter let us into the ALCAZAR. Al-casa-czar is the house -of Cæsar, or the czar’s house, the king’s house, the palace. - -[Illustration: THE ALCAZAR.] - -The palace, or what was once a palace, crowns the summit of the hill on -which the old city of Toledo stands. Around the base of the rock below -the Tagus rushes rapidly, and away in every direction stretches the wide -plain, gloomy, desolate, and yet grand in its storied past. It is not -certain that the Moorish, still less certain that the Gothic kings -preceding them, had their royal residence on this bleak height. But the -Catholic kings for centuries held their courts on this spot, and the -prints of their hands are visible everywhere. The porter who opened the -door for us is a model of a Spanish official. Too proud to be a -door-keeper, and, with nothing else to do, he would impress even a -stranger with the idea that he was born with a higher destiny than to -tend a gate. It was a pleasure to him, evidently, to tell us we must not -go here, nor there, nor anywhere, except where it was of no use to go; -and the scanty information he was willing to impart was extracted with -difficulty, and worth nothing then. - -We stood in the midst of a spacious square, the patio, or court, and on -its four sides rose the walls of the ancient palace. Charles V. and -Philip II. rebuilt the most of it on the ruins holding some of the -apartments that date as far back as Alonzo X.; and in modern times the -hoof of the war demon has trodden the stairways and galleries and -gorgeous halls, until what with English and French soldiery, and some of -other nations more barbarous still, the Alcazar of Toledo is a more -comfortable residence for bats and owls than kings and fair princesses. -Two or three proud peacocks were strutting in the warm sunshine of the -patio, displaying their gaudy plumes and arching their graceful necks, -reminding us of other beauties who had often gone blazing through these -doors, with radiant jewels and shining robes, yet, in all their glory, -were not arrayed like one of these. This patio shows, on its four sides, -two rows of galleries, one over the other, supported each of them by -thirty arches, with columns crowned with Corinthian capitals, -embellished with the arms of the many kingdoms that Charles V. had -conquered. A staircase, designed by Philip II. while he was in England, -and built under orders sent by him while there, leads up to the royal -apartments, long since deserted, and now worth seeing only because they -were once the home of men and women whose names are part of the history -of the world. - -An English gentleman said to me in the rail-car in Spain one day, “I -should be glad to have you tell me what it is that impresses you the -most in coming from America and travelling in Europe.” I answered that -it required some time to make a fitting reply to so great an inquiry. -“Well,” he said, “will you take fifteen minutes to think, and then give -me the result?” I replied, “I am ready to answer now: what impresses me -more than all else is, that these old countries, having been what they -once were, are _what I find them now_.” - -It is the law of the earth, I suppose, and what has been will be, and so -on to the end of time. - -We left the melancholy palace to its porter, its peacocks, and the bats, -and wound our way down and around the corkscrew streets, narrow, close, -and dirty, admiring the ancient Moorish gates and doors, studded with -iron balls. The older doors have two knockers, one high for a horseman -to use without dismounting; and, the gate being opened, he would ride -right into the court. We were looking for the Church of San Juan de los -Reyes, and soon found it, a church that dates back to the Moorish-Gothic -period, or the time when the severity of Gothic grandeur was adorned -with the more florid embellishments which Moorish art introduced into -Spain. On the outer walls are suspended the massive iron chains which -were found on the limbs of the Christian captives when Granada was -conquered by Ferdinand and Isabella; and the rescued prisoners hung up -their chains on this church as thank-offerings. And still farther down -the hill we come to the Bridge of St. Martin, and here are plainly the -ruins of the old Moorish castle and palace. A square tower on the -water’s edge bears the name, to this day, _Florinde_, and tradition says -it was here that Roderick unluckily saw her while she was bathing. The -rest of the story we have hinted at already. - -Irving, in his bewitching Spanish tales, gives a marvellous account of -the Cave of Hercules, which is said to extend three leagues beyond the -river, and is full of chapels and genii and enchanted warriors. To visit -it has cost kings their crowns; and the terrible sounds that are heard, -and the rushing winds assailing the bold explorer, make the attempt too -formidable for modern valor. The entrance is from the Church de San -Gines, but is now walled up. In fact, it was never unwalled, except in -the fancies of romantic historians. - -One day, long time ago, as the Cid was riding through Toledo, his horse -stopped suddenly, and knelt before a wall built against a bank of earth. -The hill was opened, and within was found a niche, and in the niche an -image of the Saviour, with the same lamps burning in it which the Goths -had put there long centuries agone. A Moorish mosque is standing -opposite, which has been converted into a Christian church, and in it -the first mass was celebrated in 1085. It takes its name from the legend -of the Cid, and is called Christo de la Luz. It is perhaps the smallest -church in Toledo, only twenty-two feet square, yet the quaintest and -most curious thing to be found in the city; short columns support arches -in the shape of a horse-shoe, and three narrow naves, crossing each -other, cut up the church into nine vaults. There is nothing in it worth -seeing. - -It took us half an hour to find the sacristan to open the door of Santo -Tome, or St. Thomas, where we went to see a famous picture by El Grecco, -a burial scene, of considerable power, and were it not that Spain has -hundreds of finer pictures than this, it would be worth the time it cost -us to see it. - -Passing through the Zodocover, the largest public square in the city, -where in the “good old times” of torture for the church, the poor -unbelievers in papal faith have been made spectacles before the world, I -met a boy with a pop-gun, anxious to show his skill in shooting with -that formidable weapon. Yielding to his urgent desires, I set up a bit -of money which he was to hit and take. A dense crowd, a hundred -certainly, were the idle gazers on this ridiculous scene, forming a ring -around me and the boy! I confess to a sense of great amusement when I -stood where cardinals and bishops and priests, with armed soldiers and -executioners, had burnt heretics in sight of kings, and multitudes -thronging the tiers of balconies that look down into this square. It was -certainly more human, not to say Christian, for me to divert this idle -crowd by setting up coppers for a boy to shoot at with a pop-gun, than -for my illustrious predecessors to entertain the populace of Toledo with -the sight of martyrs burning at a stake. - -Tired of walking, for Toledo is so up-and-down, that you might as well -ride on a ladder, we entered a café for refreshments. In the wide, open -court was a deep well sunk into the solid rock on which the city stands, -and the water thereof was as cool and sparkling and delicious as that -which the woman of Samaria gave to him who told her all things that ever -she did. The saloon was fifty feet long or more, filled with marble-top -tables, and men were eating and drinking, playing dominoes, and smoking. -It was toward the close of the day. Of all the people there, none called -for spirits, scarcely any asked for wine. Coffee and chocolate were the -principal drinks. There was no noise, no gambling. It was chilly, and -the servant brought in a brazier filled with live coals, and set it near -us. Others drew around it, as they did in the high priest’s court-yard -when Peter denied his Lord. Many Oriental customs brought in by the -Moors are still retained in Spain. I made an excuse for wandering up to -the house-top, and found the houses so closely built against each other, -with no intervening spaces, that you could easily look into your -neighbor’s, and sometimes see what was quite as well not seen. - -While here we looked about for some specimens of the famous blades, -which have made Toledo as celebrated as Damascus itself in this line. -But we found nothing worth seeing. The manufactory of arms is outside of -the town, and has no reputation beyond that of others in Spain. England -or Connecticut will furnish as perfect a sword to-day as Toledo. Yet -this is only another, and a very striking illustration of what Spain is, -compared with what Spain was. As far back as under the Romans, Toledo -had a character for the perfection of its weapons of steel. The Toledo -blade has been a proverb for temper ever since. - -The idea has prevailed, and the workers in metals in Toledo have not -been unwilling to encourage it, that the waters of the river Tagus have -virtues to impart peculiar firmness to the steel that is cooled in them. -The manufacturers, of course, have long been constituted into a guild, -or corporation, and the secrets of the trade preserved with care. So -long ago as in the ninth century Abdur-rhaman II. gave a great impulse -to the art in Toledo, and its fame was spread still wider. A thousand -years have rolled away since that time, and now, in the nineteenth -century, they do not make as good weapons as they did then. - -In the museum at Madrid we saw the splendid swords which the famous -warriors of Spain have worn, and, in the saloon of the Director of the -Generaliffe, in Granada, the identical sword of Boabdil, the last of the -Moorish kings; but they make no such steel now. Indeed, the steel they -use is imported from England, just as they keep up the stock of horses -and cattle and sheep, by importations from other countries. It is very -probable that long, thin blades, that may be curled up like a ribbon, -can be produced in China, or Persia, or Sheffield, as well as here. The -men of Milan and Florence made as good swords as these. The use of -fire-arms naturally diminishes the value of a sword as a weapon of war. - -Spanish people do not go CRAZY! Now and then there is a lunatic in -Spain, but, as compared with the United States, or England, or France, -the Spanish people manage to keep what wits they have. Just outside of -Toledo there is a lunatic asylum. It is the successor of the one that -Don Quixote ought to have been kept in, and which is mentioned in that -knight-errant’s biography, the first work of fiction that I ever -perused, and which then, in childhood, fired me with a desire to visit -Spain. Don Quixote was crazy; and there may be thousands crazy whom the -world do not reckon so. - -In London the latest tables show that one person in every 200 is insane. -In Paris one in every 222 is in a lunatic asylum, or ought to be. In -Madrid, the capital of Spain, only one in every 3,350. In the year 1860 -there were 2,384 lunatics in Spain, when the population was 15,673,481; -and this would show one insane person to 6,566 inhabitants. In 1864 -there were 3,818 persons in houses for the insane, but they do not -regulate these institutions with the same strictness that prevails in -some other countries, and they confine in them many of those criminals -who would otherwise be let loose on the community to pursue their career -of crime under the cloak of monomania. It would therefore appear, and -there is no good reason to doubt the fact, that comparatively little -insanity exists in Spain. One report of 1861 gives the following as the -percentage of the cases, when pathologically classified: “Maniac -exaltation, 31.91; monomaniacs, 11; melancholy, 6; derangement of mental -faculties, 20.53; imbecility, 6.15; epileptic madness, 11; undetermined, -10.41.” - -The medical faculty will understand this classification, but I do not -know the difference between some of the sections into which the victims -are thus divided. But when we come to the proximate causes of insanity, -we are in a region level to the uninstructed mind, and here we find that -moral and mental excitements growing out of love, such as jealousy and -disappointment, are prolific causes: that physical ailments badly -attended or wholly neglected frequently result in derangement; and the -political turmoils of the State are followed by the same effects. But, -on the other hand, there are at least three common causes of insanity in -the United States, and probably in England also, that have a limited, if -any, influence in Spain. These are religious excitements, haste to be -rich, and intemperance in drinking. In Spain they take things easily. -The people do not work the brain unduly in matters of religion or trade. -The church takes care of the souls of the people: the law or the -government excludes all disturbing elements that might come from the -efforts of others to proselyte the people, and in their ignorance of any -other way of getting to heaven than the church teaches them, they are -quiet on that subject. Religion never made any one crazy; on the -contrary, it has soothed the madness and healed the malady of many a -crazed brain and distracted soul. But the wild and unenlightened -excitement, begotten of blind fanaticism and erroneous teaching, has -often driven men and women mad, as statistics of American insanity -fearfully show. And in Spain there is not energy enough, not life -enough, to make speculation dangerous in philosophy, morals, or even in -money. I think it very unlikely that they will ever go wild after -tulips, or mulberries, or petroleum. They are making railroads, but the -French and English furnish the capital and send the engineers. And the -great safety-valve, or rather the great preserver of the people’s -intellects, is found in the fact that they are never in a hurry about -any thing. The old Romans had a good motto, _Festina lente_, hasten -slowly; but the Spaniards never _hasten at all_. They despise -punctuality. An hour after the time when a positive appointment had been -made with me, a man in Seville said, when I told him I had been waiting, -“Why, the Queen never comes till an hour after the time announced for -her arrival.” And this utter indifference to the value of time, which is -money all the world over, begets, or is begotten, for it is hard to say -if it be the cause or the effect, of that perfect sense of ease, content -with one’s condition, idle carelessness, that dismisses all anxiety for -the future. Such people do not go crazy. - -And far above all other immediate causes of insanity in northern climes, -is the use of spirituous liquors. The scholar drinks to keep up his -mental fire, and when he becomes insane his malady is marked “excessive -study.” The banker or merchant drinks too much, and when he is put into -an asylum his madness is ascribed to his devotion to his business. The -millions of our people drink, drink, drink,—and this vice of the north -of Europe and of America yields thousands on thousands of cases of -insanity every year. But in those countries where cheap wines, with -little alcohol in them, are the common drink of the people, intemperance -is comparatively rare. An English engineer, employing hundreds of men in -building and repairing Spanish railways, assured me that intemperance is -wholly unknown among them. The class of men who would be the most -addicted to the vice with us in the United States, are here more -temperate than any class of people in England or America. It is not to -be supposed that this temperance is the result solely of the culture of -the vine and the abundance of weak wine. It would be a false conclusion, -from very inadequate premises, to infer such an idea. It is due in most -part to the climate itself, which is at once favorable to the vine, and -unfavorable to that elevation or excitement which strong drink begets. -And in this delightful clime, where to live and breathe is a luxury, and -to keep cool is at once a virtue and a joy, the heating stimulus of -ardent spirits would not be sought as one of the pleasurable vices of -the land. - -Therefore, and to this conclusion we are easily led, the people here in -Spain are not likely to be, as a general thing, insane. And if we of -colder climes could be so humble as to take a lesson from poor, old, -decrepit Spain, we might learn from these facts to moderate our desires, -to pursue the good we seek with less haste and more speed, to use the -world as not abusing it, and resting now and then, avoid the lunatic -asylum on our journey to the grave. - -At dusk we went to the station to take our departure from Toledo. In the -train going up to Madrid was a large party of young men. Noisy, -boisterous, rude, they cheered every lady who came to the cars, calling -out to the good-looking ones to come to their apartment, and making -sport of others; and all this with a freedom and indecorum that would -not be tolerated even in our land of universal liberty. I was surprised -both at their impudence and its impunity, and asked who the fellows -were. - -“Oh,” said Antanazio, “they are college boys: the same all the world -over!” - -Even so, I do believe. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - LA MANCHA—ANDALUSIA. - - -AS I took my seat in a “first-class” car and left Toledo, a gentleman in -the same compartment asked me, “Is smoking disagreeable to you?” - -It was the first time that such a question had been put to me in Spain. -I had heard it proposed to a lady, some days before, but generally no -one pretends to _ask_ the privilege of smoking in the cars, or the -parlor, or anywhere. Everybody smokes, everywhere. It is not interdicted -in any department of any railway carriage. Occasionally, in some hotels, -I notice a rule posted in the dining-room, “Smoking not allowed.” But -nobody heeds it. An attempt to enforce it would probably lead to the -sudden departure of all Spanish guests from the house. At the largest -and best hotel in Madrid, sixty or seventy persons, ladies and -gentlemen, were at dinner, (table-d’hôte), and in the midst of dinner, -between the courses, gentlemen lighted their cigarettes, smoked them, -and resumed their eating. Yet the notice forbidding smoking was in full -view, or was until the clouds of smoke obscured it. In the reading-rooms -of the hotels, oftentimes small and unventilated, nine out of ten are -smoking all the time, and the thought never occurs to one of them that -this may be a nuisance to others. I am told, that at the theatres in -Spain, in the midst of the play, the audience smoke in their seats, and -if any managers attain to such a moderate height of civilization as to -publish a rule restraining the odious habit, the Dons of Spain pay no -sort of attention to it. All attempts at reform end only in smoke. - -I asked Antanazio if smoking is allowed in the churches of Spain. “Oh -no, no,” he answered, with a pious horror; “it was shocking to think of -such a desecration.” “Then,” said I, “when I come to Spain to live, I -will get a little church for myself, for nowhere else in this country -can a man find refuge from this intolerable nuisance.” - -“Ah, yes,” he replied; “but perhaps the incense will make a smoke quite -as disagreeable as the _American_ weed.” - -This was a double hit, as it reminded me of my Protestant aversion to -incense in churches, and also of the fact that the weed and the habit of -using it came from my part of the world. - -By this time the compartment was so densely filled with smoke that I -opened the window and put out my head for breath, as a signal of -distress, in the hope, but vain, of enlisting the sympathies of the -smokers, and inducing them to forego their pleasures while I recovered. -I detected grim smiles of satisfaction on the dark faces of my -fellow-travellers, who puffed away the more vigorously, as they looked -on my woe-begone face. - -Perhaps by advertising a reward for the discovery, it might be possible -to find a man in Spain who does not smoke. Yet, strange to say, the -culture of tobacco in Spain is forbidden by law. The soil and climate -are favorable, and its cultivation has been a great success. But by that -kind of legislation or decree peculiar to Spain, and constantly -reminding one of the Chinese, the mother country, Spain, is prohibited -from raising tobacco in order that the daughter, Cuba, may have the -monopoly. The right of importation is sold to contractors, who make a -great business of it. In the middle of the fifteenth century the -Spaniards began to get tobacco from America, and they have been getting -more and more of it ever since. In 1860 they smoked seven millions of -cigars, and cigars are not the thing they usually smoke. They have their -tobacco rolled up in little bits of paper, and these they carry in their -pockets, with matches. Often they carry the tobacco and the paper -separately, and make a cigarette when they want it, making one while -smoking another. These interesting manufactures are not peculiar to -Spain; they are common in our own country, but not so general. The weed -is used only for smoking and snuffing in Spain. I cannot learn that it -is _chewed_ at all. - -Children smoke at an earlier age in Spain than in other countries. It is -not uncommon for them to begin at six, or even five years of age. And -they never leave it off till they die. Ladies smoke. Not often do we see -them with a cigarette in their pretty mouths on the street or in the -cars, but in the café and in the drawing-room they enjoy it, as well as -in the boudoir and the bath. By cool fountains, in a marble-paved patio, -among the orange-trees, or lolling at noon on their silken-hung couches, -they love to smoke, and their lords have spoiled their own breaths and -taste too effectually to make any objection. Where both eat garlic it -amounts to the same thing. - -In Seville we saw a tobacco factory, erected more than a hundred years -ago, at a cost of nearly two millions of dollars then! It is 652 feet -long and 524 feet wide. Five thousand persons are at work in it all the -time, putting the imported tobacco into cigars or cigarettes, and making -snuff, and they use two millions of pounds of tobacco every year. Most -of these workers are women. Mothers who bring their children have -nursery arrangements provided for them during the hours of work. But the -most of them are young women, a class by themselves, known as -_cigareras_, or cigar-girls. Smart at their business in the factory, -they are wild as hawks and gay as larks at the bull-fight on Sundays, or -the dance on the green. This is the largest establishment of the kind in -Spain, and produces as good an article as any other, but the cigars made -in Spain are not as popular with good judges as those brought directly -from Cuba. The manufacturers there prefer sending the best to London, -New York, or Paris, where they find a readier market for the high-priced -article. And the Cubans are as cute in concocting peculiar flavors for -their cigars, as the French or the Italians for their wines, or -Jerseymen for their cider. The connoisseur in tobacco pays a quarter of -a dollar (more or less) for a “first-rate” cigar, and smokes it with -delicious enjoyment at his club, or after dinner in his study, rejoicing -in the dreamy, balmy languor that softly steals upon his senses, soothes -his nerves, and makes him sweetly oblivious of the cares and toils of -the day just passed. He is sure it does him good. And he does not know, -and will not believe when he is told, what every one knows who looks -into the subject to learn, that at the very root and source of the -business there is as much concoction of tobacco as there is of coffee or -wine. Potash and soda are in abundant use to impart peculiar pungency to -the plant. And many in the excited atmosphere of New York or London life -demand a sedative cigar more soporific than the narcotic plant in its -natural state. For them, cigars are made of tobacco leaves _steeped in -opium_. Many of our clergymen, renowned for eloquence and piety and -learning, denounce with blazing zeal the baneful practice of smoking or -chewing _opium_, a habit becoming almost as common in the United States -as in China. But these same excellent men are daily smoking opium in -their cigars, quite unconscious of the evils, physical and mental, they -are gradually but surely inhaling with every breath they draw through -this venomous weed. The cigar burns freely when first lighted, its ashes -are grayish white, and the ring is faint at the end, the smoke rises -lightly, and the taste, if any, is nearly imperceptible; therefore they -_know_ it is a good cigar. But the opium-eater is not more surely a -suicide than they. Dyspepsia often follows; and nervous debility, -despondency, melancholy, insomnia, maladies supposed to be relieved by -what is their producing cause. Epilepsy and apoplexy are not unknown -effects. - -We now cross the wide pastoral regions of La Mancha. Readers of Don -Quixote recollect these plains as the scene of many a gallant exploit by -the knight-errant who took his title from this province. And we had no -sooner called him to mind than we saw a windmill, and then another, and -soon many more, brandishing their huge arms, as when the crazy hero -supposed them to be challenging him to fight, and with mad courage -rushed to the encounter. Flocks of sheep are roaming over the plains as -when he mistook them for hostile armies. His trusty squire Sancho -proposed that they should wait until they saw which side was likely to -come off conqueror, and join _that_; but the hero of the windmill -denounced the counsel as worthy only of a craven, insisting it would be -more becoming a valiant knight to join the weaker side, and insure it -the victory. - -_No trees are seen._ This is the peculiar feature of the Spanish -landscape. Across vast plains that reach the horizon the eye seeks in -vain to find a single tree to relieve the monotony of the view. And when -the hills stretch away in graceful lines, bending and rising with -voluptuous swells that seem to be carved and set against the sky, they -are destitute of trees. In centuries past these have been stripped off, -and none have been planted since; and the country is as bare as the back -of your hand. - -The sheep are tended by shepherds, who migrate from the higher to the -lower pastures, according to the season of the year. They constitute a -large part of the wealth of the people. Ten years ago there were -seventeen millions of sheep in Spain. The number is, doubtless, much -greater now. The wool trade of Spain was at one time of vast importance -to the world, but England and Germany now far outstrip it, and the trade -with Syria, in the coarser wools, has opened an outlet for the produce -of Lebanon and the plains of Mesopotamia. - -Corn, including cereals of all kinds, does well in this central part of -Spain. It thrives in spite of the stupidest, or rather the most -primitive style of agriculture, still prevailing. “Tickle the ground -with a hoe,” and the crop will spring. But there is little tickling done -with a hoe. They plough to this day with a tree, the root sticking into -the ground and scratching it a little; or they leave a branch shooting -out at an angle from the stem of the tree, and sometimes they cover this -stick with a bit of iron, and with mules or oxen drag it along the -field. They sow broadcast, and plough it under. They use no harrows. It -is barely possible that one of the modern civilized ploughs has found -its way into Spain, but I saw none, and heard of nothing better than the -but-end of a small elm-tree. Yet agriculture is the great business of -Spain, suited to the habits and genius of the people, who love the sun -and enjoy the open air, and dislike trade or mechanics of any kind. And -more than any other people in Europe the Spanish do as their fathers -did, despising all innovations as unworthy of their ancestral dignity. -The farmers of Virgil and Homer, and the rural scenes which are -described in the Old Testament Scriptures, are the counterpart of what -may be seen in Spain to-day. I am reminded daily of the fields in Asia -Minor, in Syria, and Greece. If it were strange that improvements in -husbandry had made very little progress there, much more surprising it -is to find that all things in this country continue to be as they were. -They are so near the rest of the world, and the means of communication -are now so ready, it is a marvel of marvels that they are still in the -same ruts their fathers were in a thousand years ago. - -But there are signs of better times. The law of primogeniture has been -abolished, and this new measure tends rapidly to the multiplication of -owners of real estate. The lands of the church have been sold and -divided. Vast tracts held by the crown have also been distributed by law -among the people, at a moderate price. Agricultural societies have been -formed, and cattle shows and fairs are becoming common. These things are -in the right direction. The government has established agricultural -schools and model farms. A few periodicals are published, with the -intent of spreading useful information among the people; and those who -can read will get some good out of them. - -After crossing the plains of La Mancha we reach the Sierra Morena range -of mountains, and are to work our way through and over them. The daring -of the engineers who would push a road into such recesses is prodigious. -The precipices are frightful. Peaks of mountains start up suddenly, and -seem to pierce the clouds. Rocks of gigantic grandeur rise abruptly, and -sometimes stand apart in solitary dignity. Deep gorges are to be spanned -by the iron road. Long and frequent galleries lead, in gloomy state, -through the bowels of the mountains. The road is sublime, if safe, and -it appears to be well made. We come to a bridge under repairs. All the -passengers are requested to walk. In single file we march over the -bridge, and then await the train. It comes across, lightened of its -load, slowly and safely. It is quite likely that in America the engineer -would have put on all steam, and dashed across in a second, or, if not, -he would have gone down a hundred feet, into a frightful chasm, and the -verdict, if any were sought, would have been, “nobody to blame.” Fret as -we do about the railroad management in Europe, it is safer and surer -than ours. They err generally on the safe side, provoking us by their -delays, but very rarely breaking our necks. And, on the whole, their way -of doing things is the best. - -At Manjibar we stopped for lunch, or breakfast, or dinner, whichsoever -any one might call it. It was hard to say where or when our last meal -was, and what was the name of this. Still more difficult was it to -ascertain the names of the dishes set before us. One dish _had been_ -chicken, but in some advanced stage of its post-mortem existence it had -been consigned to a bath of pickle, and was now offered for our -consumption. A single taste sufficed. It probably returned to its brine, -to wait a bolder customer, with a better appetite. Then they gave us a -stew. I suggested that it was hare. My companion thought it a cat. I -gave it the benefit of the doubt, and turned away. The price of this -meal that we tried in vain to eat, was the same as the table-d’hôte -dinner at many hotels in Paris,—four francs. - -Sick, I went into the air. I sat down on a trunk outside, sighing for -other lands, and something to eat. A servant came out and drove me off -the trunk, saying, “It is forbidden to sit here.” Into the waiting-room -I directed my steps. It was full of dirty, disgusting people, some of -them beggars, some gypsies, some in queer costumes, some in rags. The -fragrance was too much for me, and I walked out again. Over the way was -a table with candies and liquors to be sold. It was in front of a door -that opened into the side of a hill. There was no other sign of a house. -I went across the railway, and entered the open door. It let me into a -small room, nicely cemented above and on all sides; a fire in a neat -arrangement for it, and a chimney reaching out of the ground above. A -man was sitting by the fire; a babe was in a cradle; the wife was -bustling about. It was a very comfortable affair. Another room was the -bed-chamber; and a third was a storeroom; and the three completed the -underground cottage. In other climates it might be damp. Here it was dry -enough; cool in summer and warm in winter. I spent a few minutes very -cheerfully with these people, and they seemed to be pleased with a visit -from a stranger. It was a far better house than the rude huts we had -seen on the way. - -We are now in Andalusia, and in one of the _worst_ parts of Spain. True, -it is ANDALUSIA, and the very sound of the name is musical, suggesting -beauty and pastoral delights. But in the province of Jaen, and we are -near the city of that name, out of a population of 360,000, more than -300,000 are unable to read; and as ignorance and crime go hand in hand, -the number of murders is between 350 and 400 every year, and nearly as -many robberies. Such is a picture of much of Spain. This is, perhaps, as -dark a picture as could be honestly drawn, but there are hundreds of -towns, of which the mayor or chief officer does not know how to read or -write. - -Ten years ago, when the last census was made, in a population of -15,613,536, there were actually 12,543,169 who could not read and write, -leaving only 3,070,367 people in Spain possessed of these -accomplishments. In 1860 there were 1,101,529 children in the public -schools of Spain, and they must learn something. - -It is encouraging to learn that the government is paying increased -attention to the subject of education. There are 25,000 primary schools -in the kingdom, which ought to be exerting a powerful effect upon the -people. Spain has ten universities, and the number of students in them -is far greater than one would expect under the low state of _popular_ -education. They are thus distributed:— - - Madrid 4,194 - Barcelona 1,365 - Seville 887 - Valladolid 828 - Granada 617 - Valencia 624 - Santiago 403 - Saragossa 389 - Salamanca 242 - Oviedo 155 - -The course of study pursued in these institutions is substantially the -same as that in other countries: 2,040 of the students are in the -Philosophical and Literary course, 1,617 in the Exact Sciences, Physics, -and so forth; while Law, Theology, and Medicine include the rest. Some -of these universities once had a reputation as wide as the civilized -part of the world, and students from all nations flocked to them as to -the purest and sweetest fountains of knowledge in the earth. At -Salamanca, where now there are less than 250 students, there were 10,000 -in the fourteenth century, and its reputation has been higher than -Oxford’s. It was at this university that the Copernican system of -astronomy was held and taught, when the Romish Church denounced it as -heretical and contrary to the Holy Scriptures. Yet even here Columbus -could make no impression in favor of his theory of another continent, -but all his arguments were treated with the greatest contempt by the -learned men of the university of Salamanca. The professors of the modern -school, which still retains the name and distinctions of the days of its -glory, get $600 a year for their services, and that is probably an index -of the estimation in which learning is held in these decayed and -benighted regions. - -The present population of Spain, making due allowance for increase since -the last estimate, is about 16,400,000. It is therefore the _eighth_ of -the European powers in numbers, Italy and Turkey being both ahead of it. -The increase of population in Spain is only at the rate of less than the -half of one per hundred annually. At this rate the number would double -only once in 181 years, placing Spain behind every country in Europe, in -this respect, except poor Austria. She doubles once in 198 years; then -Spain; then France, once in 122 years; Holland, once in 80 years; -Scotland, once in 46 years; Prussia, once in 41 years; England and -Wales, once in 29 years. - -One of the most curious questions in morals, politics, and physiology, -is started by these facts. They furnish food for thought. One class of -speculators will find moral causes to explain the circumstances, and -they may easily gather a pile of facts to sustain their positions. -Climate, too, has its influence. The civil government, with the physical -condition of the people, is to be considered. But when the physical, the -moral, the civil, and the social state of Austria, Spain, France, -Holland, Prussia, Italy, and England is duly examined, it still remains -to be ascertained why it is that the number of inhabitants increased -more rapidly among the colored people of the Southern States of North -America while they were slaves, and now increases more rapidly among the -Irish portion of the American population, than it does among these -highly favored countries of Europe. The statistics of births in New -England and other parts of the United States unhappily show that, with -the increase of the cost of living, and of luxury and effeminacy, the -number of children born is less and less from year to year. There is no -truth in social economy better established by the comparison of an -adequate number of facts than this, that the diminution in the number of -births is attended by, if not consequent upon, the deterioration of the -health and the morals of any people. Oppression which makes a wise man -mad may depress the spirits, exhaust the energies, and retard the -increase of a population, not supernaturally sustained as were the -Hebrews in Egypt, who, the more they were afflicted, the more they -multiplied and grew. But favored as the middle and southern countries of -Europe are by climate and soil, affording the people an easy and -comfortable subsistence, they might and would increase in numbers as -rapidly at least as the northern, if they were so disposed. - -We are now coming down into the region of the aloe, the olive, the -orange, and the vine. Since we have crossed the Sierra Morena, the -climate has softened. At this season of the year (February), the -vegetation is not far advanced, but the leaves of the olive are always -green, and the orange and the lemon bear leaves and fruit and flowers at -the same time. The orange should, in some climates, like this and the -south of France, remain on the tree, after it appears to be ripe, for -two years, before it is sweet. Much of that delicious fruit which we -have in our country is too sour to be good, because gathered and sent to -market before it is fully ripe. Here, and all over the southern parts of -Spain, it is a _glorious_ fruit. It is very large, very yellow, and very -sweet; and being abundant, is very cheap. A cent of our money will buy -the largest, and the natives get them much cheaper than that. Sweet -lemons are also common. But they are not agreeable. They seem to me a -miserable attempt to be an orange. And the good sour lemons grow to an -enormous size. I got one in Cordova to measure, and my hat would hold -one lemon only! The skin was at least an inch thick; the juice not so -acid as of the lemon generally, and there was no more of it than in one -of ordinary size. These large lemons are used in preserves, the skin -being the only available part of the fruit. - -We are now on the plains, in sight of the graceful hills of ANDALUSIA. -In the soft sunlight of this warm winter’s day the hills appear to be -sleeping and enjoying their repose. All nature, even now, invites to -rest. We begin to feel the languor of the clime. There are no trees but -the olive. No birds are singing, or we should know that summer is nigh. -We stop frequently at little stations, to leave and take the mail. The -letters and papers are tied up in a packet with a string, and are handed -from the mail-car to a boy or a woman on hand to receive them. The -letters _from_ the place are delivered to the mail-agent in the same -way. No bag, no box, no lock or key, not even a wrapper around the -letters protects them. It is the way they do things in this country. - -Over these wide plains there are few or no habitations to be seen. The -peasants must travel many miles to their daily work, for they live in -villages far away from the lands they till. Few cattle are to be seen; -now and then a flock of sheep. More black sheep than white ones were in -sight, and many of the blacks were singularly marked, having but one -white spot on them, and that at the tip of their tails. - -[Illustration: CORDOVA.] - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - CORDOVA. - - -A NEW, but old world, a sudden vision of the ORIENT, rose on the sight, -when we reached the city of CORDOVA. Never did I enter a city that -filled me with a deeper sense of the transient, temporal, and fleeting -nature of all things material. It is not in ruins. It shows no tokens of -decay to the coming traveller. A cleaner city is not in the world. It -was the first city in Europe whose streets were paved, and the -traditional habits of the people are so well preserved, that although it -was a thousand years ago (in 850, under Abdurhaman) that this work was -done, it has been done again and again, and the stones in the streets -are kept as clean as the floor of a house. The Guadalquiver flows gently -by the side of it, and under the shade-trees planted on its banks the -idle and the fashionable have their favorite lounge and promenade. The -bridge over this widely famed river was first built by Octavius Cæsar -and rebuilt by the Moors. Standing on sixteen arches, it is a striking -monument of two departed dynasties and forms of civilization. The city -itself was great before Christ came into the world, and Julius Cæsar -writes of it as it was in his day, when his armies swept over Spain. In -the civil wars of Rome, Cordova declared for Pompey, and then Cæsar put -28,000 of its inhabitants to the sword. - -After the Moors came over from Africa, and, in the battle of Guadalete, -struck down the power of the Goths, this city was governed by the Caliph -of Damascus, until it became independent and the capital of Moorish -Spain. Then began its career of glory. In the tenth century it had -300,000 inhabitants (now 40,000), and for these devout and cleanly and -hospitable and learned Mussulmans there were six hundred mosques, and -nine hundred baths, and six hundred inns, and eight hundred schools, and -a library of 600,000 volumes. - -Outside of the city the people had gone in crowds to a rural fête. Men, -women, and children, old and young, rich and poor, on foot, on horse, on -mules or donkeys, and in carriages,—any way to go,—all had gone to have -a jolly time in the country, as the custom is in Spain. It was a gay -sight, but rising among the grounds were scattered here and there the -remnants of ancient buildings, broken columns, fragments of capitals, -and blocks of stone, that lay there silently speaking of departed glory. -For here once stood the fairy palace of the Moorish Abdurhama, which -that prince built for his favorite sultana, whose name it bore, and -whose statue stood above the principal gate. The whole palace was of -marbles and precious stones, adorned with the florid architecture which -the genius of the East would invent. More than four thousand marble -columns did this luxurious monarch bring from France and Italy and -Africa to adorn his halls. And when he had spent more than fifty -millions of pounds sterling upon it, he brought into his harem four -thousand and three hundred women! Guarded by twelve thousand valiant -men, he gave himself up to the pleasures of “the life that now is.” The -city of Cordova was the city for such a king! - -It is Moorish, Oriental, languid, voluptuous, in its decay. Walking -along its quiet, almost noiseless streets, we looked in upon the courts -that form the central _patio_ around the four sides of which the house -is built. In the midst, a fountain springs, and the water falls back -into a marble basin. Around it shrubs with blooming flowers fill the air -with fragrance and beauty. In some of them evergreen trees, of unknown -age, are growing, and these have been trained so curiously, as to -produce surprising effects. Planted at the four corners of a square, -their tops are brought over to meet each other, the branches are joined, -the redundant leaves and twigs being pruned away, they grow together, -the whole four, like one tree of arch over arch, a perpetually verdant -bower. The windows of the dwelling look down into this court; and in -them, or on its marble pavements in the heat of the day, the women sit -with their needle-work, enjoying the fragrant shade and the music of the -falling water. The gardens abound in oranges, lemons, and limes, hanging -over the walls in clusters of extraordinary size. - -The interior of these ancient houses is no less interesting. One, to -which we were invited, was said to be the best example of the Moorish -domestic architecture extant in Cordova. A few jasper columns were -standing under the archway by which we passed from the court. The modern -whitewash had covered the most of the arabesque embellishments upon the -walls. We ascended a flight of broad, brick steps, with a solid beam of -wood at the outer edge of each step, and at the head of the stairs the -venerable master of the house met us kindly and made us welcome. We -heard a piano as we were coming up the steps, but it suddenly ceased, -and a young lady flitted out of view. The house is said to be more than -a thousand years old. It may be so, but the Moorish style is so -imprinted on the tastes of the people that they build age after age with -substantially the same models, and it is not safe to affirm that the -hands of the Moors laid any of these stones. The ceilings are very low, -the rooms small, the furniture, as in all lands, is according to the -taste or means of the owner, but Eastern in its style, and adapted to -the quiet, languid type of the modern as well as the ancient inhabitants -of this and all such climes. - -The wonder of Cordova is also one of the wonders of the world. Its -cathedral has been a mosque of the Moors. To see it once is an adequate -reward for all one has endured in travelling thus far through the most -comfortless country in Europe. To see it often, and study it in the -minute details of its extraordinary plan and finish, is to lay up a -store of imagery for dreams of memory through the rest of a lifetime. At -least so it seems to me now, since entering its magnificent Gate of -Pardon, and suddenly standing in the midst of a thousand variously -colored columns,—marble, jasper, porphyry, granite,—all surmounted by -Corinthian capitals, a forest in a temple, a petrified grove of trunks -of majestic trees, enclosed in walls. Perhaps the memory of it will -fade, so that a year or two hence the impressions of wonder, of -sublimity, of vastness, will not be so strong as they are now. But at -the moment when the interior first broke upon my sight, it was as -strange to me that the art of men _could_ construct such an edifice, as -that the great Architect _should_ build the walls over which the Niagara -rushes for ever. - -[Illustration: COURT OF ORANGES, CORDOVA.] - -Stepping out of the street through a gate in a solid wall, we are in the -midst of a court-yard some 400 feet long: an orange grove, venerable -trees that have been bearing fruit, as now, a century or more; and three -fountains send up jets of waters that fall back into large marble basins -filled with goldfish which groups of children are feeding. Near the -gate, on benches, elderly men are sitting, smoking, and enjoying the -sunshine. The elders sat in the gate in the Scripture times, and do now -in Eastern towns, and here also, where Oriental manners still obtain. In -former years this court became a great resort for the people who made a -mart, or exchange, as in all ages men have been tempted to make the -house of prayer a market-place, and so it often becomes a den of -thieves. Now, this Court of Oranges, as it is called, is the resort of -old men and children, who enjoy the warmth and shade and waters of the -holy precincts. Passing through this court we come to the sacred edifice -itself. Its history is as eventful as that of Spain. It was built by the -Moors as a mosque, and when the Christians conquered Cordova, they -converted the mosque into a church, though they could not convert the -Moors into Christians. And this now-called cathedral is the one that -Abdurhaman began to build A. D. 786, and his son completed in 796, -pushing on the work with such tremendous energy that in ten years he -constructed one of the most remarkable edifices in the world. His -father’s idea was to surpass every temple on earth in extent and -strength and splendor. It was to be the Mecca in Europe; and when the -Western world was subdued to Islam, as he and all the believers believed -it would be, the holy place to which pilgrimages from all these lands -would be made was Cordova. It is, therefore, the finest example that -Spain possesses of that peculiar style of architecture and ornamentation -which the Moors introduced, and which have been gradually disappearing -with the lapse of centuries. It doubtless has a symbolism behind its -material forms, and the student of art and religious thought will read -in the plan and a thousand details, a meaning that does not meet the -unanointed eye of the simple traveller. - -The Gate of Pardon is so called because, under the Roman Catholic -dispensation, indulgences were granted to those who entered by it into -the temple. There is one gate of the same name in each of the cathedrals -that I have visited in this country. The bronze ornaments upon the doors -are very curious, the royal arms are displayed, and while the Christian -inscription, in Gothic letters, of the word DEUS, proclaims the true -God, the Arabic letters also testify that the Mahometans worshipped him, -for they write, “The empire belongs to God.” - -Within the temple there is at first a sense of gloom, almost of -oppression, arising from the vastness of the area and the want of -height. The roof cannot be more than 40 or 50 feet high, while the floor -stretches away 640 feet in length and 460 feet in breadth. A thousand -columns in long lines, like trees planted in the garden of the Lord, are -each of one single stone,—the spoils of temples in the East and the -West, and some of them imperial gifts, and hence a variety of colors and -size, showing all sorts of marbles, the green and red jasper, black, -white and rose, emerald and porphyry. Crossing each other, at right -angles, these rows of pillars form nineteen naves one way and -twenty-nine the other; long-drawn aisles, over which the -horse-shoe-shaped arches, standing one upon the other and supporting the -roof, produce a marvellous effect. - -[Illustration: THE GREAT MOSQUE, CORDOVA.] - -The Holy of Holies in the mosque was the Mihrab, and it has been -preserved in the converted temple, with religious care, as at once a -curiosity and a memorial that the Mahometan has ceased to defile these -courts. It is a recess in the wall of the temple, in which the Koran was -kept, and where the Kalif came to say his prayers, looking out of a -little window toward Mecca. It is a small six-sided room, about twelve -feet across, the floor one piece of marble, and the roof, in the shape -of a shell, is also, we were assured, of a single block, and up the six -sides rise marble pilasters, the whole adorned with strange Arabic art -and mysterious inscriptions. When Hakem was Caliph of Cordova, he sent -messengers into the East to ask for skilful artificers in painting glass -and giving this strange effect to tracery in metals and stone; for there -is in mosaic work, when well done, something superior to the softest -painting, and quite incomprehensible. The workers in mosaic came, and -their skill now shines in this miracle of Oriental art, which has been -here since 965, and is as fresh and beautiful as when it shone at the -feast of the Rhamadhan, in the light of a thousand lamps. In the marble -floor is worn a deep groove, by the knees of devout Mussulmans, who have -thus gone around it while at their devotions. - -On the sides of the cathedral are many chapels, each with its altar, its -pictures, its relics, and its history. By one of them, once a Moorish -sanctuary paved with silver, is a rude painting of a crucifixion, and an -inscription in Spanish which tells us that that— - - -“While the Mahometans celebrated their orgies in this temple, a -Christian captive uttered the name of Christ, whom he held in his heart, -and he engraved this image with his nails on the hard stone of this -pillar, for which his death has purchased this aureole.” - - -On the stone column is etched a crucifixion which tradition says the -prisoner scratched in with his finger nails. The stone is very hard, and -the story harder. - -Come again and again, and this strange pile, with its thousand columns -and its thousand years of history, grows on you with every visit. We -come from a land where all is fresh and new, and these old temples fill -us with awe. But if we are impressed with a ruin as in Rome, where -Paganism built its temples to become the sites of Christian churches, -which themselves have been buried and again dug up to be the wonder of -the present age, how much more impressive is a building still fresh and -unbroken by the march of centuries, where the pomp and ceremony of a -religion, corrupt indeed, yet recognizing God the Father as the only -true God, are perpetuated year after year till their number becomes a -thousand years. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - SEVILLE, ITS CATHEDRAL AND BULL-FIGHTS. - - -NOT until reaching Seville does one feel what a luxury it is to -live,—just to breathe,—to inhale the delicious air and rejoice in -_being_. Other climates had been cold, or damp, or chilly; some hot, -debilitating; but this was just right, and when a man comes to the place -where the weather just suits him, it is time to sit down and enjoy it. -It was a privilege to be any thing that could breathe in this delightful -clime. It is the latter part of February. If one of my lungs was out of -order, or both of them, I would stay here till they were well, or until -the weather became too hot for comfort, and that will be but a few weeks -hence. - -The city is clean, well-built, and in the evening the inhabitants throng -some of the streets so as to make it difficult to walk. The courts -around which the houses are built are beautifully adorned with flowers -and shrubs, and trees; in warmer weather awnings are spread over them, -and here the family enjoy themselves with the piano and guitar, the song -and the dance. Here, too, the table is spread, and all Seville, it is -said, takes tea out of doors. - -[Illustration: “LA GERALDA,” SEVILLE.] - -It was a dreadful day for Seville, and indeed for Spain, when the Moors -were driven out of the country; they had conquered it, and ruled eight -hundred years. Four hundred thousand Moors, Jews and Arabs, left this -city of Seville in a few days after it was surrendered to St. Ferdinand. -Wealth, learning, taste, art, and the charm of Eastern life went out -with them, and Spain has been lower in the scale of morals and manners -ever since. This is no compliment to Mahometanism. To compare the -present condition of Spain with any thing that has gone before it, and -say that the former days were better than these, is saying very little -for the better times. In this old city of Seville we found the Alcazar -or palace, being the first specimen of Moorish magnificence we had seen. -It consists of a group of palaces, on the banks of the Guadalquiver, and -exhibits the same style of architecture and mural decorations that are -so much admired and celebrated in the Alhambra. Indeed, the pavements -and columns and arches and apartments have been preserved or restored -with so much greater care than the Alhambra itself, that the latter -appears to be a feeble example of Moorish taste and skill, compared with -these glorious rooms in Seville. Fancy must people these chambers with -men and women, of flesh and blood; clothe them in Oriental and gorgeous -raiment, surround them with every luxury that gold and labor and power -can give; hang these passages with curtains whose richness has not been -excelled by any thing that modern art has produced. When the sleepy -janitor opens the outer gate and leads you through these deserted and -empty halls, in which your footfalls make the only sound, into -apartments that for centuries have been silent as the grave, yet on -every hand is beauty of coloring and carving and curiously wrought -adorning that you must pause to admire; even in the midst of admiration -one cannot but mourn that the barbaric splendor of Moorish glory has -departed, and the degenerate race of effete Spanish civilization has -taken its place. A thousand wives of a proud Moor once made these walls -jocund with their mirth, and the adjoining gardens and the beautiful -Guadalquiver were gay with their revels and song, and the moral tone of -the palace was as high, and the happiness of the people just as great as -when a dissolute queen and a profligate court, and an ignorant, -depraved, and impoverished people, constituted the government and -inhabitants of a nominally Christian kingdom. - -Instead of a mosque, is the cathedral of Seville. It is the noblest -example of the Gothic ecclesiastical architecture in the world. St. -Peter’s at Rome produces no such effect on the soul when first you enter -it. The Cologne cathedral is nearer it in power. I have no superstitious -feeling that compels me to be awed by a place. But I cannot enter this -temple without worshipping! Instantly, as you stand within its walls, -its giant solemn columns rising around, scarcely visible in the twilight -at the noon of a brilliant southern day, its vastness, its amazing -height, the roof like a firmament, and resting on arches, dividing it -into sixty-eight compartments, one feels that this surely ought to be -none other than the house of God. High mass was celebrated during one of -my many visits to the cathedral. When the tinkling of the bell gave the -signal for the “elevation of the host,” the faithful, wherever they -chanced to be in the vast area, fell on their knees and silently adored -the idol which superstition had just held aloft for the worship of an -ignorant multitude. A woman entered one of the chapels and knelt before -an image of the Virgin and poured out her soul in prayer. As if -unconscious that spectators were all around her, she wept and told her -beads. - -[Illustration: SHE WEPT AND TOLD HER BEADS.] - -The women of Seville are celebrated for their beauty. In the Central -Park of New York, Hyde Park of London, or the Bois de Boulogne of Paris, -you notice that many of the most splendid equipages carry very plain -women, and one often admires the compensation system that gives the -signs of wealth to some and saves the good looks for others. But you may -stand by the fashionable drive of Seville and the first hundred -carriages that pass shall have four handsome women in each of them. As -“you would scarce expect one of my age” to be a connoisseur in this -matter, I will give in the words of my guide the types of Spanish -beauty: “Deep blue-black eyes, _adormilados_ sometimes, and at others -full of flashes, each a _puñalada_; a small forehead; raven hair, long -and silky, which they might almost turn at night into a balmy soft -pillow, and a long flowing mantilla by day; a peculiar _meneo_, _sal_, -and indescribable charm, naturalness, and grace in every movement, -together with liveliness and repartee,—form the principal features of -their appearance and character.” - -The dance and the song, the bull-fight more than any thing else in the -season of it, make this city the home of the gayest, wildest, most -dissolute men and women in the south of Europe. Corinth, in the days of -Venus-worship, was not more wholly given up to the lust of the flesh and -the pride of life than Seville to-day. Yet it was once the emporium of -the New World. From its port set sail the fleet that carried Columbus to -a land beyond the sea and brought back the wealth of the Western Ind. It -has been the residence of kings; and successive dynasties, faiths, and -customs have in turn made Seville their capital and terrestrial -paradise. It is girt on every side by fertile plains, the orange and -lemon trees hang loaded all the year with their golden fruit, and the -silver river, whose name is poetry and whose banks are haunted with the -memories of Eastern delights, washes the feet of this beautiful city. - -If there was ever an original to Byron’s Don Juan, and there was perhaps -an original to him as to Cooper’s Spy or Irving’s Schoolmaster, then the -tradition may be true that points to a low white-washed house, close to -San Leandro, and belonging to the nuns of that convent, where that -graceless scamp once lived. And the “Barber of Seville,” of course, had -his shop somewhere in town, and it has been conveniently located in the -same neighborhood, so that when you visit the St. Thomas Square you can -see them both. They are nothing to see, unless you are at that age when -the poetry of Byron has charms they lose as you get older and wiser. - -The house of Murillo, the painter of Spain, and not far from being the -painter of the world, is an object of attraction, and Seville has it, -and also some of the greatest pictures of this master. The Queen of -Spain would send the Pope a present worthy of a sovereign to give to -another, and she sent two of Murillo’s paintings. The Pope had them -copied in mosaic, and sent the copies to the Queen of Spain. It is -surpassingly wonderful that stone can be set so skilfully as to make a -picture with all the softness of shade and color that belongs to the -finest work in oil. We will look up some Murillos on our way, but just -now we are near the site of the Old Moorish Castle, which is not more -distinguished for the tales of Oriental life and love and war than it is -for being the place in which the Inquisition was first established. What -tales of horror its stones might tell if they were permitted to cry out! -Nowhere on this planet has the notion of converting men to believe a -lie, by roasting them if they will not believe, been carried to a higher -finish than in Spain. In each of its chief cities a spot is still -cherished with affectionate regard by the faithful, where in the good -old times of their fathers the _auto-da-fé_ was celebrated with pompous -processions, when priests and soldiers and hosts of men and women -marched to the public square with a company of those who had been -condemned to the stake! The _Quemadaro_, or burning place of Seville, is -outside of the city, and the plain is called the Field of St. Sebastian. -Aceldama would be a more appropriate name. - -On the banks of the Guadalquiver, near the Moorish Alcazar, stands a -famous pile called the Tower of Gold, as well so called from its ancient -color as the uses to which it has been put. Its summit gives an outlook -far upon the plain across the river, and in times of old it has been a -fortress of huge strength, to resist the enemy when threatening the -palace itself. It was built by the Moors as a treasure-house. When the -Spaniards got possession of it, Don Pedro made it a prison for his -friends, men and women, who fell under his disfavor. And then came a -time when it was wanted for the purpose of holding heaps of gold, for -when Columbus had gone from Seville to a new world, and the stream of -gold began to flow back to Spain, this Seville, which had sent out the -great discoverer, received the returning treasures, and this tower -became the reservoir to contain it. Eight millions of ducats and more -have been stored here at one time, _private_ and public funds, and the -monarchs of Spain often put their arms deep into the bins of gold, and -helped themselves. - -The decline and fall of Spain would be the fitting theme for another -Gibbon, and the lesson it teaches might be studied with advantage in the -new world, whose discovery had so much to do with enriching, and then -destroying the kingdom. It is very hard to speculate or philosophize on -the causes that led to the prostration of a great power like this, when -the element of _religion_ is excluded from the study. Without the -demoralizing influences of a political religion, there were causes -enough to work the ruin of Spain, and foremost among these was the -influx of wealth, that made every man greedy of a chance to get rich, at -the expense of the State. It is useful to recur to it now, and in our -own country, because the same causes are working mightily in the same -direction, and producing the same deplorable effects. It was always so, -but increased opportunities increase temptation and multiply the -consequences. Men now seek and obtain office not for honor and the power -of usefulness, but to get rich. Government in the hands of such men is -an instrument of robbery, an engine of corruption, and it has in itself -disease and death. The influx of gold from California has corrupted the -American people in the same way, if not to the same degree that the -Mexican gold and silver demoralized Spain. - -Antanazio proposed to drive out of town, along the banks of the river, -to the ruins of an ancient city. A charming ride of an hour, in a -delicious winter day, without the winter, brings us to the ruins of an -amphitheatre built by Scipio Africanus, A. U. C. 546. Here, away in this -end of the then known world, three men were born, each one of whom -became a Roman emperor! The glory of nations was once over all the -palaces, temples, and theatres that distinguish this spot. But now the -ruins themselves are ruined. We can mark, or rather we can believe when -we are pointed to, the places where the nobles sat to see the games of -blood in the arena of the amphitheatre, the dungeons of the wild beasts -are laid open, and the chambers where gladiators stripped for the fight, -that gladdened the hearts of men and women two thousand years ago. Yet -they were quite as rational and refined, quite as Christianable and -decent, as the bull-fights of to-day. - -“Have you been to see a bull-fight?” was one of the first questions put -to me by a delicate little lady-friend whom I met. - -“No; have you?” I answered and asked in the same breath. - -Her husband was sitting by; a splendid soldier-like looking man, six -feet high, and well proportioned, who could take the bull by the horns -when he pleased, and would do it were there any occasion. He did not -wait for his pretty wife to answer my inquiry, but laughingly replied: - -“Yes, _she_ has, and I went with her, but could not stand it; the sight -made me sick, and I had to leave in disgust; but she staid it out, and -saw—how many killed was it, dear?” - -“Six bulls and five horses,” she said with a smile of supreme delight. - -“Killed!” I cried. - -[Illustration: THE BULL FIGHT.] - -“Yes, killed,” they both answered, and he went on to say, -“butchered;—horrid!” - -“Tell me all about it, please; I would like to _hear_, at least.” - -“Well,” said the amiable husband, “if you are going to talk _bull_, I -will go into the reading-room and have a smoke.” He went out, and she -went on:— - -“These _men_” she said; “but I ought to say, _you_ men, are so -squeamish; you faint at the sight of a little blood; what would you do -in a fight, a real battle with bullets and brains flying all about you -and men bleeding to death by hundreds, if you can’t bear to see a bull -cut down or a horse ripped up. Why, I saw a horse run all about the -bull-ring with his entrails trailing on the ground, and a bull with his -hamstrings cut, and making splendid fight on his knees. You must go and -see it; now there’s my husband, poor fellow, he ought not to go to such -places, it doesn’t agree with him!” - -“Well, I would rather have you describe a fight,” said I, “than to go -and see it. I have no particular taste for blood, but any thing would be -agreeable that you would undertake to describe.” - -“Thank you. You have seen the ring; every city in Spain has its -bull-ring: a circular theatre, open to the sky, with seats rising from -the arena in the centre. The seats on the east and southerly quarters -are covered to protect the grandees, while the multitude sitting in the -sun hold fans before their faces or take it as it comes. This ring will -seat some fifteen to twenty thousand people, and a gayer, grander sight -it is rare to see, than these bright-colored, dressy people; the women -are the most beautiful in the world; they are far handsomer than -American women, you _know_ they are, don’t you?” - -“Perhaps so, present company excepted, and one or two others: but pray -go on,—I am more anxious to hear of bulls than women.” - -“A blast of trumpets sounds the hour for the spectacle to begin, and the -eager shout of the multitude shows their impatience to see the fun. A -great show precedes, the magistrates riding in with a troop to give -something like dignity to the occasion, and when they have swept around -the circle and retired, the spectators sit in breathless silence. Two -mounted men, called _picadors_, ride in, each with a long spear at rest, -and take their position, some fifty feet in front of the gateway through -which the beasts are to enter. All things being ready, and the -breathless throng thirsting for the fray, the huge door unfolds, and a -fierce bull dashes into the arena. The multitude greet him with a shout -of ecstasy. He makes straight upon the picadors, if he is a bull of -spirit. There’s a great difference in the animals; some of them go -scouring all around the ring, head down and tail up, pursued by the -picador; but a real bull of Navarre—they are the fiercest and -pluckiest—pitches right ahead for the first enemy he sees. The horseman -levels his lance to meet the tremendous monster as he comes; sometimes -catches him on the shoulder, and the blood spouts from the wound. But he -does not stop for trifles. It takes more than a scratch to stop a good -bull; he rushes on and sometimes buries the iron deeper in his flesh, or -tosses it off, and catching the horse on his horns, hoists him and his -rider into the air, and as they come down in a heap, he drives on to -meet other antagonists lying in wait, and ready to do him mischief. The -very last time I was there, it was this sight that made my husband sick; -the horse scrambled up, and actually went trotting around the ring, when -there was more of him outside than in, he was so terribly ripped open by -that one lunge of those splendid horns. I was in hopes that the bull -would beat the whole of them; now he met the men on foot, with red -cloaks on their arms, which they shake to attract the excited -gentleman’s attention. He sees them and bears down gallantly upon them -like a Monitor or a Miantonomoh, and the wily _chulos_, or cloakers, -leap dexterously to one side, and sometimes they jump over the barriers -among the spectators, where they have been followed by the raging bull -himself. This is not often, however. He has still another set of -fighters to drive out of the ring. These are the _banderilleros_, who -throw fiery darts into the bull’s neck; these darts are provided with a -powder squib which explodes when it strikes in the flesh, and puts his -majesty into a horrid rage: by this time, the bull, hunted by all these -foes, charging upon one and speared by another, is becoming exhausted, -or the spectators are wearied with the sameness of the fight, and want a -new victim. The _matador_, or chief butcher, then enters the field in a -full court dress, with a scarlet robe in one hand and a sharp stiletto -in the other. He brandishes the red skirt to draw the bull on, and as he -comes he aims a stab at his neck, and, if he is a master at his work, -takes him in the right spot, and the huge fellow falls dead at his -victor’s feet. Once I saw the matador miss his aim, the bull wheeled -suddenly, one horn took him in the side, and he went over the head of -the bull and came down a mangled corpse. Then a shout went up as if to -shake the skies. I felt badly myself, but these Spanish people seemed to -relish it amazingly, and I suppose they get used to it. But the bull -generally gets the worst of it. When he has had the finishing stroke, a -team of mules is driven in, the dead beast is hitched on by a hook and -chain and drawn out rapidly, and the ring is clear for another fight. -All this has not taken half an hour, and a similar scene is repeated -until four, five, or six bulls, and often as many horses, are killed. - -“When a good hit is made the spectators rise _en masse_ and shout their -applause. This is the triumph of the gladiators in the sand. A little -riband on the bull’s mane is a prize which the combatant seeks to -capture, and this he presents to his lady-love as the evidence of his -bravery and skill. The ladies are evidently quite as enthusiastic in -their love of the national sport as the men, and they show it by -clapping their little hands or fans and crying _bravo_, as eagerly as -any.” - -“And do _you_ really find pleasure in this bloody spectacle?” I inquired -somewhat anxiously, for I had been quite interested in her graphic -description, and could readily see that she had spoken with feeling. - -“Well, I must say that I do like the excitement of it. I never could see -any sport in looking on when two or three or four horses were thrashed -to make them run faster; yet many women think it the height of enjoyment -to see a horse-race. The noblest men of England delight to stand in a -ring around two men who beat each others’ faces into a jelly, and they -call it the ‘manly art’! The ladies of New York go to theatres and -operas with their necks and more exposed to the gaze of men, and the -ladies look at the licentious dancing of _ballet_ girls who have been -tortured into the art of showing themselves disgustingly to every -virtuous taste. And I have come to the conclusion that in all parts of -the world people have their own ideas about amusement, and there is no -great difference in the _moral_ of it. For my part I like a good fair -stand-up bull-fight more than any of them.” - -My fair enthusiast rested; I thanked her for the information she had -given, and added: - -“I agree with you entirely, my dear madam, as to the _moral_ of the -sports you speak of; only I think the New York amusements are the most -corrupt and corrupting. And when I write on ‘Bull-Fights in Seville,’ I -shall do my best to put it in your words.” - -“If you do,” said she, “send me a copy of your book; I want my husband -to read it. He can’t bear bullfights.” - -[Illustration: Drawing of Matador] - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - SEVILLE. - - -DON MIGUEL DE MANARA, a Spanish rake, one of many like the Don Juan who -stands as type of his race, having spent his life in the way rakes love -to live, undertook to be religious in his later years. He had sowed his -wild oats, and never got much of a crop, and now that death was likely -to call for him soon, he thought to get ready for his coming by making -over to some pious uses what he had not spent upon his lusts. According -to the theory of that church which takes care of all Spanish souls, he -made a sure thing of it by founding a hospital, to which was given the -name of “LA CARIDAD.” A brotherhood, whose special vocation was to -minister to persons sentenced to death, and to bury their bodies, took -charge of it. It is famous far beyond Seville and Spain. Its patients -are tended by young men of good families in the city, who minister by -turns to the sick and dying brought to this CHARITY. Perhaps some of the -young gentlemen nurses, like the founder, have an eye to a compromise of -their own infirmities, by giving attention to these miserably sick poor. - -But the fame of the hospital is so great because it has within its walls -some of the noblest paintings in the world! - -The building stands in an obscure part of the town, and we had a long -search to find it, Antanazio, our guide, being quite unused to take his -travellers to hospitals and out-of-the-way churches, as theatres and -bull-fights and fandangoes among the gypsies are much more attractive. -But we found it; an old woman janitor let us in, and led us to the -chapel where the art-treasures are to be seen. - -This church is the guardian of the masterpieces of MURILLO. His manner -is as distinctly marked as Raphael’s or Titian’s, and the power of none -of the Italian masters, unless we except Leonardo da Vinci, is greater -than his. It was difficult to believe this in Italy, where Murillos are -comparatively rare, but here, where alone his greatest and best works -are to be found, it is easy to believe that he is among the first. -Several of his pictures in this church are of St. John, and in one of -them an angel assists the saint in carrying a sick man, and in another -the same saint washes the feet of a pauper. The Miracle of the Loaves -and Fishes is a wonderfully faithful presentation of that sublime scene. -But the great picture, the one we specially came to see, is “Moses -striking the Rock in the Desert.” Its eloquence tells and pleads its own -story: a famished multitude pressing to the gushing stream and gathering -the precious waters in their hands; mothers drinking, while their -children, with parched lips, are pleading for the life-saving draught; -even the beasts declare their joy at the sight of water, and gratitude -lights up the faces of the thronging Israelites. But the central, -majestic figure in the group, on which the painter’s high art is -lavished with a wealth of skill, is Moses, with folded hands and -upturned eyes, acknowledging the goodness and the power which this -miracle, almost as wondrous to him as to his people, has so suddenly -revealed. Near him is his brother Aaron, scarcely less than Moses in the -scene, for he, priest-like, is still in the act of prayer. And in the -people every form and feature of human life and feeling are portrayed, -each after its own kind, with the hand of a master. - -There are several pictures here by others, as well as other Murillos, -that I have not space to mention. Marshal Soult carried off five of the -great pictures by Murillo, and two of them, “Abraham entertaining the -Angels,” and the “Prodigal Son,” were bought by the Duke of Sutherland. -Wellington recovered, at Waterloo, some of Soult’s spoils of the -galleries of Spain. The French are great thieves when they get among -pictures or statuary. They once had the Venus de Medicis boxed and ready -for Paris. War is pretty much the same game all the world over, and -always. - -The picture-gallery of Seville was saved from French spoliation by the -forethought of a Spanish amateur, who sent all the paintings to -Gibraltar before the French reached Seville. We found, to our -disappointment, that the museum was closed for repairs, and a special -order from the governor was necessary. Instead of sending the order, he -promised to send us a guide to conduct us through the gallery the next -day. An hour after the time he came, and the only service he came to -perform was to lead us to the door of the museum, which was close to our -lodgings, and then to receive his fees for this needless service. That -was very Spanish. The porter then admitted us and received his fees. -Another led us across the court into the hall where the pictures were -standing along the walls, unhung, and he received his fees. When the -convents in Spain were suppressed, the best pictures among them were -gathered into this museum. Murillo painted some of his finest works for -the Capuchin convent, which stood near the Cordova gate. One of the -sweetest and most perfect of paintings is that of the two saints of -Seville, the maidens Justa and Rufina, who held up the giralda, or tower -of the cathedral, when it was likely to be blown down in a tempest. In -the days of Pagan Spain a procession was passing through the streets -bearing an image of VENUS, to which the people made homage. Two young -women, lately converted to the Christian religion, by name Justa and -Rufina, refused to worship the idol, and the multitude in their madness -made martyrs of them on the spot. When the Christians became masters of -the city, the maidens became its tutelar saints, and are painted as -holding the giralda in their hands, in honor of their kind interposition -in a storm. - -Here is Murillo’s first and last page of the gospel,—the Annunciation is -the first page, with the beauty and joyful hope of the motherhood of him -who is the desire of all nations; the last page is the Mother of Jesus -weeping over the death of him who was to have redeemed Israel. The St. -Thomas giving alms, by Murillo, has been praised by the best critics as -not excelled by any of his works. Wilkie placed it among the finest. - -It is a question often asked, and never answered, Why can we not have -these pictures, or such as these, in the Western World? Few of the many -who would enjoy and appreciate them ever can come to Spain or Italy, and -must they live and die without the sight of all these glorious works of -art? It would be an easy matter to have copies made of the most -celebrated and magnificent pictures, and transported to New York, into a -national gallery. Copies may be made so as to challenge comparison with -the original, and to give a fair idea of the distinctive manner of each -of the artists. It does not require the same genius to make a perfect -copy that it does to conceive and give birth to the original. And there -are no living artists, and have been none in the last three hundred -years, to paint character, soul, thought, feeling, as those men did whom -we call the Old Masters. We have as great painters now as they. But not -in their line of things. England and France and America have had, and -now have, artists whose works could not have been produced by Da Vinci, -Giotto, Raphael, Michael Angelo, Titian, Carlo Dolce, or Murillo. But -there is no one alive now to paint the Last Supper, the Judgment, the -Transfiguration, the Charles V. on horseback, or the Smitten Rock, -comparable with those majestic transcripts of sentiment which stand up -in the world of art among man’s works, as Niagara and Mont Blanc are -sublime among the works of God. - -After writing the account of the bull-fight in a former chapter, it -occurred to me that you might ask whether I went to see the _sport_ -myself, or relied altogether on the descriptions of the ladies and -others. That is a fair question, and I am therefore obliged to say that -I did not; that I have never seen a bull-fight. Three reasons prevented -me from going. First, they are usually to be seen only on Sunday, and I -never go to places of amusement on that day, at home or abroad. -Secondly, I have no taste for sights of blood, and would rather go the -other way than into the bull-ring at any time. And thirdly and lastly, -in the way of reasons for not going, there was not a bull-fight while I -was there! It was and is yet the winter season, when the weather is cool -compared with spring and summer, and the bulls do not fight well except -when the weather is hot. The “season,” which is even more distinctly -marked than that of opera in Paris or New York, begins the first Sunday -after Lent, and a performance takes place every Sunday afterwards, if -the weather permits, till the height of summer suspends it for a few -weeks when the heat is excessive. It is resumed from the latter part of -August until the first of October. Then the fall and winter are made -dull by its absence, and the Spaniards long for the return of hot -weather and the beasts. - -There is a great deal of exaggeration in the descriptions given by those -who enjoy the sport. The horses selected for the sacrifice are miserable -jades, that are fit for nothing else but to be killed, and the bulls are -rarely so fierce as to be dangerous, unless goaded or provoked into -phrensy by the tricks of the combatants. The men who go into the fight -are all hired butchers or fighters, who are paid regular salaries, like -actors in a theatre, and they make a business of it. And so universal is -the rage of the people to see this, the national sport and pastime, that -the ring must furnish seats for ten, fifteen, or twenty thousand people, -and the price of admission for such a multitude readily supplies the -means to meet the great expenses of the entertainment. - -One of the most curious facts developed by the bull-fight is the -fondness that women have for such scenes. It is no fiction that ladies, -whose refinement cannot be called in question, are in raptures when the -fight is the most savage and bloody. It always was so. In the -amphitheatres of Italy, when martyr Christians were compelled to fight -with wild beasts, the fairest and proudest of women were among the -spectators, who looked on with delight when their fellow-creatures were -torn limb from limb. I have often heard it said, here and elsewhere, -that women are more fond of these bloody spectacles than men are. We -know they are more sympathetic with suffering, and in the hospital and -chamber of sickness and anguish, they minister with a long-suffering -patience and fortitude from which the sterner stuff that men are -supposed to be made of revolts at once, or soon shrinks worn out, “used -up,” as we say. - -What is the effect of these scenes of blood and butchery on the national -character? In the streets the boys play bull-fight: one holds up a red -handkerchief and shakes it in the face of another boy, who makes a lunge -at him with his head, and then pursues him, and another sets off after -_him_, and so the bull-ring is enacted in the highway. As all the large -towns have bull-rings, and the poorest classes of people manage to get -money enough to see the show, and the country boy can give his girl no -greater treat than to take her to a bull-fight, the thing is in the -widest sense national, and its influence reaches down to the lowest -ranks, while it is the pet of the nobility and gentry. And its effect -must be degrading, brutifying, and demoralizing. If there were any thing -in the Spanish character to work upon, for good or evil, the influence -of such a decided national pastime would be more distinctly pronounced. -But the senseless _pride_ of the Spaniard,—pride with nothing to be -proud of; pride with idleness, ignorance, and poverty; pride of the -meanest and most contemptible sort,—is the warp and woof of Spanish -character, and there is hardly any thing more in them than there would -be in a nation of peacocks. - -When you have excepted the vice of intoxication, and a great exception -it is, you have said all that can be said in favor of the moral habits -of the Spanish people. They do not steal from one another, that I know -of, any more than other people do. But they certainly commit murders -more frequently than other nations do, unless the slayer is maddened by -drink. In estimating the comparative morality of peoples, this matter of -intemperance holds the balance. It is the prolific parent of the greater -part of the crimes of a people where it is the prevailing vice, yet very -few moralists are disposed to reckon it the crime of crimes. In Spain -the women are said to be almost universally corrupt. As a matter of -course, the men must be just as bad. I have been assured here in -Granada, by those who ought to know, having long resided here and become -thoroughly acquainted with the state of things, that there is no social -morality among men and women in Spain: that from the highest to the -lowest they have all gone out of the way, and that they are known—the -women are—as divided into four classes, with different degrees of -refinement in vice, but all four classes lost to virtue and without -conscience of sin. It is quite probable that such a statement is to be -taken with many grains of allowance. But making all deductions that -one’s good nature demands, there still remains a sediment of truth that -one shudders to admit. In this plane of inquiry we are met with the -truth that Austria, Italy, France, and Spain are the Roman Catholic -countries where the vice of licentiousness corrupts the moral of social -life. The Protestant countries of Europe are in colder climes, and -intemperance is the vice that among the poorer people breeds misery more -ruinous to their health and prosperity. - -At the railway station, when we were leaving Seville for the Alhambra by -the way of Malaga, a group of natives in the costume of Andalusia -presented a picturesque and not unpleasing appearance. In the _cities_ -of Europe it is rare to see any thing national and peculiar in the dress -of the people. Fashion is an empire that extends over every nation, and -reigns in London, Berlin, Vienna, and Madrid with resistless sway. The -seat of government is in Paris, and her edicts are obeyed in free -America as well as in France. But when you get into the rural districts, -the people cling to an ancient _régime_; a fashion, indeed, who sat on -the throne long years ago, and has never been put aside by any -revolutions of modern invention. These rural Andalusians, in breeches -and sandals, with red belt or sash, and loose jacket, and conical hat -and wide rim turned up all around, are dressed as their -great-grandfathers were, and as their own great-grandchildren will be, -and others, for generations to come. They had been to the city _on an -excursion_, and were now going home again, none the better, but a deal -the worse for the change of life they had suffered in town. - -It was a good opportunity to learn something of the life of these -people, who form, after all, the great mass of any nation, and the part -of the people with whom every true heart is in sympathy. The rich and -the gay, the fashionable people who throng in cities, can live as they -please. The poor, who live from hand to mouth, and cannot choose for -themselves, but must live as they can, these are the people in every -country whose condition we want to inquire into; and when we have -learned of their state, we know what their country is. It is the average -of human comfort that we want to get at. - -And it is a real help towards one’s satisfaction with the condition of a -people to know that it does not take a vast amount of the good things of -this life to make one happy, if he has never had any thing more or -better than the little he has been contented with. These Andalusians -work on the farms of large proprietors, and get six to ten cents a day -and their food, when they are working by the season. This sounds small. -The wages of laboring men who find themselves, and who work by the day, -will average forty or fifty cents a day. To know what such pay is worth -we must know how they live, and what it costs to buy the food they have. -Their food is chiefly soup of bacon oil and vegetables, with bread and -fruit. They take a kettle of this thick soup, more like a pudding than a -soup, to the fields with them; and day after day, year in and year out, -eat substantially the same thing. And this food costs the peasants a -very little more than nothing. The ground is easily worked, the climate -is so favorable to growth and land so abundant, that what can be raised -for food is almost as accessible to the poor as if vegetables were -spontaneous and free to everybody. So it is that these _poor_ people are -quite as well off, as to the mere physical comforts of life, as those -who get one, two, and five dollars a day in other lands, and have to pay -so much for food and lodgings as to be sorely puzzled to do what a cat -often tries to do,—make both ends meet. - -These Spanish peasants appear to be lively, intelligent, and wide-awake. -They give a reason for doing any thing, when they are asked; and that is -more than the Irish or English peasantry can do at home, or in the land -of the soaring eagle. Except in Russia, there is not a people on the -continent of Europe that appear more stolid and unthoughtful, more like -mere cattle or machines, than the farm peasantry of merry England. This -may be in appearance only; but the truth is that you can get more out of -an ignorant laborer on the continent of Europe, whose language you do -not more than half understand, than out of an English farm hand who is -supposed to speak English. - -Beer has something to do with this matter of stupidity. These southern -climates in Europe and this soil are favorable to the culture of -wine-grapes, and wine is the solace and stimulus of the commonest -people. You may buy as good a bottle of wine for thirty cents in Spain -as you would have to pay three or four dollars for in New York. And if -you will not give thirty cents for it, you can have as much as you want -for little or nothing. Until the railroads were built and transportation -made easy and cheap, it was common, when the new vintage came in, to -empty the casks that held what was left over of former years. And a -church was pointed out to me that was built with mortar made with wine -instead of water, there being a scarcity of water in the vicinity but -plenty of wine that was to be thrown away. Sherry wine, which is the -_sack_ of Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, is the leading wine of Spain, and -is made now and here just as wine was made in the times of Hesiod and -Isaiah; for in such climes as this the people keep on doing things as -their ancestors or others did in the same place thousands of years ago. -They drink wine as freely as the English drink beer, and as Americans -drink rum and water. But they do not get drunk as our people do, and -they are not so stupid as the beer drinkers of England are. They are -stimulated, of course, and the exhilaration is carried to excess -sometimes. It is not true to say there is no drunkenness in wine-growing -countries, but the best informed men, who had the most abundant -opportunities of learning the facts in the case, assured me that -_intemperance_ is not common; that it is very rare among the working -people of Spain. This is not to be used as an argument in favor of wine -raising and wine drinking in America. It would indeed be better for the -health of the drinking men to drink pure wine than bad whiskey, or the -vile compounds that are sold as wine in our country. But if wine were as -cheap in the United States as in Spain, there would be just as much -intemperance in the United States as now. The climate and the strife of -such a country as ours furnish causes for the use of stimulating drinks -that do not exist in Italy or Spain; and philanthropists who discuss and -legislate on the subject of temperance, without regard to the physical -circumstances of a people, are in the same case with the traveller who -reckoned his bill without his host. It is well to multiply and fortify -wholesome laws to restrain men from evil indulgence, and it is our duty -to ply all possible moral agencies to reform and save our fellow-men; -but our duty does not end with legislating and preaching. There are -social burdens to be raised from the poor by the voluntary action of the -rich, and by the application of the gospel principle of brotherhood, -which will so ameliorate the condition of the lowly that they will not -be tempted as now, by the pressure of weariness, care, and woe, to fly -to the intoxicating cup for help to bear their load, or to forget that -it is on them. But this disgression is getting dry, if it is on -drinking. - -A beautiful trait of character and a lovely custom of the Spanish -peasantry appear in their love for parents. They yield to them -_obedience_, respect, veneration, and love, after they are aged, and the -children are men and women grown. The married children delight to have -their parents to direct and govern them as in childhood, and these -children even quarrel among themselves to get and keep possession of -their aged parents. This trait of character is said to mark a slow -country, where the past, the ancient, is held in honor; while progress -has no such reverence for old age. Would to God that we had a little -more Spain in young America, if it is Spanish to honor one’s father and -mother. - - - - -[Illustration: IN THE ALAMEDA, AT MALAGA.] - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - MALAGA. - - -THE wind blowing from the north-west,—that is, a land breeze, at Malaga, -excites the nervous system so much, that in courts of law it is held to -be an extenuating circumstance in case of crime. It is therefore of -great importance to know which way the wind blows when you are proposing -to kill your neighbor or to commit a forgery. In our country we have -hardly got to that point, but in Boston, where easterly winds prevail, -the phrenologists set up a plea in behalf of the Malden murderer that -was quite as absurd as the Malaga weather. In New York, the doctrine of -mental and moral disturbance is held to be an extenuating circumstance -in crime. And some of our eminent citizens, merchants, bankers, lawyers, -doctors, and ministers have united in representing the strong excitement -engendered by stock speculation, as an excuse for forgery. From all of -which it is fair to infer that the guilt or innocence of a man in the -New World, as well as the Old, depends very much upon the way the wind -blows. - -Malaga is one of the most celebrated resorts for invalids. It is not a -resort of fashion, like Nice and Mentone, and perhaps Sicily is more -sought by those whose maladies are partly imaginary and the other part -nervous. But Malaga is a place to which intelligent physicians send -hundreds of patients who are in a bad way, and yet have a fair chance of -getting well if they spend a few winters in this uniform, genial, mild, -but not enervating clime. The warm south wind comes in upon it from the -sea, on whose shore it lies, and the mountains in the rear shield it -from the northern blasts. In an ordinary room, without fire, the -thermometer (Fahr.) ranges all winter long from fifty-two to seventy -deg., never higher or lower, unless when an extraordinary fit of weather -is on, and the average temperature is about fifty-five deg. from -November to March. It is six degrees warmer than Rome, which is one of -the dampest, chilliest, and most disagreeable places for an invalid to -winter in. I tried hard to get well in Florence and Rome and Nice, and -then fled to Spain, and found what neither Italy nor Southern France -would furnish,—an equable clime; warm, but not debilitating. Nature has -a laboratory for making mineral waters that chemists in vain attempt to -imitate, and there are peculiar combinations of atmospheric elements in -divers places, that must be tried on the spot if you would get the good -of them. The invalid who wishes a climate that braces him up without -exciting him to cough, will have to breathe in a great many places, -perhaps, before he finds those opposite qualities blended, and if an -unprofessional opinion is worth any thing, it is here given, that the -south of Spain is the paradise desired. But nothing is more important -for consumptives than uniformity of climate, and the argument in favor -of Malaga is complete, when you learn that the range or variation of its -temperature is _less_ than that of any other place on the continent of -Europe! Pau, that beautiful little nest in the Pyrenees, so sheltered by -the hills that no wind visits it too roughly, has a range of no less -than sixty-eight degrees during the year, and Rome has sixty-two, and -even Nice, fairest of watering-places for winter, ranges sixty, but -Malaga has only a range of forty-nine degrees in the year. - -It rained almost every day in Rome. It rains in Florence implacably, -just when you wish it would not. Nice is fairer, but not always fair. -Malaga is so uniformly pleasant, that a day without sunshine is very -unusual in the months of November, December, and January. Good authority -says there are not, during the whole year, more than ten days on which -rain would prevent an invalid from taking exercise. It seemed to me that -the winter weather in Malaga is more nearly like to that of Cairo, in -Egypt, than any other place, and there are but four degrees of -difference in the average temperature. - -But take it summer and winter through, and in the last nine years it has -rained only 262 times, or thirty-nine times in the course of each year: -and think of it, O ye dwellers in London, or Paris, or New York, it has -been foggy or misty but sixteen days in three times three years! And -this bright, beautiful atmosphere gives a blue sky so deep and pure, -that it would take a poet of more than average fancy power to invent a -firmament of superior glory, or to find a sunset in Greece or Italy to -be mentioned in the same day with the gorgeous splendors that clothe the -skies of Southern Spain at shut of day. - -If you have consumption, or bronchitis, or any malady that is working -mischief with your breathing apparatus, do not be governed, nor even -guided, by the hasty generalizations of a man who writes from what he -sees and hears in a tour for health and pleasure through half a dozen -countries in the course of a season. The most that he can tell you is -that such a climate as this is said to be excellent for those who have -consumption already, and is likely to engender it where it is not; and -if you cannot reconcile those two sayings of the books and the people, -it is well enough to know that a sickly plant may be saved by being -cared for in a hot-house, that might have been made to droop if taken in -when it was in healthful vigor. Dr. Lee, whose opinion is of great -weight, regards the climate of Madeira, Pau, or Pisa better than that of -Malaga, for incipient tubercular disease, in persons of an excitable -habit. And so much caution is to be used in deciding upon the means to -be used for saving life by change of clime, that I would not write a -line on this subject if I supposed that any one would be foolish enough -to make a voyage on the strength of it. - -When a miserly client attempted to get an opinion out of a lawyer by -asking him at dinner, “What would you advise me to do in such and such a -case?” the lawyer answered, “I should think the best thing you could do -would be to take advice.” And this is what I advise. - -No finer grapes than those of Malaga do we enjoy at home in the winter -season, and the trade in raisins is enormous. We have been familiar with -a raisin-box, but it was something quite novel to see extensive -factories making nothing else but these rude little cases, all to be -used for packing raisins. The raisin stores or depots where the boxes -are waiting to be exported were so vast as to astonish me, but when one -thinks of the extent to which they are distributed throughout the -civilized world, it is only wonderful that the trade is not far greater. - -The country around is flowing with wine and oil. It might easily be made -to yield cotton and sugar enough to supply the market of Europe. But it -is in _Spain_, and nothing thrives in Spain but Romanism and its sister. - -Through a succession of streets so narrow that no wheel carriages can -pass, and designed only for bipeds and quadrupeds to go on foot, reeking -with smells that made fragrant the memory of Cologne, we wound our way, -meeting Moors from Morocco, in their picturesque costume, caps, togas, -or shawls, with bare legs and sandals; meeting gypsy women and gypsy men -whose home is Spain, and whose story is part of life in Spain, we plied -our devious walk on Sunday into the little square in front of the Malaga -Cathedral. Built of white stone, on the site of a mosque, and still -retaining part of the old Mahometan structure, it rises in a mass about -three hundred feet square, to the height of 130 feet, and the tower -rises 220 feet above the roof. High mass was celebrated when we entered, -and few worshippers were present: most of these were women of some -“religious” order, and some priests, not serving at the altar but on -their knees before it, on the beautiful pavement of blue and white -marble. Perhaps the interior is too light and florid: the various -decorations have been added at periods so remote from each other that -they lack harmony. But what is wanting in severity and solemn majesty is -made up in the variety of ornament, portals, statues, and wood carvings. - -The tribes of Jordan, in Palestine, once held this city and region, -reigning and rejoicing in the climate, the soil, and the sea. They sent -the luscious grapes away to China, and Ibu Bathula, who was here in -1630, was quite as delighted with what he had to eat and see as we are, -who come 230 years after him, for he says: “I have seen eight pounds of -grapes sold for twopence; its pomegranates are like rubies, and -unequalled in the whole world; its courts have no rivals in beauty, and -are shaded by wonderful groves of oranges.” He adds that he saw a -preacher collecting money to ransom some Moors whom a Spanish fleet had -captured. He rejoiced in the wine of Malaga, and all the more, it is -probable, because its use was forbidden by the Koran: for we have the -highest authority to say that stolen waters are sweet. And is it not -Al-Makkari who tells the story of a dying Moor who prayed: “O Lord, of -all things which thou hast in Paradise, I only ask for two; grant me to -drink Malaga and Muscat wine!” - -The old fortress once stood here, from which the beautiful Florinde -threw herself into the sea, and by her death roused the rebellion that -was headed by her father, and drove from the throne her betrayer, -Roderick, the last of the Gothic kings. But all these stories, are they -not written in the chronicles of Washington Irving, and is there any one -so incredulous as to doubt the truthfulness of the thousand-and-one -legends of that fascinating and most learned historian? For my part, -since I have been dreaming here in the Alhambra, I have no more doubt of -the Spanish tales that he told than I have of the verities of the -Arabian Nights or the legend of Sleepy Hollow. - -What travel was in Spain before the invention of _diligences_ I know -not, but probably the rich rode on horse or mule back, and the poor -footed it; now that railroads have brought distant cities near each -other, it is only occasionally that you are treated to an old-time ride -in a coach, and perhaps you may be glad that once at least, in Spain, it -was necessary for us to undergo this species of locomotion. - -Between Malaga, a great seaport, and Granada, the ancient and glorious -city of the Alhambra, there is no communication except by _diligence_. -The time is fourteen hours. And the hour for starting is six in the -evening! You have before you this luxury, of one long, jolting, -execrable night ride, with no rest, no change from dewy eve till morn. -You may be a delicate lady, or a feeble old man, or a middle-aged -invalid, seeking rest and finding none; but you must go by the -diligence, and go in the night and all night, or hire a carriage for -yourself, and then there is no certainty that you will ever get to the -other end of your journey. - -The Spanish _diligence_ is divided into two inside compartments, the -_berlina_ or _coupe_ of three seats in front, and interior of six. By -waiting over a day or two, we were able to get possession of the three -seats in front, and though the fare was more than in the interior, we -had the comfort of escaping suffocation by tobacco smoke, and of seeing -the fun ahead. - -At least a hundred ladies and gentlemen, evidently of the higher class, -assembled at the coach office to take leave of some one who was going to -Malaga to hold an office under government. It was a genteel and decorous -company, and a sight quite peculiar to the country. In America or -England, men are often escorted to and from the station, but this was a -social, rather than a public ovation, and was a quiet and handsome -farewell to a popular man in society. - -[Illustration: THE DILIGENCE.] - -Wherewithal shall I give you an idea of the team that took us out of -Malaga that lovely winter evening! Ten mules, the most refractory, -ill-mated, and discordant beasts that have served a master since the -days of Balaam, were hitched together and to the diligence with rope -harness of primitive construction. On one of the leaders rode a -postilion: by the side of the midway pairs ran a man whose duty and -privilege it was to beat them; and the wheel mules were guided by reins -in the hands of the driver on the top of the diligence. The driver -thrashed the mules at his feet; the whipper thrashed the three pairs in -the middle of the team, and the postilion thrashed the leaders. All -thrashing at once as fast and as hard as they could. All shouting at -once at the top of their voices, the lumbering vehicle is at last fairly -launched and away it goes. The postilion on the forward beasts blows his -horn to signal the people in the narrow and crooked streets that the -thing is coming. The driver snaps his whip like a revolver, and after -the snap brings the lash around the flanks of the lazy brutes: the -whipper is now on one side and now on the other; whip, whip, whip all -the while; kicking, punching, shouting, the mules spread themselves all -abroad, never pulling in concert, but each one on his own hook, and as -we got along out of the suburbs and into the broader ways of the -country, the rebellious creatures seemed to grow frantic under the -ceaseless blows rained upon them by their tormentors, and plunged and -kicked till one of them made confusion all confounded by turning a -somerset out of his harness and bringing the whole concern to a -standstill. It was a short process, putting him in again, and then away -they all scampered, more like a drove of cattle than a harnessed team, -but the beating was redoubled the more they ran, till I really began to -think it was time for these dumb beasts to open their mouths and speak -some words of remonstrance. And yet how soon we became so demoralized, -as rather to enjoy the excitement and frolic of the ride. - -Night was drawing on. We begin to ascend the mountains behind Malaga. -The city lies at their feet, all glorious in the golden light of a -setting sun. The bay is a lake of loveliness; and the sea, unbounded, -stretches off under the southern sky. Orchards of olives, always green, -and hills that are vineyards in the season of grapes, and orange-trees, -are around us,—evidence of a rich and fertile country. Yet every half -mile or so an armed patrol guards the road to make it safe for -travellers, and we have two or three on the top of the diligence with -their guns loaded to give a welcome to any “gentleman of the road” who -might be disposed to make free with unsuspecting travellers. And so, -with the excitement of the novel mode of transportation, and listening -with ears erect to the tales of robbers with which Antanazio beguiled -the mortal hours, we passed a long and wretched night, winding among -craggy mountains on the verge of precipices, and crossing deep ravines. - -It was three o’clock in the morning when we reached Loja, where we were -to stop for refreshments! out of the _diligence_ tumbled a miserable set -of people, sleepy but sleepless, cross and hungry, and made a general -rush to the hostelry—by courtesy called an inn. Nobody was up, but in -the course of ten or fifteen minutes a dirty old man brought in a pot of -chocolate and put a plate of cakes in the middle of a table which had -been spread with a cloth overnight. I noticed little black spots around -on the cloth, and putting my finger at one of them, away hopped a flea, -and a flock of them were soon in motion. The chocolate was good, and the -fleas were stimulating. In twenty minutes we were caged again, and, with -fresh teams and good spirits, set off for Granada. - -About six o’clock in the morning we were passing through Santa Fé,—a -large town—in the streets of which hundreds of men and women were seen -standing, about to march off in gangs to distant fields to work. The -inhabitants do not live in scattered houses over the country,—here and -there a farmer’s cottage, as with us,—but, dwelling for safety in -villages, they must go miles and miles away to and from their fields of -daily labor. This Santa Fé has a history. It was built by Ferdinand and -Isabella while laying siege to Granada, and here Columbus came and -successfully made his plea for their royal favor and help to go out into -the ocean in search of a new world. He found it that same year. Granada -fell in 1492, and the last of the Moorish strongholds yielded to Spanish -power. - -As we rode across the wide and fertile plain that lies in front of -Granada, the lofty mountains appeared; the east was in shadow, and the -west tinged with the rising sunlight. Soon the city on a hill rose on -the right, crowned with the Alhambra. One could not fail to be excited -as the dreams of childhood and youth were becoming real. An hour more -and we were in peaceful possession of Granada, and comfortably lodged -within the grounds of the Alhambra. - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - THE ALHAMBRA. - - -WHEN the followers of Berber, the Moorish chieftain, some of whom came -from the regions of Damascus and the valley of the Jordan, first entered -the plain that lies in front of Granada, they imagined, in the fervor of -their Oriental fancies, that they had struck Paradise itself. Perhaps -they had come back to Damascus, the blessed and glorious city of the -East, but that and Paradise to them were about the same thing. The wide -and fertile plain was and is watered by two streams like those that -flowed round about the Eden of sacred story, and if the earthly gardens -of man’s delight were to be an emblem and foretaste of the flowers and -fruits, the beauty and plenty of the gardens of the skies, they were -certainly now before their eyes. They gave the name of “Damascus of the -West” to the city that crowned the hill, and shone in the summer sun -like the great dome to the temple of the King of kings. This city was -called Granada, from the granates, or pomegranates, that then as now -grew in abundance, with luscious grapes, figs and citrons and olives, -and all the fruits of a southern and delicious clime. Near by, the -snow-clad Sierra Nevada reminded them of their own Mount Hermon, and -over all these was hung a canopy of blue, so deep and pure and clear -that the sea, reversed and lightened by the sun by day, and set with -stars at night, could not have been more lovely to behold. - -[Illustration: OUTER WALL OF THE ALHAMBRA.] - -When the empire of the Moors in Spain was broken into hostile factions, -preparatory to its final extinction, the city of Granada fell into the -hands of Zawi Ibu Zeyri, who was its first king, and established his -royal residence here. The towers or castle on the summit of the hill, -and commanding the whole city, were called _Alhambra_, which means _red -castle_, and to this color the stones turn after exposure to the air, -from the oxide of iron they contain. - -Within the walls of this castle, covering an area of several acres, the -successive Moorish kings erected palaces, and embellishing them -according to their own tastes, joined walls and towers, and courts and -fountains and gardens, until in process of time the great enclosure -became filled with the edifices which this luxurious and extravagant -race of monarchs desired for themselves, their wives and concubines, and -the hosts of servants and dependants which such a style of life, in such -a country, must demand. At this moment, the palace of the Russian -emperor holds five thousand persons, all actually required to wait upon -the Czar and his household and one another. In the Seraglio of the -Sultan of Turkey 40,000 oxen were eaten yearly, and 400 sheep a day. An -army would therefore be as easily lodged as the family of a Moorish king -in the palace at Granada. What it was in the days of Abu-Abdallah, who -has the traditional honor of having built the palace itself, or of Yusef -I., who added lustre to its walls by his gorgeous decorations, we can -form but a faint conception from what we see of it now that it is -stripped of its purple and gold, and has nothing of its former splendors -but the mouldering walls and shattered stairs and broken floors. - -The first prince who took up his abode in the Alhambra itself was -Alhamar, from whom it has been by many supposed that the palace itself -was named. He was a wise, gentle, and noble ruler, so widely differing -from most of his race that he actually preferred peace to war; and, to -make it possible for him to pursue without interruption his vast -beneficent plans for the improvement of the condition of his people, he -consented to pay an annual tribute to Ferdinand, King of Arragon. -Alhamar constructed roads to the distant parts of his empire, which then -reached to Gibraltar; he built colleges and hospitals; and the canals -that carried waters far into the plains for irrigation were the work of -this barbarian king. Under his reign the city rose to its zenith of -splendor. The arts and sciences flourished as the vine and fig-tree in a -genial soil. Wealth, learning, genius, taste, and chivalry lent their -aid to heighten the attractions of this fair city. Yusef, one of his -successors, added many buildings to those that he had left, and others -were crowded into the arena in after reigns, so that for two hundred and -fifty years it was growing in such magnificence and beauty, as the soft, -languid, and effeminate tastes of a luxurious, debauched, and decaying -race of irresponsible, licentious, and decaying monarchs, with a host of -wives to prompt them to indulgence in every whim of fancy, could invent -to add to the delights of their terrestrial paradise. What could be -looked for as the result of such lives but the ruin of the empire. Kings -had but short reigns, for intrigue, lust, ambition, and murder made one -after another give place to a rival who sought his bed quite as much as -his throne. The usurper soon became the enfeebled voluptuary of the -harem, and the arm that was as strong as Hercules in the battlefield -became as weak as a woman’s when love, not war, was the passion of the -hour. A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. The cities of the -Moors no longer were in league, but each, jealous of the rest, was in -succession sieged and sacked. - -At last Granada stood alone in its independence and its impending ruin. -Mohammed Ibu Otsman had bowed his neck to the Queen of Castile, and the -Alhambra was the only Moorish gem which remained to be transferred to -the Christian crown. Ferdinand of Arragon, by marriage with Isabella of -Castile, formed at once a union of hearts and arms that prepared the way -for the overthrow of the last remnant of Moorish power in Spain. -Columbus, repulsed from his native country, had strangely sought aid in -this distracted land. As if a higher will than his own were directing -his weary steps, he had pursued these conquerors of the Moors over the -mountains, and found them in their tents within sight of the red towers -on the heights of Granada. They had other conquests than of unknown -worlds in view. The prize they sought was gleaming, like a sun, between -them and the snows of Sierra Nevada. They turned a deaf ear, in the din -of war, to the tales of the adventurous sailor. And he went away. - -He had gone a day’s journey on his solitary way to Seville and had -reached Loja, where we had fleas and cake for our lunch this morning, -when a messenger from the queen arrested his steps and brought him back -to the royal presence and favor. They gave him the blessing and the gold -he needed, and then they conquered the Moors, and Granada, with its -Alhambra, fell into their hands. And in the same year Columbus gave them -a new world in the West. - -Years and years since, even in the long time ago when the sunny days of -childhood were yet in the glow of their noon, I remember wondering “what -the Alhambra is.” It had to me then, and all the way along the -lengthening years of life, a dreamy rather than a real existence, and if -at times I read its story, the “Tales of the Alhambra” rather increased -than weakened the sense of dream-life in which alone it was to be -enjoyed. - -In Malaga I went into a Spanish bookstore and asked for English books on -Spain. The bibliopole sent me into the garret of his shop, where in a -corner was heaped a pile of odds and ends of English literature, such as -might have been left behind by some poor invalids who had perished in -their perusal, while seeking to get a new lease of life in this -delicious clime. But among them were several copies, in paper covers, of -Irving’s “Tales of the Alhambra,” whose uncut leaves showed them to have -been unread and kept for sale to passing pilgrims like myself. I carried -one off. It would be pleasant to read on the spot: and I have read them -with fresh delight, while every court and wall and tower, every -fountain, stream, plain, hill is linked with the stories that the old -master told while he dreamed within the ruins of the palace that his -fiction has made more famous than its history. But reading tales about -the Alhambra do not tell us what it is, and it is quite likely that my -account will give you no more intelligible an idea of it. - -We have ascended the hill through a long avenue shaded with elms, and -approach a massive gate, the gate of judgment, a seat of justice in -olden times, where in the open air, as was common in Oriental climes, -the magistrates, the elders, were accustomed to administer the law. -“Then he made a porch, where he might judge, even a porch of judgment.” -I Kings, vii. 7. Many other passages of Scripture allude to the same -custom. A square tower surmounts the gate, and the pillars are inscribed -with Arabic legends. The horse-shoe arch has a mighty hand in -bas-relief, with the fingers pointing upward, and on the second arch is -a key in stone, and the tradition is that the gate was impregnable until -the stone hand should take the stone key and unlock the gate for the -enemy to enter. Without waiting for such a miracle, we pass through the -two-leaved gates, and by a winding and still ascending path we reach the -terrace on which the palaces and villas of the Moorish kings were built. -This plateau is about half a mile long, and narrow, surrounded by red -walls six feet thick and thirty feet high, and made strong by many -towers, each one of which was the residence of some of the household of -royalty. The various styles of architecture within and on these walls -are the best illustrations of the successive races and tastes and power -of the men who have ruled on this lofty eminence. Rome and Carthage has -each in its turn been master here, and left his sign-manual in -characters that time has spared. More incongruous than any thing else is -the Tuscan palace of Charles V., and a modern parish church has risen on -the ruins of a mosque. Napoleon’s soldiers were followed by the English, -and modern war is not a whit more mindful of the proprieties of art and -sentiment than the old savagery which we despise. Ruin, desolation, -decay is now the spirit of the place. It is impressive, eloquent indeed; -perhaps more so than those ruins in Egypt and Greece and Rome that have -the hoar of more centuries upon them. It is not so strange, nor so -mournful, that the columns and walls should now be in the dust that did -their duty two, three thousand years ago. It seems to be almost becoming -that the temples of old paganism should moulder in the dispensation of -faith that worships in spirit only. But it is painfully suggestive of -the transient nature of all human art and power that these massive -structures with gorgeous decorations, whose splendor is only equalled by -the fancies of romance, have had their rise, their reign, and their ruin -all within the lapse of the last ten hundred years. - -Antonio Aguilo ’y Fuster, Conseije del Palacio Arabe, Alhambra, gave me -his card, as we entered a small door in the side of a plain wall, and -were informed that we were now in the palace of the Moors, the veritable -Alhambra itself! The important personage whose card was in my hand was -the guardian of this mysterious realm, and would, for the usual -consideration of a dollar to him paid, introduce us to the several -apartments. The contract was concluded, and the porter led the way. - -He brought us first into the Court of Myrtles. It is a vast open oblong, -170 feet by 74, with a lake in the centre, surrounded by a marble -pavement and myrtle-trees, from which it takes its name. In this lake -the wives of the Moorish monarch bathed, of course secluded from all -eyes but his own, and the eunuchs, whose “sentry boxes” still remain. -Light and beautiful columns, with graceful arches springing from the -capitals, support a gallery on all sides. Out of this court open many -rooms, whose floors and walls and ceilings, with their inscriptions, -their delicate tracery work, not worth the name of sculpture, but -beautiful as perishable, are the types of the race that revelled here in -the beginning of the fourteenth century. Right here Mohammed III. had -his head cut off, and his body was pitched into the water where the -usurper king Nasr often enjoyed the luxury of a bath with his wives. - -The governor, or more properly the janitor, made brief comments on the -architecture and uses of the various apartments, and then led us to the -_Court of Lions_. Above all other portions of the Alhambra this gives -the most correct idea of the palace as it was in its ancient and early -glory. A process of restoration has been going on for some years, under -the direction of government, and Sr. Contreras having the work in -charge, has succeeded so happily that Yusef himself, who was the first -monarch to indulge in these Oriental shawl-pattern tracery and tawdry -designs, would have been delighted to have the modern architect to help -him from the beginning. And the Emperor of Russia has heard such reports -of the wonderful restorative powers of this skilful manipulator of -plaster, that he has ordered an Alhambra for himself, a copy of this -series of ruined palaces, which he will keep for a curiosity on the -banks of the Neva. In the midst of the court is a fountain supported by -twelve marble lions, in the centre of a vast alabaster basin. Standing -on the four sides of it are 124 white marble pillars, sustaining a light -gallery and a pavilion projecting into the court, elaborately adorned -with filagree-worked walls, and a domed roof that admits the tempered -light and excludes the heat of the sun. This fountain too has been -filled with blood, for here in the midst of all this luxury of splendid -decorations the children of Abu Hazen were beheaded by the order of -their own father. One only was spared, and he lived to regret it; for he -lived to be the famous and unhappy Boabdil, the last of the Moorish -kings of Granada. The next hall into which we will enter is that of the -_Abencerrages_, an illustrious family, who fell under suspicion of -disloyalty to the throne. The wily monarch invited all the leaders of -this line to a feast, and when they had been sumptuously entertained, -they were invited, one by one, to the Court of Lions, which we have just -left, and each man’s head was cut off as he entered. The dark spots on -the marble floor are, of course, kept sacredly dark from year to year, -in memory of the treacherous punishment of imaginary treason. - -The most magnificent of all the halls is that of the Ambassadors. It is -the largest of the apartments, and is seventy-five feet high. It was the -grand reception-room, where the throne of the Sultan was placed, and -around the sides of the room are niches where each one of the -ambassadors of foreign courts was seated in state, on great occasions. -The ceiling is curiously wrought in different colors,—blue, white, and -gold, inlaid wood in crowns and stars and wheels. All around are -inscriptions celebrating the praises of the kings, and couched in the -panegyric imagery of the Oriental style. - -It would be tedious to read, if I had patience to describe, the many -courts and halls and baths, saloons and chambers, the galleries leading -to them, the little gardens where the sun looks kindly down upon a few -plants and flowers, and to tell you of the thousand-and-one tales with -which so many of these towers and chambers have been made historic. -Murder has followed close on the heels of jealousy, in all ages, and -under a system that makes intrigue and lust the great amusement of life, -the history of the harem has always been a story of suspicion and blood. - -[Illustration: PORTION OF A DOOR.] - -Bensaken is _the_ guide to the Alhambra. Others are willing to lead you -through the labyrinth, and will talk to you as they go, in a mixture of -Spanish, Italian, French, and English, with a dash of Arabic, which they -have picked up from the translations of inscriptions on the walls; but -they are all ignorant fellows, who live by the ignorance of those to -whom they tell their stories. Now Bensaken is an Englishman, born in -Gibraltar, and has lived to be seventy years old in Spain; has been -through all these years adding to his knowledge of the country, its -history and its condition, especially all that relates to the Moors, -Granada, and the Alhambra, until he has grown into a walking cyclopedia -of Spanish lore. And this learning of his he guards so cautiously that -when other guides and interpreters, with travellers so unhappy as to -have fallen into their hands, would come near to us while our learned -Bensaken was discoursing to us of the wonderful mysteries of the -Alhambra, its legends and its uses, he would suddenly pause in his -interesting narrations, and begging pardon for his silence, would wait -until they had passed beyond hearing; for, said our veracious and most -agreeable Bensaken, “I cannot afford to let them fellows know what I -have been learning all these years of my life, I have forgot enough to -set all of them up in business.” - -“Did you know our countryman, Washington Irving, when he was here?” I -inquired. - -“Oh yes, and a nice, worthy gentleman he was: so kind, so pleasant -always; but he did not keep very closely to the facts: to tell you the -truth, those are very beautiful stories of Mr. Irving, but the most of -them are all in your eye, sir.” - -“He speaks of the good people who lived here when he lodged in the -Alhambra, and a fair maiden to whom he gave the name of Dolores, and a -noble young man, Molina, or something like that; what ever became of -them, can you tell me?” - -Bensaken gave a low little laugh, and said that Dolores was a coarse and -dowdy drudge, whom the warm imagination of the author had invested with -purely rhetorical charms, and the other occupants of the palace had no -claims to distinction. One of them whom he mentioned was murdered in a -street brawl, and the whole family had passed into oblivion. Yet their -names will live in the stories of the Alhambra while the genial and -smoothly flowing pages of Irving are read as the pleasantest and most -_reliable_ account of the traditions of this wondrous pile. - -We went down into the garden of the Queen’s prison, and on a little -patch of green we stood while Bensaken pointed to the gallery where she -was permitted to walk and take the air and enjoy the sunlight, but the -various chambers to which she was restricted had no exit. This was not -very close confinement, to be sure, but it becomes intolerable, even the -luxury of a palace, with a flower garden in its court, and gorgeous -hangings and gilded ceilings and marvellous sculptures, if the royal -lodger is a prisoner, and hopes for no exit but through the gate that -opens in the tomb. - -And then we visited the “Hall of Two Sisters,” so fancifully named -because of two immense marble slabs, which form a part of the pavement. -The decorations of this apartment are exceedingly beautiful. The -stalactite roof is said to consist of 5,000 pieces, and though all this -plaster ornamentation is supported only by reeds, it remains almost -unbroken as it was when first put up. These were the private apartments -of the wives and slaves of the Sultan, and were furnished with couches -and divans, and the walls are covered with love poems, in the glowing -language of the East, celebrating the sensual delights of these -voluptuaries of the harem. All that architecture and upholstery, poetry -and taste could supply for the embellishment of chambers of pleasure, -were lavished with wasteful profusion here, or, to use the more familiar -terms of our Western phraseology, “they were got up regardless of -expense.” - -Passing out upon a balcony we looked down upon the _Linderaka_ gardens, -which once were the delight of a princess whose name, Linda Raxa, was -the same as Pretty Rachel; she became a Christian, and her story, if put -into the hands of a skilful manufacturer, would make a beautiful -romance, with more truth than is necessary for half a dozen modern -historical novels. The dressing-room of the Queen in one of the towers -has a look-out upon the surrounding country; the Sierra Nevada, rising -11,000 feet, and so near in this clear atmosphere that it seems close at -hand, and one feels the coolness of the snow-cliffs on its sides; there -is the house, now a college, where Christians suffered martyrdom under -Domitian and Nero; those huts in the hill in front and those holes into -the hill itself are the habitations of gypsies, whose home is Spain, and -who are very numerous in these parts; the city of Granada itself lies at -our feet; once it had more than a thousand towers, and now it has more -than 500, and they are monuments of departed glory. Yet there is nothing -in the city so mournfully eloquent of human folly and frailty as the -ruin in which we are standing. Here is a wide marble slab, pierced with -twelve holes, and below the slab is the chamber where the perfume was -prepared, and as it ascended the Queen stood over these holes, and was -made suitably fragrant! In the days of Esther similar means were -evidently in use, and they were probably quite as salutary and agreeable -as the modern condensations which in a bag or bottle furnish the -necessary facilities for making lovely woman odorous to her friends. - -Down below was a suite of rooms where the baths for the Sultan and the -children were arranged, with pipes for the supply of hot and cold water, -as convenient as in “a house with all the modern improvements.” Places -for couches, galleries for musicians whose melodies would make the -luxury of the bath more enjoyable; the pavement is of white marble, the -roof is pierced with holes like stars, and the whole arrangement -corresponds with the baths of Turkey and Cairo at the present day. - -[Illustration: THE VERMILION TOWER.] - -And the long passage through which we were now conducted led to the -dungeons of the castle; most of them are walled up, but one was left -open that we might see how short and easy was the mode of disposing of -an unhappy victim of jealousy or revenge, who could be built into a -recess and find it a dying bed and grave. It was a long subterranean -walk till we came out to the governor’s court. Here I saw what I had not -supposed to be possible,—a marble slab bent into the shape of a bow by -the weight of a wall falling and resting upon it. - -On every balcony and at every window the wise Bensaken was ready with a -tale of love, or blood, or gold; and it would be hard to say in which he -most delighted to indulge. He was sure that out of this window the -beautiful Zoraya, the “Morning Star” of Abu Hazen, she that was once -Dona Isabel de Solis, a fair Christian captive who became the favorite -Sultana, and the mother of Boabdil, let him down by a basket into an -abyss from which he escaped and saved his life, to become afterwards the -last of the race of princes here. But I must tell you one of his stories -that he knows to be true, and which has never yet been entered into any -chronicles of the Alhambra. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - THE ALHAMBRA (_Continued_). - - -BLASICHO, or, in good English, poor Blas, was an honest worker in -leather, a mender of soles, in the city of Granada. There are streets in -this queer old town wholly given up to one or another handicraft, and it -is rather pleasing than otherwise to see the rule disproved that two of -a trade can never agree. Perhaps it is easier for a whole street full of -cobblers, or tinkers, or carders, or smiths, to live in peace, than it -would be for only two rivals in trade, who would be jealous of each -other as natural foes. It was curious to follow the walks along and see -the little shops, sometimes not more than five or ten feet square, -filled with the wares and the workmen, so that a customer would have had -hard work to wedge himself in if he would be measured for a coat or -boots, or examine the goods for sale. It looked as if there were some -people willing to work, though we heard of a shoemaker who was called -upon by a traveller like ourselves to repair his dilapidated shoe: the -cobbler called out to his wife to tell him how much money there was on -hand, and learning that she had enough to get them supper, he declined -doing the work. This was in literal compliance with the Spanish rule -which requires a man never to do to-day what can be put off till -to-morrow. - -Blasicho had a hard time of it to get work enough to earn the bread that -his wife and his little ones must have from day to day, and he hated -work, as all his neighbors did, and all his race do. If he had a wife -with a cheerful temper, to cheer him as he beat his leather on his knee, -perhaps it would have been better for him and his, for it does make work -light and easy to have a good-natured woman near at hand, to say a -pleasant word and hear even one’s complaints with a sympathetic smile. -But the wife of Blasicho was neither fair to look upon nor gentle in her -temper, and she led the poor cobbler a vexed and weary life of it. His -lapstone was not harder than the heart of his spouse, and the blows that -he gave it were more in number, but not more severe, than she rained -upon him, when their words grew into quarrels that always ended in the -thorough discomfiture of the man of the house. Her great sorrow was that -she had not wealth: her sisters had found husbands who could give them -the best of every thing, and as much as they required to make fine -ladies of them, but she had married a cobbler too poor to live without -work, and too lazy to work, and the only blessing they had in abundance -was a flock of children that grew in stature and numbers every year, and -demanded more and more to keep them alive. She dinned her woes into his -ears, and his poor soul was worried to despair by the ceaseless pother -of her querulous tongue. - -He wanted money. If California had been part of the known world in the -day of Blasicho’s misery, his greed would have driven him to the mines -in search of gold. But gold he must have, or his wife would worry him to -death. He had heard that the Moors had left heaps of gold in the earth -all around him, and if he had some rod to guide him to the sacred spot -where the treasure was concealed, it would be the making of him for -life, to dig it and carry it home to gladden the heart of his -discontented wife, and stop the everlasting run of her complaining -tongue. Day after day he walked around the hill of which the Alhambra in -its glory and decay is still the crown, and he studied the projecting -rocks and the graceful curves and gentle depressions, and the peculiar -growth of the citron and pomegranate, to discover some signs of a place -where it might be that in the olden time some Moorish miser, or in later -time some Spanish pirate coming home from foreign pleasures, had buried -his gold. His hope was suddenly kindled into certainty. One sunny -morning he was taking his daily walk about the sacred hill, and passing -through the deep cut on the eastern side, where far above his head the -aqueduct with the waters of the river run into the Alhambra with its -refreshing and ceaseless flow, he sat down to rest awhile and muse upon -his hapless lot, and the hopeless search in which he was wasting his -days. He looked up at the craggy side through which the red rock -cropped, and on the scanty soil in which the almond shrubs were -struggling to hold their own, and he was wishing that one of those red -rocks were a ruby or even a lump of gold, when a dove, whose home was in -the Tower of Comares, flew down upon a projecting rock, and cocking his -eye most knowingly, looked below as if it saw something there that would -be worth having. Blasicho observed the motion, and the thought came to -him that the dove was a messenger to point him to the spot where his -treasure lay. He took note of the rock, and drew a line, with his eye, -to the foot of the hill where the bird’s eye had guided his search. A -few feet from the path, up the cliff-side, was a ledge of rock, and it -was easy to see that, a century or two ago, a man might have stood on it -and worked into the mountain and buried his gold. The ledge would be the -mark by which he could find it, and its height was such that no one -would suspect that such a spot would be chosen as a hiding-place for -money. - -Poor Bias went home with his head full of the dove and the gold. All day -as he sat on his bench pretending to work, the beautiful neck of the -dove, with his head turned sideways, and his one eye down looking to the -ledge, was before him. That night he dreamed that he went there and -broke into the hill with a pick and found a heap of gold. The next -morning he went there and the dove came again, and again she peered into -the ledge from above, and again Blasicho was comforted with the -strengthened hope. He dreamed the second time the same, and came the -third morning and the dove met him as before; and again, the third -night, he dreamed that he burst into the mountain and was the possessor -of more gold than his insatiable spouse had ever dreamed of having. This -was more than the anxious cobbler could endure and be quiet. That night -in the darkness and alone, for there was no one in Granada he could -trust with his discovery, Blasicho sought the ravine, climbed cautiously -to the ledge with a bar of iron to aid him in his burglary. He struck in -vigorously, for it might be a long night’s work, and time was precious. -The hollow sound that answered his blows quickened his heartbeats, for -it assured him there was a chamber within. The _débris_ was fast piling -at his feet. He was already inside the hill. He heard something grating, -rattling above and near him; he rose to his feet only to be struck with -a land-slip which his digging had started: it caught him, dashed him off -his perch, buried him, bruised him, half killed him, at the foot of his -golden hill. The poor fellow struggled from underneath the mass of dirt -and stones, and luckily finding no bones were broken, but more dead than -alive, he crept home and went to sleep, while his wife was dinging into -his ears her reproaches for his bad habits of being out late at nights. -He was cured of hunting for gold in the dark. He became a new man, a new -cobbler. His early hammer advertised his conversion. Business revived. -He had to have some more help in the shop. The shop was soon too small. -He wanted to enlarge it, and for that purpose he got permission of his -landlord to dig away the hill in the rear to make room for an extension. -This work he performed with his own hands after the day’s work in the -shop. That digging made him rich! What he found he had wit enough to -keep secret, even from his wife, for if his landlord should hear of it, -he would lay claim to it as in his soil. But Blasicho went on with his -cobbling and building. He bought a few lots in one of the fashionable -quarters of Granada, and to each of his daughters, to whom suitors came -in numbers, now that he was evidently prosperous, he gave a handsome -house and portion. - -More than all, and better, his wife’s temper improved. He and she still -lived over the shop, but the apartments were embellished with all the -comforts that the amiable woman wanted, and she was proud, and not -humbled, when her sisters came to see her. None of them knew the source -of his sudden wealth, and indeed he was cunning enough to develop -gradually, so that it was attributed to his increasing business, and his -good luck in trade. - -He knew that it all came of his being cured of money digging, and -sticking to his work. He had never heard of the Latin proverb, _ne sutor -ultra crepidam_,—let the cobbler stick to his last,—but he knew the -soundness of the principle. And he taught his grandchildren, who were -fond of visiting him, that when he tried to get rich in a hurry he got -nothing but wounds and bruises; but when he worked faithfully and -steadily at his trade, prosperity followed his labors, and his days were -crowned with plenty, contentment, and love. - -An old woman sat at the foot of the stone stairway, and took the fee -that admitted us to the Watch Tower. On the southern edge of the hill, -and rising high above the rampart, the broad flat roof of the tower -affords an off-look that scarcely has an equal for beauty of prospect -and interest in historical association. A bell swings in a turret; the -rope hangs within reach; and there is magic in the ring. For the second -day of January is a great fête day in Granada,—the anniversary of the -capture of the city by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492,—and every maiden -who ascends this tower on that day, and rings the bell with her own -hand, is sure to have a wedding ring on her hand in the course of the -year. The bell therefore rings right merrily on the fête day from early -morn to set of sun, and the sign is as sure as any of the many that love -and folly have conjured. - -And in the far west, across the plain, rise the Parapanda Mountains, on -whose top a cloud resting is a sign of rain, and when it hangs there -they say it will rain “if God wills;” but if the cloud descends the -mountain-side they say “it will rain if God wills _or no_.” - -There too, off on the verge of the plain, lies a farm of 4,000 acres -which the Spanish government gave to the Duke of Wellington for his -expulsion of the French, and his heirs now derive a revenue of some -$20,000 annually from the land. - -And that gap in the mountains is the pass where Moor and Christian, the -Cross and Crescent, have encountered each other in murderous fight, when -knights in armor met hand to hand, and in protracted battles far more -bloody and fierce than in our modern warfare they contended for the -possession of this beautiful vale. - -It is called the _vega_, or the plain, and from the watch-tower on which -we are now standing we have the best view of it. Two rivers, like those -that watered Paradise, flow across it,—the Darro, which the Moors called -Hadaroh and the Romans Calom, and the Genil, which the ancients knew as -the river Singilis. This fertile and beautiful plain stretches thirty -miles or more away from the city of Granada, like a vast amphitheatre, a -prairie sea: now and then a white cluster of houses, a little village, -like an island on the surface of this great ocean of corn and wine. The -snow-clad heights of Sierra Nevada rise to the bluest of blue heavens -that cover it as an infinite dome, and the five-hundred-towered city -stands on this rocky height in the midst of this magnificent panorama, -the green meadows and vineyards of the _vega_ below, the white-capped -mountains around, and the cerulean skies, so pure, so deep, so lovingly -bending over and embracing the whole. - -But the bell on the watch-tower answers a better purpose than merely to -ring husbands for the lively Spanish girls. This plain is to be watered -by these rivers, and they must be led away from their own banks by -artificial channels to the thousands of plantations into which it is -divided. But the rivers are not sufficient to allow the continuous flow -of water through all these canals for irrigation, and the time and -quantity of water are regulated by law. Each man has his water-gate, -through which the stream is to come, and the hour when he is to open his -gate and when to close is announced from the tower. At the stroke of -one, all within a certain distance open their gates, and the water flows -in upon their fields, until the bell strikes again, when they close, and -the next open theirs, and so the supply is extended from one to another -and the whole plain is watered. - -The “Sigh of the Moor” is the name of that mountain in the south-east -horizon, on the way to the sea-coast, and it gets its name from the -tradition that when the last of the Moorish kings, the unhappy Boabdil -of whom we have been speaking often, was flying from the city, he paused -here, and as he looked back upon Granada “he saw a light cloud of smoke -burst from the beautiful and beloved Alhambra, and presently a peal of -artillery told that the throne of the Moslem kings was lost for ever. -‘Allah Achbar, God is great!’ he exclaimed; and, unable to refrain his -grief, he burst into a flood of tears. ‘Weep not,’ said his mother, the -stern proud Azeshah, ‘weep not as a woman for the loss of a kingdom -which you knew not how to defend as a man.’” - -As Bensaken pointed to the mountain of “El Ultimo Suspiro del Moro,” and -told this sad story of the Sigh of the Moor, the tears stood in the old -man’s eyes, and he was actually in sympathy with the Moor Boabdil who -ran away from this tower nearly four hundred years ago. - -Behind those hills, and in the valley beyond, there are to this day -villages inhabited by a race of people who retain the Moorish manners -and customs, mingling the Roman and Mahometan forms of worship, using no -knives or forks, but eating with their fingers, in the Oriental style, -and preserving with traditional jealousy the prejudices of the race that -has been so long extinct in Spain. Rarely does a traveller climb the -heights that stand between those settlements and the higher civilization -of the plains and cities, but the few who push their adventurous way -into those uninviting regions find themselves suddenly carried back into -life and times of which we read now-a-days as if in the pages of -romance. - -Walking across the tower, we look down into a court, where a guard of -soldiers is keeping watch over a prison! And, to our amazement, we find -that we are in the very midst of the walls that contain four or five -hundred _political_ prisoners, who are here in durance vile for real or -suspected offences. It is not the fashion at present to put to death -political offenders, and the poor fellows that are shut up in these -walls, hopeless and helpless, are perhaps on the whole disposed to think -themselves better off than if they had lost their heads. Once the late -queen punished the whole of her congress, some hundred and fifty, and -sent them to prison, or foreign parts, thinking that their room was -worth more than the advice they were disposed to give her. Some of the -prisoners here confined are men of high social standing and of -commanding influence in the country, but in the miserable strife for -power and wealth, and the game of politics, which is more corrupt, if -possible, here in Spain than in our own country, they have fallen -victims to successful rivals, and are now wasting away in the dungeons -of the Alhambra. Some of them had obtained the special favor of working -in the gardens and among the flowers and shrubbery; and, under the -genial beams of the bright sun in winter, they found a grateful -mitigation of their sufferings. - -We had seen enough for one day, and took a ride over the city. Bensaken -pointed out, as we passed the modest mansion in which the late beautiful -Empress of the French was born. Her father, Count Montejo, fell in love -with a daughter of the British consul at Malaga, Mr. Kirkpatrick, whose -name unites Scotland and Ireland. The count married her, and Eugenie is -their daughter. Her grandfather is therefore a Scotch-Irish-English -gentleman. Some of her relatives are not of much account. One of them -asked of me the gift of a glass of whiskey. - -Not far from the Alhambra, and a pleasant walk across the fields, is the -Generaliffe, a pleasure-palace in olden time, a retreat in the country -from the more stately grandeur and closer confinement of the citadel. - -It has been preserved with greater care, or perhaps restored from time -to time, and is now one of the most interesting remnants of the Moorish -dynasty. Its courts are paved with marbles, gladdened with fountains and -flowers, and from some of them tall cypresses rise, which in other -countries would rather adorn a burial-place than a palace court. One of -them is the famous tree under which the beautiful Sultana Zoraya was -sitting when one of the Abencerrages came to prefer a petition, and -being seen to kneel before her, was suspected of making love, and her -life and that of all his family was the forfeit. Bensaken was greatly -provoked by the evident disposition of the writers of historical tales -to insinuate that the Queen was actually receiving a lover, while he -makes out a case of innocence and positively merciful virtue that would -melt a heart of stone. - -But if Bensaken was kind in his judgment of the ancient Queen, whose -guilt or innocence will never be made the subject of inquiry before a -court of impeachment in this world, he was less inclined to say a good -word for the women of Spain. And in this matter he was no harder on them -than others who have lived long enough in this demonstrative country to -know the facts in the case. The women of Spain are, as a nation, more -beautiful than those of any foreign country in which I have travelled, -and this average beauty covers the peasant classes as well as the -better-born. This is to be mentioned in connection with the fact stated -by all who are familiar with Spain, that virtue is scarcely known. It is -impossible, without disregard of the proprieties, to go into the -statistics which an illustration of this fact would require. I was -repeatedly assured that ladies would regard it as a reproach, an -evidence that they were slighted, if they had not an acknowledged lover -besides their legal lord. Of course the men are worse than the women, if -worse can be, and little or no disgrace can be said to accrue when the -vice is so common that virtue is an exception, and is despised at that. -If it be asked, how can such a state of things be, when the church -embraces in its bosom all the people, young and old, and confession is -required of all who commune? the answer is easy. The forced celibacy of -the priests tends to corruption, and they have no moral power over the -people, unless it be a moral power for evil. And this vice is not -necessarily a vice of a Roman Catholic people: it is the vice of the -climate: as genial to the south as intemperance in drink is to the -north. We must be charitable in our judgments of our neighbors and our -fellow-sinners everywhere. It is a very common impression that the sins -of a people are fashioned by the type of the religion they profess; and -that this vice, which prevails all over the south of Europe, has some -relation to the Roman Catholic religion, which is also the ruling -influence of church and state. Doubtless the reformation of the church -would reform the state also, but human nature will remain substantially -the same, and the vices peculiar to the climate would still discover -themselves to a greater or less extent. Under the Protestant influences -of the north of Europe, intemperance prevails fearfully. So it does in -our country, in spite of the highest moral culture and the best -opportunities of education. Religion in its purest forms does not reach -the masses of mankind in any country so as to save all of them from -vice, and in its imperfect development, as in Romish or half-reformed -countries, it is even less powerful to deter the multitude from evil. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - GRANADA. - - -WHEN we came down this evening from the Generaliffe, we found a curious -group in the vestibule of the inn where we were lodged, and a picture of -troubadour and gypsy life in Spain was before us suddenly. A dwarf, so -stout and short as to be a monster in his appearance, and two or three -girls to sing and play with a rude tambourine, made hideous dancing. The -landlord and landlord’s wife, the two daughters of the landlord and -their husbands,—two lazy fellows who helped one another do nothing all -day long,—were seated around, enjoying the scene. The short fellow was -short mainly in his legs, which, indeed, were not much longer than his -neck; and the antics he cut up were grotesque and ludicrous in the -extreme. But who could refrain from joining in the dance to the music, -rude as it was? The landlord’s daughters could not, and with a little -coaxing the dandy husbands were brought upon the floor; other young -people, hearing the fun, dropped in, the frolic became general, and we -were treated to an impromptu Spanish fandango, of which I do not propose -to be the reporter. It was not amusing merely, but interesting also to -observe the phase of lower life among these people, and to see how -easily they could find entertainment without going out of doors to get -it. The ugly dwarf went through the company, cap in hand, gathered a few -pence, and with his little troupe hobbled off to try his luck at some -other place. They told me that he lives in the mountains, many leagues -away from Granada, but comes down to town, during the season of company, -to exhibit himself. And in this, too, he is not unlike the degraded in -other parts of the world, who are always willing to make a living by -their deformities, if they can get a chance. - -[Illustration: THE ALHAMBRA (FROM THE GENERALIFFE).] - -The gypsies held a horse fair in Granada to-day. We found them in great -numbers, from distant parts of the country. It was a new scene and phase -of life. Gypsies are seen in England, in America, in Germany, in Italy, -indeed there is hardly a country unvexed by gypsies. Wandering over the -world, having no continuing city or abiding place, like the frogs of the -land from which they get their name, they find their way into king’s -houses and everybody’s house,—lying, cheating, stealing, peddling, and -meddling, a nuisance and a curse. But the gypsies of Spain are a race by -themselves, and not the ancestors nor the children of the gypsies of the -other lands I have named. They have indeed a language with many words in -common, and their habits are similar all the world over, but these -gypsies of Spain are a race by themselves. Where they came from, and who -they are, it is hard to say. They are usually spoken of as from Egypt, -and being once called Egyptians, then gyptians,—the name easily runs -into gypsies in the English tongue. But they are called _gitanos_ in -Spanish, and the race has no relations with the wandering tribes or -families that roam throughout Europe and the Western World. - -They are, as a people,—at least they seemed to me,—larger and stouter -than the Spanish; and by no means so well-favored. Dark complexions, -black eyes, long straight black hair, high cheek-bones, and short noses, -they resemble North American Indians more than any European race. They -are not cleanly in their persons, nor their dwellings; their roaming -habits lead them to eat and sleep anywhere, with their dogs and donkeys; -they dwell in caves if no better houses are at their command, and the -hill behind the city, which we see from the towers of the Alhambra, is -pierced with holes that lead into the chambers where they make their -homes. They have also one quarter of the town where they have dwellings, -but the walls of a city are not agreeable to the freedom of their wills, -and they prefer the hills and the country. - -They have no _moral_ principle. There is but one virtue known among -them, and that is so rare in Spain, and so remarkable among such a -people, that it must be set down to their credit at the very start. The -women are chaste, and that to a degree that perhaps no other people in -the world can claim. It is the one feature of their character that -redeems them from the curse of utter and hopeless vagabondism, and, -standing out as it does like an ivory tower in the midst of a waste of -moral ruin, its beauty is the more lovely and its existence the more -wonderful. I cannot say what I would of the care with which mothers -guard their daughters from contamination with their own race and the -outside world; and I cannot add another word in their praise. They live -by fraud. Known to the world as swindlers and liars and thieves, they -are nevertheless tolerated, and perhaps because feared; their ill-will -being dreaded, and their friendship supposed to be conciliated by -complying with their demands. - -They get power over people in the same way that _spiritualists_ do: by -appealing to that latent superstition which lurks in almost every human -bosom, and is much stronger in some than others, and is often strongest -in those who would be the least suspected of such a weakness. Thus the -women of this gypsy race are fortune-tellers. The young women of Spain, -like the young women of every country that I have seen, have some -curiosity and credulity, upon which a shrewd impostor will easily play -and extort money as the reward of her trickery. To these young women -lovers are promised, and when the pride or the passion of the young is -tickled with the promise, the prophet is not very sharply questioned or -judged. One very common trick performed by the gypsy women in Spain has -been reproduced in our country and in England again and again, and will -be repeated as long as rogues can find fools to be duped. As love is the -ruling passion of the young, avarice is of older people, and to make a -heap of money out of a handful is the great desire of the soul. The -gypsy woman promises a lady to teach her how to make a trunkful of gold -out of a few hundred dollars. The lady is to take all her gold, and to -get as much as she can, and tie it up in a white handkerchief in the -presence of the gypsy, then to keep it carefully by her side, night and -day, for three days, then the gypsy is to return and they are to deposit -it in a trunk over which the gypsy is to say her form of words, and then -the trunk is to be carefully locked and guarded for three weeks, and -when opened is to be found _filled_ with gold. The gypsy, returning -after three days’ absence, comes with a bundle of rubbish tied up in a -white handkerchief concealed under her mantle, and easily substitutes it -for the one which the lady has watched for three days, and after the -other is well locked up she disappears, to be heard of no more in that -quarter. A trick so stupid and silly one would hardly believe could be -practised once; but it is played every year, upon many victims, in all -countries. Last summer a spiritualist woman in Paris assured a gentleman -that large treasures were buried in the grounds about his house, and he -spent thousands and thousands in tearing up his place to find it. The -woman got the most of the money spent, and he is hunting yet. But these -gypsies are not mere fortune-tellers, they are traders and tinkers; they -deal in horse-flesh particularly, and are a striking illustration of the -curious fact that trading horses, buying and selling horses, all the -world over, has some affinities with trickery. Why it is, perhaps, the -attention of psychologists has not been sufficiently long directed to -the subject to say; but gypsies and jockeys are usually reckoned as -belonging to the same class, and nobody is expected to trust either. - -Bensaken went with us among these strange people, and as he understood -their language, he made our visit among them exceedingly entertaining, -and the facts that we gathered from him and them of their haunts and -habits are perhaps as reliable as those which Borrow and others have -furnished. I could not learn that they have any religious system. They -believe in one God, but they have more to do with the devil, whether -they believe in him or not. They have no faith in anybody. Why should -they, or rather how could they? Intending to keep faith with nobody, and -living only to deceive, they cannot be expected to believe. If they are -not lineal descendants of Ishmael, they are like the Arabs, a nomadic -race, and their hands are against every man, and every man’s against -them. - -I fell to musing over the change that three or four hundred years had -made in the state of things on this famous spot. For we are within the -grounds of the Alhambra. And the time was when the splendor of Oriental -courts was shining here in its brightest array, and the luxury of kings -and queens was spread about these seats that are now the scene of this -low revelry and mirth. The vanity of earth is impressed upon me by this -miserable show. The fashion of this world passeth away. And, indeed, the -lesson of the Alhambra is the strangest, saddest lesson that ruins -teach. Its walls, its towers, its turrets, its gates, in their decay, as -they yet linger on the heights overlooking the city and the plain, seem -to say, We are witnesses to-day that the glory of kings is fleeting as -the dew of the morning: - - “The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, - The solemn temples—” - -have dissolved; and the wreck behind is the monument of a departed race, -an extinct dynasty, a better, wiser, nobler race by far than that which -now inhabits the land. For when the Moors went out of Spain, they -carried with them arts, science, enterprise, energy, strength, and -taste. They left a people in possession ignorant, proud, bigoted, and -indolent: a people that now, in the midst of an advancing age, is making -no advance; a people who carry earth in baskets instead of wheelbarrows, -and wood on donkeys instead of using carts! - -Two things astonished me in Spain: the one, that the pictures in her -galleries were so great and good, and the other that her cathedrals so -far excel the rest of European temples in the grandeur of their -architecture. Poor as Spain is now, we must not forget that it was once -the most powerful of kingdoms, and the mistress of a world of its own. -And the arts and sciences once flourished here as they did in the -brightest days of Grecian and Roman glory. The paintings that are -gathered in Madrid are probably as valuable in the eyes of the artistic -world as those of any other gallery; and there are half a dozen -cathedrals in Spain that are not equalled by the same number in all the -rest of the Continent. One who visited them will not be apt to forget -the florid beauty of the one at Burgos, the massive grandeur of that in -Toledo, the thousand columns that sustain the arches on which rests the -roof of the converted mosque at Cordova, or, the most majestic of them -all, the vast and solemn pile that stands in Seville; nor will he -readily lose the impressions made upon his soul by the cathedral at -Granada, into which we are now entering, as we are about to take leave -of the Alhambra, and go to the north of Europe. - -It was the design of the founders of this temple to make it the most -splendid in the world; and this weak and unworthy ambition has doubtless -given to us many noble monuments of genius and labor which a less -exciting motive might have failed to produce. We are met with a notice, -on entering, that we are not to converse during service; and it is a -caution that might well be put up in the Protestant as well as Catholic -places of worship. Five naves are divided with massive pillars; the -pavement is marble, and very beautiful; the interior 425 feet long and -250 feet wide, with chapels on the sides, on which private wealth has -been lavished with a profusion that seems absolutely incredible; one of -them was built by an archbishop, whose wealth was so great that he -imitated the royal manner of living, and preferred to be like his Master -a king, rather than like his Master a servant. - -Charles V. called upon the artists of the world to come and embellish -this house, and to assist him in building the sepulchres of his father -and mother, and the kings of Spain. The chapel royal is the most -impressive mausoleum in the whole kingdom; for here, in full view, are -the tombs, and upon them the images, in marble, of Ferdinand and -Isabella, and beneath these monuments repose the ashes of those -illustrious monarchs whose names are so indissolubly linked with the -history of our own distant land. By them lie the relics also of Philip -and his wife, who was called Crazy Jane. There are no more elaborate -sepulchral monuments than these. Four statues of learned divines and -twelve apostles surround the royal tombs, as if keeping eternal guard -over the inevitable dust. The statues of the royal dead are said to be -good likenesses, and I hope they are, for these people had so much care -and trouble in life, it is certainly pleasant to see them looking so -quiet in their stone beds. Even Crazy Jane, the wife of Philip, is as -calm and peaceful, in the effigy that lies at our feet, as if she never -had been in the habit of carrying the corpse of her husband about with -her from place to place, refusing to have it buried, and insisting on -the pleasure of embracing it whenever she took a notion for so cold a -comfort. - -Isabella, the fair patron of Columbus, desired to be brought here and -buried; and here she lies, one of the noblest women that ever sat upon a -throne: a wonderful contrast with the late Isabella who came from Madrid -to Granada, a few years ago, descended into the vaults, and caused mass -to be performed for the souls of the departed; which souls are quite as -well off without any masses as hers will be with many. Her visit was -made here in 1862, and Ferdinand and Isabella took possession of the -city in 1492, nearly four hundred years between the visits of the two -Isabellas; and there is as great contrast between the characters of the -two women as there is between the condition of the country under the -reign of the one and the other. - -A very obliging priest led us from chapel to chapel, and pointed out to -us the several distinguishing marks of antiquity and sacredness that -make the cathedral a joy to the believer, and one of the most—in many -respects the most—sacred in Spain. He was not unmindful of a trifling -fee when we parted, and one cannot but be amused with the solemn gravity -with which this office of guide to the holies is performed by the -priests, who doubtless have the mixed motive of displaying the charms of -their sacred places, and of getting the little money that grateful -travellers leave in their hands. It is best to have their services, for -they answer a hundred questions that without them would be unanswered, -and their weary life seems to be lightened by the brief companionship of -strangers. - -In the evening we set off from Granada by diligence, leaving the place -in the same style that marked our entrance. A crowd gathered at the -office to witness our departure. A woman at the window put down her -money to buy a ticket to take a seat with us. Before she had received -the ticket, a couple of officers of justice rushed in and seized her. -They stripped off her bonnet and her luxurious head of hair: they tore -off her mantilla, and, shocking to relate, her loosely-flowing dress -fell at her feet, in the midst of the derisive shouts of an admiring -multitude; and, thus stripped, she remained a well-dressed man! He had -helped himself freely to the money in the shop where he was employed, -got together all he could borrow and steal of others, and, in the -disguise of a woman, was about to abscond to parts unknown! Probably he -was going to that happy land far, far away, which is still believed by -them to be the paradise of thieves. His career was suddenly arrested. -The crowd followed hooting at his heels as the officers led him off to -prison; the horn of the postilion rang out its call on the evening air, -the dozen horses and mules at last consented to pull together, and we -plunged out of Granada. - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - GENEVA—FREYBURG—BERNE. - - -BY a very circuitous route, over which I will not ask you to follow me, -I came to Switzerland, on my way to the north of Europe. - -When I was a boy of nine, I read in Cæsar’s Commentaries, “Extremum -oppidum Allobrogum, proximumque Helvetiorum finibus est Geneva,” and -rendered it into English, “the farthest town of the Allobroges, and -nearest to the frontiers of the Helvetii is Geneva.” Out of the lake -flows the river Rhone, with waters so blue that they seem to have been -colored with indigo, and Sir Humphrey Davy, who died here, attributed -the deep color to the presence of iodine. The outlet of the lake is -crossed by several bridges, and the city stands on both sides. The old -wall on the left bank was originally built by the men of Julius Cæsar, -as is attested by coins and other remains of those days, to this day -occasionally found. Its antiquity, its remarkable history, its past -greatness, and its present beauty, the many eminent men who have here -spent their lives, and more than all its situation on this lake, give -the city of Geneva an attraction that no other place in Switzerland -possesses. - -The cathedral here in Geneva is the venerable edifice in which John -Calvin and his peers in the Reformation preached the doctrines that are -now working their way into the minds of the entire Christian world, as -the real basis for civil and religious liberty and progress. - -[Illustration: GENEVA AND THE RHONE.] - -As we entered it, we trode upon the nearly worn-out epitaphs in the -stones of the floor, to the memory of Roman Catholic dignitaries, who -ruled here before the Reformation, for the edifice is more than five -hundred years old. A chapel of the Virgin Mary, no longer needed for her -worship, holds the tomb of the Duke and Duchess of Rohan, 1638, and in -another part of the church is the monument to the memory of Agrippa -d’Aubigny. - -[Illustration: Portrait of Merle d’Aubigné] - -In the old library, just behind the cathedral, are many interesting -manuscripts of Calvin, forty-four volumes of his sermons, twelve of -letters written to him, his own letter to Lady Jane Grey while she was a -prisoner in the Tower of London, and 394 other letters by his own hand. -Besides these, there is nothing more than the severe simplicity and -solidity of the edifice, with its remarkable history and associations, -to make it interesting. - -It appears like a slow old town. But the names of good great men, and -great bad men, are so identified with Geneva, that it is never spoken of -without being associated with their works and influence. Calvin came -here three hundred years ago and more,—the three hundredth anniversary -of his death was commemorated a few years ago,—Rousseau was born here, -Voltaire and Madame de Stael and Lord Byron have resided here; and a -long list could easily be made longer, of illustrious men, some of them -flying from religious persecution, some from the reach of the sword of -justice, some hiding from themselves, for it has been, and still is, an -asylum for all, of every name, faith, and aim, who would be free to -think and speak, while they yield wholesome obedience to the laws. I was -quite surprised to-day when the excellent United States consul at this -place showed me in one of the infidel Rousseau’s works a note in which -that brilliant writer speaks in the highest terms of John Calvin, not -only as a theologian, but a statesman whose views, he says, will be -always held in reverence. - -[Illustration: D’AUBIGNE’S BIRTHPLACE AND RESIDENCE.] - -At the foot of the lake, and near the city, are many beautiful villas, -with the water in front of them, the Jura mountains on the north to be -seen by those on one side, and the mountains of Savoy on the south-east -in full view from the other. Mont Blanc towers above them, “the monarch -of mountains,” his white head and shoulders seen above the dark ranges -in front of him, like the bare form of a giant among the hills. Rev. Dr. -Merle d’Aubigné, the historian of the Reformation, Sir Robert Peel, and -other eminent men, have had their residences on the south-east side, and -Baron Rothschild has a splendid palace on the opposite shore. Voltaire’s -house, and the residence of the Empress Josephine, are also there. The -shores, as we go up the lake, are covered with vineyards, and every -village that we pass is marked with some features of historical -interest. Madame de Stael formerly resided at Coppet, a little village -where is a Roman tombstone with this inscription, “Vixi ut vivis: -morieris ut sum mortuus: sic vita traditur, vale viator et abi in rem -tuam.” Ninon is an old town that boasts of Julius Cæsar as its founder, -and under its castle are those gloomy dungeons which are the terrible -witnesses of the cruel customs of past ages. On the left shore as we -advance we notice a village on the extremity of a cape, which is called -St. Protais; this saint was the Bishop of Avenches, the Roman Aventicum, -who died in 530, and was buried here, tradition says, because “his body -did not seem inclined to go any further.” And in 1400, nearly a thousand -years after his burial, it was proposed to remove him to Lausanne, but -he showed such signs of repugnance, that it was deemed improper to -disturb him any more. Near this was once a town named Lisus, which was -destroyed in 563 by a sudden rise of the lake occasioned by the fall -into its waters of an entire mountain on the Savoy side. It was an -important place, as the remains of vases, statuary, and mosaics attest -to this day. As we reach the town of Morges the scenery of the lake has -opened upon us with grandeur and beauty which is impossible to describe. -The snow-clad summits of the Grand Muveran, the rocks of the Diablerets, -and the tapering jagged peaks that are appropriately called teeth, and -have their several names, which one is scarcely expected to remember, -now rise in full view, and the excitement of the voyage is fairly begun. -Away in the distance is Mont Combin, one of the stupendous Mont Rosa -group, and there are the mountains of Abondance and the cragged peaks of -Meillerie, while in the background, overlooking all, glows and blazes in -the splendors of this summer sun the everlasting snow-crown of Mont -Blanc. - -That square tower in Morges is the old donjon of Wufflens. It rises 170 -feet, and towers above a group of turrets, all of brick. It was built in -the tenth century by Bertha, whose memory is so sacred, the good queen -of the Burgundians, who visited every part of her kingdom on horseback -once a year, with a distaff in her hand, to set her subjects an example -of industry. - -[Illustration: LAUSANNE, AND THE LAKE OF GENEVA.] - -The most picturesque in its situation, and the most famous city on the -lake, except Geneva, is _Lausanne_, the capital of the canton of Vaud, -built on three hills, along the slope of the Jorat, and dating back to -the year 563. And then, oh wonderful to relate! it became in 580 the see -of a bishop, the prelate Marius bringing hither the relics of St. Anne, -from whom the town is named, _Laus Annæ_, and a part of the true cross, -and some of the Virgin Mary’s hair, and, more than all, a _rat_,—a -veritable rat, which had devoured some of the bread after it was -consecrated, and was thus converted into the body of our Lord! These -valuable possessions drew immense numbers of pilgrims, and raised the -celebrity of the place, which afterwards had a remarkable history, civil -and religious. Its cathedral was consecrated by the Pope himself. In -1479 the whole region was overrun with a species of beetles like -locusts, devouring every green thing. The invaders were _excommunicated_ -by the bishop, but the sentence had no effect! Farel and Viret and -Calvin, with other reformers, were here in convention in 1536. Here -Gibbon finished his work, “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” -and the principal hotel bears his name, while the house he lived in and -the terrace where he often walked, are pointed out as objects of -interest to travellers. We rode through the quaint old place, and then -continued our journey. - -But if we pause even to mention the places on the northern shore of the -lake, and allude to the events that have made them classic, we shall not -get over the ground or the water to-day. We have now reached the upper -section of the lake, and the mountains round about it have been rising -in sublimity and beauty as we advance. The water is a thousand feet -deep. On the right hand the mountains rise precipitously from the -water’s edge, and on the left vineyards cover the sloping hills: -sometimes walls sixty and eighty feet high have been built to support -the soil, and on the terraces so formed luxurious vines are flourishing, -and in the days of the old Romans a temple to Bacchus, the god of wine, -was standing here, the ruins remaining to this day. The view from Vevey -is regarded by many as the most delightful on the lake, and the -situation of the town is so picturesque and healthful, so cool in summer -and so warm in winter, that it is sought for as a residence by strangers -all the year round, and in this strangely ordered region, in sight of -everlasting snows, the pomegranate and the rose-laurel and myrtle -blossom in the open air, as in the south of France. And now we come to -the upper end of the lake, and such an amphitheatre of mountains, rocks, -and hills, sure no other lake in the wide world presents. The sun was -low in the west as we approached this eastern end, and a flood of golden -light was poured in upon the bosom of the waters, and covered the -stupendous battlements on either side with a living glory. - -Close down on the edge of the lake is the old Castle of Chillon, more -than six hundred years of age, where the Dukes of Savoy ruled with -terrible power. Down into its dungeons we were led, to one where on a -flat rock the condemned prisoners spent the last nights of their lives; -to another where, on a cross-beam still here, they were hung; to the -stone column, one of the supports of the castle, where for seven long -years the Prior of St. Victor, Francis Bonnivard, for his heroic defence -of the liberty of Geneva, was chained to a ring yet remaining in the -pillar, the chain passing around his body, and allowing him space only -to walk around it, year after year, or to lie down and sleep by its -side. In this dungeon many of the reformers were imprisoned. - -[Illustration: CASTLE OF CHILLON.] - -In an upper room we found the chamber of torture, in which was a wooden -column, to which prisoners were put to the _question_, chained, and -tormented with fire, or drawn and stretched with rings and pulleys; and -in another room a trap-door is open, and a spiral stone staircase leads -downward,—the prisoner, unconscious of what was before him, steps down -three steps into the darkness, and the fourth is eighty feet below, -where he is dashed to pieces on the rocks. Yet in this castle, and near -to these horrid places, are the bed-chambers and parlors and -dining-rooms of dukes and duchesses, men and women like ourselves, who -could eat, drink, and be merry under the same roof with all this cruelty -and misery. - -And this is at the head of the Lake of Geneva. Within ten minutes’ walk -is the Hotel Byron, one of the best places to stop at in all Europe. It -is in the centre of a semi-circular sweep of beetling crags, and -snow-peaked mountains, and wine-growing hill-sides; it looks away down -the lake, and not another house, not a sound disturbs its deep -tranquillity, while nature, history, poetry, and art invite us to -repose. - -Leaving Chillon in the morning _by rail_ gave us a new idea of the way -that Switzerland is now explored by tourists. When I was here, a dozen -years ago, it was to be seen only by footing it through the passes, or -riding on horseback, with now and then a lift in the _diligence_, or -antiquated stage-coach. Now railroads have been made to connect so many -of the principal places and points of interest, that only the younger -and more vigorous of travellers strike out into the mountain fastnesses, -and toil over the hills where as yet no roads have been made. I inquired -of the porter this morning how to get across from Martigny to the Vale -of Chamouny. “You takes von leetel hoss,” he said, from which I knew -that the ponies still do the work through that finest of all the day’s -rides in Switzerland. There are hundreds of interesting tours yet to be -made where no rail or coach will ever intrude, and no other locomotive, -unless Professor Andrews makes his air-ship a success: in which case it -would be admirably adapted to travel in this country. One of the last -places in the world I should have thought practicable for a railroad is -the border of this lake, and yet here it is entering the valley where -the Rhone empties, and so extending to Martigny and to Sion. - -[Illustration: THE LAKE AND CITY OF GENEVA.] - -Penetrating secluded regions where frost has been king since the world -began, the rail has made even the everlasting glaciers, these frozen -cataracts, articles of merchandise. As the quarries in the mountains are -worked by the art and spirit of man, so the icebergs that here grow from -age to age, and scarcely seem to melt at all, are cut into blocks, and -transported by the rail to Paris. The glacier of the Grindelwald is -drank in brandy punches at the Grand Hotel and the Louvre. To get the -ice, these mighty frozen seas are excavated in galleries and chambers, -and magnificent saloons. The depths of snow on the surface exclude the -sunbeams, but calcium lights shed a brilliant lustre, reflected as from -a thousand mirrors of glass, and in small apartments fitted up for the -purpose, the furniture of a well appointed parlor, sofas, chairs, and -cushions, invite to cold but not inhospitable repose. When the Mer de -Glace is taken by rail down into Italy, and thence by ship to the East -Indies, ice will be reasonably cheap in Calcutta. And this will be more -readily done than to tow an iceberg from the North Pole. - -As I said, we left Chillon in the morning, and retraced our course a -part of the way by the railroad which passes on the hill-sides, away -above the lake, through luxuriant vineyards, and over stupendous gorges, -spanned by stone bridges, and arrived before noon at Lausanne. Here we -struck out into the interior of Switzerland. And I was at once impressed -with the great progress, even in this stationary country, made in the -last thirteen years. Then we traversed this wild and wonderful country -mainly over paths that no wheel had ever marked, and sometimes by ways -that only the footstep of the most cautious traveller might tread. Now, -we take the _coupé_, or front compartment of an elegantly fitted up -rail-car. It has seats for four persons only, with rests for the head -and the feet, and a table before you, and windows in front and sides, so -that you can see all that is around you, or write of what you see and -feel. Before us are the peaks of untrodden hills, all covered deep in -perpetual snows, the pink color on the white like the hues of roses, as -the sun shines on but never melts them; here, on the right, I see the -lake that yesterday we sailed through from end to end; now it is smooth -as a silver sea, and as beautiful; reflecting majestic mountains, and -cities and villages where wealth and art and letters and taste have for -ages delighted to dwell. And on the other hand, and sometimes on both -sides of us, we see Swiss valleys teeming with a busy, peaceful, happy -people, whose homes suggest to me the thought of contentment, and -therefore happiness. The old city of Romont we pass below, as it stands -on a hill with an ancient wall and towers surrounding it; good enough in -those old times when bows and spears and stones were the weapons of war, -but of no account in these times of Columbiads and Paixhan guns. At the -foot of the hill on which it stands, the fields are laid off with walks -and garnished with groves, showing that the people of these regions -delight in those enjoyments that indicate culture and taste. - -The city of Freyburg, where we passed the night, is remarkable as being -the seat of the chief power of Romanism in Switzerland. It has as many -as ten convents and monasteries and high seminaries of learning. The -suspension bridge is said to be the longest in the world, nine hundred -feet: it is not so beautiful as the one at Niagara, but may be longer. - -The organ of Freyburg has been long celebrated as one of the best -instruments in the world, and there is probably but one superior to it. -Yet the performances upon it are so unequal, varying with the skill or -the humor of the organist, that very different reports are made of it by -parties hearing it at different times. Perhaps it was my good fortune to -hear it under circumstances the most favorable. Certainly the music was -the most effective of any that I have ever heard, more so than any I -expect to hear till the “nobler, sweeter strains” of the divine melodies -break on the spirit’s ear among the harmonies of heaven. - -The cathedral dates back to 1285. Over the front entrance is a queer old -bas-relief, representing the last judgment. The Father, God himself, -done in stone, sits aloft, with angels blowing trumpets around him. At -his feet, on the right, the righteous are led off in triumph to their -places in glory, and on the left a devil is weighing souls in a pair of -scales; another devil, with the head of a pig, is carrying a lot of poor -sinners in a basket on his back, and is about to cast them into a great -kettle where others are boiling, while little imps are blowing the fires -with bellows, and hell itself, represented by the jaws of a monster, -yawns near, and Satan sits on his throne above. We studied this strange -device until the evening shades were too dense to permit us to see it, -and then entered the portals. Darkness and silence reigned within. Two -candles on the columns near the altar gave all the “dim religious -light,” that only served to deepen the gloomy grandeur of the venerable -pile. A few persons had already been admitted, and were conversing in -whispers, invisible and scarcely audible in the distance. We sat as far -away from the organ as we could, and where it was probable it could be -heard to the best advantage. As the hour approached (it is played from -half-past eight to half-past nine every evening), the strangers, who -pause here on their travels, entered in little groups, and then a large -crowd of gentlemen, who, as I learned the next day, were the teachers, -professors, and other literary men of Switzerland, came in together, -filling every available place. They were in Freyburg in convention, and -by invitation were now present to enjoy the musical feast. It may be -that owing to this unusual attendance of the learned and cultivated men -of the country, we had the highest possible development of the powers of -the instrument and the ability of the organist. - -Something in the circumstances doubtless added to the dramatic effect of -the exhibition. The cathedral seemed to be full of people, but a few -only could be seen, and a sense of solemnity, devotion, awe, began to -steal upon me as I sat waiting for the first notes of the organ, which -was lighted only by a single candle, and that unseen, so that the -instrument seemed away among the stars. Some of its pipes are thirty-two -feet long. They are 7,800 in number, with sixty-four stops. As I looked -up expectant, I thought, “Oh, if it had only a soul!” And then, just -then, a breath of melody, so soft, so sweet, so soul-like, came along on -the still air, it might have been the first notes of the advent song of -peace that fell like this by night over Bethlehem. This gentle stream of -music rose and swelled into a river of melody that soon burst its banks -and became a rushing torrent of sound, mighty in its power, almost awful -in its expression. This was but the prelude. Then came, in successive -anthems, songs and passages of master-pieces of the great composers; -some of them familiar, all of them exquisite in their effect, to -illustrate the wondrous faculties of this uninspired, untenanted -mechanism, that was yet able to represent with such fidelity the deep -and lofty, the softest and strongest emotions of the soul. - -Now, the imitation of the human voice was so perfect, it required an -effort of the mind to believe that a living being was _not_ rendering -those plaintive strains in some distant chamber of this vast hall; and -now, the ring of bells broke musically on the ear, and the far-away toll -of some solemn church-bell added its voice to the harmony. The Alpine -horn, the flute, and other instruments were so distinctly given, it was -hard to comprehend the truth that, in the midst of one grand -performance, on a single instrument, so many and so distinct and perfect -imitations of others could be introduced. Perhaps nothing was more -beautiful than the tinkling of water dropping into a fountain; yet, when -one effect had been enjoyed, as if the most complete, another soon -succeeded, so delicate and so touching, that it seemed as if the last -were more lovely than all which had been heard before. - -It is quite impossible to speak of the closing performance without being -suspected, by those who have not heard it, of exaggeration. And, indeed, -so differently are we constituted, that some will be charmed with a -picture or statue, ravished with eloquence of oratory or music, and -delighted with a landscape or waterfall, while others exposed to the -same influences are as unmoved as the marble or the instrument. I know -that I am not one of them, thanks to him who made us to differ; and I -know, too, that they who sat near me, when the last grand movement of -this organ was made, are not of them. For when the strong wind began to -shake the walls of the old cathedral, the rain to pour in torrents on -the roof, the thunder rolling in terrific majesty, - - “Which, as the footsteps of the dreadful God, - Marching upon the storm in vengeance seemed,” - -we bowed our heads, with such a sense of awe and adoration, as could -scarcely have been increased if the war of elements had indeed been -bursting on us, and the voice of the Almighty had suddenly filled his -temple. - -I will not describe the effect of this music: how it soothed, subdued, -and melted the heart when its tenderest utterances fell like balm on a -wounded spirit; how it carried me away to other days, and far-away -lands, and lifted me again to thoughts of heaven and the harmonies of -the saints; and so pure, so holy were the strains and the associations -they brought with them, I wept that I had ever lived but in the hallowed -atmosphere of the Good, the Unseen, and Infinite! Nor was this a -transient sentiment, fading when the hour of such strange teaching was -ended, and the gothic temple ceased to tremble with these majestic -tones. It has followed me for days and nights among these stupendous -mountain fastnesses, over ice-clad plains, where “motionless torrents, -silent cataracts,” proclaim the power of him who “clothes them with -rainbows,” only less lustrous than the one around his throne. I hear the -voice of God everywhere, in this sublime and awful land. But if these -silent works of his are eloquent to speak his praise, how much more is -such a voice as that organ, the great achievement of a mind and hand -that God made, endowed, and guided in their work. - -I have thought in years past that words are not essential to a train of -thought: we think in words, always and only in words. But now I know -that we need no words to make us feel, and words are not made that are -capable of expressing what we feel. As we sat in silence beneath the -majestic harmonies of this surpassing instrument, even so it were better -that I had made no attempt to portray with pen what is not in the -compass of words to utter. It is to be heard and felt and enjoyed. - -Just beyond Freyburg, as we go to Berne, is the battle-field of Morat, -which battle was fought four hundred years ago, but is famous to this -day: for the bones of the slain were gathered into a heap, and some of -them are still to be seen. It was formerly the custom for every -Burgundian who passed to carry a bone home with him to bury in his own -country, and Lord Byron said that he took away enough to make a quarter -of a man. But they are mostly gone now, and an obelisk is set up to mark -the field. - -[Illustration: CATHEDRAL AND PLATFORM AT BERNE.] - -By stopping over from one train to another you will see all that is -worth seeing in the quaint old city of _Berne_,—the German for Bear,—the -city of Bears, so called because it is built on the spot where its -founder, Berchthold, of Zahringen, slew a bear long time ago. So the -people keep three or four of them in a stone pit, at the public expense, -for the idle and youthful to look at and feed and see them climb a tree. -It is amusing to see a city worshipping bears. Therefore go to see the -bears, when you go to Berne. Do not fall over the parapet, for if you -do, the bears will tear you to bits, as they did an unfortunate -Englishman on the 3d of March, 1861. If you happen to be at the old -clock tower when it is striking the hour, you will see a curious -procession, which presents a very striking appearance; and, indeed, -every fountain and statue and mountain is deformed with ugly bears, till -you cannot bear to see them. You will be quite willing to leave the city -after walking through its principal streets, where the second story of -the houses projects over the sidewalks, making a covered promenade, and -the shops are half-way in the street, and the market-women sit all along -the way with their baskets of vegetables, and the chicken vendors are -ready to cut off the heads of the fowls over a drain that carries off -the blood, and so forth. - -Besides the hotels, the only notable edifice is the Federal Palace, a -new and truly beautiful building. Here the National Diet, or Congress of -Switzerland, meets annually in July. There are twenty-two cantons, or -states, in the Swiss Confederation, and they are severally independent, -but unite in this council for purposes of mutual protection and support. -Each canton has a dialect, or patois, peculiar to itself, and sometimes -unintelligible to its neighbors; and the French, the German, and the -Italian languages are so generally spoken in distinct cantons, that they -are obliged to have an interpreter in Congress to redeliver a speech, or -restate an argument in two other languages after a member has made it -first in the only one that he understands. What a blessed thing it is -that our congressmen understand, at least, each other’s language, for if -their speeches had to be repeated three times, when would the assembly -ever break up? - -The grandest sight in Berne is the range of Bernese Alps, and a grander -spectacle, perhaps, the country itself cannot present. When that long, -white, rifted, mountain-boundary of the world stands up in its majesty, -lighted as we saw it by a blazing noonday sun, it is sublime as well as -beautiful. - -[Illustration: ON THE LAKE OF THUN.] - -It is only an hour by rail to Thun, and then we are on a lovely little -lake ten miles long, with lofty mountains on each side of it; so lovely -indeed is this lake, that days after we had left it, when other views -were spoken of, Thun always had its admiring advocates, who claimed for -it the pre-eminence in beauty over all that we had seen. And so in this -land of glorious natural scenery, where every valley is a subject for a -picture, every mountain a study, and every lake a gem, it is easy to -exhaust the words of admiration, and then fail to convey any adequate -idea of the constant succession of splendors that greet the traveller’s -never-wearied eye. - -Writing these last words, I look up, and before me is the Jungfrau, -clothed in white raiment from crown to foot. The sky kisses her cold -brow. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so are the everlasting -hills about her now and ever. But no words can give to you, beyond the -sea, the faintest conception of what one feels who exposes his soul to -these visions of grandeur and beauty, and rejoices as he thinks “My -_Father_ made them all.” - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - THE BRUNIG PASS—LUCERNE. - - -IF it were required of me to name the pleasantest day’s ride thus far of -this summer’s tour in Switzerland, I should give the palm for beauty to -the day that took me with two friends from Interlaken to Lucerne by way -of Brienz and the Brunig Pass. - -Interlaken, as its name implies, is between the lakes Thun and Brienz. -Thun is a beautiful gem of a sea; Brienz is a little smaller, but -fortified by formidable mountains and scarcely less lovely than her -sister Thun. Our carriage-road, after leading us out from -Interlaken,—that great English boarding establishment with a road -running through it, and interesting only as a flat valley in sight of -the Jungfrau, and so full of people all summer long that you can find no -sense of quiet or retirement, though the hotels are good, and the rides -pleasant, and the mountain scenery sublime,—our road led us along on the -western shore of Lake Brienz, and is cut into the hill-side so far up -that all the way along we were able to survey the whole lake. I looked -back to the _Abendberg_, a mountain which I once climbed to visit the -Institution for the Relief of Cretins, the idiots of Switzerland, which -Dr. Guggenbulre established there. That remarkable philanthropist and -physician, in whom and his labors I became intensely interested when -here before, has since that time been removed by death, and no one being -found to carry on his benevolent and self-denying work, it was -suspended, and the building is now a hotel. - -On the east side of the lake some of the finest mountains in the country -are to be seen, and the flat summit of the Faulhorn is even more -inviting than the Rigi, which now is visited by scarcely more tourists. -Cascades are leaping frequently from lofty heights into the abyss below, -and we have scarcely exclaimed at the beauty of one before another -rushes into sight. By and by we come to one more imposing than all the -rest; at first we catch but a single fall; as we advance it takes -another plunge, and then another, and soon the whole reach and all the -leaps of the GIESBACK are roaring and tumbling down the lofty precipices -before us. I had been under it and around it, at its base, but had not -before stood, as now, where its successive falls are all blended into -one, and the white crystal flood pours more than a thousand feet, -through the green fir-tree borders, into the lake. If you have a night -to spare, when you come here, you may cross from Brienz and spend it at -the Falls, which are illuminated with Bengal lights, producing a -spectacle of enchanting and bewildering magnificence and beauty. But if -you have not time, get some one who has just been there, and who knows -that you have not been, to tell you about it, and you will get an idea -_from his description_ that will quite surpass the original! - -After passing the little village of Brienz,—where the English-speaking -landlord of the Bear (Ours) will entertain you well if you give him a -call,—we soon began the ascent of the Brunig mountain. It gives you at -once some conception of the immense expenditure of money, time, and -science of engineering required to construct these Swiss roads. As -smooth as those of Central Park, and as solid, they are made to wind -around and about so as to render the ascent gradual. Sometimes we seem -to be returning on our track, but always singing _Excelsior_, and yet so -gradually that the strain is not severe on the horses, and you feel no -sense of danger as you are borne along without jolting or fatigue. And -what a lovely vale is every moment in view at the foot of the mountain! -A rapid river sweeps through it, and by its side a white, smooth road: -sweet Swiss homes in the midst of green farms dot the valley, that may -well be the pride of the whole land. Now we are looking down into the -Vale of Meyringen. For two or three hours we have seen in the distance a -splendid cascade, and now that we have approached it, we find it the -lower leap of the celebrated Reichenbach Falls, and into the valley so -many are pouring constantly, that you are not surprised to learn the -inhabitants have often suffered sadly from the swelling of these -mountain torrents, which come down so rapidly and fearfully as to bear -away every thing before them. A hundred years ago, almost the whole -village of Meyringen was buried twenty feet deep in the sand and rocks -and rubbish. A mark on one of the principal buildings shows the height -to which the waters rose in that memorable deluge. And as we are wound -along up the Brunig, we enter the clouds and find the rain descending, -so that we are obliged to shut the carriage up till we pass through the -cloud, and emerge as we come down into a sunnier region. At the foot, -the village of Lungern offers us dinner, and we rest. One of my friends -had been suffering all day with toothache, and had at last reached the -reckless determination to have it out, if a dentist, or even a -blacksmith, could be found in the place. I admired his courage more than -his discretion, but probably had only a feeble sense of his suffering. -The village doctor was summoned, a fine-looking, self-reliant, -intelligent young man. The landlord stood with solemn face at the door -of the room where the dread operation was to be performed. The landlady -wrung her hands in sympathy. The head waiter held the sufferer’s head. I -held my peace. In a moment it was done! And then the charge, it was one -franc! twenty cents!! Think of that, ye man tormentors, who, with -forceps dire, tear a tooth by the roots from one’s bleeding jaw and -charge him two dollars, or five! - -Lungern, where now lies the bone of one of my countrymen, stands by a -lake of the same name, which was once much larger than it is now. But -the people, more in need of land than water, at the cost of $25,000 dug -a tunnel under a hill that held the lake, put 1000 pounds of gunpowder -at the end of the hole and touched it off. Away it went, and away went -the lake, and the village itself was nearly whelmed too. Down went the -lake 120 feet, leaving several hundred acres of ground which is now -tilled. But not enough to pay for the work. God has given the seas and -the lakes their bounds, and man is a poor tinker when he tries to blow -the world up and make it over. I sympathize with the poet who rejoices -that the sun and moon are swung out of reach, - - “Lest some reforming ass - Should take them down and light the world with gas.” - -The whole region beyond is historic, and the quaint villages we pass -through have their several stories of battles, sieges, and victories. -Every step of the way presents a new picture of loveliness or sublimity. -At last we are brought into sight and now are riding along the base of -Mount Pilatus, his head as usual crowned with clouds and storm. The -tradition is,—and you must believe in all the traditions of this -country, or you lose half the interest of travel in it: even the life -and exploits of William Tell are traditional rather than historic, yet -who that lives here or travels here thinks William Tell a myth? If he -does, he had better not tell anybody he doesn’t believe in Tell,—the -tradition is that Pontius Pilate, after condemning the Saviour, wandered -over the world with a conscience goading him to death; that finally he -committed suicide on the top of this mountain, which is almost always, -in consequence of this awful event, begirt with tempests. And the -popular belief that these storms were of infernal origin was so -prevalent, that for a long time it was forbidden by law to make the -ascent. But the mountain is the first great barrier the clouds meet as -they are marching southerly into the Alpine regions. There they break, -and around the peak of Mount PILATE the thunder and lightning play with -vengeance, when elsewhere it is “clear shining after the rain.” The -carriage-path is now along the shore of Lake Lucerne and at the foot of -the mountains,—ahead of us it seems as though we were coming to the -sudden terminus of travel, but the narrow way opens as we advance, and -we sweep securely under a frowning precipice, and over a solid rock for -the bed of the road, and having made the circuit of the mountain we -emerge upon a plain which lies between us and Lucerne. - -[Illustration: PILATUS, LAKE OF LUCERNE.] - -The sun was just sinking to rest as we were bringing to a close our -journey of ten hours, memorable for the picturesque views that were -constantly before us, the four lakes that we had skirted in our ride, -the uncounted waterfalls, majestic mountains, alternate rain and -sunshine, and that pleasant friendly converse which an easy-going -carriage permits and encourages, when, with tastes to enjoy the -beautiful world that God has made, we sit all day under the open sky and -admire, wonder, and adore. - -Lucerne is one of the most beautiful spots in Switzerland. We have often -laughed at the guide-books for calling each and every place, castle, -river, waterfall, temple, or tower, the most beautiful, the oldest, -largest, most romantic, or something quite as superlative. But we get -into the same habit, and readers must make allowances for the enthusiasm -of travellers. Take off as much as you please, and Lucerne is very -lovely. - -It was my first Sabbath, on this journey, in a place almost wholly given -up to Romanism. The population is about 13,000, and less than a thousand -are Protestants. At nine o’clock in the morning, with two American -friends, I went to the cathedral or church of St. Leger, and found it -already crowded and a sermon in progress. The preacher was arrayed with -so much magnificence that I supposed he must be some very distinguished -personage in the church of Rome. The Papal Nuncio, or representative of -the Pope of Rome, has his official residence in Lucerne, but I presume -he does not officiate as a preacher. The audience filling the seats and -thronging the aisles were giving devout attention, each one on entering -bending his knee and crossing himself. The women occupied one half, and -the men the other, of the house. I could find no seat, but a young man -in a pew rose, gave me his seat, and stood up himself, a politeness not -common in any Protestant church in any part of the world to which my -weary steps have been directed. The preaching was in German, and more -unintelligible to me than if it had been in Greek or Latin, so that I -was at liberty to study the surroundings. Over the altar was a statue of -Christ crucified: the body made of wood painted to the life, and -life-size, suspended so low that the face, with all its expression of -intense agony, was perfectly visible. The blood had settled all below -the knees and the lower part of the chest, and was trickling from the -spikes through the hands and feet. The altar was richly adorned with -gold, and candles were burning on it. On either side of it were minor -altars; over one of them was an inscription in Latin recording the -sacred relics there treasured. These are to be found in all the great -churches on the continent, but have lost none of their hold on the -reverence of these superstitious people. The toe-nail of the prophet -Jeremiah would be the fortune of any relic-hunter who should light upon -it. Over another altar, called _Privileged_, but why I did not learn, -was a representation, in full life-size, of the descent from the cross. -The weeping women had very sorrowful faces, and the wound in the -Saviour’s side was gaping fearfully, and the blood still oozing out. As -I was looking at it, a lady elegantly dressed, leading two children, -four or five years old, entered a side door, and approaching this altar -knelt before it, and turning her face upward to these images of the -Saviour’s death, gazed long, and I suppose was praying. The sermon was -still in progress, but she gave no heed to it. Perhaps, like myself, she -was not able to understand it, and had come to worship, not to hear. -When she had closed her protracted devotions, she took the little boy -and girl and made them both kneel, where she had been kneeling, and look -up as she had done, and when they had thus performed the service which -she evidently prescribed, she led them out. Others cast themselves down -before this and other altars, and with no attention to the service in -progress, went on with their own prayers, and then left, or joined with -the rest according to their pleasure. When the sermon was ended, long, -and well delivered, in a persuasive, conversational tone, without notes, -and with an evident air of earnest feeling, another priest, in gorgeous -apparel, came to the high altar, and, attended by two or three boys to -hold up his robes and move his missal-book from place to place, as he -had to change his position, he proceeded to celebrate the mass. The -officiating priest was an elderly man whose face indicated great -intellectual force, and his appearance was that of a student and man of -learning. As he took a golden chalice and laid his hands over it, and -prayed, and then lifted it up while all the people bowed themselves with -profound reverence, it filled me with amazement that such a man as he -seemed to be could suppose that the wine in that cup had been -miraculously and instantly converted into the blood of the Son of God!!! -And when he held up in the same way a bit of bread in the shape of a -wafer or thin cracker, two inches or so in diameter, and again all the -people bent themselves in adoration, he himself, with uplifted hands and -downcast eyes and moving lips, appeared to regard the ceremony as an -immediate exhibition of a present and new-born God. Then he took the cup -again and drank it, and drank once more, turning it bottom upward over -his face; and when this was done he took a white napkin and dried the -inside thoroughly, as if no drop of the sacred blood must remain within, -and the door of a golden casket or closet on the altar being opened, he -placed it within, with the bread he had converted, and locked it safely -there. While this ceremony was going on, a priest had emerged from -behind the altar, and with a brush in hand went up and down among the -people, sprinkling them with holy water. A splendid organ and a choir of -singers took part in the service, which was in all its parts imposing to -the senses, fitted to make a deep impression on the ignorant masses. - -The cloisters that surround the church are filled with tombs and -memorial paintings and inscriptions, and the windows on the south -command charming views of the lake and mountains. - -From this service, which was rather to be called _interesting_ than -edifying, we went to the English church service. The Protestant Germans -have a new and very pretty edifice, which they permit the -English-speaking residents and travellers to enjoy for two services on -the Sabbath. The sermon we heard was on the nature and blessed effects -of prayer. It was evangelical and useful, some passages very touching -and impressive. The prayers were read by a young American clergyman, and -the audience, which was quite large, filling the church, was probably -one-half American. - -I have never found a more romantic, more sublime, more classic and -beautiful lake in the little part of the world I have seen, than the -Vier-Wald-Statter See, the Four Forrest Cantons, or, as it is more often -called, Lake Lucerne. - -You will come to Lucerne, to the Schweitzer Hof, the best hotel in -Switzerland. From the wharf in front of it steamers go five times a day -the whole length of the lake and return, making the excursion in five -hours. - -It is the lake of William Tell. Unbelieving sceptics intimate a doubt -that such a man as Tell ever lived; but the apothecary in whose house I -am lodging now has his scales in the form of a cross-bow, with a gilt -apple on the top, to represent the great exploit of the hero’s life, and -every house has its memento of the man without whom there is no Swiss -history. You might as well tell me that George Washington is a myth, and -that he never hacked his father’s cherry-tree with a hatchet. I have a -piece of the tree, and know it to be true. And every Swiss patriot knows -that William Tell shot the apple off his son’s head, and the monster -cruelty of the order that made him do it roused the fires of indignant -resistance to tyranny, and resulted in the independence of the country. -It is necessary to believe this, to enjoy the scenes made sacred by the -story. - -[Illustration: MONUMENT TO THE SWISS GUARD. (_By Thorvaldsen._)] - -You will leave the city of Lucerne, having seen the lion cut in a solid -rock as a monument to some Swiss soldiers who were killed in Paris -fighting for pay in 1792, and having also walked through the covered -bridge that is distinguished, but not adorned, with a series of -paintings by Holbein, representing the Dance of Death; and after the -boat has gone from the landing about fifteen minutes, you must look back -on the crescent city rising from the water’s edge, flanked by the -ancient wall on which the useless towers still stand; and on the spires -of the cathedral whose organ claims equal honor with that of Freyburg; -and the old tower in the centre of the river which was once a -light-house, Lucerna, whence the name of the town; and on the green -hills, behind and on either side of the city, elegant residences of -opulent citizens, and of some who from Paris and more distant parts come -here to enjoy the summer in a delicious and healthful clime. Naples is -grander, but hardly more beautiful, as she lies around her lovely bay, -with Vesuvius, like the Rigi, keeping watch over her Italian charms. - -For an hour or two out we are in the midst of the same bold and striking -scenery which is common to all the Swiss lakes, with nothing of special -interest except the historic associations that cluster about the little -villages at the foot of the hills on the shores. We would be slow to -believe that a population even of a few hundreds could hold on upon the -sides of the mountains, or find the means of support among those green -meadows, where lies the little village of Gersau, and there are only -about 1,500 people in it. Yet so tenacious are these Swiss of -independence, that this little, secluded, poor, portionless community, -not more than two miles square, maintained its existence as a separate -state for more than four centuries, and was then swallowed up by the -French in the devouring fires of 1789. It is now part of one of the -Swiss cantons. We cross the lake again and come to Brunnen, where the -figures of the three historic patriots of Switzerland stand with each a -hand held up to heaven, on the outside of the Sustenhaus, on the bank of -the water. But when we leave Brunnen, and through a narrow pass enter -the Bay of Uri, the grandeur of the view breaks instantly upon us with -such a power as to set at defiance the attempt at description unless one -has a bolder pen than mine. Philosophers have tried it. Poets have done -what they could to illustrate and repeat it. So prudent, and yet so -capable a writer as Sir James Mackintosh says it makes “an impression -which it would be foolish to attempt to convey by words.” I will -therefore not be foolish. Yet you may look with my eyes upon precipitous -mountains starting from the bosom of the lake and pointing with silent -and solemn majesty into the sky: here and there as we pass are verdant -meadows, few and far between, but beautiful as they nestle at the feet -or on the breasts of these gigantic cliffs, not a human habitation, -sometimes for miles, to be seen, but all still, serene, and impressive -in its solitude, and awful in its manifestation of the stupendous works -of God. - -A sharp rock rises perpendicularly from the water on the western shore, -and some foolish people have put a gilt letter inscription on it: as if -the words were of use to perpetuate the histories of these shores. We -come to a low pasture, a narrow ledge, the most hallowed spot in -Switzerland, for here the three great patriots whose portraits we saw at -Brunnen,—Furst, Stauffacher, and Melchthal,—were wont to meet to concert -their plans. And here at midnight, Nov. 7, 1307, they, with thirty -trusty men whom they had chosen, took the oath that bound them in a -solemn league to break the hated yoke of Austria, or die. They fought -and conquered, and they perished too, but their names and deeds live, in -revolving centuries, and pilgrims from lands that were then unknown now -come and look with reverence upon the spot thus consecrated, for the -lands of Tell and of Washington are lands of liberty, and the sons of -each are brothers. - -And across the See, a few miles on, is the chapel of William Tell. It -marks the spot where the hero jumped from the boat to the rock and -bounded away into the woods, when the tyrant Gessler was carrying him to -prison. A storm had overtaken them: the tyrant, a coward of course, was -afraid, and, as Tell was an expert in the boat, he ordered him to be -unbound, that he might manage the little bark. Tell steered her close to -the rock, and leaped ashore, and was gone. A little chapel, open on the -lake front, is erected here, preserved with pious care, adorned with art -and taste, and once a year a long procession of Swiss, in boats, -approach the sacred place and listen to a discourse in honor of their -sainted hero. - -[Illustration: TELL’S CHAPEL, LAKE OF LUCERNE.] - -Adown the sides of these majestic mountains frequent cascades leap and -hang and play, and not far from the chapel two fountains spring directly -out of the mountain side and pour two copious streams into the lake -below. They are said to flow from a lake in the valley on the other side -of the mountain; but whether this is true or not, it is an illustration -of the way in which the veins of water run along beneath the earth, -rising even on the sides and summits of the hills, and springing to the -surface when reached by art, or, as in this case, discharging by a -natural outlet. The earth has its mysteries yet unsolved. Some of these -bare mountain rocks are laid in convoluted strata, a few feet only in -thickness, but wrapped over and over, as if they were a heap of great -sheets once, easily thrown into these forms. It is easy to say that they -are of volcanic origin, and that these hills were once flowing down in -presence of the Lord. But this explains nothing. The philosopher is no -wiser than the poet. And neither sees any farther into the bowels of -these mountains than the Christian pilgrim who sits with me on the boat, -and, as he sees the water gushing out of the rock as if smitten by the -rod of Moses, he says: “Who hath divided a watercourse for the -overflowing of the waters? Out of whose bosom came the ice? There is a -path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen.” -And this is the way the waters go, through chambers cut in the rocks by -Infinite skill, that they may flow just where they are wanted to bless -or beautify the world. - -Reaching the end of the lake at Fluellen, we enter at once upon the -highway over the St. Gothard into Italy. Two miles on is Altorf, where -William Tell shot the apple on the head of his son. And still farther on -is the place where he finally lost his life, drowned while seeking to -save the life of a child. The road beyond is one of the grandest and -most historic of the Swiss passes, but I am not going that way now, as -Capt. Lott said. What did _he_ say? Why, this,—a passenger asked him why -the ship was going so slow: the captain told him the fog was too thick -to make much headway. “But,” said the passenger looking up, “it’s clear -enough overhead.” “Yes,” replied the Captain, “but we’re not going that -way just now.” - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - THE BLACK VIRGIN OF EINSIEDELN—LIFE IN SWITZERLAND, &c. - - -MORE than a thousand years ago, a holy hermit, by the name of Meinrad, -of royal blood, sought the wilds of Finsterswald, and here (for I am now -on the spot) lived in a hut, and spent his days in prayer, with a little -black image of the Virgin and Child which had been given him by the -Abbess of Zurich. But his piety and the Holy Virgin did not shield him -from the violence of wicked men. He was murdered in his hut by two -robbers, who would never have been caught but for the interposition of -the Virgin, who sent two ravens after them. These birds followed them to -Zurich, and there hunted them till their guilt was detected, and they -were put to death. - -The odor of Meinrad’s sanctity spread far and wide, and the Benedictine -monks came and established a community, built a monastery and a church, -and have flourished on this spot ever since. So long ago as 948 the -Bishop of Constance came here to consecrate the newly erected church, -and in the night before the ceremony was to be performed he was awakened -by the music of angels filling the place, and a voice from heaven came -to him, saying that he need not proceed with his holy services, for in -the night the house had been sanctified by the coming of the SAVIOUR in -his own proper person. This was reported to the Pope, who pronounced it -a genuine miracle; and in obedience to his decree a plenary indulgence -is granted to all pilgrims who come here, and on the church is -inscribed, “Here is full remission from the guilt and punishment of -sins.” During all these thousand years that have since revolved, this -spot has been the shrine to which not less than 200,000 human beings -each year, with heads and hands and feet like other people, have -journeyed, to bring their offerings, and worship a black image of the -Virgin Mary holding a black baby in her arms. Why the image is painted -jet black I cannot learn. So great is the concourse of pilgrims here, -and so large are their offerings, that this monastery, in a bleak Alpine -vale, 3000 feet above the sea, and off from all highways, has become one -of the richest in the world. One in Styria, one in Spain, and a third in -Italy, are, perhaps, more numerously visited. But the annual revenue of -this is immense. The abbot has his banking house in Zurich, where he -deposits the funds, and the investments are constantly increasing. They -are buying lands largely in the United States of America, especially in -Indiana, and the order of Benedictines at Vincennes is in constant -correspondence with Einsiedeln. - -Hither have I just made a pilgrimage, not on foot, as many do. An old -woman of seventy-five, carrying her shoes in her hand and toiling up -with bare, sore feet, said the priest had bade her travel so to -Einsiedeln, and her sins would be pardoned. But I came by the steamboat -from Zurich to Ricksterwyl, and was then brought up the hill in a nice -covered carriage, a much pleasanter way of doing a pilgrimage than -walking barefoot, or even with peas in your shoes. It is a two hours’ -ride from the lake, the ascending road being alive with travellers going -and coming, and public-houses to entertain the pilgrims invite you to -rest. The village itself consists of a multitude of taverns and shops -for the sale of images, crosses, medals, &c. Passing through it, we come -to a large paved square. On one side of it, and at the foot of a hill -which rises behind it, stand the sacred edifices: a vast temple, with -the monastic buildings on each side of it, imposing in their appearance -among these wilds of nature, where it seems almost a miracle that they -can ever have been reared and enjoyed by man. The church itself is -adorned with extravagant pictures and marble chapels and shrines, and -just at the entrance stands the image of “Our Lady of the Hermits,” the -only black image of the Virgin I ever saw. She and the Holy Child wear -crowns of gold, and glitter with diamonds and embroidered garments, -their faces of ebony shining in the blaze of jewelry and tinsel finery. -Before them, worshippers are always kneeling, counting their beads. At -the other shrines others are bowing and murmuring their prayers. Painted -skeletons of celebrated saints lie exposed in marble shrines. The -offerings of those who have had their prayers answered hang around on -the walls. All sorts of prayers are here made, and they who make them -believe they are answered. - -In the square in front of the church is a fountain with a dozen jets of -water, and each pilgrim drinks from each one of them, to be certain that -he drinks of the one out of which the Saviour refreshed himself nine -hundred years ago! - -The monastery is freely opened to strangers. Through long halls on each -side of which are guest-chambers where their many visitors are lodged, -we were led to a gallery, adorned with several splendid paintings, -presented by Catholic monarchs: Louis Napoleon and his Empress, the -Austrian Emperor, and several historical pictures. Out of this we walked -into the reception-room, where the abbot himself was so condescending as -to meet us. He speaks only German and Latin. A very large man, of -commanding form and presence; with a face shining like the sun with good -humor, good living, and content, he answered perfectly to your idea of -the abbot of a Romish monastery. He gave me a cordial greeting, and -understanding that I was from America asked if we enjoyed universal -peace. When I assured him we did, he spoke of the late contest in -Europe, which he pronounced “bellum atrocissimum,”—a most atrocious war. -Then he inquired about the President, and produced from his private -rooms a photograph of the late Lincoln in the arms of Washington in -heaven! - -After a little further general conversation he withdrew. He is by virtue -of his office a prince of the Austrian empire, and is so addressed by -all the Roman Catholic cantons of Switzerland. I was highly pleased with -the interview, and not less with one of the monks to whose kind care I -was now committed. He led me to the interior of the monastery, where the -cells of the monks are arranged on the several stories or floors: each -one is a comfortable room, with one window looking into the walled -garden and the hill that rises behind. When we reached his own he -unlocked it and showed me in; placing its only chair, he bade me be -seated, while he went to look for the key of the library. “While I am -absent,” said he, “enjoy yourself as you please, examine every thing, -and be quite at home.” A few books were in a case over his writing-desk, -by which he could sit or stand and the closets, shelves, every thing was -bare of paint, and plain as could be. A little bed was in one corner -near the door, simple enough for an anchorite. No images, pictures, or -crucifixes were in sight. In a few minutes he returned, and led me -through the cabinet of natural history, into the library of 30,000 -volumes, neatly arranged in niches. When we came to the folios of the -fathers, I pointed to the works of IRENÆUS, and said: I have the name of -that father, my own father having given it to me because he admired the -writings of the old author, the disciple of Polycarp, who sat at the -feet of the apostle John; I was thus in the line of the succession. We -took down the folio and looked at its imprint. Then he asked me if I -would like to see the manuscripts, and upon my expressing a strong -desire to do so, he raised an iron trap-door, and conducted me by a -flight of stairs into a room below, where an immense number are -deposited, and admirably preserved and disposed. None of them, however, -are very ancient. - -A college of two hundred students is maintained in the same range of -buildings, and taught by some of the monks. Of these monks there are -about forty, besides the priests who minister at the altars, and receive -confessions in German, French, Italian, and Romanesch languages, -according to the nationality of the pilgrims. The monks spend their time -in reading, writing, and in the refectory, where they eat together, and -enjoy the good things of this life as well as other people. Some of them -are quite old. Death comes here as elsewhere, and closes up a life of -apparent indolence, yet possessing some strange fascination that is hard -to be comprehended by the outside world. It certainly is not favorable -to the highest usefulness, for these men might be doing far more for God -and their fellow-men in the pursuit of some honest calling, preaching -the gospel, or working with their hands. They consume and do not -produce. Nor is this mode of life friendly to holiness. Passions are -part of man’s nature, and they are not quenched or dwarfed by seclusion -from intercourse with the outer world. Human sympathies, which are -cultivated and refined by the practice of social virtues, and so tend to -make us better, are not apt to flourish in the cell of a monk. And -although the walls of this magnificent monastery, in a sterile Alpine -valley, shut out the pomps and vanities of the world, they cannot be -made so high or so strong as to confine the wandering desire, which will -sap the foundations of the sternest virtue, and make the bosom the seat -of vice to which the soul consents, and therefore suffers. The pure in -heart see God. Not in the cloister of the anchorite, the monk’s lonely -cell, nor the hermit’s cave; but in the steadfast pursuit of the Good, -the True, and the Great, in the daily walks of life. It is virtue to -live above the world, while living in it. None but the children of the -Holy One can walk through the furnace without the smell of fire on their -garments. - -Such were my thoughts as I left the monastery, shaking hands with Father -Reifle, the Benedictine, who had so kindly waited upon me, and by his -intelligent conversation and lively interest in my enjoyment had won my -warm regards. He put the key into the lock of the iron gate at the head -of the stone stairs, and unlocking it let me out, and we bade each other -Adieu, as he stood within and I without the door. - -Returning to Zurich, and going thence to St. Gall, I mounted a -diligence, and rode an hour and a half into the hill country, up hill -all the way, to a place unheard-of in the guide-books, and unvisited by -travellers, unless business or the search for solitude should call them -there. It is at least a thousand feet above the lake, of which a distant -view is had, and in the midst of beautiful high valleys, green pastures, -and thrifty villages, three or four of which are in sight, each with its -single church spire or tower. Not a boarding-house was to be found in -the place. There is a hotel, but hotels had been my dwelling-place long -enough, and now I would have a home, and such a home as the people -around me enjoy. In a private family, the village apothecary’s, I -learned that, perhaps, a room could be had, and thither I bent my steps. -Happily for me, they were willing to take me in, and in a short time the -apartments were ready and I was duly installed. - -My quarters are a parlor and bedroom, on the front of the house, first -floor, up stairs over the shop. The floor is uncarpeted, made of various -Swiss woods laid in mosaic, in diamond shapes, of three different -colors. A large, earthen, polished, white, monument-like thing, gilt at -the corniced summit, stands on one side, and I soon learn that it is a -stove, the door of which is out in the hall, where the fire is kindled, -and now in the middle of August a fire is needed all the time. On the -corners of this ornamental as well as useful pile stand two Parian -busts, one of Goethe and the other of Schiller. An engraving of Schiller -reading one of his poems to his friends hangs on the wall, and a -portrait of Columbus, and another of Luther and other celebrities are -around me. The windows extend without interruption over the entire -length of the room, and a row of flowers in pots are on the sill -outside, and embroidered curtains within. The shutters are closed by -raising them with a strap, as the windows of a rail-car. A sofa, an easy -chair covered with leather, three tables, a divan, and a chair or two, -with rugs lying around, and little gems of art with books scattered -about, complete the furniture of this perfectly comfortable and -delightful room. The walls and ceiling are all panel-work in wood, -painted white, and as purely white as the Alpine snows. In the bedroom, -the floor, the wall, and ceiling are as in the parlor, only the color is -a light salmon, very chaste and clean. The bed has a down comforter on -the top of it, and two pillows, with double cases, the inner of figured -green silk, showing at the open embroidered end of the outer linen. It -is almost too pretty to sleep in, in the dark. Over the head of the bed -is a beautiful engraving of Uhland’s “Landlord’s Daughter.” On the stand -at the bedside is a little basket of confectionery, a porcelain -transparency of the Saviour standing among the clouds and pointing -heavenward; a china night-lamp burning with a bowl of water over it, -kept hot by the lamp; and every little nick-nack that delicate taste and -an appreciating sense of what comfort is would be likely to suggest. - -I am asked, before retiring, at what hour I will breakfast, and I reply, -“When the family do; and let every thing be as you are in the habit of -having it.” - -The times of eating and the food were not to my taste the first day. It -took me a little while to get adjusted to the change. But in every -country I would live as the well-to-do people of the country live. And -here I soon learned that the number of meals and the hours of eating -were regulated by the climate, which is so bracing as to indicate -frequent eating and substantial diet. I am writing this at ten o’clock -at night, and I will give you the journal of the day. - -Breakfast at 7½ A.M., consisting of coffee, bread and butter, with honey -and cold meat. - -Dinner at 12, noon, soup, fish, boiled beef, beef _à la mode_, -vegetables, salads, cucumbers, apricots, pears, plums, apples, -preserves, pastry, &c. - -Lunch at 4 P.M., coffee, bread and butter and honey. Everybody takes -this meal as well as the others. They come in from the fields and the -shops to their coffee at 4. - -Supper at 8 P.M. I am almost ashamed to say that at 8 this meal was -served in my parlor, for me only: soup and a roast chicken, which -disappeared, leaving scarce a wreck behind. And I forgot to say that at -six o’clock I took tea out with a private family in the village, where -the table was spread with the richest cream, butter, strawberries, -currants, bread, and honey,—all but the tea being the fruit of the -gentleman’s own grounds. And at my table there were presented several -dishes not enumerated above, the names of which were worse than Greek, -and the compound of a color and odor that did not enlist my sympathies. -However, I try a little of every thing, and eat all the time. I -understand there is a doctor in the village, whose fame extends to -distant cities, and ere the week is out I may have to test his skill. - - - IN THE HOTELS AND ON THE ROAD. - -It is one thing to travel in a country, stopping only at the great -hotels, and quite another to get off the highways, among the people, and -live as they live. At the hotels, the aim is to give you the kind and -quality of food you are accustomed to in your own land, to put you into -a good bed, and charge you just as much as you will pay. It is my way, -when I can, to get out of the beaten paths of travel, and mingle, if -possible, with the natives of the country, and those, too, who are not -in the habit of entertaining strangers, and soon learning that they are -fair game to be plucked as long as they have any feathers. - -More than half the guests in the Swiss hotels are Americans. The English -complain—John is generally grumbling—that the Americans get the best -rooms at the hotels, and that travelling on the continent is not half so -agreeable. It was my misfortune to travel last week in the same -compartment of the rail-car with an English clergyman and his wife [and, -by the way, she called him _hubby_, for husband, whenever she spoke to -him,—an appellation for the head of the house that was new to me, and -not very agreeable]. He said he would write a letter to the -_Times_,—that is an Englishman’s universal refuge when he thinks himself -imposed upon in travel. “I sh_o_ll write to the _Times_ about this -country, and I sh_o_ll say that the cookin’ is exceedin’ly mean, the -scenery very dull, and the travellin’ decidedly uncomfortable.” But he -was as near being a fool as a man could well be, and be at large. His -tongue ran incessantly, and he talked so loud that no other conversation -could be had, and everybody must listen to his twaddle and complaints. -“The ’ills were too ’igh” for him to think of climbin’ any of them, and -not “’igh” enough to interest him in lookin’ at them; and on the whole -he thought Switzerland a failure. - -It is curious to observe how soon Americans are known to be such, -anywhere in Europe. In England, a hotel waiter or a porter at a lodge or -castle would know you to be an American, certainly the moment you spoke, -and perhaps before. A woman said to me when I had said that I was an -American, “You don’t speak like one.” When I pressed for an answer to -the question, “What is the difference between my speech and others,” she -replied, after much hesitation, “Why, I thought all your countrymen -talked through the nose.” - -That educated Americans, and all of them accustomed to good society at -home, speak the English language with as much propriety and purity as -the most cultivated Englishmen, is certainly true, and it may safely be -added that the masses of the people in America, born to the manner, -speak it far better. Small as England is, the dialects of the provinces -are so diverse, that one is often sorely puzzled to understand a -commonplace remark or inquiry. It was very amusing, too, to perceive -that many _slang_ phrases, or technical terms, that we had supposed to -be of local origin and use in the United States, were as common in -England as with us at home. “You’ll ’ave lots of time,” says the -coachman. “I’ll pop out your luggage,” when he would tell us that it -would be done instantly, said the conductor. - -But the language is not more marked by its peculiarities than the -manners. There are all sorts of people in every land. Some of each -variety go abroad, so that we must expect to meet them, and it is very -absurd to judge of a country by the few specimens you meet on the road. -But while I am heartily ashamed of some of my own countrymen who are -abroad, and make themselves ridiculous by an extravagance of -_independence_ that amounts to a contempt of every thing and everybody -except themselves and their country, still I think that, as a whole, -they are the best behaved people abroad. At the Baur du Lac Hotel, -Zurich, day before yesterday, at breakfast, a German lady took her seat -at the head of a long table, rested both elbows upon it, and taking a -roll of bread eight inches long, held it in both hands, and without -taking it from her lips, or taking her elbows down, she ate the whole of -it from end to end. I sat next to her, on the corner, and saw it done. -She then took another roll, a round one, and devoured that: all this -while waiting for her coffee. What more she ate, or how, I did not see, -having turned away in disgust. It is not probable that any woman from -America would go through such an exercise at home or abroad. - -Yesterday, in the rail-car in which I was riding, an English gentleman -and family entered the compartment in which I was seated, the only -passenger. There were four seats, two on each side of a little table, on -which we could lay books or papers. Overhead were racks and pegs for -bags and bundles. He piled his, and his wife’s, and his wife’s sister’s, -on the top of the table, usurping the whole of it, and utterly ignoring -the right of anybody else to any of it. Jonathan would put a thing in -its place, and be ashamed to interfere with the convenience of his -neighbor. John Bull looks out for number one. This selfishness extends -to neglecting those little attentions to women, on which an American -prides himself, and which makes it so easy for women in America to -travel alone. - -On the French and Swiss railroads has been introduced an improvement -that may be commended to our directors. In every train there is a car -with one compartment, marked on the outside, “For women unattended.” -Into this carriage ladies who have no male escort enter, and are -properly cared for by the conductor. They can travel in this way in -seclusion and with entire safety; but after all it is quite probable -that the women in America would be quite as willing to take their -chances with the men; and, perhaps, the experiment, if tried, would be a -failure. One thing the railway people might learn of us, and that is, to -check the baggage. In place of it, here they give you a slip of paper -with a number on it, and paste a corresponding slip on your trunk, which -is some protection, but not so safe nor so convenient as our plan. In -many respects the European railroad system is far, very far, superior to -ours. Its safety is incomparably greater than ours. An accident is very -rare. I have not heard of one since coming abroad. The connections are -invariably made. The track is more solid and secure. The road is made -for ages. There are grades of fare according to the accommodation. The -first class is better than any of ours. The second is not equal to ours, -and the third is inferior to the second. - -[Illustration: Drawing of boys in the mountains] - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - CANTON APPENZELL—SWISS CUSTOMS. - - -[Illustration: PEASANTS OF EASTERN SWITZERLAND.] - -You have never been in Trogen. You have never heard of Trogen. You do -not know where on the map to look for Trogen, and you probably would not -find it, if you looked for Trogen. - -Trogen is one of the little villages in Canton Appenzell, in -Switzerland. It is reached by carriage from St. Gall, a large town on -the railroad from Zurich to Constance. As soon as you leave the line of -the rail, you begin to ascend, and it is all the way up, up, up, till -you get here. We passed a convent about half the way up, inhabited by -nuns, who were once expelled from St. Gall. They have now a rich -establishment, very secluded, and perfectly impenetrable in its interior -mysteries. You can see the reception rooms and the chapel, and the -grating that separates the nuns from you and all the world: that’s -all,—no, not quite all; in the chapel they will show you a human -skeleton, decked with magnificent jewelry, enough to adorn a princess; -and this may teach you that the pomps and vanities of the world are -wasted on one who is soon to be a bundle of bones. - -When you reach the summit of the hill, a scene of extraordinary grandeur -and loveliness lies around and below you. As far as the eye reaches, it -is a succession of green, cultured, and peopled hills, often crowned -with villages, but mostly marked by scattered dwellings in the midst of -beautiful farms, white roads winding around and over the hills, and in -the distance, through an opening, lies the lake of Constance, a picture -of silver in a fair setting of emerald. Trogen is the largest of the -villages; but there are three more in sight, Speicher, Wald, and -Rechdobell, each with its single church tower; for the people are all -Protestants, and all Lutherans. In this village and Speicher, close by, -there is not one Roman Catholic family, and I believe that is a very -unusual fact in this country, where there are nearly as many of the one -as the other, and they are mingled closely in many of the cantons. - -Here there is only one church, and that German. Service is held on -Sunday at _nine_ o’clock in the morning. The church is a well-built -edifice of stone, about one hundred years old, with frescoed ceilings, -representing the Ascension, Christ blessing the children, and other -scenes not intelligible to me. The women sat by themselves and made -three-fourths of the congregation. As each one came in, he or she stood -in silent prayer, reverently bending; the women then sat down, the men -remained standing. They stood patiently till the minister came in and -opened the services, and they did not take their seats until the sermon -was begun. On this occasion there was an unusual number of children -present, as in one of the large schools there had been during the week -past the death of a scholar, and now all the pupils came in procession, -and took their seats together. All the men, who were relatives of the -deceased, wore black bombazine gowns, swinging loosely on their backs, a -badge of mourning. The service opened with a voluntary hymn by the -children in the gallery, well sung. Then the pastor read a psalm, which -was sung by the entire congregation,—there was no organ. I should think -every one in the house had a voice, and used it with the spirit and the -understanding also. Prayers were then read by the pastor, all the people -standing. At the close, the minister announced his subject, and then the -people—the men for the first time—sat down. - -He was a young man, clothed in a black gown, with a blue silk or woollen -ruffle about his neck. He read his text, “On earth peace, good-will -toward men,” and, shutting the book, delivered his discourse without -notes, with great ease, fluency, animation, and much eloquence. His -manner was good, and the attention of the congregation was kept closely -fixed. His leading idea was that _peace_ is to be found only by union -with God through Jesus Christ. And he pursued this thought beyond the -experience of the individual to the wants of the community and the -nation, insisting with great earnestness that wars come from the want of -Christian love, that good-will which Christ came to bring, and he warned -his people and the people of Switzerland, that now, as in ages past, -their only hope for national unity and peace was in union with God, on -whom alone they could depend. - -At the close of the sermon he read prayers again, the people all -standing. Then he proclaimed the names of certain parties intending -marriage, and also he mentioned the names of any who had died during the -past week. After a hymn had been sung, he descended from the pulpit. The -people, still standing, bowed their heads reverently in silent prayer -for a moment, and just then a man in the body of the church cried out an -advertisement of an auction sale to take place in the neighborhood. The -women now left the house, not a man sitting down, or moving from his -place, till all the females, old and young, had reached the door. The -minister next walked out, and the men followed. The service was over in -one hour and a half. An hour-glass stood on the pulpit, but was not in -use, as the large clock was in full sight, and the bell clanged every -quarter of an hour, as it does day and night. - -It was a kind and beautiful providence that turned my weary footsteps to -this remote and unfrequented canton of Switzerland. Harper’s Hand-book, -an invaluable guide for American travellers in Europe, has not even the -name of the place in its index. Murray’s Hand-book, which all the -English go by, says “it is but little visited by English travellers.” To -get into it by any other than the easy road through the north-eastern -passage, you must cross the high Alps and glaciers which bound it, and -add as much to its picturesque beauty as they take from the comfort of -travelling. But if you visit Constance,—where John Huss was tried and -condemned and burnt at the stake,—it is easy to come to Appenzell. - -And speaking of Constance leads me to that memorable spot, on the border -of the lake that for a week past has been always under my eye, a spot -that deserves a monument, a beacon to warn the church of the guilt and -shame of religious bigotry and intolerance. It is almost like a judgment -that the city itself, which for four years harbored the ecclesiastical -council that murdered John Huss and Jerome of Prague, has now but -one-fifth of the population that once inhabited it. As I stood on the -place where it is said the martyr’s stake was planted, and remembered -the glorious truths which he witnessed in the flames, I thought how -little is the world improved even to this day, where the civil and -ecclesiastical powers are still in the same hands. For as we travel in -these European countries, the line that divides the Protestant from the -Roman Catholic canton, or part of a canton, is just as clear as if a -wall of adamant, high as the sky, were set up between. Even Murray’s -Guide-book, which does not pretend to any religious opinions, speaking -of the two parts of Canton Appenzell, says: - - -“A remarkable change greets the traveller on entering Roman Catholic -Inner Rhoden, from Protestant Outer Rhoden. He exchanges cleanliness and -industry for filth and beggary. What may be the cause of this is not a -subject suitable for discussion here.” - - -Yet the moral philosopher, the philanthropist, the patriot, above all -the Christian, even a Christian traveller, wishes to consider “the -cause,” whether it is proper or not for a guide-book to discuss it. As -travelling tends to promote liberality of sentiment, to enlarge one’s -charity, and to convince even a strict adherent to his hereditary faith, -that many, far from his way of thinking, are just as sure of heaven as -he is, so travelling opens one’s eyes to the effect of the different -systems of religion upon the social, temporal, political, as well as -moral condition of men. And I have been amazed to find how powerful is -this effect upon mere men of the world, men who have never given a -thought before to the influence of one religion rather than another on -the face of society. Even the guide-books call attention to the shameful -fact that “filth and beggary” are the distinguishing features of a part -of one country that differs from the rest _only_ in being Roman -Catholic. The same laws, the same climate, the same facilities for -acquiring the means of living, and just as much soap and water in one as -the other, but the thrift and the neatness of one are in brilliant -contrast with the poverty and nastiness of its neighbor. - -[Illustration: FEMALE COSTUMES IN APPENZELL.] - -The customs of the canton are somewhat peculiar. I was informed that -they still adhere to the use of the pillory for the punishment of petty -offences, and the machine stands by the wayside, with a hole for the -neck, a padlock, and a chain. But I did not see any thing of the kind. -Nor did I see the _bone-house_, in any churchyard, where it is said the -bones are deposited of those who have been buried a certain number of -years, and who must then give place to others. Their bones are taken up, -properly labelled and laid away on shelves in the bone-house, so that -their friends can get them, or any part of them, when wanted. As the -graveyards are usually small, and no attention is paid to the -relationship of the parties buried side by side, it is quite likely -that, after the lapse of thirty or forty years, there would be no -objection to this arrangement, which strikes us as exceedingly -unpleasant, if not positively revolting. - -Every evening at half-past eight o’clock the church bell is rung, and -all the children must immediately go home. If they are abroad after -that, they are taken into custody by the patrol of the streets, and -either delivered to their parents, or, if frequent offenders, they are -kept in durance overnight. This is an admirable regulation, which I -commend to imitation in free America. It is adopted here in a pure -democracy, and works admirably well. In the cities it would be a great -moral life preserver, worth millions of dollars and as many souls, that -would be saved by the plan. - -At eleven o’clock the watchman sings a set of phrases in a clear, loud -voice, which often disturbs me as he shouts, just under my window, “Put -out lights, cover up your fires, lock your doors, say your prayers, and -go to bed.” - -I learned here a bridal custom of this region, so sensible and proper, -that I shall mention it for the benefit of the young folks. The custom -of making gifts to the bride prevails here, as everywhere, but it is -better regulated. The bride makes out a written list of things that she -will require in beginning to keep house, especially those things that -are over and above what would naturally be furnished by her parents. -This list is taken by her friends, and one of them says, “I will give -her this,” and marks that as provided for; another will give her that, -and sometimes two or three or more will combine and furnish a more -expensive present than any one would give alone. After the wedding, the -couple usually start off on an excursion, and on their return they find -their dwelling filled with these presents, each marked with the giver’s -name. - -These people are very fond of athletic sports and exercises, games that -call forth prodigious strength, and make the inhabitants of this canton -famous for their skill and power. Every holiday, and many a Sunday, is -given up to wrestling and boxing. They are like the Scotch in hurling a -heavy weight. They will throw a stone of 50 or 100 pounds. A man some -fifty years ago threw a stone ten feet that weighed 184 pounds. But -their great sport is shooting for a prize. They are splendid shots. -Shooting matches are held every year in the villages, and sometimes they -are matches between the people of the whole canton, and again of the -whole country. As we travel we see the targets standing at the foot of a -hill, and buildings that are put up for the purpose of accommodating the -companies that are formed for the encouragement of this national -accomplishment. - -So ignorant was I of the forms of government existing in this part of -the world, I did not know that six out of the twenty-two cantons, or -states, of Switzerland are purely democratic in their government. It is -true that this is modified, in a measure, by their confederation with -the others, and that they have delegated to their general government the -power of declaring war, coining money, and regulating a system of mails. -And, by the way, postage is cheap in Switzerland: five centimes, or one -cent of our money, conveying a letter anywhere within the country, and, -in all the villages and cities, delivering it at the residence of the -receiver. These several cantons are, in other matters, independent of -each other; and, in times long past, have had fearfully bloody wars -among themselves. They are at peace now, but from father to son is -handed down the story of the wars. - -This canton, containing a population of about 50,000, is a simple -democracy, and as primitive and pure as ever could have existed in the -earliest days of Greece or Rome, before an oligarchy or a monarchy was -known. Here the people, all the males over eighteen years old, actually -assemble, personally, and in one place, to choose the necessary -officers, and to make their own laws. This popular meeting is held -annually, in April, and on _Sunday_ always. - -On that day there is no preaching in any church in the canton, except -the one where the election is held. All the ministers come with the -people. At the close of the morning service, the election is opened by -prayer, and then the people proceed to the discharge of this serious -duty, the act of their individual sovereignty. Every man wears a sword -by his side, a token of his being a _freeman_; for, centuries ago, when -serfdom prevailed, only _freemen_ could vote, and they wore swords. Now, -all wear swords on election day, for all are free. - -The canton is not so large but that they can all come and return on the -same day, and, for the most part, they come on foot. It is expected that -they will all come. And where the power of voting is equally distributed -in this way, and every man feels that he is an equal part of the -government, there is little danger of any one’s staying away who is -physically able to come. They meet sometimes in one place, and sometimes -in another, but mostly in this village of Trogen, on the public square. -Here a platform is erected, and the officers chosen last year conduct -the proceedings. The landeman, or chief, presides, and the clerk -announces the name of any one nominated for public office. All in favor -hold up their right hands. All opposed then do the same. If there is any -doubt, a count would be resorted to, but that is never necessary. Office -is not sought with any great rapacity, and the people are not divided -into parties fighting for the spoils. The several officers thus elected -are charged with the execution of the laws. A council is appointed, -which meets from time to time, in the state-house here, and consults in -regard to the internal affairs of the canton. If any new legislation is -necessary, they frame the law, put it into print, and a copy of it is -then placed in every house in the entire canton. It is not yet a law; it -is thus distributed that the people, who are the law-makers, may examine -it, talk it over among themselves, and make up their minds as to its -expediency. If it is of importance sufficiently pressing to require -immediate action, a meeting of the people may be held four weeks after -the law has been proposed; but generally this is avoided by having the -measures submitted to the annual assembly in April. Then the law is -submitted to the mass meeting, and they vote for or against it, by the -uplifted hand. As ample time has been given to the people to discuss the -matter, there is no call for long speeches, nor would they be tolerated -by an assembly that was bound to break up and get home the same night. -And the laws thus adopted are put in force by the magistrates appointed -by the popular vote, and often at the same time that the laws themselves -are adopted. - -Among the principal cares of such officers must be the construction and -repairs of the highways. Oh that our American people would send a -commissioner of their country pathmasters over here! Within the last -four years two of these cantons have built a road along the eastern side -of Lake Lucerne that would do honor to Napoleon in the days of his -mightiest power. For miles it is cut into the edge of solid rock, which -makes the bed of the road, and a parapet; sometimes it is a tunnel, and -once a tunnel with windows looking out on the lake. All are made by the -voluntary, self-imposed taxation of a hard-working people. And so far as -I can judge or learn, this community, so governed, is as orderly and -happy as any other. Whatever good government can do for a people is done -for this, and the people do it for themselves. Switzerland is an -enlightened country, and probably as moral a people as any other. By law -every child is required to attend school from three to four hours every -day till he is twelve years old, and a certain number of hours every -week afterwards till he is sixteen. This makes education a necessity, -unless the children are incompetent to learn. And there is an enthusiasm -on the subject of education surprising even to an American. The various -grades of schools meet the wants of all, and fit the young for any -department of life’s great work. In this village the cantonal college, -or high school, is located. Any parent may send his son here from any -part of the canton, and he is educated at a trifling expense. Young men -go from this school, at once, into mercantile employment in Asia, in -France, England and America. And there are pupils in it from India, from -Smyrna, from South America, Mexico, and New York. I heard a tramping in -the street last evening, and, looking out of my window, saw a host of -boys marching by. I learned, by inquiry, that they were a school of one -hundred and twenty, making a pedestrian tour through a part of their -native country, Switzerland. Accompanied by their teachers, they thus -walk day after day, getting health and knowledge and fun, for they make -play of it as they go. Early this morning I was awakened by hearing them -again. They had been lodged, how I know not, at the inns in the village, -and now at three o’clock, A.M. (for I looked at my watch), they were up -and off. Just then they struck up one of their merry songs, and -serenaded the sleeping villagers as they took their leave. And even now, -while I am writing these lines, I am called to the window to look out -again, and here is a large school of girls, some of them small, and -others young ladies grown, making a pedestrian tour. Both of these -companies are three or four days’ journey from their homes. They will be -absent, perhaps, a week or a fortnight. And they will be wiser, -healthier, and happier for the little tour. - -I mention these pleasant incidents to show the interest which teachers, -parents, and pupils must take in the business of education, when the -school is thus made a part of the pleasure, as well as the labor, of the -young. Nor is the moral culture of the young neglected. Far, very far -from it. These schools are not godless schools. Religious instruction is -not legislated out of education in this country. In this canton they are -nearly all Protestants. But in St. Gall, where they are nearly equally -divided, the Romanists have their own schools, and the Protestants have -theirs, both supported by the same system, and working harmoniously, so -far as any co-operation is required, but kept distinct in the matter of -instruction. - -If the treatment of women, of the higher or lower order of creation, is -a fair test of the civilization of a country, this Switzerland will rank -very low. Good roads are considered an evidence of a high standard of -civilization, and very justly; yet there must be some exceptions, for -here in Switzerland, where they harness the cows and make them draw -heavy loads, the roads are first-rate, smooth as a floor, and solid in -all weathers. - -Probably this glorious land that I am now rejoicing in, can find some -excuse for the sin and shame of making the cows and women do so much of -the hard and heavy work; and they may pretend that the women like it, -and the cows are all the better for it. But it strikes me that nature -has required certain duties of the gentler sex, that are so incompatible -with the severer labors of the country, that they may be fairly excused -from a service that requires the greater strength which God has given to -men and oxen. In the beautiful city of Zurich, the most enlightened, -cultivated, and refined city in the interior of Switzerland, where the -most learned of her sons are educated, the city of Zuingle and Lavater -and Pestalozzi,—and that boasts a monument to Nagel, a university, and -polytechnic institute,—in that fair city I met a team, composed of a -horse and cow, harnessed side by side, drawing a heavy load, the driver -walking by the side of the cow, whose side was in welts, raised by the -stout whip which he carried, and used mainly on her to make her keep up -with the horse. It is more common still to see a single cow in harness -drawing a load, and a yoke of oxen is a sight that I have very rarely -seen in travelling here. Whether the males are more generally sold for -beef or not I cannot learn; but it does not appear to any one here that -it is out of the way to make this use of the cows. And I was rather -pleased than otherwise, in conversation with a great and good -_philanthropist_ and reformer, to find that he professed to be ignorant -of the fact that cows were put to such service, and when I assured him -that I saw one in harness going by his door that day, he said it must -have been an ox! - -And to understand why it is that women work so much in the fields, we -must see what is the principal employment of the people. I have seen -forty women at work in the same field here, and not a man among them. No -sort of work on the farm is considered too heavy for the women. How -could it be, when at Boulogne we had crossed the British Channel, and -landed in France, women rushed on board the steamer to carry our baggage -ashore! And here the women dig the fields, when a plough would do the -work far better and more quickly. They carry out manure, or drive a cow -that drags a load of it, and spread it on the soil. They mow. They rake -and pitch hay. They plant and sow, and reap and pull, and manage the -farm as they would do if the men were all off at war. And where are the -men? - -They are not idle, nor dissipated, nor away from home. They are at work, -and in the house, not tending the baby, nor baking the bread, nor -washing the clothes; but they are industrious, and what are they at? The -Swiss are a frugal, saving, thriving people. The amount of arable land -is not enough to meet their wants. They are a manufacturing, not an -agricultural people, though they export cattle, butter, and cheese. -Watches, jewelry, muslins, embroidery, and carved wood-work, are the -principal articles of manufacture for export, and these, with a few -other branches, employ the most of the men; for the work is done in the -country very largely. The city of Geneva sells 75,000 watches yearly; -but as you are riding in a _diligence_ among the mountains, a man will -step out from a little cottage and hand a neat, small package to the -postilion, who puts it carefully into a place prepared for such -deposits. It is the works of watches, or some jewelry, which the man has -made in his own house, and is now sending to his employer in Geneva. In -the retired village where I am now writing, so secluded that if a man -should commit a murder and come here to live, the New York detectives -would never find him, even here the cellars of small houses are filled -with machinery to weave Swiss muslins, and to embroider it exquisitely. -The buyers from the Broadway stores have learned where to come, and -boxes are lying in front of my window directed to Stewart, and to Arnold -and others in New York. The places where this delicate work is done are -damp and unhealthy; but unless it is done in a damp room the gossamer -thread becomes so brittle that it breaks in weaving. - -And all through the mountainous parts the carving of wood is the great -business of the people. Saw-mills are run to cut up the trees to be made -into ornamental articles for sale, and these extend from mantel clock -cases worth $1,000 to some gimcrack not worth a cent. The centre tables -and chairs, the game pieces and desks, knives and forks, and whatnots, -are far too numerous to mention; but they display a degree of skill and -taste in execution that would do no discredit to Greece or Italy in the -days when sculpture was their glory. And all this mechanical work is -done by men, and men only. - -The tendency of things is always to extremes, and here in the -working-classes, and nearly all are in those classes in Switzerland, the -men have pushed the women too largely out of doors, usurping employments -that women might follow with success, while the men should take upon -themselves the labors that are too heavy for their wives. But -Switzerland itself is an exceptional country. It has no fair chance in -the world as a nation; and so large a part of its surface is -impracticable for the use of man, and it has become so great a resort -for foreign tourists, they are expected to spend all the money they can -afford in the works of art which the natives produce. - -Walking out with a young German friend, who did not understand a word of -the English language, I saw at a little distance an enclosure, neat -gravel walks and shrubbery, with flowers showing through the iron -railing that surrounded it. I asked what the enclosure was, and the -answer, in German, struck me pleasingly: “GOTTESACKER.” - -I had never heard the word for graveyard before in German, though the -English of it, “GOD’S ACRE,” is familiar, and has often been the theme -of poetry and prose. GOTTES ACKER is the acre or piece of ground that -belongs not to man of all the land in the earth that he claims as his -own, but is the Lord’s. And why is it his? The earth is the Lord’s, and -the fulness. The mountains and the valleys, the plains also, and all -that are therein. Why is this small enclosure, a petty piece of ground -in the midst of a wide, magnificent domain, alone called God’s? - -Yes, it is his, because all who inhabit this place have gone to him. We -walked into the sacred enclosure, for the gate was open, inviting the -passer-by to come in. The paths were neatly gravelled, and the plots -surrounded with flowering shrubs, and the graves not raised above the -ground as ours often are, but levelled, and each grave bordered with -boxwood and planted with flowers. Few were marked with a headstone, but -most of them had a staff set up in form of a cross, and on it a plate -with a brief inscription. The centre of the graveyard was laid off in a -circle, planted with trees and furnished with seats, where friends could -sit in the shade, and meditate among the graves of departed friends. - -“And is Gottesacker the only word for this place in your German tongue?” -I asked. - -“It is also called FRIEDHOF.” - -_Fried_ means peace, and _Hof_ is the yard or a court of a house, and -Friedhof is “the Court of Peace.” This was another beautiful and fitting -name. It speaks for itself, and sweetly expresses the feeling of this -place. It is peace, all peace here. The battles of life are fought, and -there is no strife in this court of peace. The struggles, cares, -anxieties, rivalries, jealousies, fears, all that disquiet, harass, -fret, and annoy, all, all are buried here. The tramp of a million men in -arms awakens no sleeper here. The church itself may be rent and torn and -shaken to its base, but its members in this court of peace are not -distressed. These hearts that once panted, burned, and bled in the race, -the stripes and sorrows of the world, are all at peace now. Blessed is -the rest that cannot be broken till the trumpet calls. - -“That is a beautiful word,” I said; “and does your language furnish any -other than these two, Gottesacker and Friedhof.” - -“Yes, we sometimes speak of it as TODTENGARTEN.” - -The GARDEN OF THE DEAD! And so they plant flowers among the graves, and -along the walks, and make the rural village graveyard an attractive, not -a repulsive spot, a garden where friends, members of the same family, -are at rest. Jesus was laid in a garden when he was dead. His members -slept with him, and will blossom in the Paradise above, where the -flowers never fade. - -Long before Abraham asked a burying-place to put his dead out of sight, -the living had their funeral rites and ceremonies. And it is wonderful -how widely they differ, in different parts of the world. There is, -doubtless, a great difference in the customs of the various cantons of -Switzerland, for though the whole twenty-two of them would not make a -state larger than New Jersey, they have a _costume_, or dress, peculiar -to each, and many of their habits are equally singular. If the weather -will permit, it is customary here to defer the funeral until Sunday, -even if the person dies on Monday; and thus it often occurs that there -are two or three on the same day, and sometimes more. In a population of -three thousand, all belonging to one church, and the funerals being held -in it, the number is frequently more than one or two at the same hour. -The average number of deaths is about ninety in a year. Last Sunday -there were three funerals here. The friends of the several deceased met -in front of the respective houses where the dead were lying. None but -the relatives enter the house. The three funerals were to be attended at -the village church, and all at the same hour, as early as nine in the -morning. The body is placed in a plain deal coffin, sometimes, but -rarely, painted. And the custom of the country forbids the rich to have -a coffin more elegant than the poor; the idea being that death abolishes -all distinctions, and a plain coffin is good enough to be hid away in -the ground. At the hour, the coffin with the dead is brought out of the -house, and on a bier is borne on the shoulders of the nearest male -relatives or friends. One of these funerals was that of an aged mother. -She left eight sons and two daughters; six of the sons were grown men, -and they bore their mother on their shoulders to the grave. The three -processions met near the church, and the three coffins were then borne -in the order of the ages of the deceased, to the church, but not into -it. The body is never taken into the church. But when the relatives and -friends have entered, the body is carried by the bearers immediately -into the Gottesacker, God’s Acre, the graveyard, which usually adjoins -the church. It is there buried, while none are present except those who -do the work. I stood at a little distance while this melancholy service -was performed. It was not pleasing to me that the dead should be thus -put away unwept. And another custom was equally unpleasant to me. The -graves are arranged in regular order, without any distinction of -families, and as each person in the place dies, he is buried in the -grave next to the one who was buried before him. It may have been a -neighbor with whom he was at enmity, but now in death they sleep side by -side, and know it not. Families are separated by the grave, as well as -by death, and no two of them, unless they die together, may be laid -together in the grave. This is surprising when we notice the remarkable -attention they bestow on the Garden of the Dead. For when the dead are -buried, the friends come, day after day, and adorn the grave with -flowers, and surround it with a border of green, and water it with their -tears of love. - -While the body is thus cared for by the bearers, the funeral service is -proceeding in the church. This is similar to the service in our own -country, the prayers and selections of Scripture being read, and a -sermon preached, the same discourse answering, of course, for all who -are buried on the same day. At the funeral, all the men in attendance -wear a black mantle, of bombazine or serge, which they may get, for a -trifle, of the undertaker, who keeps them for hire. Persons of property -have them of their own, to wear only on funeral occasions, but the most -of the people hire them when wanted, and thus every man at the funeral -appears as a mourner. All the women dress in black when attending a -funeral, and they never go to church in any other than a black dress. -This is a very peculiar custom, but is invariably followed by all the -people of this country. Not a light-colored dress appears in the great -congregation on the Sabbath-day, or at a funeral. - -If I have not already spoken to you of the cultivation, refinement, and -manners of the intelligent, wealthy, and “upper” classes of the people, -I say that a very erroneous and unjust opinion has been formed on this -point, by travellers whose observations have been confined to hotels and -highways, their only intercourse with men who make it their business to -get as much as possible out of all who fall into their hands. It has -been my pleasure this summer to meet in social life among the Swiss some -of the pleasantest, most intelligent, and agreeable women and men that -will be found in any country. Their manners and minds, as well as their -persons, would grace any assembly, and they appeared to be only the -fitting representatives of the best circles of society in this -remarkable land. They admire their own country. Patriotism burns as -brightly among these mountains as on our own shores. And when it was -mentioned that I might write a book on Switzerland, a beautiful and -accomplished lady bade me be careful, or she would make another and set -me right if I failed to do justice to her beloved Switzerland. I could -only say to her, in reply, that the threat was a temptation to error. -But any one who becomes familiar with the inner life of this people, -will find as much to admire and esteem as in any European country. - -[Illustration: Drawing of a hunt] - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - GERMAN WATERING-PLACES—BINGEN ON THE RHINE. - - -A GERMAN watering-place, with its nauseous springs, its inviting groves -and garden and shady walks and rustic seats and bowers, its conversation -house, and sweet, clean beds and airy rooms and quiet halls, was in our -way, and a Sabbath was just ahead of us. So we would rest there -according to the commandment. - -I have been left alone, or with my little party only, in a wayside inn, -among the Swiss valleys, and have seen troops of travellers, some of -them with white cravats and straight coat collars, go on their way of a -bright, glad, summer Sabbath morning, when it seemed to me the mountains -looked down with a divine benediction and invited us to sit all day -under their shadows and worship toward the holy hill of Zion. And a -Sabbath in a wilderness, alone, is well spent, if the soul is at peace, -and the wearied limbs of a pilgrim are suffered also to have rest. - -If a land impregnated with salt is cursed, this region ought to be -barren; but it is not. It is a rich, picturesque, rolling country, and a -beautiful river flows through its waving harvest-fields, just now white -for the sickle. Sometimes a bold cliff stands majestically on the -river-side, and an old feudal castle hangs on the summit, where once the -lord of the domain held high revel and strong rule, a robber on land and -a pirate on the river he would be called now, since his race has run -out, and kings who do the same things that he did are reckoned as the -lawful plunderers as well as rulers of the people. So the robber told -Alexander, and the king couldn’t see it, but it was true nevertheless. - -They make salt curiously in these parts. The water is pumped up from -springs or wells into troughs, which are raised on scaffolding thirty or -more feet high; and below these troughs a solid mass of brush is piled, -a wall some ten feet thick, standing on a reservoir; this brush wall -reaches hundreds and thousands of feet along, according to the extent of -the works employed. The pumps are moved by water-power, and slowly and -steadily, ceaselessly, day and night, they raise the water into the -troughs above, through which it trickles upon this brush and drops down, -down, down into the basins below; this exposes the water to the action -of the air and rapidly evaporates it; so that what runs through the heap -and finally reaches the reservoir below is exceedingly strong, and by -completing the process with boiling is readily converted into salt. - -The vicinity of these works is a healthful resort for invalids, who find -the atmosphere more highly charged with saline particles than the shores -of the sea itself. In the neighborhood of the mighty wall of wood are -boarding-houses, as at the sea-shore, and in the pleasant, shady side -the ladies sit with their needle-work or books in hand, inhaling the -invigorating air, and enjoying the quietest, coolest, and most bracing -climate in hot weather, and on the outskirts of the fashionable world. -On the bank of the river we found a place to stay, and from it made -excursions into the regions beyond. A rock, rising one thousand feet -perpendicularly from the water, held on its giddy summit the tottering -remnants of the fortress of one of the petty tyrants of the olden time, -and a circuit of five or six miles, in a broiling day, brought us by a -path that no wheels can traverse to the height. Tradition tells of the -last of the barons who held his court in these walls; how his daughter -was loved and wooed by his rival chieftain, whose castle still stands -erect across the river a few miles below and in full view of this; how -the “cruel father” refused to give his daughter to his foe, and the -lover lured her by the arts of love to aid him in his daring scheme to -capture her father’s castle and compel him to surrender her in exchange -for his liberty and his home; how the stratagem succeeded, and the -circumvented parent threw himself headlong from the rampart into the -frightful abyss, and the lovers, after destroying the stronghold, -removed to their castle below, and became the ancestors of a -distinguished family of an unpronounceable German name. All this -tradition tells, and to write it all out would be perhaps worth the -while of some one who has nothing better to do. - -Our next stopping-place was Homburg, one of the more modern, but the -most brilliant of the watering-places in Europe. Like some of our own -cities, it has rapidly rushed into _notoriety_; that is just the word -for the reputation it has made for itself, and by which it has made its -fortunes and ruined the fortunes of thousands who have sought its -hospitalities. - -A very few years ago a wide waste of marshy meadows, swamps we would -call them, lay around and over the spot that now gathers and holds for -the season the fashion and style and rank of the gayest European -capitals,—the largest and most distinguished circle of “the upper -classes” to be found at any fashionable resort in the world. It is a -city of hotels, and these on a scale of elegance that is not surpassed. -But between these hotels and the waters of health that first drew the -crowds hither, are these original meadows, now covered with young woods, -and intersected by numberless walks and drives, in which a stranger -might easily be lost, and left to wander hours and hours without finding -his way out. Beyond these shaded groves we come to the springs, several, -with various properties, very kindly arranged to meet the many maladies -of man, and all of them sufficiently disagreeable to be medicinal. -Neatness, order, elegance reign everywhere. Around the springs, through -the avenues overhung with venerable trees, along the rows of beautiful -lodging-houses and residences of those who permanently pass the summer -here, the quietness of private life rests with a grace and charm quite -rare in a great watering-place. This gives to Homburg such an attraction -that thousands of the quietest class of people in the world love to come -here for refreshment and repose. They need not go into the Kursaal, -though that word means cure-hall or cure-house. I would call it Kursaal, -or curse-all, because it is the curse of all who are drawn into its -vortex. - -It is a palace. In its extent, its proportions, and appointments, it is -fit for a royal residence, all the arts of ornamentation being exhausted -to make it a splendid temple of pleasure, instead of a hospital or -asylum for the sick and suffering. This palace, with its broad piazzas -looking upon beautiful gardens, where elegant women are sitting under -the shade, with their books or fancy needle-work, while a German band -fills the soft and fragrant atmosphere with delicious waves of music; -this palace, with its concert-rooms and ball-rooms and reading-rooms, -filled with all the choicest periodicals of all nations, which studious -old men are diligently pondering; this palace, so still, so beautiful, -so gorgeous in its decorations, and so well fitted to bear the -inscription which Ptolemy Soter put upon his library at Alexandria, “The -Medicine of the Soul,”—this palace was also the great gambling-house in -Europe. - -A grand saloon that stretches across the house holds two long tables, -around which are seated thirty or forty men and women, intent, silent, -more statue than life-like. With your eyes closed you would scarcely be -conscious that any one was in the room. The clicking of gold and silver -on the table, the few words of the manager as he decides a point, an -occasional deep-drawn sigh as pent-up emotion finds escape, with now and -then an involuntary exclamation, evidently out of order and quite -disagreeable to all concerned,—these are the only interruptions to the -_solemn_, painful stillness of the Homburg gaming-table. I have heard -that something more startling than an oath or a groan sometimes has -interrupted the current of the play, and that a gambler, in a paroxysm -of rage and despair, has blown out his brains at the table. But such -incidents are not of every-day occurrence. Besides, people who play here -have not many brains to blow out. They are not insane. But as a class, -they are below the average of the human family in intellectual force, -because they stake their money with the knowledge that the chances are -not _even_, are always against them, and in favor of the bank, or -managers of the table. In playing _roulette_, or _rouge et noir_, the -two games which are constantly going on, a bystander sees that the -_taker_ draws in more than he shoves out, and that the tendency of -things is steadily in favor of the bank, while _chance_ favors the -victims just often enough to keep up the hope that they will make a -grand hit by and by and make up all their losses. Yet the game is so -transparently in the hands of the managers, that one wonders any one can -be so big a fool as to lose all his money in such hopeless ventures. The -bank sets up a certain amount of money every day, as the capital for -_that_ day, and stories are told of some heavy gambler now and then -breaking the bank, but that means only that by a fortunate run he has -cleaned out what was set up for the time, and to-morrow it is all right -again with the same or a larger capital. But these stories are mostly -fictitious, set afloat by the bank itself, which, by pretending to be -_broken_, encourages the idea that it is just as apt to lose money as -those who are playing against it. - -Some of these people are historic characters. One of them here now is -the brother of the Viceroy of Egypt, and he plays heavily, but stops -when he has had excitement enough. A fatalist by profession, he takes -his chances as decrees, and consoles himself with other pleasures when -these go against him. A German princess, who is the model of all the -virtues at home, gratifies a darling passion during the summer months by -wasting half her income in this gambling-house. American travellers are -the most cautious of all the company; but now and then a dissipated -youngster takes a plunge into swifter ruin in the waters of this -terrible stream. Most pitiable it is to see fair women, and sometimes -women that are known to be exemplary in society beyond the sea, trying -it just once, tempting luck; and if they lose they usually stop after -the first loss, but if they win they try again, and so on, until they -lose all they have about them and can borrow of their friends. - -A few hours’ ride across the country brought us to Kreusnach. The name -of this watering-place had never reached me before, and it added one -more to the many _springs_ or _spas_ with which Germany abounds. An army -of servants rushed out to the carriage, as we drew up to the door of the -Hotel Hollande, and in good English proffered their services to take us -and our luggage in. The luggage we leave on the carriage until the rooms -and the terms are found agreeable, and as we could have a handsome -parlor and bedroom adjoining, on the front of the house, second floor, -for one thaler, or six francs ($1.20) a day, we were not long in -deciding that this was the place to stay in. - -The salt springs of this region have long been known, but only of late -have the wonderful medicinal properties of the waters been understood. -Now some sixty thousand persons come here annually, and the number is -increasing. The people, waking up to the idea that they have a fountain -of wealth as well as of health in the bubbling spring, have erected a -cure-house on an island in the river Nahe, and hotels and lodging-houses -have sprung up along the stream; a regimen has been prescribed, by which -the greatest good of the healing waters may be had, but it is left to -the choice of the visitor whether he will follow the rules or disobey -them, and go away no better than he came. - -At Kissingen it is not so. In that delightful little town, where royal -blood comes to be purified, and nobles as well as commons gather in -great numbers every year, they are so jealous of the honor of their -waters, that no visitor is permitted to tarry in the place who will not -comply with the rules of eating and drinking and bodily exercise which -are prescribed by the medical authorities. These rules are simple and -wholesome, and it will do you good to take the course, but if you will -not, they take their course with you, which is to send you out of town -forthwith, lest you should lose your health by your imprudence, and so -bring discredit on the Kissingen waters. Fancy such a law as that at -Saratoga! It is said that more sick people go away from the springs than -come, but this is not to be affirmed of Kissingen, beautiful Kissingen, -the cheapest and prettiest of the health-giving spas of Germany. A -clergyman in Paris told me that he spends a month in Kissingen every -summer, fifty dollars paying all his expenses,—going, staying, and -coming home! - -You can live nearly,—not quite,—as cheaply here at Kreusnach. The band, -a fine German band, discourses sweet music in the park near the spring, -at six o’clock in the morning; we drink,—faugh! yes, we drink the salt -and horrid water and return to breakfast at eight, after a promenade in -the groves; at eleven a bath is to be taken in the hotel, to which the -water is carried in barrels and emptied into a reservoir, from which it -is led into the baths; it is artificially warmed to the temperature of -the blood; it is strengthened by the addition of the strong, boiled salt -water that remains uncrystallized at the salt-works in the vicinity; and -this water, sold for this purpose, brings more money, by a third, than -the salt itself. This drinking and bathing are good for scrofulous and -all cutaneous complaints; for bad livers, that is, for those whose -livers are bad; for dyspeptics, rheumatic people, and all kindred -ailments. Indeed, these German springs are a pretty sure cure for almost -any of the ordinary, perhaps extraordinary, ills of the flesh, because -the climate is good, the mountain air is bracing, and the regimen -requires a fair amount of temperance and exercise; and he must be in a -very bad way who will not get well under the simple, exhilarating, -purifying, and strengthening influences of this kind of life. - -Here in Kreusnach we meet with men and women from the most distant parts -of the Continent, attracted by the fame of this salt water. A Russian -gentleman and wife, with an infant child, on whose account they came, -had travelled six weeks in a sledge to St. Petersburg. Their children -had died of scrofula, and they brought this live one over that vast -tract of country, through northern cold, that its system in infancy -might be renovated by this modern Bethesda. The Princess of Mecklenberg -is here now, and last Sunday she proposed to attend the English Church -service. The good rector heard of her intention, and thought it his duty -to call and pay his respects. Unhappily he could not speak a word of -German, and when he attempted to introduce himself at the door of the -Princess’ lodgings, the servant understood him to be the postman, and -brought him the letters ready to go to the post-office. His call was -only deference to rank, and there was no need of it, except as every -sinner needs a pastor’s care, and the Princess took no notice of it. - -At a cell in the hill-side near the spring, _whey_ is dispensed to those -who daily drink it for the whey-cure. It has a great repute. So has the -grape-cure in August and September. Either of them is just as good as -the salt-water-cure, and that is good beyond a doubt. I have great faith -in any kind of doctoring that includes rest from business, with moderate -eating and drinking, and plenty of exercise in the open air. Give the -waters the credit of it, or the whey, or the grapes, or the doctors, it -makes no difference what or who has the credit, if you have the cure. - -But stop this everlasting rushing after the world that is perishing, and -wait a little while at Kreusnach, or Kissingen, or one of a dozen places -I could name. Here take your ease. Eat, drink, and be happy. Bathe your -weary limbs in these youth-renewing waters. Walk out among these -surrounding forests and hills. There stands the ruined Castle of -Rheingraffenstein, on a crag that overhangs the Nahe; wind your way up -one side, and when you have rested on the height, pick your way down the -other side to a garden on the banks of the river; there refresh again; -then in one of the little boats be rowed down to Ebernburg, the site of -an ancient castle, which has now been remodelled into a hotel; but the -relics of Luther and other Reformers who once were sheltered here are -still preserved, as well as the balls with which the French blew the old -towers off the hill into the waters below. Rusty swords, spears, chains, -and old keys are laid in heaps, as some slight index of the good time -coming, when spears and swords shall be turned into ploughs and -pruning-knives. - -Where the Nahe flows into the Rhine, there or about there, stands -Bingen, and no amount of pretty poetry that has been said or sung about -“Bingen on the Rhine” can make it any thing but a dull, dry, flat, dusty -village, and horribly disagreeable at noon on a scorching hot day, such -as this. We footed it half a mile from the station under a blazing sun, -as there was no way to ride, and found a cool shade, while waiting for -the steamboat to come up the river. The sight was romantic and -picturesque. In the water, a little way above us, stand the ruins of -Bishop Hatto’s tower, the story of which is too familiar to be told -again. He had hoarded corn in a time of famine, and the rats pursued him -for his wickedness. He fled to this tower in the river. The rats swam -out to it, ran up the walls, found their way in, and cleaned the -Bishop’s bones for him. Southey has done the story into a ballad. - -[Illustration: ON THE RHINE.] - -The Castle of Ehrenfels is on the side of the hill across the river, and -the Rudesheimer vineyards on the hill-sides furnish that celebrated -variety. All the Rhine wines are named from the castle, chateau, or -neighborhood where they are made. The flavor depends more on the soil -than on the art with which the wine is made. The process is -substantially the same in all the vineyards, but the flavor of the -liquor is decidedly different. The hill-sides are so steep, and the -rains are sometimes so heavy, that the soil is often carried down into -the bed of the rivers. It can then be recovered only by scooping it from -the bottom, and carrying it up in baskets. This is done every year. We -might fear it would be spoiled by being carried into the river, but the -loss of strength is not enough to alter the nature of the original. Some -of the brands are famous, and the prices vary accordingly; but the -cheapness of these wines here on the ground, compared with New York, -makes one readily believe that the importation of wines must be among -the most money-making of all kinds of business. Vinegar and water is -quite as good a drink as much of this wine, and a little sugar added -makes it better. Prince Metternich owns the famous Johannisberg -vineyard, a little farther on, of seventy acres, of which many and -fabulous tales are told of the small quantity and great prices of the -wine, of the celebrated men who have owned the vineyard, and how very -costly the wine becomes by age. But I will not weary you with them. The -river itself is identified with the history of Europe. Taking its rise -in the St. Gothard Pass in Switzerland, it receives tributaries all the -way down, yet it is a small and comparatively insignificant stream. But -kings have often fought for it, and it was the late French Emperor’s -highest ambition to water his horses in the Rhine. - -The art of printing makes Mayence immortal, and here we stopped to look -at the monument to Guttenberg, its inventor, a grand statue by -Thorvaldsen. It is the fate of few inventors to get their due in their -lifetime; some of them want bread, and the public will not give them -even a stone till long after they have been starved to death. It was the -fate of Guttenberg to struggle hard for years against rival claimants to -the credit and the profit of his invention, and so incredulous is the -world of the truth,—though ready enough to believe a lie,—that his -existence was called in question, and his name has been pronounced a -myth. And to this day there are people who think that Faust, who is -popularly reported to be the—or in league with the—devil, had more to do -with the black art invention than Guttenberg. They, that is Guttenberg -and Faust, were in partnership for a while, but that was long after the -real inventor had made the art a success, and the claims of Faust and -his son-in-law Schoffer, both of whom were willing to be credited with -the invention, have now given way to the light of evidence, and -Guttenberg holds his own against the field. It is in legal proof that as -early as 1438 Guttenberg was at work with his press and movable types. -In 1450 he formed a partnership with Faust to carry on the business of -printing, and he died in 1468. In a book published at Mayence in 1505, -Johan Schoffer states “that the admirable art of printing was invented -in Mentz (Mayence), in 1450, by the ingenious Johan Guttenberg, and was -subsequently improved and handed down to posterity by the capital and -labor of Johan Faust and Peter Schoffer.” The writer of this was the son -of Peter Schoffer. He is mistaken in the date, for it is easily proved -that Guttenberg was printing many years before 1450, which was the date -not of the invention, but of his entering into partnership with Faust. - -As I stood in front of this monument to a man whose genius and industry -gave to the world this great boon, the statue itself appeared to be -sublimely eloquent, as if from those lips, representatives of the lips -long since returned to dust, was now going forth the streams of wisdom -and knowledge and power that make up the rivers of happiness and -usefulness in the art of printing as it has blessed mankind for four -centuries, and will continue to flow with increasing volume to the end -of time. Perhaps somebody else would have _invented_ the art if he had -not. It may be that God would have made another man whose brain would be -the womb from which this grand invention would have sprung. But there -stands the man who first began to print with movable types, and from his -beginning the work has gone forward, widening in its reach and power, -and is yet only in the infancy of its career. If he could have -anticipated even the present extent of its influence, what mighty -emotions would have swelled his heart! And as I look upon this image of -him, I feel that beyond any other mere man who has ever lived in the -annals of time, he is entitled to stand pre-eminent as the benefactor of -the human race. And it is worth remarking that scarcely any art has made -so little real improvement for the last three hundred years, as the art -of type-making. The types were as clear cut, and the impression just as -perfect then as now. We do work faster and cheaper, but not better. - -I walked into the cathedral and fell to musing among the ruinous tombs; -a few children were gathered in one corner and a priest was engaged in -giving them instruction; the setting sun was lighting up the colored -arches and naves of red sandstone, giving a peculiar effect to the -shabby temple, but there was nothing here to divert my thoughts from the -statue, the man, and the work commemorated. It was glory enough for one -city to have been the birthplace of such an art. Pilgrims will come -hither with increasing reverence in far distant years. And I hope they -will have a cooler day than I had. The mercury is now at 96 in the -shade. - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - - PILGRIMAGE TO AIX-LA-CHAPELLE. - - -[Illustration: AIX-LA-CHAPELLE.] - -IT is now nigh upon a thousand years since King Otto ordered the tomb of -Charlemagne to be opened. The floor of the cathedral of Aix-la-Chapelle -was broken up, the sacred mausoleum that cherished the remains of the -mightiest of emperors was entered; and there he sat in the chamber of -death, as in a hall of state, on a marble chair, in the vestments of his -imperial office, a sword at his side, a crown on his head, and a Bible -in his hand! - -Charlemagne was born in this place in the year 742. The cathedral is his -monument, and under the central dome is a slab in the floor with the -simple inscription, “Carolo Magno.” The cathedral was adorned with the -richest marbles the world could furnish, and the highest art of the age -was lavished in its structure and ornament. The windows reach from the -roof nearly to the ground, and with their rich decorations give a -peculiar beauty to the interior. The city has again and again been -ravaged by enemies; other buildings have been razed to their -foundations, but this has steadily stood in the midst of war and fires -and centuries of decay and change. Long has it been the shrine of Roman -worship, for Pope Leo consecrated it in 804; and thus, a thousand years -and more, it has been gathering treasures of wealth, of association, and -interest. It is now the most sacred shrine in the north, and, indeed, it -is not likely that any spot this side of Rome has half so much to excite -the veneration of the faithful. - -Perhaps Rome herself has not more holy relics. This is a bold -supposition. But the list of sacred things here collected is so long and -so wonderful, and the estimate in which they are held is so high, that -the city fairly lays claims to the first rank among the favored. -Therefore pilgrimages are made to these shrines as to the Holy City -itself. - -My pilgrimage hither was accidental, or, rather, providential. As I came -into it at the close of a summer’s day, the streets were thronged with -men and women, moving up and down, apparently without an object, swaying -like the waves of the sea, and I asked if this was the usual crowd on -the streets of an evening. It was at the height of the season for -visitors to its famous fountains of water; for long before it was a -shrine for pilgrims coming to pray, it was known for its mineral springs -and their remarkable healing virtues. What more could be desired than a -charm to cure diseases both of the bodies and the souls of strangers. -The old pagan Romans knew the efficacy of these waters; and through all -the centuries, since their rule, the city has been a fashionable -watering-place. It was once the seat of empire, and the palace of -Charlemagne, whose name invests it with more than romantic interest, has -now passed away. Yet the city is frequented annually by thousands from -distant parts, drawn here by the well-established reputation of the -springs. It was, therefore, natural for me to ask if these crowds were -the usual concourse of people on the streets of a summer evening. - -The answer to my inquiry indicated as much surprise as the disciples -exhibited when they said, “Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and -hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?” - -I was told that it was the last day but one of the pilgrimage to the -holy relics, and that this was the grand eve of the procession, the most -remarkable pageant that is ever to be seen in these parts of the world. -Of course this led to further inquiries, and I found myself suddenly and -accidentally participating in one of the most extraordinary spectacles -that I had ever seen or heard of. It will be a long story, but you must -read it. - -How the many precious relics came to be collected here I cannot learn; -but the antiquity and wealth of the cathedral, and the vast power -wielded for centuries by the Catholic emperors who were here crowned, -would easily make this spot the nucleus around which superstition and -faith would rally all their strength. So it came to pass in the lapse of -time that the number and value of the offerings which popes and kings -and others made to this shrine became immense, and no money would now be -considered an equivalent for the priceless treasures. Here is a list of -them, to be read with all the faith you can summon:— - - - THE RELICS OF AIX-LA-CHAPELLE. - - _A. The superior relics_, - - known under the popular name of the “great” relics. - - 1. The white garment of the mother of our Lord. - 2. The swathing-clothes of our Saviour. - 3. The cloth in which was laid the body of St. John the Baptist after - his decapitation. - 4. The cloth which our Saviour wore around his loins in the dreadful - hour of his death. - -These superior relics are shown every seventh year only, or -exceptionally to crowned heads on their special demand. - - _B. The inferior relics_ are - - 5. The woven linen girdle of the Holy Virgin, in a reliquary - (liburium). - 6. The girdle (cingulum) of Jesus, made of leather, in a precious - vessel. - 7. Part of the rope with which our Saviour was tied in his passion. - 8. Joined in a reliquary: - a. A fragment of the sponge that served to refresh our dying Lord - upon the cross. - b. A particle of the holy cross. - c. Some hair of the Apostle St. Bartholomew. - d. Several bones of Zachary, father to St. John the Baptist. - e. Two teeth of the Apostle St. Thomas. - - 9. In a reliquary: Part of an arm of old St. Simeon, and in a vial of - agate some oil that once came forth from out the bones of St. - Catherine. - 10. In a gothic chapel: - a. The point of a nail with which our Lord was nailed to the cross. - b. A particle of the holy cross. - c. A tooth of St. Catherine. - d. Part of a leg (tibia) of the Emperor Charlemagne. - - 11. In a shrine representing a gothic church, richly enamelled and - adorned with pearls and precious stones: - a. A fragment of the reed that served to make a mock of our Saviour. - b. A part of the linen cloth which was spread over his holy face in - the grave. - c. Some hair of St. John the Baptist. - d. A rib of the first martyr, St. Stephen. - - 12. In a reliquary, in the form of a great arm, is enclosed the upper - part of the right arm of Charlemagne. - 13. The bugle-horn of Charlemagne. - 14. A bust of Charlemagne, containing a part of the scull of the great - emperor. - 15. A golden cross, containing a particle of the holy cross. - 16. In a shrine representing a Greek chapel, the scull of the holy - monk St. Anastasius. - 17. A statue of St. Peter the Apostle, showing in his hand a ring from - the chain with which this man of God, who has suffered so many - persecutions and trials, was chained in the prison. - 18. Bones of the holy bishop and martyr Spei, in a little ivory chest. - 19. A great gilt silver shrine, containing several bones of - Charlemagne. - - _C. The principal works of art in the treasure of the cathedral._ - - 20. A shrine, the depository for the great relics. - 21. A chest richly ornamented, used when the relics are borne to the - gallery for the public show. - 22. A vessel, containing the pectoral cross of Charlemagne. - - _D. Relics and other remarkable objects of the other churches of the - town._ - - a. _In the parish church of St. Adalbert._ - - 1. The scull of the bishop and martyr St. Ethelbert, conveyed to - Aix-la-Chapelle by Otto III. - 2. A shoulder-bone and a leg-bone of St. Mary Magdalen. - 3. Two small particles of the sponge with which our Lord was refreshed - on the cross. - 4. Two particles of the scull of St. Quirinus. - 5. The scull of St. Hermetis, of which Henry II. made a donation to - this church. - 6. Bones of St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Mira. - 7. The shoulder-blade of St. Laurence the martyr. - 8. A leg-bone and a fragment of the coat of St. Benedict. - 9. An arm-bone of St. Sebastian. - 10. The hunting-knife of the Emperor St. Henry, founder of this - church. - 11. The veil of St. Gertrude. - 12. A leg-bone of St. Agnes. - 13. The jaw-bone with a tooth of St. Denis Areopagita. - 14. A bone and some blood of St. Stephen. - 15. A part of the coat of St. Walpurgis. - 16. A part of the holy cross. - 17. The arm-bone of St. Christopher. - 18. A fragment of the crib in which our Lord was laid at his birth. - 19. Some bones of St. Marcellus and other saints. - - b. _In the church of St. Theresa._ - - 1. A piece of the linen cloth that covered the face of our Lord in the - house of Caiphas, when he was beaten, and asked, “Now, do prophesy - us,” &c. - 2. A “corporate,” reddened with the holy blood that an inattentive - priest shed while he was consecrating the chalice. - 3. A linen cloth of the Holy Virgin. The knight-german of Randeraidt - carried it from the Orient, and by the intercession of the father - Lector Arnold, of Wallhorn, it was deposited in the convent of St. - Augustin in Aix-la-Chapelle. - 4. The scull of the holy martyr Theodore. - 5. A piece of the linen cloth in which was laid the body of St. - Laurence when taken from the fire. - 6. A part of the soutane in which deacon St. Laurence served at the - altar. - 7. Some oil that is recorded to have come from the bones of St. - Elizabeth. - 8. A part of the holy cross. - - c. _In the parish church of St. John the Baptist at Burtschied, near - Aix-la-Chapelle._ - - 1. A cross containing two pieces of the holy cross, pieces of the - clothes of Jesus Christ, of the pillar and the whip serving at the - scourging of our Lord, of the garment of the Holy Virgin and bones of - St. Paul and St. James the younger, and finally a piece of the rod of - Aaron and Moses. - 2. A silver gilt bust, with a large piece of the scull of St. - Laurence. - 3. A silver gilt bust, with an arm-bone of St. John the Baptist. - 4. A bust, with the scull of St. Evermarus. - 5. The scull of the Holy Virgin and martyress St. Agatha. - 6. A relic shrine, containing in its top a piece of the holy cross; in - the centre, bones of St. Andrew the Apostle, teeth and bones of the - apostles Simon Juda, James the younger, Matthias, and of the - evangelists St. Luke and St. Mark, of the levites and martyrs St. - Timotheus, Vincent, of the martyrs St. Fabian and St. Sebastian, of - St. Stephen, St. Barbara, and the saints Vitus and Fortunatus; in the - four corners, relics of the saints John the Baptist, Donatus, - Emerentia, Cornelius, the pope and martyr, of the saints Cyprianus, - Hermet, Aegidius, Pancratius, and Luzia; and in its base, a relic of - St. Adrian and an arm-bone of St Laurence. - 7. A shrine, containing in its top a piece of the holy cross; in the - centre, different bones of St. Laurence, a piece of the scull of St. - Sixtus; in the four corners, relics of St. John Chrysostomus, of St. - Calixtus, of St. Gregorius, and pieces of the sculls and bones of St. - Apolinaris, and of St. Maurice; in the base, relics of St. Damasus and - an arm-bone of St. Alexis. - 8. A shrine, with bones of St. Maximus and his colleagues, viz.: Of - the saints Lambert, Gervasius, and Protasius, of St. Peter - Justinianus, of the apostles St. Andrew, Matthias, and Matthew, of the - saints Gregorius, Chrysostomus, Servatius, Felix, Luzia, and - Elizabeth, mother to St. John the Baptist. - 9. A shrine, with relics of St. Valerius and Germanus, St. Cosmas and - St. Damianus, St. Martin and St. Constantia, teeth of the apostles St. - Peter and St. Paul, of St. Cordula, teeth of St. Sixtus, St. Cassius, - St. Juliana, St. Matthias, St. Evermarus, and of the holy queen - Binosa. - 10. A pyramid, with relics of St. Barbara, St. Peter, St. Juliana, St. - Apollonia, and St. Apollinarus; in the base, a relic of the holy - martyr Laurence. - 11. A pyramid, with a tooth of the holy apostle St. Matthias, bones of - St. Vitalis, of John the Baptist, and the apostles St. James and St. - Bartholomew, and of St. Marcellus and St. Laurence. - 12. Little fragments of the swathing-clothes of our Lord. - 13. A bone of the Holy Virgin and martyress Luzia. - 14. The penitential coat of St. Margaret, royal princess of Hungaria. - 15. In a small vial some blood of St. John the Baptist. - 16. A portrait of the holy bishop Nicholas in Greek mosaic. - 17. A grave wherein lie the bones and relics of St. Gregorius, son to - the Greek Emperor Nicephorus, who was the first abbot of this church, - that once had been a free imperial chapter. - 18. A fragment of linen tinged with blood of the priest St. Francis, - of Jerome, S. J. - 19. A particle of the bones of St. John the Baptist. - 20. A little box, containing a particle of the scull of St. John the - Baptist, particles of the bones of St. Raynerus, of St. Lewis, king of - France, and of the Holy Virgin, and martyress Catherine. - 21. A fragment of the cloak of St. Francis, of Assisi. - 22. A particle of the bones of the innocent children. - -Several hundred years ago it was the custom to expose these relics every -year in the month of July; but it was found that in some stormy war -times the precious things were in danger of being carried off, and it -was ordered that once in seven years they should be exhibited to the -believers. It was the year and the day of the septennial demonstration -when the Sultan of Turkey and I arrived at Aix-la-Chapelle. The -unbelieving Mohammedan did not stay and see the show, but I did. - -It was now dark; but I walked around the cathedral. All the streets -leading to it were thronged with people, and through the crowds it was -hard to thread one’s way. At the door, which I finally reached, the -people were coming out, and the guards informed me that the only -entrance was on the other side. It was a long way, and not very -pleasant; but at last I gained the court, where the blessed pilgrims -were permitted to enter. Two lines of men, women, and children, in -single file, stretching far away into the darkness and into some remote -part of the city, were marching steadily into the cathedral, saying -their prayers aloud as they walked slowly, devout in their appearance, -and full of anxiety to get a sight of the precious treasures within. The -prayers they were repeating are prepared for this service, and have -reference to the sacred relics whose sovereign virtues they are now -hoping to enjoy. When the remains of President Lincoln were for one day -and night exposed in the City Hall of New York, the public were admitted -to view them, and the line extended some miles up town, and marched -steadily into the park all night long. Except that procession of gazers, -I never saw a crowd intent on such a sight to equal the number of these -pilgrims. It was impossible to enter the cathedral under these -circumstances, and I was told that by coming early the next morning I -could be admitted alone. But the next morning the gates were closed -against all comers, and preparations were on foot for the grand -septennial procession of the relics. The court and the streets leading -to it were filled with rude benches, and thousands were seated where -they could look with reverential awe on the cathedral in which these -holy things were preserved. From the multitude there was rising on the -air, like the sound of many waters, the voice of prayer. Away up one of -the towers was a gallery passing around it, and on that gallery a -procession of priests was making a frequent circuit, while the crowd -gazed upwards with evident edification, as the holy utensils and the -cross were borne aloft between them and heaven. There in the sun they -sat, and thousands stood gazing and praying, the perfect embodiment of -superstition, and the easy dupes of a cunning priesthood. They were of -the lowest class of the population, if we could judge correctly by their -dress and appearance. Yet were they orderly and devout, and only when -some special spectacle led them all to rush to get the best place was -there any need of the many guards who were on hand at all times to -prevent disorder. - -The grand procession was to emerge from the cathedral at two o’clock -P.M. Then all these relics were to be carried in pomp in the hands and -on the shoulders of the prelates through the streets of the city. “Good -places to see the procession” were advertised for sale on the walls of -the houses, and selecting one whose windows looked out upon the court of -the cathedral and near its great door, I entered and hired half of one -of the windows, taking a ticket that was to secure my seat when I -returned. - -Thus sure of the wonderful privilege of seeing the wealth of holy things -which had brought these thousands here, I went off, and “assisted” in a -demonstration with the Sultan of Turkey. He was on his way home from -England, and was expected to reach Aix-la-Chapelle in the evening. But -in consequence of delays on the road he did not arrive until five -o’clock in the morning. He was then escorted to the palace, a modest -mansion which the King of Prussia occupies when he is here, a rare -event. When the Sultan had taken a brief rest and breakfast, he was to -depart for Coblenz at ten A.M., and the better part of the city turned -out to see him as he rode through the streets to the railroad. He is a -much better-looking man than his predecessor on the Ottoman throne, whom -I saw in Constantinople some years ago. This man is stout, short, grave, -with heavy black beard, and very _Turk_ in his appearance. His visit to -the west is regarded by his subjects as a part of the great work he is -supposed by them to have on his hands,—the government of the world. To -this day the most of them believe that France and England simply obeyed -his orders when they came to the aid of the Sultan, and that he has now -been out west to look after his provinces there. - -In front of the palace and all along the streets dense masses of people -pressed to get a sight; two Romish priests stood by me, and were -intensely curious to see the Turk. After a dozen carriages with his -suite had passed, the state coach, with two fat horses and one very fat -coachman,—coach, horses, and coachman covered with gold lace and -trimmings,—came along with the solitary Sultan inside. The people sent -up a very faint cheer, but he took no more notice of it than he would if -the dogs had barked; looked stolidly down into the coach and rode out of -sight. - -At one P.M. I returned to my hired window. The crowd was vastly -increased, dense masses of humanity filling every inch of space in sight -of the line of march. But the court of the cathedral had been cleared, -and a strong bar, guarded by soldiers, forbade the ingress of the -multitude. The house where I was to enter was opposite to the door of -the baptistery, and the whole court which was to be the scene of the -great display was in full view from my window. I was early on the -ground, and when I took possession of the humble chamber was the only -person in it. To get to it I had to pass through _the_ bedroom of the -house, and in that was a double bed, two or three single beds, and a -crib, in which the whole family slept side by side. Presently three -Romish priests and two women entered, having also previously engaged -places in this eligible apartment. The priests appeared to be -intelligent men, and we conversed freely in French. They told me they -had come from Holland to see the holy relics, and to participate in the -solemnities of the occasion, and were then going to make a tour in -Germany. The women were travelling in company. Presently one of the -priests took out his prayer-book, and, retiring to one side of the room, -entered upon his devotions. One of the women called my attention to him, -and, giving me a wink of the eye, put up her finger to the side of her -nose, and expressed the greatest possible contempt of the man _at -prayer_. She was very lively, sometimes put her foot on the table, -slapped her sister on the back heartily, drank three glasses of beer, -which the priests paid for, and said it was _goot_. - -A band of musicians arrived, and took their stand in the court. Officers -in black dress with _staves_ appeared. The crowd pressed more and more -densely on the bar, and in the struggle to get nearer, I feared some -would be crushed to death. In years past, there have been many disasters -of that kind here. Roofs of houses, overloaded, have sunk down with -their living burden. And as far as my eyes could see, the picturesque -multitude swarmed and heaved. Many in blue blouses; women with red -shawls over their heads; and every color was seen in their variegated -costumes, yet none but the commonest of the common people were there. - -At two o’clock, a few horsemen rode into the crowd and opened a passage -for the procession soon to emerge from the church. Where the people were -to retire, how they could be compressed into a smaller space, it was -impossible to see. Walls on all sides, but down the streets they had to -go, and, as they were pressed against the houses, fright was on the -faces of many; children were held up overhead to save them from being -crushed; closer and closer they were stowed away; women put up their -hands imploringly, but the horses tramped among them, and a way was at -last cleared through the solid mass of human beings. It was not yet time -for the procession to come out: this was only to let the officiating -ecclesiastics, and servants bearing vestments, and boys in white with -banners to pass in. But the time wore on, and at last the bells began to -ring, a cannon was fired, a strong sensation swayed the waiting -multitude, there was a sound of martial music, there was the roar of the -voices of the crowds who could not restrain their feelings, the door of -the cathedral opened, and the great pageant began. - -In front marched a band of boys in white raiment, with banners in their -hands; a few Capuchin monks came next, in the coarse costume of their -order; then followed a company of ecclesiastics, in white robes, with -prayer-books in their hands, reading aloud as they walked; a large -number in red and gold embroidered robes followed; a choir of young men -singing; a brass band, making fine music; and then, wonderful to behold! -in the midst of all this pomp appeared the dignitaries of the church, -gorgeously attired, and bearing in succession the various relics which -have already been named. They were enclosed in glass, some of them, and -others were in magnificent chests of gold and silver, borne aloft on the -shoulders of six men each, and surrounded with the richest trappings, as -if the wealth of the universe might well be lavished on such precious -treasures as these. The sacred procession was greeted everywhere as it -proceeded with the prayers of the people, kneeling while it passed them. -It took its way up into the city, through various streets by a -prescribed route, in the midst of living masses of people, the windows -and roofs filled with anxious spectators, who might never see the like -again, and thousands of whom had come from afar, and had never seen it -before. The march was about an hour long, and then they returned to the -same court. But the procession was now largely increased. Two hundred -“sisters,” of some order, had joined in, dressed in white, and perhaps -as many of another order, in black; companies of infirm old men and -women, as if from some asylum, and hundreds of lads in uniform, bearing -flags, and four of them in white, with branches of lilies and green -leaves in their hands. The procession entered the court, and, opening to -the right and left, filled the area; the holy relics were borne into the -midst, while the vast company lifted up their voices in singing, the -band played, the bells rung, the cannon roared. It was a mighty choir in -the open air, under the walls of a cathedral that had stood there a -thousand years; the vast multitude were hushed to silence to hear the -music of this holy band of monks and priests and women and children, and -while the whole atmosphere was full of song, the pageant passed into the -temple. - -My companions at the windows, the priests and their women, took leave of -me, as they were in haste to take the railroad for Cologne. I stepped -down into the court, and on the heels of the procession entered the -cathedral. The relics were deposited in the holy places; the great -golden chests were placed in front of the altar, and high mass was -celebrated with the splendor of ceremonial becoming this great occasion. - -When the procession was finished, the holy relics in their several -repositories for another seven years, and mass duly celebrated, I -returned to the hotel to dinner. About twenty persons were at the table. -On my right sat a party of French people, gentlemen and ladies, and the -fun they made of what they had seen on the street was immense. They -ridiculed as ludicrous in the extreme, and as the very height of -absurdity and nonsense, the idea that the clothes and sponge and -garments worn two thousand years ago, and constantly exposed to air and -all the chances and changes of these eighteen centuries, should be here -to-day in good condition; and, of course, the priests and church came in -for a good share of denunciation. In front of me, and on my left, was an -English-speaking party, the central and principal personage in the group -being an English priest. His garb was that of Rome, and his conversation -was becoming his garb; but whether he had ever been received into the -full communion of Holy Mother, or was only aping her manners and wearing -her vestments, it is impossible to say. It makes little difference, -however. He was disgusted by the infidelity of these French people, and, -supposing none at the table understood the English, he went on to say -that it was highly improper to come into a foreign country and ridicule -the customs and faith of the people. “For my part,” said he, “I think -they are very stupid, as well as very ill-bred, to make such remarks at -a public table where there are others who hold these relics in high -honor as memorials of their holy religion.” The ladies of the party -joined him fully in these sentiments, and, to my surprise, I soon -discovered that the two ladies between whom he was sitting, and whom he -always addressed as “My dear,” were both Americans, and evidently -destined to become, if they had not already, excellent Romans. All of -them, and the party was six or seven in number, had been gazing on the -same spectacle that I had seen with mingled indignation and pity, and -these enlightened, cultivated English and American people received the -whole exposition as a glorious manifestation to their eyes of the -veritable objects that were used at the time and in the midst of the -scenes of the sufferings and death of our blessed Lord, and, therefore, -justly to be held in reverence by all the faithful in all coming time. - -Pictures of the relics were for sale in all the shops, and I bought a -few as souvenirs of my pilgrimage. Particularly I sought for a good -representation of that one which is first on the list and first in the -admiration of the people. As the Virgin Mother Mary is held in higher -honor by all good Catholics than the Son of God himself, so they -likewise venerate with a deeper reverence the linen garment that she -wore than the cloth which was around the loins of the Saviour on the -cross. Having found two or three good copies of this peculiar garment, -my curiosity was gratified to see the style which the ladies of Judea -wore it in the year of our Lord 1 and onwards. Fashions change, and with -the ladies they change more frequently than among the other sex. But the -Virgin’s “linen garment” is exactly in the form and pattern of those in -use in modern times. It has short sleeves, reaching but a little over -the shoulder; it has a lace frill or something of the sort around the -neck, with a place for drawing strings in front. It looks, in fact, like -any other shirt with the sleeves cut off. - -Now, just imagine, if you can, a company of fine-looking men, fifty or -sixty years old, in gorgeous costume, with the symbols of priesthood and -the pomp of kings, marching through the streets of a city, and bearing -aloft, for the admiration of a gaping multitude, an old shirt. That is -the mildest way of putting it! That the Virgin Mary ever had it on, -there is not the slightest possible reason to suppose. That such -garments were then worn is contradicted by our knowledge of the costume -of the Orientals of the present and former times. But to argue the -question is as absurd as to believe in the shirt. Faith in these relics -comes not by reason or argument, but is hereditary, blind, morbid, and -against the senses. To doubt is fatal, and nobody here doubts. They -believe in the holy linen of Mary, her girdle, the rope, the sponge, -Bartholomew’s hair, Thomas’ teeth, Simeon’s arm, St. Catherine’s oil, -Stephen’s rib, Peter’s chain, and the child Jesus’ crib. If they believe -in these things, what will they not believe? And English and American -men and women come here and profess their faith in the whole! - -Pilgrimages to this shrine have been made for the last six or seven -hundred years. The number of believers crowding in at one time has -sometimes been so great that it was found necessary to shut the gates of -the city in order to prevent the increase. Every pilgrim was expected to -pay a penny, and in one year these amounted to 80,000 florins, or -1,600,000 pence. In that year 142,000 persons were present in one day. -In that period the numbers were so great that separate quarters of the -town were assigned to different nationalities, and they were allowed to -see the relics in their turn. They approached the relics on their knees, -and in regular order, each bearing a pure wax candle. Great preparations -were required to feed these multitudes, and it is not to be wondered at -that it was found too much of a job to have this thing going on every -year. Once in seven is certainly quite often enough. But the same forms -and ceremonies of opening and displaying the treasures have been -preserved from age to age. The exhibition begins July 10th and -terminates July 24th. The rush became so great at one time that it was -determined to dispense with the farce. But the inhabitants of the city, -who, like the Diana smiths, make great gains out of the pilgrims, raised -such a clamor that the show was resumed; and it is now as fixed in the -routine of religious rites in this Protestant country of Prussia as the -toting of the Pope on men’s shoulders at Christmas in Rome. Once in -seven years the people flock hither for two weeks in July, and on the -24th the grand procession takes place. - -But if the sight of these relics does the souls of the pilgrims no good, -you may rest assured that the waters of these fountains will prove a -Siloam to you if you have gout, rheumatism, or any cutaneous disease. -Perhaps it is not well for me to prescribe without knowing the peculiar -symptoms of your case; but for so many centuries have these waters been -flowing for the healing of the people, that I have great faith in their -secret virtues. Over the principal fountain is a temple, and from it -extends a covered walk. The visitors take the water early in the -morning, and, as it is too hot to drink off at once, they walk up and -down, glass in hand, sipping as they go. Near by is the garden where, -under shade-trees and by the side of fountains, they sit and chat, or -listen to sweet music which the band discourses. As I was lounging here, -a young Englishman was helped in by his sisters, and he was placed near -me, so that I heard all their conversation concerning his progress -toward being cured. Then a lady on two crutches hobbled in, and, -arranging herself as comfortably as her evident lameness would permit, -sought a little rest from pain. An elderly man with his leg in splinters -had two servants to hold him up, and his condition seemed to suggest -that the waters were sought even for the benefit of broken limbs. The -variety of diseases is not so great perhaps as at other springs; but the -gouty, the lame, and the halt, seem to lie around among these -orange-trees, flowery shrubs, gravel walks, and cool shades. But by far -the greater part of the visitors to the springs come for pleasure only. -There is a large _Kurhaus_, in which are rooms for concerts and balls, -for reading and conversation, and in the court a beautiful garden, into -which subscribers are admitted. There the ladies take their work or -their book, and, around little tables on which is a cup of tea or glass -of light wine, they spend the afternoon, the gentlemen smoking if they -please, and an orchestra of splendid performers playing. It is a scene -of social and elegant ease, the _dolce far niente_ to perfection, with -really more enjoyment in it than is often to be found where people have -nothing to do. There is no gambling here, and that drives off a class of -men and women that infest every watering-place where gaming-tables are -licensed. The company is therefore select, compared with the Badens and -Homburg. And the baths are splendid. They are furnished at all the -hotels, and there are establishments specially fitted up for them. Into -one of these I went to enjoy the luxury. Each bath has a dressing-room -adjoining it, out of which when ready you go down four or five stone -steps into a large cemented bath, while the water from two large pipes -is pouring in. On a stone bench at one end of the bath you sit down till -the water comes up to your chin, and then it ceases to flow. At first -the smell of sulphur is strong; but this ceases to be disagreeable. The -temperature is perfect, the water abundant, plenty of towels, and a -sheet besides, and the price is about 25 cents. I enjoyed it -exceedingly, and commend it before all other bathing establishments this -side of Turkey. - -The antiquary finds much to interest him in this old town. It is -something to be where Charlemagne was born and buried, and to see the -works of his mighty hand; to visit the town-house, a tower of which -still bears the name of Granus, a brother of _Nero_, who is said to have -built it, and to have founded the city 124 years after Christ. In this -house is a great hall, where for many successive centuries the Emperors -of Germany were crowned. In front of it is a statue of Charlemagne, and -the priests carry a silver bust of him in their septennial procession, -with a bit of his skull in the top of it. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - FRANKFORT. - - -WITH faces at last fairly turned towards Russia, we stopped to rest for -a day at the old town of Frankfort—the _Ford of the Franks_. Towards -evening I wandered out to an old graveyard. - -Like some in our own cities, it had ceased to be used for interments, -and its walks and shade and vacant squares had become places of -recreation for the children of the town. The gates were never shut, and, -indeed, the walls were broken, so that it was a public square for the -living rather than a quiet resting-place for the dead. A party of little -folks were amusing themselves with children’s plays, and I paused in my -solitary stroll to see them go through the old-time game of “Oats, peas, -beans, and barley grow,” the same that our children from generation to -generation play with so much zest on the grass or the carpet at home. It -was pleasant to know that the young ones, in another language, were -singing the same simple song that millions on the other side of the sea -have sung and will sing in their childish glee. It was a queer place for -children to make a playground. Our children would not fancy it. The -Germans have more pleasing associations with the burial-places of their -dead than we have. They indulge in cheerful sentimentalism more than we -do, in this direction. These old graves are covered with flowering -shrubs; some of them are cared for by the children or friends of the -sleepers who have been here so many years that their names might be -forgotten but for the tombstones. I read the inscriptions on many, and -sought and found names familiar in history. - -One grave was covered with wreaths and flowers. Yet it was an old grave, -and evidently some special interest attached to it. I drew near and read -in German,— - - “THE GRAVE OF THE MOTHER OF GOETHE. BORN FEB. - 19, 1731. DIED SEPT. 13, 1808.” - -It was her request that this inscription should be put upon her -headstone. The mother’s pride is in it, but so beautiful and so just! No -man of this century has wrought himself more thoroughly into the German -mind, and only one writer has led captive more minds in the world at -large, than Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe, whose mother lies under this -brick wall, with deep shade-trees hanging over her grave, and fresh -flowers lying on it, though she was laid here sixty years ago. “From my -dear little mother,” said the poet in one of his poems, “I derive my -happy disposition and my love of story-telling.” And she said of -herself, “Order and quiet are my characteristics. I despatch at once -what I have to do, the most disagreeable always first, and I gulp down -the devil without looking at him. I always seek out what is good in -people, and leave what is bad to Him who made mankind, and knows how to -round off the angles.” - -If this saying of Goethe’s mother could be told in all the world as a -memorial of her, it is quite likely it would do as much for the good of -mankind as all that her son ever wrote, though he was the prince of -German poets, and the master intellect of the age. - -His coffin lies in the Duke’s vault at Weimar, or did when I was there, -by the side of Schiller, and not by the side of the Duke, as royal -etiquette forbade, even in the grave, such common dust as that of these -two great poets to be laid along with that of royal clay. Yet the Duke -is more honored by having had the friendship of the poets than by his -crown or kingdom. - -Twelve years after the birth of Goethe’s mother, in 1743, a Jew was born -in Frankfort, whose name and power in the world are quite as great as -that of the poet. It is a question for the debating societies, whether -money or mind rules in this age; but there is little doubt that the -Rothschilds have been more of a power in Europe during the present -century than Goethe and all the poets put together. This man was named -Anselm. He had five daughters and five sons: all of the sons becoming -bankers like the father, and establishing themselves in various cities, -London, Paris, Vienna, and Frankfort, came to control the finances of -Europe, and to wield an influence before which the conquerors of -kingdoms were often compelled to bow. They furnish one good lesson that -is rarely mentioned or thought of: the father and five sons, and their -children, have continued in one firm,—the five brothers were at one time -the firm,—and, thus standing by one another, have been strong and -prosperous; in this particular, Jews as they are, they set an example -for Christians to follow. So great is their wealth and credit, that when -the revolutions of 1848 in Europe instantly robbed them of forty -millions of dollars, it did not disturb them, nor the confidence of the -world in their stability. Kings and emperors are their guests as well as -their customers; and this summer, one of them on the banks of Lake -Leman, and another at his palace in Paris, has entertained royalty in -right regal style. To us sovereigns in our own right, this is nothing -very remarkable; but here, in the land of kings and princes, it is a -matter always of wonderment, and it is also just a little detriment to -dignity, when a crowned head condescends to eat off the plate of anybody -but a brother of blue blood. - -This old city of Frankfort has had its ancestral pride sadly humbled in -being swallowed by all-devouring Prussia. A lady said to me, “I hate the -Prussians; I know it is not very Christian, but I do hate them; and I -believe the royal family will be poisoned yet!” This venerable city was -once the capital of the German empire, the seat of its Congress; here -the German emperors were elected, for successive generations. The glory -that invests a spot so sacred has now departed; and the firm policy of -Bismark, and the unification of Germany, have reduced the proud old town -to one of the many second-rate cities of Europe. A city, now-a-days, -cannot live on the past. Trade and travel will not obey traditions. -Frankfort still holds a financial importance that is fast passing away; -and more people will linger here for a day to see the marble ARIADNE, by -Danneker, than to visit the “Hall of the Cæsars,” where the portraits of -the emperors are hung. - -We left by rail at nine in the morning. The cars were large, convenient, -and elegant. For first-class passengers they were divided into -apartments for six, and were lined with red plush. The second class were -quite as good, but lined with drab; and the chief difference was in the -price, which, being high in the first class, makes the company more -_select_. In all the cars _smoking_ is allowed, unless notice is posted -on the outside to the contrary. In our compartment, which was one of the -_interdicted_, there were three ladies and as many men, only one of them -a smoker; and he kept on, regardless of the notice and the company. The -third-class cars had plain board seats with no backs; but they were -clean, and very decent-looking people rode in them. A fourth class were -like our cattle cars, only not so good, for ours are well ventilated, -whereas these were close, and were filled with dirty people, standing -up, and getting what air they could through one or two little windows. -Yet these people were generally smoking, their poverty compelling them -to ride like cattle, but not prevailing to make them give up tobacco. - -We passed through large pine forests. Wind-mills were frequent, as they -are in flat countries, where no waterfall power can be had. Women were -at work repairing the railroads; showing that here woman has her -“rights,” as the women reformers call the privilege of doing any thing -that men do. Of course they are degraded, as they will be with us just -as fast as public sentiment allows them to assume the duties that do not -belong to their sex. The waiting-rooms at the stations are restaurants -also, and beer is guzzled incessantly. Little children drink beer with -their parents. - -Vast tracts of level country are on our right and left. Not a hill is in -sight. The scenery is uninterrupted prairie. Passengers are informed, by -notice posted in the cars, that they can have a dinner served at certain -stations ahead, and that the conductors will send on the order by -telegraph without charge. At all the stations cake and beer are passed -along by waiters at the windows of the cars, and you may take in the -dishes if you please, and leave them at the next station. - -_Frankfort-on-the-Oder_ is a venerable town of 37,000 inhabitants, -memorable as the scene of a great battle in 1759, when Frederick the -Great was defeated by the Russians and Austrians. We crossed the Oder at -Castion, the bridge being strongly fortified, as if war were imminent or -guns relied on as the best peace preservers. Immense tracts of peat-beds -are on the route, and women are at work wheeling heavy loads of it just -cut out, and men cutting it, the women being made to do the hardest -work. - -[Illustration: FRANKFORT DINNER-TABLE.] - -At Krewz we stopped for dinner. We had sent forward our names by -telegraph, and were curious to see what was the result. It proved to be -a good soup, a stew of beef and potatoes, roast veal with stewed prunes, -and the usual condiments, but no dessert or wine, unless extra. The -tables for dinner were set out on the platform, under shade, and every -thing neat and clean, and the table furniture good. Beautiful gardens -are around the railroad stations: large peonies and lilacs, seringas and -roses, and other flowers like our own, in full bloom. We met an -excursion train with two or three hundred people, who had left the cars -at a way-station to get water; and as our train came between them and -theirs, they were thrown into the greatest alarm and confusion, lest -they should be left behind. The cottages of the peasantry are very neat -and comfortable; no signs of great poverty, no beggars at the stations. -I have scarcely been solicited by a beggar in Germany. As we are going -north, the country appears less fertile: there is more grass and less -grain; few fruit-trees, some apples, cherries, and pears; poplar trees, -sycamores, and some willows are seen. We have ceased to see forests on -the line of the road: we pass another peat-bed, and a dozen women are -working it, one man overseeing them. - -At _Nakal_ twenty peasants were standing, each with a staff in hand, as -if they had just arrived from a journey on foot, and were waiting for a -train to take them on to the seaboard to emigrate. They were swarthy, -stout, and well clad. They will all be voters soon on the other side of -the sea. - -Two hundred miles from Berlin, on our way to Warsaw, we came to -Bromberg. We had marked it down as the half-way place, and here we were -to pass the night. We found an elegant railroad station; porters from -three hotels, with plates on their hats, begged the pleasure of our -company at their respective houses. The _Englischer Hof_ had the honor -of taking us in, and we were hospitably and comfortably cared for. This -city was once in Poland. When the kingdom was carved and partitioned, -this fell to Prussia. But Polish names predominate upon the signs, and -the Polish language still prevails. Its trade is in wool and iron and -steel, by canal connecting it with Oder and Wexsel. We went to the top -of a hill near the hotel, and found beautiful walks and seats, -commanding fine views of the town. The churches are both Protestant and -Catholic. We were near a cemetery, and all the tombstones had their -inscriptions in Hebrew. It was a Jewish burial-place. Adjoining it was a -dead-house, into which every dead person of this people is brought, and -washed, and ceremonially prepared for the grave. A young man showed us -over the apartments. He seemed to be the solitary dweller in this gloomy -house. A fine monument in the grove near by is in memory of the good -citizen who had given the grounds, and embellished them, as a resort for -the people. - -Only in Germany have we had bolsters in shape of a _wedge_, hard, and -designed to be laid with the edge under the shoulders, making an -inclined plane, from which one is slipping down all the time. The old -feather-bed comforter on top is now dispensed with; but in place of it -is a quilt inside of a sheet, like a bag to hold it, and a very -uncomfortable thing to manage. It requires a deal of patience to put up -with the curious ways of other people; but when one gets used to them, -they are just as well as his own. - -We were to take an early start, and the servant was so anxious to do his -whole duty, that he called us, as Samuel the prophet was called, three -times in the course of the night, and finally succeeded in getting us -out an hour too soon. But that was better than to be an hour too late, -and so we had breakfast, and were off again by the rail at six in the -morning. By eight we were at the frontier of Poland, now Russia. Our -passports were demanded, and our baggage searched. Even the little bags -were taken out of the cars and examined. The only article sought for was -tobacco, and nobody ever found a bit of that in any luggage of mine. At -the station signs of progress were evident. Carts drawn by oxen were -loaded with brick, each brick twice as large as one of ours. Large iron -pipes for aqueducts were lying around. A photographic apparatus, of a -pattern quite novel to me, was in use, taking views of the works going -on. The names of all the passengers were copied from their passports -into a register; the passports were returned to their several owners, -then each passenger was asked if he had his passport, and, the formality -being over, we were allowed to proceed after an hour’s detention. - -We are now travelling in Poland. We soon pass miserable dwellings, half -under ground, and with stagnant water about them, giving every -appearance of unhealthiness and wretchedness. Yet the country was better -tilled than in Northern Germany. We are now on the Vistula. At one of -the stations we saw a meeting of friends, men kissing each other; young -people stooped down, and old men kissed them on the back of their heads. -Elegant parks and gardens surrounded the villa of the Princess -Racziwill. For centuries it has been the residence of the titled and -rich. - -At half-past three P.M. we arrived at Warsaw. All the passengers, as -they left the cars, were required to give up their passports again; were -led into a room where all ingress and egress was cut off; here to each -person was given a receipt for his passport, and he was required to give -the name of the house at which he intended to stay, also to state when -he expected to leave. He was then allowed to go. At the door a metal -check was handed him, having on it the number of the hack in which he -would ride; and thus, with a deep conviction that we are at last in a -country where we are to be looked after, we were taken to our hotel. - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - WARSAW. - - -ON the banks of the Danube, but just _where_ the story does not say, and -_when_ it is quite uncertain, lived three brothers, whose names were -Lekh, Teckh, and Russ. They were of the Slavonian race. Ambitious to -found distinct dynasties of their own, they set off on their travels. -Presently three eagles appeared, flying in as many directions, and the -brothers instantly agreed to follow the birds and the example. Russ went -after one of the eagles, and the region he went into he called Russia; -Teckh went to Bohemia, whose people were anciently called Teckhs; and -Lekh, led by a white eagle, came to Poland. The people adopted the white -eagle as their national emblem, and they were called Polekhs, or Polaks, -and in Shakespeare the people of Poland are Polaks. In some parts of -this country the Poles are yet called Lekhs. The great importance of -this recondite history is not very apparent; but it is enough to -intimate that the origin of nations is often involved in obscurity, and -this is specially true of these northern peoples. - -The history of Poland, through its early centuries down to 1772, is one -of the most _romantic_ in the “book of time.” With the coming of the -Jesuits into Poland came trouble, as trouble always comes with those -pests of the human race. War with Russia followed, and the Polish -territory east of the Dnieper, or Little Russia, was subjected to the -Czar; and by and by, when the kingdom of Poland lay at the mercy of -three surrounding powers, it was “partitioned” between Russia and -Prussia and Austria. This was but the beginning of her trials. Never -conquered, though always overcome, fighting for independent existence -again and again, she has in her death-struggles shown a tenacity of life -that has commanded the admiring sympathy of mankind. Three times she has -been _divided_ among these devouring kingdoms; and at the settlement of -1815, after the battle of Waterloo, when a new map of Europe was made, -it was decided that a part of Poland, Galicia, should belong to Austria, -Posen to Prussia, and the large part which Napoleon had made into the -Duchy of Warsaw, should be a constitutional monarchy under the Russian -Emperor as King. In 1830 the Poles made another insurrection, and when -crushed they were deprived of their constitution, their language was -proscribed, and the last vestige of their nationality was beaten out. - -There is a savage wickedness in this cutting up of nations, that does -not touch the moral sentiment of the world as it ought. To murder a man -is something palpable, and so obviously damnable. But to blot a nation -out of being, to strike down the life of a people and bury it out of -sight for ever, this is what has been done for poor Poland, and we have -only to drop a tear over her grave, enter a protest in the name of human -rights, and pass on. The most extensive portion of ancient Poland is -under Russia, the most populous in the grasp of Austria, and the most -commercial is held by Prussia. Warsaw is the unwilling serf of Russia. -The present Emperor has sought to gild the chains that bind this people; -but the iron chafes them, and will. He restored their language and -schools; a council of state was formed; all the local officers were -Poles. But nothing will satisfy a noble race but to be their own -masters: in 1863 Warsaw was again in insurrection; the men rushed to -arms, the women to the altars; the streets ran blood, the weak sank -under the strong, and the end came. - -The city of Warsaw has nearly 200,000 inhabitants. It is a well-built -town, modern in its appearance, with many of its streets straight, and -having large and handsome houses. It stands on the Vistula. It is more -gay and attractive than you would expect to find it, under the heel of -an oppressor, and after years of fruitless struggle with a crushing -power. On every hand we see the signs of the ruler’s presence, in the -persons of his armed deputies, the soldiers of Russia, who are here to -keep order in Warsaw. In our hotel, the dining-room is always occupied -by soldiers, who are eating and drinking, especially drinking. “Sherry -cobblers” in quart tumblers are in front of them, and they are sucking -at them diligently. Venice, under Austrian rule, was not more vigilantly -guarded than Warsaw is at this day, after a subjugation that has been -endured for forty years! It will take two or three generations to make -Poland contented under foreign rule, and then the hereditary love of -nationality will remain, and rise to the surface whenever it gets a -chance for demonstration. - -The city has a very unfinished appearance: there are splendid public -edifices near by others that seem only begun, or neglected in the midst -of building. Revolutions and the fears of revolution have made its -prosperity precarious, and the inhabitants lack the highest stimulus to -enterprise and exertion, the hope of permanent possession and enjoyment. -The splendid government houses are in many cases the palaces of the old -Polish nobility, now decayed or extinct families. Many of the former -owners, who once rolled in hereditary wealth, have long since been -exiled to the desolate wilds of Siberia, and their places will never -know them again. A pall, like a perpetual cloud, is on the face of -Poland, and by degrees the spirit of liberty will be extinguished. The -language and rule of Russia will become universal. There is no hope in -the future for the nationality of Poland. - -In 1863 a spy of the Russian government was stopping at the _Hôtel de -l’Europe_ in Warsaw, where we are now writing; and, his business being -suspected, the patriotic Poles, who are not likely to abide the presence -of such a fellow if they know him, took the liberty of murdering him in -his bed. The Russian government seized the house, shut it up, and for -some years it has stood closed, a monument and a warning. Russia will -not allow her spies to be murdered without visiting her vengeance on the -house itself in which the murder is committed. As this hotel was -formerly the palace of one of the noble Polish families, and the only -hotel of large proportions, it was a serious injury to the city as well -as to the proprietors. And I do not apprehend that the Poles will be any -more gentle in their treatment of Russian spies, because their largest -tavern was shut up half a dozen years. - -Out of my window I see a soldier standing with his back against the -wall; he has a soldier’s cap and long cloak reaching nearly to the -ground; he has been there five or six hours, marching now and then a few -rods and returning to his post: five soldiers come and stand in front of -him, one of them takes off the cloak and puts it on his own shoulders, -and, stepping into his place, mounts guard; and this process is -continued and repeated all over the city, day and night, year after -year. Thousands of Russian soldiers are thus quartered on the city -continually: lazy, intemperate, and licentious, they are a moral -pestilence; using their power to compel the subject people to submit to -their insolence, and corrupting by their example and association those -with whom they come into contact. - -With this admixture of foreign and native people, it is impossible to -discriminate between them; but a more unmannerly set of people I have -never met at public places than they are here. The servants have no -manners but bad manners. They enter your private room without knocking; -they are grouty in their address, sulky in their answers, and generally -disagreeable. The same may be said of the officers of the hotel: -disobliging, inattentive. The women appeared to be lively in each -other’s company, but the men of Warsaw are grave and thoughtful. - -We rode in the afternoon through the beautiful parks and meadows and -groves where the Russian military exercises are held, and through the -_Botanical Gardens_, and to the _Observatory_, for the pursuit of -science has not been arrested by the revolutions that have overturned -the government; and then we came to _Lazienki_, a splendid rural palace, -built by King Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski. Here the Emperor of -Russia has his temporary abode when he visits Warsaw, which, by the way, -he does not often, for his presence is not specially agreeable to the -people. Beautiful villas are scattered through the park, the residences -of persons connected with the court; fountains play, a beautiful stream -flows by, and a monument to Sobieski, John III. of Poland, stands -conspicuous, the sight of which is said to have led the Emperor -Nicholas, in 1850, after the war in Hungary, to make the remark: “The -two kings of Poland that committed the gravest error are John III. and -myself; for we both saved the _Austrian_ monarchy.” It is hard to say -whether such reflections are sound or not; the rise and fall of kingdoms -are all in the plans of Infinite Wisdom, and what to us seems -exceedingly desirable may be the height of folly in the eye of Him who -reads the future. It is certainly not human wisdom that has spared -Austria or Turkey and sacrificed Poland, but the end may yet be well. - -It was dark when we returned to the city. A feeble attempt at -illumination was going on in some of the public buildings. Dim lights -were hung along some of the walls, and now and then a private house had -an extra lamp or two in its windows! We inquired the cause of this -miserable imitation of rejoicing, this abortive demonstration. The -telegraph had brought the intelligence that to-day an unsuccessful -attempt had been made to assassinate the Emperor Alexander. The -illumination was thus very satisfactorily and _exactly_ explained. The -assassination was attempted by a Polander, and Poland would have madly -rejoiced if it had been a success. I was at a loss to know whether the -illumination signified joy at the Emperor’s escape from death or joy -that his death had been so nearly accomplished. The melancholy -exhibition of lights was just enough to suggest the two conflicting -sentiments; and if the Russian soldiers and officials and dependants did -their duty in hanging out the lamps, the inhabitants of Warsaw almost -without exception will go to bed regretting that the shot of the -assassin did not lodge in the heart of the Emperor whom they regard as -their oppressor. - -The streets of Warsaw are badly paved; riding in some of them is a -protracted punishment. They are badly lighted, and it is not unusual for -an ordinance to be in force requiring every one going out after dark to -carry a light, under pain of arrest. - -The first drunken person I saw in the streets of a city on the Continent -of Europe was here. In the southern capitals, as of Spain and Italy, and -even of France, there was gayety, but not intemperance. I had not been -long in the city before I saw a woman lying on the pavement dead drunk. -And nobody seemed to heed the spectacle, always and everywhere -disgusting as the most shameful exhibition of fallen humanity. They have -their favorite vices in the south of Europe, but this of drunkenness is -not one of them. The use of wine, light wine, is not the cause of the -sobriety of the people, though it is a fact beyond all denial that the -wine-growing countries are the most temperate countries in the world. -Yet they are not temperate _because_ they have wine to drink. They would -be just as temperate, and perhaps more so, if they had no wine. They are -temperate because the climate does not invite them to the stimulus of -alcohol. That’s all. It is not their virtue, nor their wine, that makes -them so. They are not tempted to drink strong drink. As soon as we get -into these northern countries we find the people making free use of -distilled liquors and getting drunk: and intemperance is the prevailing -vice of the clime, as licentiousness is the vice of the south of Europe. -Climate is to be considered in all our studies of the habits of a -people, and it must be allowed its proper effect when we are estimating -the virtues and vices of our fellow-men. Climate is no excuse for -wrong-doing, but it helps to know why people fall into one or another -class of sins. - -On Sunday, after searching in vain to find the English service which was -said to be performed in an _evangelical_ chapel by a clergyman of the -Church of England, we went to the Lutheran Church. Its dome, rising from -an open square, is a prominent object in the city. The building itself -is a _rotunda_, and very large. The yard was filled with all sorts of -carriages, wagons, droskies, and carts, with horses of various grades, -by which the people had come in from the surrounding country. Some of -these vehicles were the rudest kind of rustic wagons, and being covered -with mud, and filled with straw as the only seat, having no springs, and -long and narrow, indicated that the roads were bad, and that the people -had encountered some difficulties in getting to the house of God. It is -rare to see such a show of _teams_ about a city church. It was all the -more interesting in Warsaw, in the heart of the old kingdom of Poland. - -I entered the porch, and it was crowded by people unable to get into the -thronged church. Looking over their heads, I saw three successive -galleries rising above each other; and, following the winding staircase -in the vestibule, we reached the first, and, unable to get admission -there, we mounted to the second, which was also full, and then to the -third, where there was plenty of room. A singularly imposing spectacle -was presented. The vast audience-room was a perfect circle; the three -galleries sweeping completely around to the pulpit and organ behind it. -The pews on the ground floor were occupied by a class of persons by -their dress and manner more elevated in rank than the others. The pew -doors were kept locked, until the sermon was to be commenced, when they -were opened, and the crowd in the porch were permitted to take those not -occupied by their owners. The first gallery pews were filled with -plainer people. The second gallery had a set of worshippers whose coarse -and humble attire indicated the harder worked and poorer people; but -their dress was cleanly, and an air of comfort pervaded the whole -assembly. The third gallery, into which I found access, was not seated, -and the few persons in it stood at the front. It was a sublime -spectacle, this crowded sanctuary, perhaps three thousand people, -worshipping in a strange tongue, and all animated with the spirit of the -hour. Behind the pulpit was a life-size statue of the Saviour on the -cross. In front of it four immense candles, each four feet high, were -burning. These candles and statue would lead us to suppose that the -Lutheran was not wholly reformed, and that some relics of Romanism still -lingered. The minister read a hymn, and around the organ a large choir -of young men and boys, no females in it, stood up and sang,—the whole -assembly, men and women,—with the organ, singing with a mighty noise. -The sermon followed. The Polish is not one of the tongues with which I -am familiar, and I shall not undertake to pass an opinion upon the -eloquence or the orthodoxy of the discourse. But the clear rich tones of -the preacher’s voice fell upon attentive ears, and the earnestness of -his manner spoke well for him, though I could not understand a word. - -At the door, as I came out, there was a row of mendicants, not asking -alms, but willing and expecting to receive the charities of those who -passed, and they were remembered by many. It was an inoffensive way of -begging. Whoever gave was moved to do a good thing without being -importuned. - -The principal streets of the city had as many people in them, going to -and from church, as you would see in New York, and so widely do the -fashions of Paris prevail in the west and east and north, that the -fashionable people of Warsaw, riding or walking, looked to be the same -sort of people that one meets in cities with which he is more familiar. - -I walked into the Jewish quarter of the town. Their Sabbath was -yesterday; but to-day is one of their feast-days, and they were all out -of doors, “a peculiar people” everywhere. The men wore long frock-coats -reaching to the ground. Their dwellings were mostly mean and low; but we -saw women going in and out of them dressed in rich silks, with splendid -velvet mantillas, and they were doubtless as well off for this world as -their people seem to be in all countries where they have a chance to -live and trade. They have the best hospital in Warsaw. They retain their -nationality, the expression of countenance, the curve of the nose, the -faculty of making and keeping money wherever they go. And they are -strangely hated in the Christian world since they crucified the Lord of -Glory, as the serpent has been among men since he tempted the woman in -Eden. Of the five or six millions of people in Poland, nearly one -million are Jews. This is a large proportion, perhaps larger than any -other country in Europe. - -There are only about 300,000 Protestants in Poland, and when you learn -that of the Russian or Greek church there are but five or six thousand, -out of the five or six millions, you will see one grand reason why -Poland will never be submissive to the rule of Russia. Their religions -are at war. Poland is intensely bigoted in its Romanism. In the public -square we see a statue of the Virgin Mary, with an iron railing around -it; flowers in pots are kept before it, lamps by night are burning in -its presence, tumblers of oil with lighted wicks in them, and an old -woman to light them as often as the wind blows them out, and here the -people are constantly coming and throwing themselves down on the stones -and saying their prayers: one young man was so earnest in his devotions, -that he prayed with a loud voice, regardless of those around him, as if -he knew the statue was quite deaf and could hear no common prayer. In -1863, the frightened people rushed to this image, when they saw that the -insurrection was not to be successful, and the Russian troops charged -upon the praying multitude of men and women and scattered them on their -knees. - -Before one of the churches two crosses are erected, to commemorate the -union of Poland and Russia. Tradition says that they also mark the scene -of the strangest duel that was ever heard of,—two brothers being jealous -of each other on account of their own sister’s love, fought here and -slew each other. The province of “Little Russia” lies between Russia -proper and Poland, and for the possession of it the two kingdoms have -fought till it has sometimes been thought they would devour each other. - -As I saw people going into a court-yard I followed them, into a little -chapel, where a corpse was lying in state. It was of an old man; thirty -or forty candles were burning around him, but he was raised on a -platform so high that his face could not be seen. Leaving him, I came -out and met a funeral procession. The body was borne in a hearse, -surmounted with a gorgeous crimson canopy, and drawn by six horses -richly caparisoned and led by six grooms. The Emperor could not have -desired a more ostentatious funeral; all hats were removed as the -procession passed, and this practice, which prevails on the Continent -generally, and especially in France, is a beautiful and becoming tribute -of respect, which I would be glad to see prevalent at home. They uncover -their heads when the King passes by; and what monarch is mightier than -he to whom the stateliest head must bow. - -Ours were the only English names on the register of the hotel, the -largest in the city; we called at another hotel, and not an English name -was there, and during the three days we were in Warsaw we did not hear a -word of our tongue, except when we spoke ourselves. We were not, -however, as much disturbed by this as the lady was in Paris, who was out -of all patience and spirits hearing nothing but French day after day. -One morning she heard a cock crowing, and exclaimed, “Thank God, there’s -somebody who speaks English.” - -[Illustration: POLISH PEASANTS.] - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - FROM WARSAW TO ST. PETERSBURG. - - -WE were to leave Warsaw in the course of the forenoon. At half-past -eight we came downstairs, and found the breakfast-room closed, and -nobody up in the house who could provide the morning repast. As time was -precious, we went out to another hotel, and it was still closed; when at -nine o’clock we succeeded in getting in, there was no one stirring but -the landlord himself, and he managed to get breakfast for us with his -own hands. Returning to our own hotel we called for the bill, and found -the prices for rooms and board one-third more than we were assured they -would be, by the same man who now made the charges. I mention all these -little things to show the ways of the world we are travelling in. We do -not remember any country, nor any hotel, where we were more -systematically imposed on, and where we got so little for so much, as at -the Hôtel l’Europe, the largest and most pretentious house in Poland. - -We rode from the hotel across the Vistula, over a new and splendid -bridge, and found the railroad station a mile beyond. It is put at this -safe and very inconvenient distance from the town to be secure against -sudden outbreaks of popular violence. The people are of the excitable -order, and this road is the grand route between Warsaw and St. -Petersburg, over which their Russian masters come to govern the Poles. -The young man selling tickets was civil, and he was the first man who -had spoken civilly to us since we entered unhappy Poland. The Russian -officials at the station were all civil. Before we could purchase our -tickets our passports were examined, and a “ticket of leave” was given -us, for which we paid thirty copakes, about twenty cents. We paid a cent -for the baggage check. The cars were splendid; the first and second -class had spring seats, cushioned, with racks for parcels; and the -second class was quite as good as the first in France or Germany. The -passengers were very few; the train, the only one for the day, had but -three cars, and none were full. We had an apartment for six entirely to -ourselves, two of us. - -We rush out into a vast prairie country, very sparsely inhabited, but -well cultivated; large herds of cattle were grazing on the plains; pine -groves were frequent; the north side of trees was torn by winter storms; -houses were thatched with straw, and appeared to be miserable abodes for -the poor inhabitants; they became poorer as we went north, sometimes -partly under ground. They are now more scattered; fewer villages; but -they are doubtless more frequent off the line of railroad, which may be -laid through parts of the country less settled than others. The peasants -in their rude working clothes had a wretched look, and the women were -all barefooted. We passed a village that seemed to be Jewish, the men -and boys being clad in long coats, such as we saw on the Jews in Warsaw. -Once in every half-mile, on the road, was a neat house for the railroad -man, whose duty it is to see that the road is in perfect order. These -houses are numbered in order, over the whole route; they are of brick or -stone, small, warm, and substantial, with a little ornament. The idea is -excellent. A man thus provided for is impelled by his highest interests -to be vigilant and faithful; and it would be strange, indeed, if the -road were ever suffered to be out of order for a moment with such care. -The road is solid, a single track with frequent turnouts, and the cars -run smoothly. At every cross-road for wagons a man stands keeping guard. -Accidents must be very rare on a road so managed. - -We stop at Lapy, on the river Narev, for dinner; they give us good soup, -stewed veal, and potatoes, and a ball of forced meat, and charge us -about fifty cents, two or three times as much as it was worth, but they -do not expect to entertain you twice; certainly we do not expect to dine -at Lapy again. - -At Bialystok, the next station, a lady left the cars and was met by a -young man, perhaps her son, in military dress; they kissed each other -four times, and he then kissed her hand, and the salutations were -completed. Many Jewish women were out to-day, which is one of their -feasts; the cross-roads were thronged with Jews, who seemed to be -gathering there to see the cars passing; they were not allowed on the -track or on the side of the railroad, but must keep themselves on the -wagon-roads, where they crossed the track. This town of Bialystok is -quite an important place of 16,000 people, on the borders of the old -kingdom, and in the cutting up of the country it has sometimes been -Prussia, sometimes Russia, and aforetime Poland. It is now Russia, of -course. We come on to Grodno, with its 20,000 inhabitants, which is a -large town in Russia proper, and we feel a pleasant relief in being -within the bounds of the empire itself, though even this was once in -Poland, and the residence of some of her kings. Here sat the diets, or -congress, of Poland, and even that most celebrated of all of them, the -diet of 1793, which gave its consent to the partition of Poland. Here, -too, the last king of Poland, Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski, laid down -his sceptre. We find the Jews, in great numbers, out on a holiday; the -grand-high-priest, with his gorgeous breastplate on, with long hair, as -if it had never been cut and he were a Nazarene from his birth. We are -now travelling in Lithuania, once a duchy, whose duke married the Queen -of Poland, by name Hedwiga, in 1386. This union made Poland powerful to -resist the Tartars and the Dukes of Moscow, and to maintain the -independence of the kingdom for a long series of years. The union of -Lithuania and Poland continued until the third partition in 1795. The -country appears poorer as we advance; the soil is less fertile; there is -more sandy and barren waste. Pines and firs and white birches are the -trees we see now; the houses of the peasants are low and poor; we have -long since ceased to see improvements about the railroad stations; we -are getting into regions of less civilization. As far as the eye reaches -away to the horizon, no hills are in sight. It was across these wide -plains that the great French captain led his hosts to invade Russia, -sixty years ago! We shall be frequently on the track of that army’s -awful march, and its disastrous retreat. We have come to Kowno, where -the rivers Vilia and Niemen meet. Here the French army crossed the -Niemen, June 23, 1812, on their way to Moscow, and a gentle rise of -ground, on the bank, is still called Napoleon’s Hill. It was a mighty -host when it was here in June. All the annals of war and of the world -furnish no parallel to the story of that campaign; it was an epitome of -Napoleon’s whole career. But it is rare that marble is so modest as the -monument which the Russians have set up at Kowno to commemorate the -miserable failure of Napoleon’s stupendous plan of subjugating Russia. -In the centre of the market-place they have set up a stone bearing this -significant inscription,— - - -“In 1812, Russia was invaded by an army numbering 700,000 men. The army -recrossed the frontier, numbering 70,000.” - - -When Napoleon entered Wilna on his fatal march to Moscow, he occupied -the same rooms in the episcopal palace that the Emperor Alexander had -hastily vacated the day before. We shall not have the same apartments, -but we are here at the same season of the year; it was June 28, 1812, -when the French army took possession of Wilna, the Russians having -evacuated it in the night. - -We had been riding eleven hours steadily, yet the cars were so -comfortable, the road so smooth, and the motion so easy and gentle, that -we had suffered little fatigue. The scenery had been improving. The -country was more uneven, rolling, and actually rising sometimes to the -dignity of hills, until we were able and obliged to pass through a -tunnel, being our first experience of the kind in some days, so level -had been the regions through which we had travelled. Wilna is surrounded -by hills, and enjoys a river flowing out of the valley, and the ravines -are filled with birch and larches, giving something of the life and -beauty of verdure, which is quite inspiring in this latitude. In the -fourteenth century the people here were pagans, and a fire was kept -burning day and night at the foot of one of the castle-crowned hills. -The ruins of the castle, which was reared in 1323, are still visible on -the summit. What a history of war, famine, and fire these intervening -centuries have seen. Thirty thousand inhabitants were destroyed by -famine in one year, 1710, and five years afterwards nearly the whole -town was burned. The people are still impatient of the Russian yoke. -They are always ready for an outbreak. In 1831, they tried and failed; -and in 1862 they made a desperate effort, and the leaders of the -movement were summarily hung or shot. - -The beauties of travel in Russia begin to be seen even in the dark. We -are in the station, in the midst of a crowd of people, who seem to be -talking all the languages of Babel; such a jargon does the Russian, -Polish, and German make, when all are spoken at the same time by an -impatient multitude. We are to wait an hour for the train to leave, and -that will bring it near to midnight. If we spend the night here, there -is no train until to-morrow night at the same hour, and we shall -therefore be as badly off when it comes. It is better to go on and make -a night of it. Twelve hours will bring us to St. Petersburg, and then we -can rest. There are no _sleeping_ cars. We must sit up or lounge the -best way we can. It is now eleven o’clock and is getting to be dark. But -we are so far north that the days are long, and the night will be very -short. At midnight we curl up in the corner of the seat, and the train -starts as we go to sleep. At two o’clock in the morning we awake, and it -is broad daylight! At three we enter _Dunaberg_, a large town of small -houses; 27,000 inhabitants: the most of the buildings are of wood, and -only one story high, like the little farm-houses scattered over the -country. It is well fortified, though it is hardly worth fighting about. -John the Terrible captured Dunaberg in 1577, and the Swedes took it in -1600. The railroad station-house towers above the dwellings, that look -like ant-hills scattered around. We stop a few minutes only, and push on -through vast quantities of charcoal and railroad fuel collected here, -and pine forest succeed, and white birch-trees, and over a flat, -uninteresting country. The sun rose between four and five o’clock, and -at a wayside station we were refreshed with a cup of coffee. The night -was over, and the shortest I ever spent with my clothes on. We now pass -tilled fields, and at one time we counted twenty villages of low, small -houses in sight at one time, as we rushed along. The grain is well up, -and with a warm summer will come to maturity. Wide tracts of land are -destitute of vegetation; and with the evidences of want of agricultural -knowledge, and the brevity of the summer, it is easy to see that these -crowded villages may be pinched for want of food in a bad season. These -famines have sometimes reached the cities, and the sufferings of Moscow -in 1600 were not exceeded by the horrors of Jerusalem besieged by Titus. -One hundred and twenty-seven thousand dead bodies remained for some days -unburied in the streets, and 500,000 perished. - -The peasants are astir in the early morning at their work in the fields. -They are decently clad, and have the appearance of being “comfortable;” -they and their houses indicating that they have time and inclination to -take care of themselves. They are no longer serfs. This term is not the -same as slave. The serf was sold with the land on which he worked, not -away from it, or without it. So long ago as 1597, a decree was issued -forbidding peasants to leave the lands on which they were at that time -employed. This made every working-man a fixture on the land of the -landholder. At a date even earlier than this, they were forbidden to -leave except at stated periods, but the complete attachment by statute -of the husbandmen to the soil did not take place until the sixteenth -century. This continued to be the established order of things until the -accession of Alexander II. to the throne in 1856. The serfdom of Russia -was not absolute slavery. It did not subject the man to the unrestricted -will of the master. The peasant remained the tiller of the same soil, -and changed his master only when the soil changed owners. But the -grievance was inexpressibly great. In some cases it worked extraordinary -results. The serf sometimes by energy and ability became a man of wealth -and power. But he was under a social ban that kept him down as color -depresses the black man. The reign of the present Emperor has been -marked by the introduction of great and beneficent reforms. Railways -were begun, and a new impulse given to trade at home and foreign -commerce. The manumission of the serfs had long been discussed, but an -opposition from the nobility had been too formidable to make it safe. In -1838, some of the nobles petitioned for the abolition. In 1859, the -nobles of Lithuania offered to free their serfs. A general plan was then -devised for the whole empire, and by a decree of March 3, 1861, about -twenty-three millions of people were raised to the enjoyment of civil -rights. A certain amount of land, varying in different districts from -two and a half to ten acres, was allotted to each peasant. He is allowed -to acquire more land by purchase. A board of arbitrators, in different -parts of the country, regulate the price and terms of payment to the -original owners. The government advances the purchase-money to the -peasant in the form of a five per cent bond, and this the proprietor -receives for his land, and the government takes the payment of the -peasant by instalments, through a series of years. The districts, or -towns, being made responsible for this repayment to the government, a -wholesome restraint is put upon the inhabitants, by which they are kept -within bounds until this debt is paid. Thus the entire population is -made interested in the accomplishment of the great work. The nobles who -were the proprietors of the soil, receive government bonds bearing -interest, and thus derive a fixed income, while each peasant becomes an -independent landed proprietor. The change has been effected with no -convulsion, and is gradually becoming a settled and peaceful state of -things. A few outbreaks occurred at the time, chiefly from want of -understanding the plan, and on the whole it has worked well. - -This beneficent reform has been effected without passion, and with the -intelligent approbation of the masters who were by a single decree -deprived of 23,000,000 of bondmen. The original owners of the soil are -not reduced to poverty by the emancipation of their men. The men are not -turned loose upon the world without means to earn their living, and -without incentives to industry. The government is not made to bear the -expense of supporting them, or of finding work for them to do. The -emancipated man is at once put into a position to earn his living where -he has always lived. The master is left with a large surplus of soil, -which he may cultivate with hired labor, which must be abundant, when -the peasants have but small farms of their own, which are easily and -chiefly tilled by the women. And this work has been accomplished with so -much moderation, wisdom, and justice, as to compel the approbation of -every enlightened judgment and conscience. It is in most aspects of the -case a model plan of emancipation. - -It seems strange to me that this rapid travel is hurrying me on to St. -Petersburg! The cathedral and churches of PSKOF are before us, and we -stop for breakfast. We enter the breakfast-room and find the dishes -laid; each one helps himself to whatever he wishes, and pays for what he -takes; not a word being necessary, except to learn the price of the -food. - -A lady and gentleman were walking up and down on the platform, _both_ -smoking. We are coming to a city where smoking in the streets is -prohibited by law. The peculiar garb of the rustic Russian is seen on -the men around the station. They wear long woollen coats, reaching -nearly to the ground. A girdle is about the middle. The hat is a -low-crowned beaver, and rapidly expanding toward the top. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV - - ST. PETERSBURG. - - -WE were in Russia, at Warsaw. At that point in the journey we were put -through a searching process, and the result having satisfied the -officials that we were not of the dangerous classes, and had no designs -upon the life of the Emperor, or the emancipation of Poland, we had been -allowed to enter. And now that we had come to St. Petersburg, there was -no need of overhauling us again, for we had been certified to already. -We were as free on arriving at the capital as if we had come to New -York. - -At the station-house we were reminded at once that we were in a strange -land, by the peculiar costume of the porters and drivers, who were as -numerous and noisy as at home. They wore low-crown hats, with bevelled -rims; long coats reaching to the feet, and a belt about their loins. -They were as clamorous for hire as in more civilized countries, but they -pulled and hauled less. It was easy to see that the hand of government -was upon this most ungovernable class of men. We found the same kind of -omnibuses that run in our own streets, and on the one inscribed with the -name of the hotel to which we were bound we took our seats, and were -soon riding over the roughest paved streets that ever disgraced a city. -For a long series of years St. Petersburg was unpaved. At length an -imperial decree was issued that every vehicle coming into the city -should bring a certain number of stones to be left for paving. If each -carriage had dumped its load, without regard to size or order, just -where it happened, the result would have been about the same as we found -and felt the state of the streets to be, as we were bounced and tumbled -on our way to the Hôtel de France. - -[Illustration: SCENE AT RAILWAY STATION.] - -The manager of the hotel bade us welcome in good English. We were grimed -with the dust of thirty hours’ steady railroad travel, and the luxury of -a bath was more enjoyable than bed or board. The Russian is a very -different bath from the Turkish, where to the preliminaries of warm air -to set the system into a perspiration is added the thorough and -plentiful scrubbing with hot water, poured on mercilessly. The Russian -is the vapor bath only, and its effect is to open all the pores of the -skin, to empty them completely as the streams of perspiration gush from -every little mouth, and to incite a pleasurable languor, when all sense -of weariness, soreness, or stiffness is gradually steamed away. The -Russian dinner that followed was of the best: soup, fish, cutlet, roast -beef, partridges, vegetables, and varied dessert. Wines or not, as you -choose to order. - -To see a city whose language is not one of your accomplishments, you -must have a guide, a _commissionaire_, a _valet de place_. Now we knew -precious little of the Russ. We had picked up a little Polish—mark, I do -not say polish—at Warsaw, and had startled the natives by sudden -outbreaks in what we supposed to be perfectly proper language, but which -only served to awaken their pity or make them laugh; but the Russian is -another thing, and not expecting to spend a winter here, nor to study -the literature of the country, we had given no time to the language. We -must have some one to be our mouth to the people, somebody who could -answer a thousand questions out of his own stores of information, or -serve as our interpreter when we attempted to get it out of others. - -In the city of St. Petersburg resides an old Englishman whose name is -Russel. He has an understanding with the hotel men that whenever a guide -is wanted by travellers, he is to be sent for, and at our intimation he -made his appearance, and very respectfully offered his services to make -us familiar with the lions of the town. Mr. Russel is a venerable man in -years, having completed his threescore and ten some time since. Half a -century of these years he has dwelt in this capital of the Russian -empire, and toiled in this interesting service of expounding its wonders -to the visitors from other countries. Mr. Russel has become so familiar -with the objects of interest in his adopted city, that he imagines his -strangers to be equally familiar with them, and in no need of being -enlightened. He is so far gone in the loss of his faculties, if he ever -had any great quantity to lose, that a question must be proposed to him -often and in many forms, before he comprehends it, and when he answers, -you are not sure that he understood you, or that he knows any thing -about the matter. He never speaks except when he is spoken to, unless to -tell you something you knew before, or that was not worth knowing. He -would pass the most important and interesting buildings or monuments or -historic places in the city, and not mention them, unless you asked -him,—“What’s that?” Yet he was very English. He dropped the H -invariably. He exaspirated his vowels most unmercifully. Pointing to the -tombs of the kings and royal family, he said: “That’s the _hare_ to the -throne; that’s his _haunt_, and there’s his _huncle_.” In a -picture-gallery we came to Danae, and he was kind enough to say, “That’s -a woman, I believe,” and there was not much room for doubt on the -subject; and in a group of mythological sculpture he remarked for our -information, “That’s Jupiter,—these is all gods.” - -This was the intelligent man who was to make us acquainted with the city -of St. Petersburg. If you are to be told only what he could tell me, it -would not be worth while to read any further. But we have eyes and ears -of our own, and already the barbaric splendor of this northern capital -is breaking upon us. You shall have our first impressions and our last, -for we have made two visits here, and have become familiar with the -city, if not in love with it. It is not a city to go into raptures over. -Perhaps it will become beautiful one day. But nothing in it is finished. -Streets with palaces on them are still disfigured with insignificant and -miserable dwellings. Palaces are not completed. Wealth has been -lavished, but nothing is done. It resembles our own capital in this, -that its public buildings are far apart, and the city is not half built -up. - -In the year 1703, Peter the Great began to build a city, to be called -after his own name. He selected a miserable site on the banks of the -Neva, and here he gathered a host of Russians, Tartars, Kalmucks, and -Fins, and set them at this stupendous work. We expect to grow as the -people want houses to live in. Peter built a city, and then looked for -people to come and find it. The little cottage that he built for himself -on the shore is still standing where he placed it, and the tools with -which he worked, with his own industrious and skilful hands. For several -successive years, 40,000 men were annually raised by draft, as for an -army, to come from distant parts of the empire and build. The nobility -of Russia came and caused residences to be reared for them, when they -saw that Moscow was no longer to be the capital. Peter died, and -Catharine I. did not push on the work with energy. Her successor, Peter -II., loved Moscow more, and died there. Anne, the empress, adopted -Petersburg as her residence, and it flourished under her reign. -Catharine strove hard to defend it from the inroads of the river, but it -lies so low that no art can avert inundations. It lies in the midst of -waters, a vast morass. Canals easily traverse its bosom. Bridges and -islands and quays are part of the streets and squares of the city. The -houses are too many for the inhabitants. The thoroughfares are never -thronged. You may walk long streets and scarcely meet a person. Half a -million is the number of its inhabitants, but there is room for many -more. - -The contrasts are more sudden and striking than in other capitals. The -rich are very rich; the poor are very poor. Society is rigid in its -laws. The nobles have no sympathies with the serf, though a serf no -longer. Caste is stronger in Russia than in England. - -But I am impatient to be out in the town, sight-seeing. It is a very hot -day, and I asked Russel if they often had such hot weather in June. -“Well,” he said, “sometimes it is ’ot as this, and sometimes not so ’ot: -it depends very much on the weather;” and with this profound observation -he led the way into the city. - -It was but a step from our lodgings, under the arch that divides and -connects the state apartments into the grand square in front of the -Winter Palace, the residence of the Emperor of Russia. - -But before us rises a red granite column, the grandeur and beauty of -which instantly fix the eye. A single stone, eighty-four feet high and -fifty feet in circumference,—the loftiest single shaft of modern times, -only less in height than Pompey’s Pillar,—stands in the midst of the -square, surmounted by an angel and the cross. The pedestal bears a brief -inscription, but it tells the whole story,—“Grateful Russia to Alexander -I.” Originally this stone was cut out of the mountain, 104 feet long, -and the order was to make the loftiest monolith in the world; but from -fear that it was too long to stand firmly on its base, which was -fourteen feet in diameter, it was shortened to its present length. With -incredible labor it was erected upon a pedestal twenty-five feet high, -and there, polished, it stands, perhaps the most splendid shaft that now -presses upon the earth. It seemed to grow as I gazed upon it. And daily -as I caught sight of it from other parts of the city, or as I drove into -the magnificent area of which it is the central figure, its simple -majesty and exceeding beauty impressed me more and more. What vast labor -it cost to bring this block from the mountains of Finland, and plant it -perpendicularly on the banks of the Neva, in the heart of the city! - -In the Admiralty Square is a more famous statue, and one of which we -have heard from childhood; pictures of it had made it so familiar that -it seemed an old acquaintance,—PETER THE GREAT, the founder of the city, -its inventor and builder, is on horseback, riding up a rock, to the -verge of which he has come, when he reins in his steed and sits looking -upon the river and the city he has raised upon its banks. The horse is -rearing, and the immense weight rests upon his hinder legs and the tail, -which touches a huge serpent, coiled at the horse’s feet. This is -deservedly reckoned one of the finest equestrian statues, and it honors -the most extraordinary man of his age. - -Two boys were together crowned as Czars of Russia, at Moscow, by the -Greek patriarch, on the 15th of June, 1682. They were brothers, and one -of them soon yielded to the superior energy of the other, and resigning -his share of the government, left PETER the sole sovereign of an empire -but little above the range of barbarism. This Peter, who became PETER -THE GREAT, was then but seventeen years old. He was far in advance of -every one, and his reign marks the era of Russia’s rise to greatness -among the nations. Yet this man never rose to the conception of what -must be a nation’s true glory. His ideas all ran in the line of material -grandeur, and not in the direction of moral and mental progress. He was -a born mechanic, and he built a nation. He thought to build a people -just as he built the city that bears his name. His superstitious nobles -considered it wicked for him to go abroad, but he had heard of the arts -of civilization, that made France and Holland and England glorious in -the world, and he determined to see for himself what it was that made -them so. He laid aside his imperial purple (if he ever had any), and -travelled into distant lands. Sometimes he concealed his royal person in -the garb of a common workman, and wrought in the shops with his own -hands. I have seen many specimens of his handicraft that would do credit -to any artisan who earned his bread by his industry and skill. He was a -capital ship carpenter. Russia was in want of a navy. Peter learned how -to build ships, and made a navy for Russia. In foreign countries he -studied every thing, but learned nothing truly great in the art of -government. Going into the courts of Westminster with a friend one day, -in London, and seeing many men with wigs, he asked who they were. - -“They are lawyers,” said his friend. - -“Lawyers!” he exclaimed; “why, I have only two lawyers in my dominions, -and I mean to hang one as soon as I return.” - -In all that he saw in England and Holland, where he spent most of his -time abroad, he never learned that _mind_ makes nations great; that -intelligence is the security of national progress and prosperity, and -that the people, even under despotic governments, have the power to help -themselves if their rulers will give them a chance. But he came back -with the idea of making his empire greater by making it broader, and he -took the sword as the instrument of success. He was partially -successful. After a reign of half a century, he died and left his empire -on the highway to civilization and glory. It is wonderful that Russia -has made so little progress since his death in 1725. Yet no monarch ever -reigned who descended to such minute details in legislating for his -people. Inured to hardships himself, and possessed with the idea that -nothing was invincible which his will was set to overcome, he undertook -to force his subjects into sudden and astounding reforms, from which -they revolted. He could not make them see with his eyes, nor work with -his hands. He made his clergy shave their faces, and the enemies of his -innovations called him the antichrist. No man ever lived who impressed -himself more indelibly upon a people than Peter the Great. His name is -held in honor second only to the Divine. The relics of his handiwork are -preserved with religious care. Every museum has some specimen of his -genius and industry, and the lapse of a hundred and fifty years since -these things were made by imperial fingers invests them with interest -approaching reverential awe. - -But the greatest of all his works, and one that is the most -characteristic of the man, is the city of St. Petersburg itself. Why he -selected such a site for it, it is impossible to say, unless its very -unfitness and apparent impracticability developed that faculty for which -he was so remarkable, and impelled him to undertake what to others was -an impossibility. From the summit of a monument, or the dome of St. -Isaac’s Cathedral, the city seems to float in the waters. And this would -not be a fatal objection to the site if it stood in such relations to -the rest of the empire or the world as to make it important to fix it -here. But it does not. Winter shuts it out from communication with the -sea about half the time. - -As we were walking on the most thronged of the thoroughfares in St. -Petersburg, the Nevski Perspective, a well-dressed gentleman paused, -and, turning toward a church which he was passing, took off his hat and -offered a silent prayer. What at first appeared the eccentricity of a -single individual, or excessive devotion, I soon perceived was the -practice of many, and indeed a custom of the country. In passing a -church, of course one passes an altar; and it may be, and indeed is, out -of sight, but the devout believer recognizes the fact by a token of -reverence, slight perhaps, but nevertheless sincere. Women hurrying by -with baskets of market stuff were often willing to put down their -burdens before the cross and pass a moment in thoughts of their Saviour. - -I went into the church, the Kazan Cathedral, with a colonnade in feeble -imitation of St. Peter’s at Rome. The Greek religion is as nearly like -the Romish as this church is like St. Peter’s: it is a copy _after it_, -and a good ways after it, but still so near that it amounts to the same -thing. They do not make unto themselves graven images, because that is -forbidden by the second commandment; but they do make the likeness of -things in heaven and earth, although that is forbidden, and they do bow -down and worship these likenesses, or pay apparently the same honors to -a picture of the Virgin that the Romanist does to a statue. The -distinction is without a difference. But when I entered the cathedral, I -saw a sight that never met my eye in Rome or any Roman Catholic city. In -the middle of the day, and on a week-day too, respectably appearing, -well-dressed gentlemen were standing or kneeling before the altar -offering their devotions. Women were there numerously, and the poor, -whose garb denoted their poverty; and these classes are largely -represented in Romish churches everywhere; but the Greek religion had -such hold upon the people of another set, as to excite remark. The same -lavish expenditure upon the churches is to be seen here as in Italy and -Spain, though the architecture is far from being so effective as that -which prevails in Spain and Italy. This church was built sixty years -ago, at an expense of three millions of dollars then. A colonnade inside -in four rows extends from the centre pillars supporting the dome, which -is 230 feet above the floor, and from the three great doors. These -columns are fifty-six in number, each one a single stone, thirty-five -feet high, with bronze Corinthian capitals. In the midst of the main -door the name of God is recorded with precious stones, and a miraculous -painting of the Virgin blazes with gold and jewels of untold value. And -in the midst of this temple of religion, sacred to the worship of the -Prince of Peace, hung trophies of victories over France, Turkey, and -Persia. - -But this church is not the wonder of the city. You must go with us to -the Isaac Cathedral, whose gilded dome has attracted our eye from every -part of the city, and whose glittering cross above the crescent we have -studied with an opera-glass, again and again, at a distance. Peter the -Great built a church of wood just here, and Catharine another when the -first was destroyed, but that gave way to this glorious pile, which was -forty years in building, and was completed in 1858. It is far more -imposing in its external appearance than St. Peter’s. Its proportions -are perfect and stupendous. Like all other Greek churches, it is four -square and in the form of the Greek cross. A grand entrance on each side -is approached by a broad flight of red granite steps, vast blocks of -stone from the quarries of Finland. Each flight of steps is surmounted -by a peristyle, each pillar of which is sixty feet high, one solid, -polished, red granite column! Above them, thirty pillars support the -central cupola, and on the crown of this vast hovering cupola is a -miniature of the temple below, a beautiful finish to the whole, on the -summit of which stands the shining cross. - -Within, the splendor is amazing. Think of columns of solid malachite -fifty feet high! A bit of this stone is a gem to be set in gold for an -ornament on a lady’s dress. But here it is in lofty pillars, and steps -for altars, with lesser pillars of lapis lazuli standing near. The -worship is in the form and manner of the Greek Church, and is strikingly -Oriental, more so than that we see in the Church of Rome. Men and women -not merely bow and kneel and cross themselves, touching their fingers to -their foreheads and breasts, but they prostrate themselves with their -faces on the cold stone floor, and lie there as if dead. Women thus -lying in a heap looked more like a bundle of rags or old clothes, than -human beings worshipping the Almighty. Others brought candles and -lighted them, to be burned before the images, that is, the pictures of -the Virgin Mary and the Holy Child. Some of the people lighted the -candles themselves, repeating a prayer; the verger lighted them for -others, and presented them to the Virgin as he proceeded with the -service. - -One woman brought a napkin or some cloth embroidered, and gave it to the -verger, who opened a golden door into the Virgin’s panel, and placing -the offering in it, locked it again. This was as truly idolatrous as any -worship you would see in Romish churches, and wherein it differs from -offerings to idols in pagan temples I do not see. - -A collection was now taken up, by assistants going around with bags, and -gathering from the multitude standing before the altar. Every one seemed -to put in something, and their alms and prayers went together. - -Three priests were officiating. One went about swinging a censer with -burning incense. A choir of men-singers stood near the altar and made -the responses with great power and singular sweetness of tone. The -sacristan came to us and offered to show us the sacred things in the -temple, and when we objected that the service was in progress, and we -did not wish to be sight-seeing at such a time, he assured us it was all -right, and we need not stand upon ceremony. He led us to the holy -places, and pointed out the sacred relics, which were useful to him in -extracting a fee from the stranger, and that is the only miracle they -are able to work. If they do this every day, and often enough every day, -they will be held in honor as long as the temple stands. - -In the course of our wanderings under the lead of the sacristan, we -found ourselves behind the veil, or the hanging curtain which was opened -for the priests to go out and in during the service. Fearful of -intrusion, we were about to retire, when one of the priests came from -his place, and invited us into the apartment where he was standing, and -responding as his associate read the service. The inmost shrine, perhaps -it may be called the Holy of Holies, is in a round temple, whose dome is -held by eight pillars of solid malachite, and the walls and floors are -of polished marbles of various colors. The steps by which we ascend to -it are of polished porphyry. - -The freedom with which a stranger was admitted “behind the scenes” in -the midst of the service was surprising to me, and I had an opportunity -not expected, of coming into contact with the priests and ministers of -the Greek religion, while in their service. The priests are a very -inferior order of men; very unlearned, of low extraction, and in their -appearance and manners what you would expect after such a statement. -They are obliged to be married once, and if the wife die, they are not -allowed to marry a second time, but the widower continues to serve at -the altar as before. It is said that the priests are very watchful of -the health of their wives, on the principle that a good thing which -cannot be replaced must be preserved with the greatest care. This is -better than the celibacy of Romish priests, which is offensive to nature -and good morals, a curse to the church and the world. You cannot be long -in any country where the Romish priests abound without hearing of their -bad morals, but the reputation of the priests in the Russo-Greek Church -is better. In their religious services, the most effective part is the -singing, and indeed the praying is intoning, which is a drawling kind of -singing, now coming into use in the ritualistic churches, which are only -feeble imitations of the Romish and Greek. Boys are employed in the -choirs, and for some parts of the service, the solos particularly, they -get the deepest bass voices that can be hired, and sometimes they render -the sublime passages with great effect. I have said the men, as well as -the women, appear to be religious in Russia. And it struck me as very -strange to see a fine-looking, full-grown man coming in at noonday into -a church, bringing a little wax candle, walking up to a shrine over -which is a picture of the Virgin, kneeling before it, bowing his head to -the floor, crossing himself again and again, lighting his candle and -sticking it into a hole prepared for the purpose, and once more -prostrating himself to kiss the pavement, and then retire! This lighting -of candles is an emblem of life, and is designed to keep the spiritual -nature of man continually in view. The Russians have no religious -ceremonies without this symbol of the Spirit. It is fast finding its way -into the churches of England and America that copy after these Oriental -customs, without apprehending their meaning. - -Nothing in the mode of worship distinguishes the Greek from the Roman -Catholic. I would not speak with confidence, but it appeared to me that -the people were more _deeply_ religious than they are in Roman Catholic -countries. It is not, as with the people in Italy and Spain, and more -especially in France, merely a matter of form to be gone through with, -and that the end of it. In the Romish cathedrals, it was rare that I -could get into sympathy with the worshippers so as to feel devotional in -a service foreign from that with which I was familiar. For anywhere on -earth where men are worshipping God in their way and we are present, -from curiosity, or any other motive, I would desire also to be a -worshipper, and offer among strangers the incense of a loving heart, -touched with a sense of sin, and longing for divine favor. There is no -danger of becoming an idolater by worshipping the only living and true -God in the midst of idolaters. The soul goes out to him who heareth -prayer for those who are bowing down to stocks and stones. And he whom -they ignorantly worship I would find in their temples, for the way to -him is through the open door in the side of his crucified Son. But the -Roman Catholics do not get so near to God as these Greek Christians do, -for the former seem to be so much engrossed with saints and the mother -of Jesus, that they lose the joy and blessedness of coming right to -Christ, who is in the Father, and by whom they are saved. - -The Russians keep Lent very rigidly, and are also careful to fast every -Wednesday and Friday. They have four great fasts in the year: Lent, -Peter’s fast, Conception fast, and St. Philip’s fast. The children are -taught the catechism of the Greek Church. The Sabbath is not observed -with any more regard to rest and worship than it is in France or Italy. -They make long pilgrimages to monasteries and holy places. There are no -pews or seats in the churches; all stand, the rich and poor, the emperor -and empress, high and low alike on a level in the presence of God. When -the Emperor was assailed in the park by an assassin, a few years ago, -and escaped the blow aimed at his life, he rode directly to this Isaac -Cathedral, and here in the midst of the thronging multitude, gave thanks -for his deliverance from sudden death. The language of the church -service is the Slavonic, and it is quite as unintelligible to the masses -as the _ora pro nobis_ and the rest of the Latin to the Roman Catholics -in our country. The whole service is quite as imposing as the Romish, -with processions and banners and sonorous responses. Religious services -are often celebrated in private houses to cast out evil spirits; and -always the fortieth day after a person’s death is observed in memory and -improvement of the event. In one corner of every room that you enter -from the street is the image of the Virgin, and you are expected always -to remove your hat on coming in; at first, it seems to be required as a -token of respect to the persons in the house, but it is solely to honor -the Virgin in the corner. The Russians are a very superstitious people, -and they believe in houses haunted with good and evil spirits, -especially the evil, and the constant presence of a pictured Mary is a -protection; at least they think so. - -[Illustration: A RAINY DAY IN A RUSSIAN CITY.] - - - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - RUSSIAN ART, CUSTOMS, AND MANNERS. - - -I HAD always supposed the WINTER Palace of the Emperor was an edifice -prepared with some special reference to the climate of this northern -country. It is called the Winter Palace only because the Emperor has, as -a matter of course, other palaces in the country in which to spend the -summer. This is a vast structure on the very border of the river Neva, -and in the midst of the city. It is built of brown stone, and makes some -pretence to architectural elegance. - -It, the palace, has five thousand inhabitants! I confess that those -figures of speech seem to be very large, and it is a wonder how so many -people can find employment in the service of one household. But the ways -of royalty are not readily comprehended by mortals of common clay, and -perhaps if we knew how many servants there are who have servants to wait -upon them, how all these have families of their own, and these are all -to be fed and lodged within these walls, we may begin to understand that -one house may become a village, and quite populous also. - -But if this number of dependents exceeds that of any other palace in -Europe, as it probably does, it is safe to say that it is the most -gorgeously decorated and furnished. Whatever extravagance the wit of man -could devise to adorn a house has been lavished here, and the result is -what might be expected,—a great display without that quiet elegance -which distinguishes true from meretricious art. The Russian is between -the Eastern and Western. The Russian is not a barbarous people, nor yet -thoroughly civilized. On the borders of the two, he delights in the -barbaric splendor of the Orientals, and has not yet reached the point -where simplicity imparts the highest charm to elegance and grandeur. -This accounts for the architecture of Russian palaces and temples. More -emphatically it shows itself in the immense amount of gold which -overlays every thing they wish to adorn. Even the domes of their -churches blaze in gold, so that each one looks like a rising sun. - -The crown jewels of Russia are the chief object of interest in the -Winter Palace, for it is dreadfully tiresome to be led over miles of -polished floors to look through room upon room, in endless mazes lost, -seeing the same things substantially everywhere, and hearing the same -story over and over again about the kings and queens that slept here and -died there; though, as it was built since 1840, there is little or no -historic interest about it. But the crown jewels are worth seeing. One -loves to look at a diamond worth a million, though he cannot use it for -a button. The Orloff diamond is as famous as the Koh-i-noor, and was, -perhaps, at one time part of the same stone. Its history is romantic. It -was once the eye of an idol in a temple in India, and being plucked out -and stolen by a soldier, it passed through many hands till Count Orloff -bought it and gave it to the Empress of Russia. It cost the Count or the -Empress about three hundred thousand dollars. It weighs 194 carats, -being eight carats more than the Koh-i-noor weighed when it came from -India. The Orloff is the largest of the crown jewels in Europe. The -imperial crown itself is radiant with the most magnificent gems, forty -or more in number, and the crown of the Empress contains the most -beautiful mass of diamonds known to be set together; a hundred of them -at least. Some of the richest are precious stones presented to Russia by -sovereigns in the East who would conciliate this mighty power. And what -are they good for, when gathered into such a treasury? They are the -playthings of royalty; baubles that delight the eye, pure carbon that is -sold by the ton for a few dollars, but in the form of a diamond, it has -a value scarcely to be reckoned, when they lie around in such heaps as -we see them here. - -The Hermitage is a palace near to the other, in which are the Russian -galleries of art. If it was surprising to find in Madrid the most -valuable collection of paintings in Europe, it was not less astonishing -to find in Russia such magnificent pictures and so large a number of -those that deserve admiration. For many years past the government has -been spending large sums of money in the purchase of pictures. It has -had and has its agents in Italy, and in every picture mart in Europe, -ready to pay any price for “an old master.” - -And it has shown its good sense in this, that when it cannot compass the -original, it gets the best possible copy, and hangs it on its walls, -with its story fairly told. This is the true way to cultivate the taste, -and instruct the intellect of the nation in art. Catharine the Great -built a pavilion on the end of the Winter Palace, to which she might -retire from the cares of State, and here she drew around her the wits of -the age. She called it the Hermitage, and that it might be a real -refuge, into which royalty and its stiltedness could not intrude, she -made a curious code of laws to govern the company that she here -assembled. - -The Hermitage is now the Royal Museum, and its grandeur and extent are -unequalled. It is 515 feet long and 375 feet wide. The roof of this vast -hall is supported by sixteen columns, each one a single block of granite -from Finland, with Corinthian capitals of Carara marble. Successive -stories on the same scale are filled with statues and pictures, and -curious works of art, in which the genius and skill of all schools and -nations are represented. Even to mention them would take up more of your -time than would be proper for me to consume, and I let them pass -unnoticed. I was even more interested in Peter the Great’s gallery, -where his turning-lathes and other tools that he used with his own hands -are preserved; and what is even more remarkable, the instruments that he -manufactured for himself, from a telescope to a walking-stick. His iron -staff that he carried about with him would not be credited as genuine, -were it not that a wooden rod tells of his gigantic stature, and thus -makes it quite probable that he could walk with a rod of iron. - -Art-culture in Russia has advanced to a far higher point than we would -expect to find. The painting and sculpture of Russia in the Paris -exhibition astonished the outside world, and the galleries in the -Hermitage devoted to native art are marvellously illustrated with -splendid achievements of the chisel and pencil. - -In all countries I am more interested in studying the condition of the -masses than the “upper classes.” In all countries the rich and the -titled, the “well-to-do in the world,” can take care of themselves, and -they are substantially the same kind of people in all civilized lands. -The nobles of England, of France, of Germany, of Russia, have plenty to -eat and to drink and they know wherewithal they are to be clothed, and -when one is travelling in their country, he has no need to ask whether -or not they are enjoying themselves after their own fashion, and have -any need of human sympathy. But when we pass through a Russian town with -a thousand huts in it, all about the same size, and not one aspiring to -the dignity of a respectable American farm-house, and see vast tracts of -land well tilled, but not a house nor a man in sight, then I wonder how -the people live in these parts; what do they eat and drink, and do they -have enough? Are they contented and happy, or do they hunger and pine, -and drag out a miserable sort of life of it, here in these far-away -lands? - -In the agricultural districts of Russia, not very far away from the -chief cities, a laborer gets for a day’s work his food and about fifty -copeks, or, of our money, about forty cents a day. A mechanic gets about -one rouble, which is a hundred copeks, or about eighty cents of our -money, for a day’s work, and he finds his own food. In the winter season -beef is sold in St. Petersburg for ten or twelve cents a pound, and in -summer it is as low as eight cents. This will enable you to compare the -rate of wages with the price of food, and to see that there is not so -great a difference in the cost, to the poor, of living in that country -and ours, as might at first be supposed. - -The rent of the hotel at which I am staying in St. Petersburg—and it is -one of the largest in the kingdom—is about fifteen thousand dollars per -annum, and that is about seven per cent on the valuation of the -property. - -The food of the peasantry is largely composed of cabbage soup, which is -a great article among them, and they consume it day after day, year in -and year out, and are always fond of it. This is one of the pleasantest -compensations of Providence, that people may continue to be fond of a -dish that they have to eat every day. Their bread is black, and they -have some meat, for it is not costly, and on the whole they are -comfortably fed. So they are decently clothed. Their dress has the -appearance of warmth and comfort, too much for the hot weather that is -now raging; but they have so much cold and so little heat, that they do -not care to make a change for the brief summer. A poor peasant swelters -in a jacket of sheepskin with the wool on it, or wears a fur collar if -he can afford it, and sticks to it under a blazing hot sun, as well as -in midwinter. - -[Illustration: STREET SCENE IN A RUSSIAN CITY.] - -A peculiar custom is observed in Russia that I never noticed elsewhere. -You are expected always to take off your overcoat on entering the house -to make a call, of business or pleasure. Even when you call at the bank, -to draw or deposit your money, a liveried servant in the hall conducts -you to an anteroom, where you lay aside your overcoat and hat, and then -enter the business-room as if you were to be presented to the lady of -the mansion. My bankers here are Wynken & Co., at the end of the iron -bridge over the Neva, and, upon entering, I was shown to a seat, and my -letter of credit taken by a clerk to one of the firm, who immediately -came out from his office, and after a few complimentary inquiries, asked -me what he could do for me, and in a few minutes the business was done. - -A despot is the Emperor of Russia. We have come to associate only a bad -meaning with the word _despot_. It had not such a sense as we liberty -worshippers give it. Now it means a tyrant, a hard master, one who has -unlimited power and uses it to oppress. _Despotes_ is the Greek word for -master in the New Testament, and sometimes the _Lord_ himself is spoken -of and addressed under this name. The apostle Paul says: “Let as many -servants as are under the yoke, count their own _despots_ worthy of all -honor.” And again: “they that have believing _despots_;” and again, he -commands servants to be obedient unto their own _despots_. So Peter -tells them to be subject to their own _despots_. And good old Simeon -cries; “_Despotes_, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.” And -Peter speaks of those who deny the _despotes_ that bought them; and in -Rev. vi. 10, we read: “Plow long, O _despotes_, holy and true,” &c. -These quotations show us the good sense in which the word was once used; -and now, when we speak of a despotic government, we do not understand -that it is necessarily an oppressive government, but one in which the -power is concentrated in the hands of one man, who can use it at his -pleasure, unrestrained by constitution or legislature. - -Justice is administered under laws the issue of the sovereign will, and -liable to be repealed at his pleasure. _Trial by jury_ is of recent -introduction, and may be considered as an experiment. In the court-room -I inquired of an intelligent gentleman how it was working. He said, -quite well; and then related the following incident to show how the -royal will comes in, even to the smallest affairs of private citizens: -An officer under the government promised to give a certain _place_ of -profit to a man, who was soon surprised to find that it was given to -another. Such mishaps are not unusual in milder governments, I believe. -But the disappointed office-seeker sought the man who had promised it to -him, and slapped his face in open court, charging him with a breach of -faith. He was arraigned and tried by jury for the assault and battery, -and the jury brought in a verdict of not guilty, or more -accurately,—“Served him right.” The verdict was received with great -applause. The Emperor gave the office-seeker and the office-holder also, -the striker and the struck, appointments in distant parts of the empire, -where neither of them wanted to go or to stay, and thus he punished them -both: one for breaking his word, and the other for breaking the peace. -There is a vein of humor in such administration of justice. - -“The bookkeeper of a mercantile house in Thorn was arrested in the -Russian town of Rieszawa, by the burgomaster of that place, on a -perfectly unfounded charge of an intention to smuggle. Although the -bookkeeper succeeded in establishing his respectability, he was thrown -into a dirty prison cell, and kept there twenty-four hours. His -principal, of course, complained of this most unjustifiable treatment, -and has lately received an official communication that the burgomaster -has also been imprisoned twenty-four hours, and in the same prison in -which he had shut up the unhappy bookkeeper.” - -M. Andreoli, a Russian writer, who was exiled some years ago to Siberia, -is now contributing to the _Revue Moderne_, under the title of -“Souvenirs de Sibérie,” his recollections not only of Siberian but also -of Russian life. In the last number of the _Revue_ he tells a story, the -end of which belongs to the present reign, the beginning to the reign of -Paul, of whose period it is strikingly characteristic. The Emperor’s -favorite was at that time a young French actress, of whom he was madly -jealous. One evening, at a ball, he noticed that a young man named -Labanoff was paying her a great deal of attention. He did not lose his -temper, but at the end of the ball gave orders that Labanoff should be -arrested and thrown into the citadel. He only intended to keep him there -a few days, “to make him more serious,” after which he proposed to -reprimand him and to appoint him to an office which had been solicited -for him. Labanoff, however, was forgotten. At the death of Nicholas, -Alexander II., then full of magnanimity, liberated all the prisoners in -the citadel, without exception. In a vaulted tomb, in which it was -impossible to stand upright, and which was not more than two yards long, -an old man was found, almost bent double, and incapable of answering -when he was spoken to. This was Labanoff. The Emperor Paul had been -succeeded by the Emperor Alexander I., and afterwards by the Emperor -Nicholas; he had been in the dungeon more than fifty years. When he was -taken out he could not bear the light, and, by a strange phenomenon, his -movements had become automatic. He could hardly hold himself up, and he -had become so accustomed to move about within the limits of his narrow -cell that he could not take more than two steps forwards without turning -round, as though he had struck against a wall, and taking two steps -backwards, and so on alternately. He lived for only a week after his -liberation. - -We often read such facts as these, and they are sad and awful -illustrations of what unlimited power may be left to do. Recently there -have been horrible stories of cruelties inflicted by the agents of the -Russian government, but they are not worse than have sometimes been -perpetrated in the name of liberty and justice in other and more -enlightened countries. - -Look on the map of Asia and see that vast country of SIBERIA, a part of -the colossal empire of Russia. The tales that are told of the exiles of -Siberia have formed a large part of the sensational literature of other -days. In that lone, distant, cold, inhospitable clime, is the region -where for many long years this government has sent its prisoners of -state, and many others who have incurred the despotic displeasure. -Banished for life is to all intents and purposes death. The wife of the -exile, if not allowed to go with him and share his sorrows in a wretched -land, is free to be married again. His property goes to his heirs as if -he were dead. He has not even his own name in Siberia, but is known by -the _number_ that he receives when he enters upon his new estate. - -It is terrible to think that one imperfect man holds in his own hand -such power. The mere possession of it tempts to evil. And limit it as we -may, divide it among many, apply checks and balances, there will yet be -abuses under all systems of human government. Even our own boasted -democratic republican form has its defects. We have made ignorance and -vice too mighty in our popular elections, and have come to know that no -despot is more irresponsible than the many-headed monster of a corrupt -and unthinking multitude. - -Taking a boat on the Neva and being rowed across to the Academy of -Science, we made an interesting visit to the Zoological Museum, which -has some things of interest far beyond that of any other museum in the -world. Here we have something more than fossils, we have the veritable -meat of the mammoth and mastodon and elephant, and perhaps they may all -belong to one and the same animal. But the Siberian rivers have -furnished ice-tombs in which these beasts have been buried for -centuries, and when they are brought to light by the change in the -course of the streams, or by accidental discovery, they are certainly -the most interesting of all the remains of extinct races. The great -mammoth in this museum was found in 1799, on the banks of the river Lena -in Siberia, and the flesh was so fresh upon it that the beasts and birds -of prey were ready to devour it as soon as it was exposed. - -The chief interest in this Russian collection lies in the actual skin -and hair and flesh of these animals so remarkably preserved. Here is a -rhinoceros, but of a species now extinct, with its head almost entirely -covered with the original skin, and its feet also, the fine hair being -still visible. The seals and otters, sharks and sea-horses, sword-fish -and alligators, lions, tigers, bears, elks, and mooses; birds of -countless kinds,—make up an assortment wonderful in its extent and -variety, and the more interesting as the pursuit of science has led to -the gathering of splendid specimens from the tropical regions, to be -contrasted with the aboriginal growth of these Arctic climes. - -It was the edge of evening as we returned from this expedition, and the -declining sun was flooding the river and the eastern shore with golden -glory. We were tired; the evening was cool and refreshing; the scene was -beautiful, indeed exciting, as other boats and barges and steamers swept -by us and ships and schooners swung listlessly in the stream. - -The Winter Palace and the Hermitage, the Alexander Column, the Admiralty -Buildings, and other splendid edifices were on the western bank, the -fortress and arsenal and academy on the east, and the domes of the Isaac -and Kazan Cathedrals hung like suns in the sky. We seemed to be far away -from home, and lost in an enchanted sea. We rowed along under the stern -of a vessel and read her name, “Favorite, Arbroath;” it sounded Scotchy, -and hailing a sailor leaning over the ship’s side, I asked him, “where’s -Arbroath?” - -“Aboot twelve miles from Dundee,” he said. - -“And what brings you here?” - -“The ship,” he answered, and then added that the cargo was fire-brick, -made in England, and brought here for the Russians, who make great use -of it in their stoves. He did not like the Russians, he said, and hoped -he should never have to come there again. - -Our boatman landed us on the western shore, and as we walked up and down -the river enjoying the evening breeze, he soon passed us with another -company in his boat, and taking off his cap saluted us as old customers -with a grace that would do credit to a Paris waterman. - -It was half-past nine o’clock when we saw the last rays of the sun on -the spire of the arsenal church, and we then went home. It is now eleven -o’clock at night, and I am writing by the light from the window opening -into a court. It would be easy to write all night without a candle. - -[Illustration: A RUSSIAN PORTER.] - - - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - FROM ST. PETERSBURG TO MOSCOW. - - -MY roughest railroad ride in Europe was from St. Petersburg to Moscow. -It did not improve the road to be told, as I was, that it was built by -American engineers; but it did jolt me so naturally that I felt at home -as soon as we were under way. And there was a slight infusion of a -familiar morality in the excuse made for the present condition of the -road, that the managers of it under the government were seeking to buy -it, and were letting it run down that they might get it at a lower -figure! - -A great throng of friends were at the station to take leave of the -passengers about to set off for Moscow. It is a ride of about twenty -hours; hardly a journey to call for as much leave-taking as with us -demands a voyage over sea. The journey of four hundred miles includes -the whole night and part of two days, and only one train a day, with no -good place to stop for the night, so that we are literally shut up to -the necessity of going through at once. The arrangements for sleeping -are of the rudest kind. Into the cars the passengers brought pillows and -blankets, preparing to make themselves as comfortable as circumstances -would permit. The fare through was $15, and my little trunk of less than -fifty pounds weight was $1.50 extra. As soon as we were off, a man -decorated with three medals entered with an armful of newspapers for -sale, and as many bought them and read them as in a car going out of New -York or Boston. It was a good sign. Small thanks are due to the -government from the press, however. It is subjected to the strictest -censorship. No foreign papers are allowed to come into the country, -unless they are _subscribed for_ by permission, and _then_ they are -interdicted if any thing dangerous to the existing order of things is in -them. Nothing unfriendly to good morals is allowed to be printed, and an -excellent regulation requires the examination and approval of all plays -before they can be put upon the stage. These barbarians of the north -will not have the luxury of the “dirty drama” which is so fascinating to -the highly cultivated Parisians and New Yorkers. - -A lady and gentleman entered the car as we were just starting, and could -not get a double seat; it was a long car like our own, with seats on -each side of the passage. They could find separate seats, but they were -to ride all night, and of course desired to sit side by side. They -sought to make exchanges, but in vain. Seeing their distress, my son and -I agreed to separate and surrender our places to them. Their gratitude -was equal to their surprise. “We were French, they were sure.” Not at -all. “Ah no, we were English.” By no means. “And pray, would we tell -them of what nation?” AMERICANS: and they were nearly overcome with -pleasure, and poured out their grateful acknowledgments. - -At Lubanskaia we stopped to dine, and you will be more amused by reading -the names of some of the places we touched in passing, than by the names -of the dishes we had for dinner. Thus we passed through Kolpinskaia, -Sablinskaia, Ouschkinskaia, Babinskaia, Tehondoskaia, Volkhooskaia, -Guadskaia, Mainvisheskaia, Bourgurnskaia, Borooenskaia, Okouloviskaia, -Zarebchenkeskaia, Kaloschkooskaia, Ostaschkooskaia, Reschchilkooskaia, -Paadsulnelchookaia; but I am getting a headache in copying them out of -the time-table, and will spare you. Wales is nothing to Russia for hard -names. - -The station-houses are well built, and refreshment rooms well supplied; -so that you get comfortable meals on the route. - -At Tver we crossed the Volga, and here we had the first sight of that -famous river. It is at this point downward navigable for steamers, and -we might step on board of one and steam away two thousand miles to -Astrachan! Tver is a place of remarkable historical interest, which -lingers around the cathedral and the monastery in which a bishop was -murdered by order of John the Terrible, though his death was reported as -occasioned by the fumes of a stove. - -As night drew on we learned that one car in the long train was fitted up -for sleeping, and we were glad to pay a couple of roubles apiece for the -chance of a horizontal nap. Toward midnight the process of -reconstruction commenced. The long car is divided into four -compartments, each eight feet square; across each side is swung a shelf, -the seats below are converted into berths, and two more are made _up_ on -the floor; a pillow of homœopathic proportions is assigned to each -passenger, and unless a man is afraid it will get into his ear he takes -it. By a ladder of seven steps I ascended to the topmost perch, and -there sought to rest. Alas! the search was vain. My refuge in -sleeplessness is to old-time hymns, and Watts often composes me to -slumber as his cradle lullaby did when the best of mothers sang it in my -infancy. But now the only lines that haunted me were these, and -perfectly descriptive of my present experience,— - - “So when a raging fever burns, - We shift from side to side by turns; - And ’tis a poor relief we gain, - To change the place and keep the pain.” - -For half a dozen Russians sat together in this little chamber; all -smoking, all laughing, all talking, and in that jargon of a language -worse to hear than any other that ever crashed upon my auricular nerves. -There was no railroad law to be invoked to stop them. We were two, they -were six. They wanted to smoke and talk all night; we were invalids, -fighting for a wink of sleep. As the night wore on, they grew more -earnest. At frequent stops by the way they rushed out and returned -fortified with strong drink; the smoke, the breaths, the smells, the -talk became intolerable. I put my woe-begone visage over the edge of the -shelf, and arresting their attention by a groan, asked if any of them -spoke the French language? A military officer in uniform rose and said -he did. Then in tearful accents I said, “You behold two American -travellers who have paid for these luxurious couches to get a little -rest in their weary travels. If you gentlemen are to keep up this -discourse, sleep is as impossible as if we were under the tortures of -the Inquisition; is it too much to hope that you will soon suffer this -discourse of yours to come to an end for the night, to be renewed at -some future day.” Before my speech was finished he had begun to laugh, -and assuring me of his regret that we had been disturbed, he represented -to his friends the wishes of two _Amerikaners_, and they soon turned in. - -In the morning, looking down from the shelf, I counted thirty-two stumps -of cigars lying on the floor, in one quarter, and at least a hundred -must have been consumed in that one compartment. - -At half-past seven we stopped for coffee. A forlorn-looking set of men -and women crept out for fresh air and refreshment. They had been badly -stayed with, all of them. But the longest night has its morning, and so -had this. The coffee was good; we paid five times as much for it as it -was worth, even there, but we were comforted with the beverage. At one -end of the car was a wash-bowl and water, and over it a notice: “Towel, -5 copakes; soap, 15 copakes,”—so for about 20 cents you could have the -use of everybody’s towel and soap! - -The face of the country improves as we get on. More trees, more hills, -more culture, and signs of thrift on every hand. - -Into the car came a venerable ecclesiastic of the Greek type. A heavy -gold cross was suspended from his neck and hung on his broad breast; and -his gray hair rested in curls on his shoulders. The scarlet and gold on -his robes attracted the eye of the stranger, but he seemed to challenge -no special attention from the people with whom he came in contact. We -called him the Patriarch Nicon at once, for he came in upon us as at -Krukova, which is the station where we would stop, if we had time to -make a visit at the Monastery of New Jerusalem, or Voskresenski, which, -being interpreted, meaneth Resurrection. This monastery was founded in -1657 by the Patriarch Nicon, whose story is told by Dean Stanley in his -lectures on the Greek Church, and condensed into the travel books in the -hands of wanderers in these wilds. - -At this village of the Resurrection, Nicon, a patriarch of the Greek -Church, was wont to stop in his journeys through the country, and in -1655 he built a church here, and the Czar of all the Russias did him the -honor to come to its consecration and name it the New Jerusalem. Nicon -obtained a model of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at old Jerusalem, -and he made one like it here. He found hills and vales and brooks like -those in the Holy Land, and gave them names to correspond, which they -bear to this day, though two hundred years have since gone by. The river -Istra became Jordan, and he made a little one for Kedron, and called a -village at a distance Nazareth, and one nearer by was Bethany; and with -these sacred associations he gathered around him the odor of sanctity, -and with it came dreams of power and glory, such as priests are apt to -have when they leave the service of God and substitute their own -imaginings for the teachings of his word. The Czar saw what he was at, -and soon let him down from his Jerusalem. The Patriarch began to claim -civil as well as sacerdotal power. Just as the Bishop of Rome became a -king as well as priest, so Nicon would sway a sceptre as well as a -shepherd’s crook. He put stringent laws upon his inferior clergy, and -they became restive under his authority. He rode into town on an ass in -profane imitation of Christ, and the people could not see the sense of -being compelled to cast their garments in the way of him who was so -unlike the meek and lowly Jesus whom they would have loved to honor. His -tyranny drove them to revolt, and many sects sprang up which even now -continue to maintain their existence in the empire and in a certain -hostility to the regular Greek Church of the empire. Nicon grew more and -more despotic, as his enemies grew formidable in numbers and power. He -seized in the houses of the nobles, wherever he could find them, all -pictures not painted in the style that pleased his royal will. In all -his dealings with them he claimed the authority of the sovereign. He was -fast becoming the pope of the north. At last the Emperor, no longer -willing to acknowledge the lordly assumptions of this proud subject, -refused to honor his festivals with the royal presence, or to recognize -the Patriarch as spiritual father. Nicon was enraged at this slight, and -thinking to humble the Czar, threw off his robes of office, resigned his -crozier, and retired to his monastery at Resurrection. The sepulchre -would have been a more fitting place for retirement. Hither he supposed -the Czar would hasten, and with apologies, penitence, and tears beseech -him to return and resume his reign. He reckoned without his host. The -Czar could make and unmake such ecclesiastics, and he put another man in -his place, and left poor Nicon to chew the cud of regret in his -ignominious solitude. He stood it six years, and then sent word to the -Czar that, after long fasting and prayer, he had been honored with a -vision of the prophet Jonah, in a dream, who had told him it was his -duty to resume his seat on the patriarchal throne of Moscow. But the -Czar could not see it. Jonah said nothing to him about it, and he had an -idea that unhappy Nicon might, indeed, have had a great many dreams of -the same kind, but that Jonah was not the man to make patriarchs for -him. He called a council of Eastern patriarchs, presided in the midst of -it himself, and this council came very naturally to the decision that -Nicon should be degraded and banished to a monastery in Novgorod. The -next Czar who came to the throne pardoned Nicon, who soon after died. - -Such was the sad career of a great genius, whose brief reign was -signalized by the aggrandizement of the Russian Church, for he magnified -five patriarchates,—Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem, and -Moscow. And now his remains are lying in the Church of the Holy -Sepulchre, which he built, in the chapel of Melchisedek, at the foot of -the Golgotha, and over his tomb hang the heavy chains which, to mortify -his body, he wore around his person, while he put heavier chains on the -souls of those whom he reduced beneath his ghostly power. - -I think there is a lesson in the life and death of such a man, and that -we may read in it the workings of human ambition and pride, even under -the garments of holy offices; we see the conflict between church and -state, whenever they are allied, and the doom that awaits the men who -pervert the institutions of religion to their own glory and the -oppression of others. - -We are now approaching Moscow. Two thousand miles by rail we have come. -The whole region over which we are now passing seems to be one dead -level of lowly toiling, dreary living, without one sign of such -enterprising life and energy as we would find in France or England, not -to speak of that young world in the West, to which freedom seems to have -taken her flight. - -The train is moving slowly into town. We have come to Moscow. We are at -the gates of the Kremlin! - - - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - THE KREMLIN AND THE BELLS OF MOSCOW. - - -M. BILLOT is a Swiss landlord, who keeps a good hotel in Moscow. He has -a charming wife and family around him, a well-trained corps of servants, -and makes his house a home for American and English guests. It is -something for a weary traveller to find a home when he gets to Moscow. - -I have but one fault to find with Moscow’s bed and board. Mind, it is -not a complaint against mine host, M. Billot. It is the fault of the -city, that it is full of fleas. We charged upon them with a flea powder, -the second night of our sojourn there, but the powder about M. Billot’s -pillows was as troublesome as the fleas. - -We had heard of this house and landlord; for the Swiss go into all the -countries of Europe, and some others, to keep the hotels. We found a -connected line of them all through Spain, and in Italy, and they commend -travellers to each other, as old neighbors ought to do. So, when we -arrived at Moscow, we gave our baggage to M. Billot’s man, he put us -into a carriage, and away we were whirled over the roughest roads that -we had ever endured in a city. Moscow seemed to be too small for its -people, as the people appeared to be too sparse for St. Petersburg. The -streets were thronged with people in the pursuit of business, and their -market-places presented the liveliest scenes imaginable. - -[Illustration: THE KREMLIN.] - -Frequent churches and shrines arrest us as we pass, for every Christian -crosses himself before each of them; even the coachman in front of us -drops his whip from his right hand, and makes the sacred sign on his -breast, as he drives by the holy place. Some stand before it and humbly -bow themselves at a great distance from the altar. - -Our way was winding, through streets that had no aim apparently, for -after the city committed suicide in 1813, on the coming of Napoleon, it -was rebuilt in haste, without plan or purpose, but to get shelter for -living and trade. But the city was spread out to a greater extent, and -gradually houses of more architectural taste arose, with gardens about -them, even in town. Here and there rises a splendid palace in the midst -of the white cottages of humble neighbors, and the three hundred and -seventy churches are interspersed, with their green or gilded cupolas -and shining stars. We pass long rows of uniformly painted houses that -belong to some public institution, and then we break in upon a wide -square where the people seem to be gathered for some special purpose, -and out of this square the streets extend on every side. Then we come to -the high banks of the river Moskva, which flows through the midst of the -city, and on either side of it are splendid edifices crowning the hills -that rise from its side. The map of the city makes it appear circular. -The circumvallation is twenty miles in extent, and within this are two -concentric lines of fortification, rendered necessary perhaps for -defence, as this remarkable city is the outpost of civilization on the -borders of barbarism. - - - THE KREMLIN OF MOSCOW. - -I never had a very definite idea of the KREMLIN of Moscow. It has been -mentioned in books about Russia as a part of the city that every one -must understand. The Acropolis of Athens and of Corinth, and the -Capitoline Hill of Rome, enclosed with a wall to shut them off from the -rest of the city, a refuge for the people in time of peril, the site for -the most sacred temples and the most gorgeous palace for the sovereign, -would be the Kremlin of Athens, or Corinth, or Rome. As far back as in -1340, walls of oak enclosed these heights. A few years afterwards, to -resist the Tartars, the wooden walls gave place to stone, but treason -gave the fierce barbarian hordes possession of the citadel, and the -walls were destroyed. They were built again and again, but in 1485, when -it was needful to protect the Kremlin against the attack of artillery, -the walls were rebuilt on a scale never before attempted. The solid and -lofty stone walls now enclose an area of about a mile and a half in -circumference. Five massive gates admit the flow of life to the temples -of religion and of justice within this enclosure. The chief entrance is -called the “Redeemer” Gate. The passage through the wall by this gate is -like going through a railroad tunnel. It is a holy hole, for over it is -a picture of the Redeemer of Smolensk, and no one may pass under it -without taking off his hat. Formerly, whoever was so hasty or forgetful -as to neglect this mark of respect, was punished by being compelled to -prostrate himself fifty times before the insulted picture. The Emperor -of all the Russias never fails to uncover his head as he enters this -gate. Hundreds were going in as I approached: on foot, in droskies, in -carriages, but all were mindful of the place, and entered as if they -were going into a holy place. Between the Nicholas and Trinity Gates are -the arsenal and great cannons, some of them monster guns, quite -antiquated by modern progress, but formidable in their proper place; and -the long rows that are marked as left behind by the French in their -retreat, tell a grim tale of the madness and folly of that disastrous -campaign. Through this very Gate Nicholas, the French troops under -Napoleon entered the Kremlin. Short as the stay of the Emperor was in -the city, it was long enough for him to attempt to blow up the tower -over this gate; but a miracle, as the superstitious Russians believe, -was wrought to preserve it; for over the gate is a picture of St. -Nicholas, “the comfort of suffering humanity,” and when the explosion -took place which was to blow this massive structure into ruins, it made -a rent indeed, extending upward to the frame of the picture, and there -it suddenly stopped, not cracking the glass over the picture, nor the -glass lamp hanging before it! And Alexander I. caused an inscription to -be put up in memory of the miracle. - -We ascend the hill and stand upon a wide paved plateau, or esplanade, -with a scene immediately around, before, and below us, of interest, -grandeur, beauty, and novelty. A cloudless sky and a blazing sun are -over us. All the buildings are dazzling in whiteness, and the domes of -thirty-two churches within the Kremlin, and hundreds below and around, -are blazing at noon-tide in their gold and green. Each one of three -hundred and seventy churches has several domes, and besides them there -are theatres and palaces, and convents and other public buildings, roofs -painted green, sides white, and gilt overlaying domes, turrets, and -spires. Gardens filled with trees, among the dwellings, as in more -Oriental cities, and the river circling its way into and out of the -town, give us some idea of what Babylon or Nineveh might have been in -their vast enclosure and picturesque rural attractions within their -massive walls. - -In the midst of the Kremlin, and above every other structure in Moscow, -rises toward the sky the white, solid, simple Tower of IVAN; majestic in -its simplicity and height, as if it were the axis about which this fairy -world of Moscow was revolving, it stands sublimely there, with a bell of -444,000 pounds at its foot, and another of 130,000 swinging in its -crown. - -[Illustration: - - PLAN OF THE CENTRE OF MOSKVA CITY. - _Scale of Feet._] - - _A._ THE KREMLIN. - - 1. _Uspenski Sobore, or Cathedral._ - 2. _Archangelskoi Sobore._ - 3. _Annunciation Church._ - 4. _Spass na Boru Church._ - 5. _Birth of the Virgin Church._ - 6. _Granovitaya Palata._ - 7. _Court Church._ - 8. _Uair the Martyr Church._ - 9. _Constantine and Helen Church._ - 10. _Ivanovskaya Kolokolnya._ - 11. _Twelve Apostles Church._ - 12. _Holy Synod Office._ - 13. _Chudor Monastery._ - 14. _Voznesenskoi Nunnery._ - 15. _Our Saviour’s Gate._ - 16. _St. Nicholas’ Gate._ - 17. _Trinity Gate._ - 18. _Borovitskiya Gate._ - 19. _The Secret Gates._ - - _B._ THE KITAI GOROD. - - 1. _Pokrovskoi Sobore._ - 2. _Kazanskoi Sobore._ - 3. _Iverskaya Chapel._ - 4-25. _Churches and Monasteries; amongst which No 7 is the Church of - the Mother of God of Vladimir; and No. 15, the Church of the Mother of - God of Georgia._ - 26. _Varvarskiya Gate._ - 27. _Ilyinskiya Gate._ - 28. _Nikolskiya Gate._ - 29. _Voskresenskoi Gate._ - 30. _Monument of Minim and Pojarskii._ - -At the foot of the Ivan Tower, supported by a pedestal of stone, is the -largest bell in the world, and probably the largest that ever _was_ in -the world. A piece is broken out of its side, and the fragment is lying -near. The breadth of the bell is so great,—it is twenty feet -across,—that the cavity underneath has been used as a chapel, where as -many people can stand as in a circle sixty feet around. - -In Russia, the bell is an instrument of music for the worship of God as -truly and really as the organ in any other country! This fact is not -mentioned in the accounts we have of the wonderful, enormous, and almost -incredibly heavy bells that have been cast in Moscow. But it is the key -to what would otherwise be difficult to explain. It appears absurd to -cast bells so large as to be next to impossible for convenient use; in -danger always of falling and dragging others to ruin in their fall. But -when the bell is a medium of communication with the Infinite, and the -worship of a people and an empire finds expression in its majestic -tones, it ceases to be a wonder that it should have a tongue which -requires twenty-four men to move, and whose music should send a thrill -of praise into every house in the city, and float away beyond the river -into the plains afar. - -Moscow is the holy city of the Greek Church. Pilgrims come hither from -thousands of miles off, and on foot, and sometimes without shoes. I have -seen them with staves in their hand, and their travel-worn feet wound up -in cloths, wending their way to the sacred hill. And when they draw nigh -unto the city, and on the evening air the music of these holy bells is -first borne to their ears, they fall upon their faces, prostrate, and -worship God. If they could go no further, they would be content to die -there, for they have heard the bells of Moscow, and on their majestic -tones their souls have been taken up to heaven. This is the sentiment of -the superstitious peasant, and it is a beautiful sentiment, ideal -indeed, but all the more delicate and exalted. - -As long as five hundred years ago, this casting of bells was an _art_ in -Russia. It is one of the fine arts now. Perhaps our great bell-founders -will not admit that the founders there have any more skill in their -manufacture than we have, and I am not sure that their bells have any -tones more exquisite than ours _would_ have if we would put as much -silver and gold into our bell-metal as they do. But so long as those -precious metals are at the present premium, little or none of them will -find its way into our church bells. We have not the idea of the Russian -as to the use of a bell. We use it to call the people to the house of -worship. They use the bell for worship. Our bells speak to us. Their -bells praise God. They cast their silver and their gold into the molten -mass, and it becomes an offering, as on an altar, to him who is -worshipped with every silvery note and golden tone of the holy bell. - -This one great bell is the growth of centuries. In 1553 it was cast, and -weighed only 36,000 pounds. It fell in a fire, and was recast in 1654, -being increased to the astonishing weight of 288,000 pounds. This was -too vast a weight to be taken up to the top of the tower, and it was -sustained by a frame at the foot of it. In 1706, it fell in another fire -and was broken into fragments, which lay there on the ground about -thirty years. It was recast in 1733; four years afterwards a piece was -knocked out of the side of it, and it has been standing here on the -ground more than a century. It weighs 444,000 pounds! In the thickest -part it is two feet through. It has relief pictures on it of the Emperor -and Empress, of the Saviour and the Virgin Mary, and the evangelists. - -Ascending the Ivan Tower, we find on three successive stories bells to -the number of thirty-four. Some of these are of a size to fill one with -astonishment had he not seen the giant below. The largest is on the -first story above the chapel, and weighs more than sixty tons. It swings -freely and is easily rung. I smote it with the palm of my hand, -supposing that such a blow could not produce the slightest vibration in -such a mighty mass of iron, but it rung out as clear and startling as if -a spirit within had responded to my knock without. Two bells are of -solid silver, and their tones are exquisitely soft, liquid, and pure. It -was exciting to go from one to another and strike them with their -tongues, or with your hand, and catch the variety and richness of their -several melodies. - -The chapel below is dedicated to the patron saint of all ladies about to -be married, and it may be readily believed that the bell that gives -expression to their prayers will have, at least to their ears, the -sweetest tone of all the bells in Moscow. - -I came down from the Kremlin to my lodgings at Billot’s, and, wearied -with the wanderings of the day, have been lying on the bed and looking -out on the city. It is just before sunset, and the day has been -oppressively warm. A delicious glow from the gorgeous west is bathing -all the domes and roofs with splendid colors, and silence is stealing in -with the setting sun upon the crowded town. It is the eve of one of -their most holy festivals of the church. One vast church edifice is -directly in view of my window and but a short way off. As I lie musing, -from this church comes the softest, sweetest tone of an evening bell. -Another tone responds. A third is heard. The Ivan Tower on the height of -the Kremlin utters his tremendous voice, like the voice of many waters. -And all the churches and towers over the whole city, four hundred bells -and more, in concert, in harmony, “with notes almost divine,” lift up -their voices in an anthem of praise, such as I never thought to hear -with mortal ears: waves of melody, an ocean of music, deep, rolling, -heaving, changing, swelling, sinking, rising, overwhelming, exalting. I -had heard the great organs of Europe, but they were tame and trifling -compared with this. The anthem of Nature at Niagara is one great -monotone. The music of Moscow’s bells is above and beyond them all. It -is the voice of the people. It utters the emotions of millions of -loving, beating, longing hearts, not enlightened, perhaps, like yours, -but all crying out to the great Father, in these solemn and inspiring -tones, as if these tongues had voices to cry: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord -God Almighty, heaven and earth are full of thy glory.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - THE CHURCHES OF MOSCOW. - - -WE were alone in the holiest of all the holy places in the empire of -Russia: a church and a sepulchre; the place where the emperors crown -themselves and the primates of the church are lying in their -grave-clothes all around; the grandest of all earthly grandeur, and the -solemn evidences of the mightier power of King Death staring at the -pageant in mockery of all that man is and does. - -We were alone in the Cathedral of the Assumption; four gigantic gilded -and pictured columns in the midst of it support five great domes; and on -the sides are arranged the huge sarcophagi in which repose the bones of -old patriarchs whose names are part of the history of the church, and -whose relics are thus kept near at hand impressing the worshipper with -something of awe, as one will feel it in the presence of the dead. There -was no attendant in the church when we entered, and the deep silence -reigning seemed befitting the place. We were silent, for the grandeur of -the scene, the historic associations with the place, the evidences -around us that this spot is holy in the eyes and hearts of the millions -of this vast empire, made us solemn. Before us is the Iconastasis, or -screen for sacred pictures, and behind this screen are the pictures of -the patriarchs and fathers of the church. _No woman may enter this holy -place._ It is very plain that the woman’s rights ideas of equality have -not penetrated this veil. Here, too, are views of the final judgment -scene, and of the life and death of the Virgin Mary. These sacred -pictures surround the _sanctuary_, the holy of holies, before it is the -principal altar, and behind it the throne of the Archbishop of Moscow. -In the centre of the church, with the four great pillars at each corner, -is the coronation platform, on which takes place the most august -ceremony known to the Greek Church or the Russian people. We cannot -enter fully into the sentiment of awe that possesses the minds of a -half-civilized race, who receive their sovereign with a mingled -conception of the divine and human in his person. He seeks to perpetuate -this reverential sentiment. He secludes himself from the world before he -comes to take the imperial crown; he mortifies himself by fasting and -prayer; and when the appointed day arrives for his investiture with the -high office to which God has called him, there is none in all his realm -that is high and holy enough to put on him the emblem of the power he is -to take. This cathedral is thronged with the highest dignitaries of -church and state, and the representatives of other empires, eastern and -western, with the richest display of all that can illustrate the glory -of this scene. They surround this empty platform, and gaze upon it with -fixed expectancy. A solitary man enters and ascends alone; he speaks, -but it is to repeat the words in which is expressed his faith in the -doctrines of the church; he kneels to pray for his empire; he takes his -own golden crown, and with his own unaided hands he places it upon his -head; he descends, and entering the holiest sanctuary takes the bread -and wine from the altar, and thus _alone_ with God, whom alone he -confesses to be his superior, he consecrates himself to the throne of -Russia. Thus from Ivan the Terrible, all the way down to the Alexander -who was shot at in Paris during the exhibition, have the Czars been -self-crowned on this sacred spot. - -[Illustration: THE RUSSO-GREEK SERVICE.] - -In a side chapel near the altar lies Peter, the first metropolitan of -Moscow, with a nail of the Saviour’s cross and a part of his seamless -robe. On the right is the coffin of Philip, who had the courage to -rebuke the Terrible Ivan, a terribly brutal ruler, murdering his nobles -without mercy, and when Philip became too troublesome he murdered him. -Now the dead prelate lies here with one of his skeleton hands exposed to -view on his breast, and it is part of the Emperor’s service, when he -approaches this tomb, to kiss the holy bone, that is left convenient for -the purpose. - -Very like this cathedral is that of the Archangel Michael close by; and -here lie the coffins and relics of the early rulers of the Runic and -Romanoff dynasties, all the way down to Peter the Great. The tomb of -Demetrius, son of Ivan the Terrible, is the most sacred of all; he -disappeared mysteriously, and the country was plunged into a long and -bloody civil war; and, finally, his murdered body and coffin were -brought to view by a miracle, and the forehead of the dead prince being -exposed, or a hole about an inch in diameter being cut through the -coffin and the forehead raised up to it, or what is just as good, a bone -being put across the hole, the people approach with reverence and press -their lips upon this holy and disgusting skull. - -Our meditations among the tombs were disturbed by the entrance of -visitors, many of them natives of the country, whose reverence in the -midst of so much that to them was specially sacred, we could not fail to -respect. I cannot kiss a bone with any enthusiasm; but there is no -accounting for the tastes of people; and disgusting as is the idolatry -of the Greek Church to me, I know that many English and American -Christians wish to have that church united to theirs. I would like to -see it reformed first. - -There are no restrictions on religious worship in Russia! On one street -in the capital of Russia, where the Emperor himself resides, and the -Greek Church reigns in all its glory, there are six churches of as many -different religious persuasions, all protected by the law. - -The English have a church of their own in Moscow, and a rectory, for -there are a large number of English-speaking people in these cities, not -only men in trade, but tutors and governesses who are induced to come to -Russia from England to teach the children and youth the English -language. It is quite as great an accomplishment to speak English, as -with us it is to speak French. And such is the extension of business -westward, it is quite important that one who is in commercial pursuits -of any kind should understand a language which more rapidly than any -other is spreading over the world. We meet more Russians speaking our -own tongue than of almost any other people. - -During the Crimean war complaint was made to the Emperor that the -English chaplain in Moscow offered prayers every Sunday that Queen -Victoria might be victorious over all her enemies, and the Emperor -replied that the chaplain might pray for the Queen or anybody else. - -In the city of Moscow there are three hundred and seventy churches of -the Greek faith, two Roman Catholic, and four Protestant; of these four, -two are for those who worship in the German language, one French, and -one English. - -On the Sabbath I attended the Greek service in the St. Basil Cathedral. -The crowd was so vast that multitudes were unable to get within the -doors. A narrow door at the side yielded to the touch, and the sacristan -received us as strangers and conducted us into the holy place where the -priests were performing service. A choir of five—two old men, two young -men, and a boy—made the responses and sang parts of the service with an -energy and power that was exciting and astonishing as we stood by them -and saw the effort they made to give effect to their utterances. The -devotion of the crowded auditory was affecting. If one may judge of -emotion by what he sees of people worshipping in a strange language, he -must believe that these are truly devout, and deeply impressed with the -services in which they are earnestly engaged. - -It is Trinity Sunday. Wagon loads of green branches of trees are carried -through the streets for sale. Every house, shop, shrine, church, and -station is adorned with evergreens; windows and doors are garlanded; the -humblest house in the poorest quarter we passed through had its sprig of -green, and where the poverty of the person prevented any display, it was -evident that no one was ashamed to do what he could in honor of the day. -The women and children carried flowers, the lily of the valley seeming -to be the favorite; and bunches of it were constantly offered for sale, -by those who would do a little business for themselves and help the rest -to worship after their fashion. - -We went up the Kremlin to the Archangel Cathedral. Thousands on -thousands of people, a countless multitude, were standing around the -Ivan Tower and the big bell, unable to gain entrance into any church, -for these were all filled to overflowing by the densest mass of -sweltering humanity. Many of this crowd were common and unclean people, -like the very poor everywhere; they were ragged, unshod, and dirty. -Those in better order had long frock-coats on, reaching to the ground -nearly, with high boots over their pantaloons. These crowds were quiet, -lounging around as if they had nothing to do and were doing it -patiently, but not earnestly. They seemed to me a dull, phlegmatic race, -incapable of emotion; but this is a judgment of no great account, for it -is not unlikely the Russians may be as easily roused to action, for good -or evil, as the Germans or English. - -Work of all sorts was going on in the city, with not the slightest -indication that the day was a sabbath. It was only wonderful that so -many people could be busy with the work of every day, and such -multitudes at leisure to enjoy a holiday. - -Now and then a procession of poor pilgrims passed along, with sandals of -bark bound upon the soles of their feet, for they had come a long -distance from the far interior to worship in this holy city. Weary and -foot-sore they were, men and women, in scanty, but heavy clothing, even -in this hot weather, and wearing a look of solemn suffering as they -trudged along with staves in their hands. They have not yet learned that -the hill of Zion is now as near to them as in the Kremlin, and that God -is worshipped acceptably only by those who worship in heart and truth. -Some of these pilgrims may be beggars so disguised, for here, as at -home, there is no form of swindling more common than religious -imposture. The Russians are very kind and tender to idiots, and beggars -go about barefoot even in winter, pretending to be underwitted! - -On the wide area in front of St. Basil is the Golgotha, or skull place, -a name given to a circular stone platform, said to be the place of -public executions in old times, but if so, it has long since ceased to -be used for any such purpose. Here the Czar sometimes stands in the -midst of myriads of his subjects. Here the Patriarch blesses the people. -Here the Patriarch has mounted an ass and the Emperor of all the Russias -has led the beast by the bridle to the Cathedral of the Assumption. But -the church has no such supremacy over the state now, as such a ceremony -would imply. The Czar is a devout member as well as head of the Greek -Church, and the Patriarch is his friend and coadjutor. The progress of -the truth on the great question of religious liberty has made itself -felt here as well as in western nations, and with all the ignorance and -despotism and superstition, and the semi-civilization of this people, -the government does not obstruct the spread of the Holy Scriptures, nor -interfere with liberty of worship in any part of the mighty empire. - -One of the priests of this church very kindly led us into the sacristy -of the former patriarchs and now of the Holy Synod, where he would show -us the treasury, the library, and the vestry of the ancient -metropolitans of Russia and the patriarchs of Moscow. It was the same -old story which had been told us over and over again in the cathedrals -of the Romish Church, _ad nauseam_; and unless we had been advertised of -the fact, we would not have supposed that we had taken a departure from -Italy or Spain. - -A reliquary containing a part of the purple robe which the Saviour of -sinners was clad with in mockery of his kingship, and a bit of the rock -of Calvary, are among the most precious relics which this rich -collection boasts; yet they are not more admired by the faithful than -the robes which were worn by the metropolitans five hundred years ago, -and are now exhibited; a sakkos of crimson velvet, covered with great -pearls, rubies, emeralds, almandines, garnets, and diamonds, making it -weigh more than fifty pounds. And it is said that the Czar John the -Terrible presented this priceless robe to the church as an expiatory -offering after he had caused his own son to be murdered. The crimson -garment, price of blood or not, is cherished with religious care as one -of the most valuable things in the treasury of the Holy Synod. - -But it is more wearisome to read of, than it is to see and note the -robes and mitres and images worn by the bishops, figures of the Virgin -and infant Saviour and St. John, cut in precious stones, the crucifixion -scene done on an onyx stone, and others in gold and silver. Yet all -these yield in value and religious interest to a few pots and kettles -which are used in this chamber, and were now presented to what were -presumed to be our admiring eyes. It may be that our instantaneous -conversion to the Greek faith was anticipated as the effect of the -sight. We stood it unmoved, and will venture to describe the things seen -with no expectation that the perusal will make a convert of you. - -Here is prepared the Holy Oil, or MIR, with which every orthodox Russian -subject is baptized. The same mixture is used to consecrate every -emperor who comes regularly to the throne, and to sanctify every church -in the empire that is to be used for worship by the orthodox Greek -communion. Now, if all the oil to be used for all these purposes, in an -empire of sixty millions of people and by the adherents of the same -church in other countries, is to be prepared in this room and by the -priests here employed, it is plain they must have their hands and -kettles full pretty much all the time. - -The ceremony of oiling a child in the Greek Church, at its baptism, is -performed by the priest taking a little brush or feather, dipped in the -holy chrism, and touching with it the mouth, eyes, ears, hands and feet, -back and breast; the eyes are thus anointed that the child may see only -what is good, the ears to prevent him hearing the evil that is in the -world, the lips that they may speak the truth, the hands and feet that -they may be always found in the right way. Whence this oil that has such -wondrous properties? When Christianity was first introduced into Russia, -Constantinople furnished an infinitely little portion of holy oil that -was then in use in the church for these sacred purposes; and this -portion being used by the priests in preparing a large quantity, and -some of that being used in preparing more, and thus from time to time -each new supply being composed in part of what was prepared before, it -comes to pass, on the strictly philosophical principle of the infinite -divisibility of matter, some of the same unguent that came from -Constantinople many centuries agone, is now used in anointing the eyes, -ears, and mouth of every child that is baptized in Russia. If you do not -believe it, it still comes to the same thing, and I do not see that it -makes any difference. - -The holy chrism is made by the clergy during Lent, with great care and -solemnity; about thirty different ingredients being used, gums, balsams, -and spices. These are put into two large silver kettles and a huge -caldron, scrupulously clean; and when the mixture is thoroughly made it -is poured out into sixteen silver jars, which are distributed among the -several bishops of the empire. The silver utensils used in this work, -and all of which are exhibited as the most sacred treasures of the -church, are said to weigh thirteen hundred pounds. And with them is a -vessel of copper with mother-of-pearl coating, that contained the -original oil as it came from Constantinople; and each year a few drops -are taken out of it, and as many of the new mixture returned, so that -the supply is always kept good, and the faithful of the church believe -that this is the true succession of the oil with which Mary anointed the -feet of her Saviour. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - - PALACE AND INSTITUTIONS OF MOSCOW. - - -IF you are weary reading of royal palaces, you will be sorry to be -invited to the one more gorgeously adorned and illustrated than any -other which you and I have entered in company. You have often heard of, -and perhaps have seen, some specimens of barbaric splendor! You have -associated with the word _barbaric_, ideas of Oriental and excessive -magnificence, laid on without the more refined and chastened taste of -modern civilization. It is a word the old Romans used to define _foreign -people_, and whatever came to Rome from foreign parts: all the world was -barbarous or Roman. We do not use the word in the same sense as -barbarous. But with it, in connection with gold and pearls and -decorations of the palace, we associate a wealth of luxury and -brilliancy of ornamentation, that would suit the meridian of Persia -rather than of Paris. - -Not having seen the palaces of the interior of Asia, I cannot draw a -comparison between them and the royal residences of European monarchs. -But we are now on the border between the East and the West, between Asia -and Europe, between barbarism in its best estate and civilization. Take -a map of the world and see where Moscow stands! What vast, uncultured, -desolate regions lie at the east of it, and still further on, what -empires and peoples that make up the bulk of the human race! Out of the -barbarism of that eastern portion of the earth’s plane, Russia is -emerging, and Moscow is her frontier town; a wall and a monument: a sign -and guide, signifying what Russia has been, and leading on to something -higher and better, though the future is still in the depths of political -and moral uncertainties. - -The Tartar hordes have in ages past been fond of making raids upon -Moscow, and leaving her palaces heaps of smoking ruins. In old times the -Russians built them of wood for the most part, though one of stone -erected in 1484 is still standing. Then the Czars removed the capital to -St. Petersburg, and for a long time the Kremlin was without a palace or -an emperor. The celebrated Empress Anne gave Moscow a palace, and her -presence now and then, and Catharine II. designed a royal residence so -vast and gorgeous as to rival the palaces of the world, but it was never -finished; its model is preserved as a curiosity in the treasury. What -she did build, the French wantonly burned when they were compelled to -desert the city which its own inhabitants had consigned to destruction. -This house, at the doors of which we have been standing while I have -given you these historical facts, is the work of the late Nicholas, and -is only about twenty years old. It has no likeness in the various orders -of architecture; there is no correspondence or harmony between the -within and without of it: yet the whole interior is a blaze of gold and -upholstery that leaves all rules of taste and art out of the question. -We pass through the Empress’s drawing-room, hung with white silk, her -cabinet in crimson, her dressing and bath rooms with malachite mantels -and priceless ornaments; the Emperor’s cabinet, with magnificent -paintings of the proud French coming into Moscow, and the poor French -skulking out,—grim satires these on the horrors and fortunes of war; the -state apartments, with huge crystal vases at the entrance; the Hall of -St. George, with the names of regiments and soldiers inscribed in gold -upon the walls, who have been decorated with this order for bravery on -the field; the Hall of St. Andrew, hung with blue silk, and inscribed -with the names of heroes; the Emperor’s throne, more ostentatious and -imposing than any other in Europe; the audience-chamber and -banqueting-room, on which is lavished the last resource of gilt and -paint to make a show,—and yet when we are ushered into the Gold Court, -all former magnificence is for the moment forgotten in the dazzling -splendor that fills the place, as if the walls were blazing with living -golden light. A flight of steps at one end of the room, called “the red -stair case,” is never trodden upon but when the Emperor, on the greatest -of all occasions, goes to the Cathedral of the Assumption. This is part -of the old palace begun by Catharine, and has a history running back to -the time when John the Terrible stood here and saw the comet that he -construed into an omen of his doom. And up this flight of stairs came -Napoleon, the greatest of actors, when he took possession of the palace -of the Kremlin. And when he went down these stairs he began that descent -which never stopped till he touched the bottom of his tomb. - -The right wing of the palace is the treasury building, with the most -remarkable collection of objects to be seen in Russia. The Tower of -London illustrates England as this museum tells the history of the -Russian empire. Her past and present intercourse with the Asiatic -nations, and her more modern commercial relations with the West, have -made Moscow the emporium of all that distinguishes her ancient and -modern commerce, and exchange of presents when treaties have been made. -What riches of plate, jewels, silks, manufactures, which China, India, -Persia, Armenia, and other powers, peoples, and tribes have poured into -the lap of this colossal power in the progress of centuries! When the -French were coming, the prudent Russians, foreseeing the evil, removed -these pearls and diamonds and rubies, these vessels of gold and silver, -these costly fabrics of art and toil which could never be replaced, and -concealed them far in the interior, where the feet of the enemy would -not be apt to follow them. - -Among the historical curiosities here preserved with religious care, the -traveller from the land of liberty views with sorrow and indignation the -throne of Poland! Other thrones, as trophies of conquered kingdoms, -stand near. One of ivory was brought from Constantinople in 1472. -Another is from Persia, taken as long ago as 1660. It is covered with -876 diamonds, 1,223 rubies, and many other precious stones. Blazing in -front of these thrones is an orb, which the Greek emperors, Basilius and -Constantine, sent to Wladimir Monomachus, Prince of Kief, with a piece -of the true cross! This orb is adorned with fifty-eight diamonds, -eighty-nine rubies, twenty-three sapphires, fifty emeralds, and -thirty-seven other stones, and with enamels colored in the highest style -of Grecian art, to tell the story of King David, of the land of Israel. - -One of the most wonderful institutions of Moscow is the hospital for -foundlings, into which about twelve thousand children are taken yearly. -As many, if not more, are received into a similar institution in St. -Petersburg. It is said that no cities in the world surpass those of -Russia in the comforts provided for the care of these outcasts from the -birth, the most forlorn and helpless of all the objects that appeal to -human sympathy. The government makes a yearly grant of about a million -of dollars to this hospital in Moscow, and it has large resources -besides, so that there is no lack of funds to meet the wants of these -unfortunate little people, whose fathers and mothers forsaking them are -taken up by the Lord. - -In some cities I have seen a table made to revolve outside the walls of -the asylum, and in, so that a child could be placed upon it outside, and -on the door-bell being rung the table would be set in motion, and the -infant is gently rolled into the house. The mother or friend who brought -the child and laid it upon the table would thus be relieved of its -charge, and would silently depart, leaving the child, yet utterly unseen -and unknown. This system has its advantages, and many attendant evils. -But here in Moscow they affect no such mystery about the matter. The -hospital receives the infant children of poor and honest parents who are -willing to give their babes to the state, and it also takes the -offspring of sin and shame who are brought by their mothers or left on -the highway and picked up by the police or the wayfarer. A -reception-room is always open. A man or woman enters with a babe. No -question is asked but these:— - -“Has the child been baptized?” - -If yes, “By what name?” If it has not been baptized, that sacrament is -at once administered, and the name given is registered opposite a -number, which is hereafter worn as a sign around its neck, and this -number is handed to the person who brings the child. This number -entitles the bearer to come back any time within ten years and claim the -child. The nurses are mothers who have left their own children in the -country, and come here to get the wages and living in the hospital, -which are far better than they enjoy at home. And some of the nurses are -the mothers whose children are here, and as they have the number that -marks their own, they can easily change about till they get the care of -the babe they seek to watch, without its ever being known to be theirs. - -Nothing is now wanting that medical skill and good nursing can supply to -preserve the lives of these orphans. We go from ward to ward, admiring -the cleanliness, order, and comfort on every side. The babes are bathed -in copper tubs, convenient in shape, and lined with thick flannel. They -are not laid on the hard knees or sharp hoops of unfeeling nurses to be -dressed, but they are suffered to lie on pillows of down while this -operation is performed. After four weeks of such tender care, and when -the child may be supposed to have gained some strength, they are sent -with their nurses into the country. They are, however, exposed to such a -climate, and the fare of the peasantry is so coarse, that it takes a -tough child to weather the first year of life, and at least one-half of -them die before they are twelve months old. Half of the remainder who -survive the year fall by the way before they grow up; and so it comes to -pass that only one quarter, twenty-five out of a hundred, of these -children of the state live to be men and women. This is a small -proportion, and it is quite likely that full as many of them would have -lived to grow up, if there had been no hospital to care for them. - -Another institute we find here in Moscow that has nothing to match it, -and cannot have in our democratic country. The female orphan children of -servants of the Emperor are taken into it, and eight hundred are -constantly receiving an education to fit them for being teachers! They -are bound to devote six years after they leave the institute to the -business of teaching in the interior of the empire. They have a small -salary, and thus provide for themselves while they are doing a good work -for the state. No foundlings are admitted into this house. The orphans -are all supposed to be children of honest parents, and this supposition -keeps up a higher tone of self-respect than would be possible among a -thousand children who did not know who their parents are. - -Wolves in sheep’s clothing we have read of in the figure language of the -Bible, but men in sheep’s clothing I had never seen till I met them -to-day, in midsummer, in the market-places of Moscow. They could have -but one suit of clothing, and to cover their nakedness must wear it -summer and winter. It was made, “coat and pants,” of sheepskin with the -wool on, and was worn by some with the wool outside, and by others with -the wool in. On a day like this of sweltering heat, when it was not safe -for us to walk in the sun without parasols, these natives of the north, -with their winter clothes on, were not apparently oppressed; and it was -a comfort to believe that they had become accustomed to it, and had no -idea of any thing more enjoyable than an indefinite degree of heat. - -As winter is the _longer half_ of the year, it is the _harvest_ time for -those who are in the line of buying and selling meats and all provisions -that are preserved by frost. As soon as the cold weather fairly sets in, -the fatted cattle and pigs and poultry are doomed to die by the hands of -the butcher. The carcasses are instantly frozen and sent to market. Here -it is packed up in enormous heaps, and families who are able to buy at -wholesale prices lay in their winter supplies, and those who live from -hand to mouth can buy at any time fresh meat that was killed in the -fall. The weather is so uniformly cold that little danger of a thaw is -apprehended, but if it comes, away goes the meat. And it must at any -time be cooked immediately on thawing, so that it is rather a precarious -mode of preserving provisions. But it is adapted to the country and -climate, it saves packing and salting, and has the advantage of -furnishing fresh meat, at moderate prices, at all times. The fish from -the White Sea are also kept, like wood-piles, in heaps with oxen and -sheep and deer. The flesh of mammoths and elephants of past ages has -been found in perfect preservation in the icy regions of the north, and -it is certainly one of the remarkable _provisions_ of nature that cold, -which is so destructive of animal life, should also be the preserver of -flesh, for indefinite periods, after the life principle has been -extinguished. - -The Jews in Chatham Street, New York, who press their wares upon the -notice of passers by, are modest compared with the vendors of old -clothes and miscellaneous matters in the markets of Moscow. It was hard -to get away from them without making an investment in the most -undesirable of all worldly goods,—a coat that somebody else had cast -off. And such a jumble of things! reminding one of the sign on the -country store window-shutter of an alliterative dealer: “Bibles, -Blackball, Butter, Testaments, Tar, Treacle, Godly-books, and Gimlets, -for sale here.” Ironware, pot-metal, in the shape of utensils for -cooking, seemed to abound; and if the poorer people, who are the buyers -here, have any thing to cook, it is very pleasant to know it. Their food -is mainly milk, eggs, pickles, cabbage, and black bread, with beef and -mutton according to their ability to buy it. As a general thing the -Russian peasants are not underfed; the land being so largely in the -immediate care of the laborer himself, he can manage to get food for -himself and family. And as they clothe themselves in the rudest and most -primitive way, literally using skins of beasts, and in their natural -state, they ought to be able to live comfortably without handling much -money. - -The “Riding School” of Moscow is the building in which a remarkable -museum is gathered. This building is one of the longest with an unbroken -area in the world, the roof, without a column to support it, covering a -space 560 feet long and 160 wide. It is constructed on this enormous -scale for the exercise of regiments, cavalry and foot, in winter, when -the weather is so severe as to render drills out of doors impossible. -The Ethnological Society of the North of Europe had selected this -place—and it was my good fortune to be here at the time—for the -exhibition of the Slavonic races in wax! Here they are in all their -varied employments, according to the climate, habits, and necessities of -the several peoples; with their actual surroundings of forest, ice, -snow, sea, river; the men, women, and children, with dogs, poultry, -oxen, reindeer, and sledges, hunting and fishing, freezing and trying to -keep warm, marrying and trading and travelling; here are Albanian -costumes, and there a cavern and human skeletons sitting in it, telling -a story I could not understand, and here a cottage out of whose roof the -smoke curls gracefully, and the open door and chickens and children -playing near, need no interpreter to speak of comfort and content. - -If one were writing a volume of the manners and customs of the Slavonic -races, he would learn more of them by the study of this museum than in -months of travel among the people. The society is composed of learned -and thoughtful men of Russia, Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, &c., who meet -annually for the collection and diffusion of useful knowledge on the -subject of their own race specially and the family of man. We are very -apt to think that, outside of our own English-speaking countries, there -is little doing to promote the civilization and thus the happiness of -the human race. Travel takes this and many other conceits out of a man. -One of the first things he learns, if he is capable of learning any -thing, is that he knows very little of what is going on in the world. -Then he finds that people whom he thought slow and only half civilized -are far ahead of him in many things, and by degrees he comes to the -conclusion that there is much in the world to be learned that he had -never dreamed of. But if he sticks to it that what he does not know is -not worth knowing, like my fellow countryman who insists that there is -more art in Illinois than in all Europe, then you may be sure that he -answers to the cane shown to Sydney Smith by one of this sort of -travellers who said: - -“This stick, sir, has been all around the world, sir.” - -“Is it possible,” replied Mr. Smith, “why it’s nothing but a stick for -all that!” - - - - - CHAPTER XXX. - - FROM MOSCOW TO ST. PETERSBURG. - - -A COUPLE of English commercial travellers arrived to-day and were very -conversable at dinner. No class of men one meets abroad are more free to -impart what they know, than these agents of trading houses in England, -who infest all countries, and push their way into every company that is -willing to hear their ceaseless flow of talk. At dinner one of them -asked a Frenchman in what country of Europe Egypt was situated, and the -Frenchman did not know; they discussed the subject for some time, -neither of them thinking it was not in Europe at all. But the two having -failed to settle the geographical position of Egypt came back to matters -nearer at hand, and the invasion of Russia by the French and the -downfall of Napoleon, made the conversation lively. For when did or will -a Frenchman and Briton agree upon the character, the genius, or the -deserts of the Man of Destiny. And this led to the mention of the -SPARROW HILLS, and to an excursion thither, from which we have just -returned. - -On our way out of the city, we passed the church of the Saviour, the -largest church in Moscow, with the most splendid dome, which, being -covered with gilding, looks like a mighty sun rising. The church has -been in process of building more than fifty years, and is far from being -finished yet. It is intended as a memorial of the French invasion and -its awful fate; and it was begun in the year 1812, so memorable for that -critical event in the history of Russia, of France, and of mankind. And -it was on the Sparrow Hills that Napoleon first saw Moscow. - -An hour’s ride from the hotel brought us to the Simonoff Monastery, -which has been here through all the storms of weather and war these last -five hundred years. Rich in lands with thousands of serfs, and the -treasury into which emperors and princes poured their royal gifts, it -has been sacked again and again by invading hordes, but has lived on, -with six churches within its walls. A lake near by is reached by an -underground passage, and miracles of healing are _said to be_ wrought -upon the sick who come here with faith, and stay until they get well. In -the midst of the enclosure rises a tower more than three hundred feet, -and a blind bell-ringer delights in leading you to the look-out loft, -and answering every question you can ask respecting every object in -_your_ sight. You may be sure that he is right in his answers, though he -is blind as a bat. - -The Novo-Devichi Convent, with six churches and a romantic history, the -Donskoi Monastery, and the Novospaski Monastery, are scattered through -this region, and are all visible and accessible in the visit to the hill -country around Moscow. But the roads are wretched and the weather hot; -the sun is getting low in the west, and we are in haste to enjoy the -glories that are to burst upon our sight when we come to stand where -Napoleon stood at the head of his proud legions and first saw Moscow! - -At the foot of the hill flows the river Moskva, and row-boats are plying -back and forth to carry the many passengers, chiefly of the humbler -classes of people, who are going to and from the hills, on this -feast-day in the Church, and so a holiday for them all. Leaving the -carriage, we were ferried across and then climbed the hills, where -hundreds of the Muscovites were enjoying themselves on the green slopes, -eating, drinking, and laughing gaily, playing tricks upon one another, -and making themselves merry, as the same class of people do in every -part of the world. And it is pleasant to think that other people have “a -good time” as well as we, in what clime soever they chance to live, and -however much they lack the things that we think indispensable to -enjoyment. Some of them were playing cards on the ground, some were -drinking _quas_, a strong spirit; and some who had already taken too -much for their manners, called out saucily to us to come and take a -drink of _gin_. - -Before us, as we turned on reaching the brow of the hill, stood the holy -city of Russia, its ancient capital, the border city between the Eastern -and the Western worlds! The sun unclouded and intensely glowing is -behind us, and shedding its golden radiance in floods upon the domes and -pinnacles of three hundred and seventy churches, countless towers and -roofs and walls, the Kremlin standing above the rest in its majesty, -with its crown of cathedrals and palace, a constellation of splendor -rarely equalled in the cities of the world. The river makes a circular -sweep through the plain at our feet, and then flows through the city. - -It was June, 1812, when Napoleon, at the head of the French army, -crossed the Niemen and pushed on to Wilna, from which the Russian army -retired, drawing him on in pursuit, and, with masterly foresight, -involving their enemy in more and more hopeless difficulties. Napoleon -would have been glad to meet the Russians in signal battle, but the -leader of the Russians understood his ground too well to risk an -engagement. The Emperor Alexander, however, had not the sagacity to -perceive nor the patience to bear the policy of his general, and, -displacing him, put another man in his place, who gave battle at -Borodino on the first day of September, when 80,000 men were killed or -wounded, and the Russians retired to Moscow. The French were sadly -crippled by the losses in this battle, and their provisions were now -nearly exhausted. They were hastening on to the capture of Moscow to -save their own lives. On the 12th of September the Russian army silently -marched out of the city, carrying with them every thing that could be -removed. Of three hundred thousand inhabitants, only the convicts and a -few others remained to take the chances of war. - -On the very next day, the advance of the French army reached the brow of -the hill where we were standing a few hours ago; and Napoleon, excited -by the sight of the sunny domes and roofs of the golden city, cried out, -“All this is yours.” The soldiers caught up the cry, “Moscow! Moscow!” -and it ran like fire along the ranks till the whole army shouted in -concert, “Moscow! Moscow!” An hour or two more and they made their -triumphal entry into a city whose gates were open without a defender, -and to the dismay of the conqueror the city was a desert without food or -inhabitants. Through the deserted streets and up to the sacred gate of -the Kremlin the conqueror took his silent and sullen way, and ascended -the steps of the palace which was left ready for his reception. He had -reached the end of his awful march of two thousand miles, but one was -before him more terrible by far. His army was starving, and the city was -empty. On the morning following his occupation, a fire broke out and -defied all efforts to arrest it. Perhaps the wretched remnant of -inhabitants were the incendiaries. This is not a settled question. But -the soldiers sought to save the city, and could not. The hospitals, in -which 20,000 wounded had been left, were consumed. The glorious churches -were now shining in flames. The palaces and houses of the rich were -given up to the soldiery, and the sacredness of temples and altars was -no protection against the lawless rabble that rioted in the ruin and -plunder of the town. The liberated convicts and ragged poor ravaged the -homes of princes and the vestries of priests, and now roamed the streets -in furs and robes. What the fire spared the battle-axe destroyed. Works -of art and elegance and luxury, the vast accumulations of wealth and -ages, all went down in the vortex of remorseless war. - -And now Napoleon sought to make peace with the enemy whose chief city he -had in his possession. But his enemy was his master, and refused to hear -of peace. After a month of delay, and the dreadful winter of the North -at hand, he set off with his shattered hosts to return. And the story of -that return is frozen into the memory of man. Its horrors the pencil has -sought to portray, and no pen can do it justice. The frost and snow made -havoc with the miserable soldiers: they froze by thousands and died on -the march. Wild disorder reigned, and death was the only commander whom -officer or man obeyed. Napoleon, always true to himself, deserted his -faithful army and fled to Paris. Of the half a million of men who -composed his troops when he began the invasion of Russia, about 200,000 -were made prisoners, 125,000 were slain in battles, and 130,000 perished -by cold, hunger, and fatigue! A disaster without a parallel in the -annals of the race. - -And this was the beginning of the end. The powers of Europe combined -against him, and the world knows the story. - -Moscow is a city of so much historical interest, and it is so peculiar -in its architecture, plan, and people, that we have lingered longer than -perhaps has been agreeable to you. But the time was when Moscow was far -more of a city than it is now. Two hundred and thirty years ago (it is -written in history), Moscow had two thousand churches; but the -statements of the former population of this city are so astounding as to -be scarcely credible. In 1600 the plague made such ravages here that -127,000 persons were dead in the streets at one time, and 500,000 died -in the city. All of these stories, including the number of the churches, -must be greatly exaggerated, and yet they are some index to the former -extent and power of this splendid capital. But all this greatness must -have been when the people were only a little removed from barbarism. Dr. -Collins, physician to the Czar, says in 1670, “the custom of tying up -wives by the hair of the head and flogging them, _begins to be left -off_.” It was certainly time, though it was two hundred years ago. No -traces of that ancient custom remain. The doves that inhabit the -streets, are held to be sacred birds, emblems of the Holy Spirit, and -more of the spirit of love, than would be indicated by such rough -treatment of wives, may be counted upon as prevailing within the houses -where these peaceful birds are cherished. In no country that I have been -in, is there more _kissing_ done in public. At the railroad stations and -in the market places, when a party of friends meet, they rush into each -other’s embrace, and all kiss; the men the men, the women the women, and -the men and women kiss each other. These are the peasants. I could not -say that it is common among the more cultivated people. - -Our host, M. Billot, sent us to the station with extra style; his wife -was going into the country to see her children at school, and in her -private carriage we were to ride to the depot with her, as a special -mark of attention. During our stay in Moscow the family had done every -thing in their power to make the visit agreeable, and it was crowned -with this last act of attention, an escort to the station when we took -our leave. - -There is but one train in twenty-four hours from Moscow to St. -Petersburg, and as it is to be a ride of twenty hours, it is important -to have some accommodations for sleeping. Our experience in _going_ to -Moscow had been so unhappy that we sought to improve upon the matter on -the return trip. We learned that the first-class cars were arranged in -compartments for six persons, and that the seats at night were to be -converted into berths, so that each passenger buying a ticket was also -the holder of a berth for sleeping in. The compartments were elegantly -fitted up, and we (two of us) found ourselves upon setting off, on one -side, and two Russian ladies on the other. They spoke the French -language, and being as innocent of English, as we of Russ, the -conversation that soon sprang up, was in the only tongue we could use in -common. The apartment was hot to the verge of suffocation. We put up a -window, which in a bright June day would be considered pleasant in any -country, but the ladies gave instant signs of apprehensions that they -would take cold. Soon one of them shut the window with a decision that -forbade appeal. We ventured to set the door open to admit the air from -the open window across the passage, but this was too much for the -sensitive women, and we had to close it. I found the same dread of cold -in hot weather to be common to all the natives. An omnibus, the body of -which was made of sheet iron, which I was riding in on a blazing -summer-day, was heated literally like an oven. I was obliged to leave -it, but the people evidently enjoyed the baking. They have it so cold in -cold weather, that the brief hot season seems to be refreshing, and the -hotter the better they like it. At four P.M. we stopped at Klin for -dinner—thirty minutes—all seated at table, and dinner was decently -served: soup, boiled chicken and rice, quails, vegetables, jelly: price -one rouble (sixty-four cents), wines and fruit extra. The natives at -table were well mannered, with just such exceptions as you meet with in -all countries; one man left in disgust because there was too much -confusion, and another refused to pay for his dinner until after he had -eaten it. But the order, the dinner, the price of it, and the time to -enjoy the meal, were all more agreeable to travellers than they would -have been on most of the routes in our own beloved and well-regulated -country. - -At Tver, on the Volga, we halted for a few moments only. A little girl, -four or five years old, barefoot and poorly clad, came before the car -window begging. She bowed to us as if before a picture of the Virgin, -crossed herself, touched her forehead, bent her head low, the hair -falling over her face, and then, raising her head quickly, threw the -hair back, and so amused the people. We threw her money, which she -caught in her lap, crossed herself, blessed us, and asked for more. -Three girls came up and joined her, going through the same motions, and -got some coppers; and now a big boy made his appearance and put in his -claims which proved unsuccessful. Then he turned upon the little girl, -knocked her about for a minute, robbed her of her alms and fled. Boys -are boys all the world over. I wish the cars would wait long enough for -me to catch the little rascal, and recover the money for the girl. - -This is a city of nearly 30,000 inhabitants; its splendid domes and -beautiful Greek temples, as seen in passing, speak of a city of unusual -culture. - -Night came, according to the watch, but no darkness. Nine, ten, twelve, -no signs of night, except that sunshine was gone. We wished to go to -sleep. But here an unexpected difficulty arose. The two ladies declared -it to be impossible for them to sleep in the cars, and therefore they -did not wish the seats disturbed. We proposed to the conductor to -arrange ours into berths, and let the others remain _in statu quo ante -bellum_. He said they must be worked together: all or none. In vain we -argued the case with these implacable women; and, when we found that our -appeals to their pity and their sense of justice were alike without -avail, we gave it up. Each of us four settled into a corner, and the two -ladies soon gave certain infallible signs that they were sound asleep, -and so they continued until long after the break of day. The truth was, -and the conductor understood it, but we did not, there was an extra -charge for making up the berths, and the ladies saved the money by -sleeping perpendicularly. - -At midnight it was as light as noon often is with us. I could write at -any hour, and these lines you are now reading are written at half-past -two o’clock in the morning. At three, the east began to glare with the -rising splendor of another day. The heavy clouds that skirt the horizon -are robes of fire. Gorgeously the colors of the rainbow are painted one -by one on these shifting scenes,—orange, red, purple, violet, I could -count them all. How mean, tame, pale, all earthly pageants seem: the -domes, the minarets, the golden-jewelled orbs and crowns of Czars, -compared with this wasted wealth of glory that the King of kings -scatters from his full hand with the rising of each day’s sun. I had -never seen the sun rise in a latitude so far north. Its splendors -charmed me out of all my hard feelings towards these sleeping Russian -dames, who deprived me of a night’s repose and gave me such a -magnificent morning. - -Sitting up all night with a couple of Russian ladies might, or might -not, suggest the idea of telling you something of the marriage customs -of this strange country. A French writer, whose name I forget, has said -“the Russians are a nation of polite savages,” a remark that is not very -apt, but it helps us toward a proper understanding of the social -condition of the people. The rich are very rich; the poor are very poor. -The nobles are courtly, polite, and as refined in manners as those of -the same social class in Germany; but the serfs, or those who belonged -to the nobles with the soil, before the emancipation, are rude, and not -half civilized. The two classes, or rather the extremes of the two -classes, would justify the description of the Frenchman, who, like many -writers of his country, would not be specially tied by the truth, if he -wished to point an epigram. - -It was no uncommon thing in those days of serfdom for the proprietor to -order this matter of marriage among his people, telling the young men to -get a wife when he thought it time, and providing them, if the young men -were slow in making their choice. And in the peasant class the marriage -was liable to all the caprices and irregularities to be expected in a -state of things where the will of the master was scarcely restrained by -law or custom, so that he had the social happiness of his people very -much in his own hands. In such a country, and under such circumstances, -it would not be strange if some social evil was suffered. - -Almost as soon as a girl is born, in the better ranks of society, her -parents begin to prepare the _dowry_ she must have when she goes to her -husband. For this is indispensable in the eyes of any Russian young -gentleman who proposes to be married. She must furnish every thing for -an outfit in life, even to _a dozen new shirts for her coming husband_. - -I have just heard of a lady of rank and wealth who had prepared a costly -dowry of silks, linen, jewels, plate, &c., for her beloved daughter, who -died as she came to be twenty years old. The mother resolved to endow -six girls with these riches, and actually advertised for them. A host of -applicants came, and she selected six. None of them had lovers. But now -they had a respectable dowry secured, each girl was speedily engaged, -and with the husband took the dowry, and paid the rich lady by promising -to pray for the repose of her daughter’s soul. - -In no country is this arrangement of terms carried on with more caution -and completeness than in Russia. The young man goes to the house of his -proposed bride, and counts over the dresses, and examines the furniture, -and sees to the whole with his own eyes, before he commits himself to -the irrevocable bargain. In high life such things are conducted with -more apparent delicacy, but the facts are ascertained with accuracy, the -business being in the hands of a broker or a notary. The _trousseau_ is -exposed in public before the wedding day. And this publicity has long -been as unblushing as the customs that are now becoming fashionable in -New York. The publication in the newspapers of intended marriages; of -descriptions of bridal dresses and presents; of the names and -_toilettes_ of guests at fashionable parties; the value of jewels worn, -&c., now common and approved in the highest circles of American society, -is the same thing with the exposure to the public gaze of a bride’s -dowry in Russia. - -At Whitsunday there is a curious custom, which is gradually giving way -with the advance of civilization. The young people of a neighborhood -come together, and the girls stand in a row, like so many statues, -draped indeed, and not only draped, but dressed in their best, and -painted too; for the young ladies, and the older ones also, of this -country use cosmetics freely, and a box of lady’s paint is a very common -present for a young man to make to the girl he likes. Behind the row of -girls are their mothers; the young men having made known their choice, -the terms are settled between the parents of the parties. - -The ladies in Russia are very anxious to marry, because they have no -liberty _before_ marriage. They are kept constantly under the maternal -eye until they are given up to the husband, and then they take their own -course, which is a round of gayety and dissipation, only regulated by -their means of indulgence. The Greek Church, like the Roman, permits no -divorce, but the Emperor, like the Pope, can grant special -dispensations. - -The marriage ceremonies vary, as in all countries, according to the rank -and wealth of the parties. A procession is sometimes met in the streets; -and the Emperor’s carriage would, at any time, turn out and give the -right of way to a bridal party. - -It pleases me always, in a strange country, to find that social -enjoyments are so equally distributed over the earth, varying in kind -and degree, indeed, according to the religion and civilization of the -people, but still all of them having their own ways and means of making -themselves happy. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXI. - - FINLAND. - - -AT nine in the morning we were to be on board the steamer WYBORG, -Captain Nystrom, to go from St. Petersburg to Finland, and thence to -Sweden. When we reached the wharf, so great was the crowd of passengers -and the crush of luggage and the pressure of freight, that it seemed -doubtful if we should be able to get on board. It was summer time, very -hot, and the people who had not yet escaped from the city heat, and were -able to, were rushing to their rural residences on the sea-coast. They -are as much in the habit of this, as our rich people at home are of -flying in midsummer to the hills or the sea-shore. - -Americans are abroad. Four or five families from the city of New York -met on the deck of this steamer, all of whom were making this northern -tour, and none of whom were known to each other as away from home. As -the boat was to be our hotel for several days, this sudden accession of -neighbors was very agreeable, and made the prospect of the excursion -more pleasant. And gradually this circle widened, till it embraced -Russians and Finns and Swedes and English, with whom our own tongue was -more easily a means of communication than it was in Italy or Spain. - -We are steaming out of one of the four mouths of the Neva, as it widens -into the Gulf of Finland, and for several miles the intricate channel is -staked out with care. CRONSTADT is the famous port of St. Petersburg, -one of the strongest fortifications in the world, and we had expected to -see a frowning precipice, a long and lofty range of rocks, defying -attack, a Gibraltar in the north of Europe. There is no rock at all. The -fortifications are low, and all the more impregnable for that; but we -were taken down by their appearance, the situation being so widely -different from our anticipations. Napier came here with the British -fleet, at the opening of the war that was afterwards called the -_Crimean_, for the very good reason that when the Admiral hurled the -whole power of the navy of England against Cronstadt in vain, the war -was prosecuted to its close in the southern part of the Russian empire, -the Crimea. - -The approach to Cronstadt is difficult, and the channel easily defended -by the immense fortifications which successive emperors have -constructed, well knowing that this is the northern gate of the empire. -The dry docks are on a gigantic scale, to meet the demands of a -first-class naval power, which Russia is not, and will never be till she -moves her seat of government and field of operations to the Bosphorus. -Forests of masts, denser forests of masts than we had seen since leaving -New York, stood along the docks of Cronstadt. A steamer crowded with -passengers, from stem to stern, passed us as we were lying here; she was -bound to Revel, and all the Russian coast of the Gulf of Finland. The -people are apparently as given to travel as the Americans. - -By this time we had begun to get accustomed to the people around us. The -Russian children had fur caps on and the ladies wore woollen cloaks, -though the weather was so hot as to make the shade of an awning -indispensable. Smoking was strictly forbidden, but the captain and all -who chose, smoked in the face of the signs that were posted up to -prohibit the practice. The Gulf of Finland, on which we are now, is -smooth as a summer lake; the day is lovely, skies bright, the breeze -delicious, the air bracing; if we have associated chills and fogs and -ice and bitter cold with Finland, we must come in winter to find them, -for the Hudson River in summer was never more quiet, nor its banks more -brilliant in the noontide, than this region to-day. The day has been one -to be remembered, among pleasant memories of travel, and toward sunset -we run into the harbor of Wyborg. The ancient city stands on an arm of -the gulf that sets up six or eight miles, the lumber station of Tronsund -being at the mouth. Near this are saw-mills that cut up 160,000 logs in -a year, and ships from all parts of Europe come here for lumber; one -vessel, rejoicing in the name of Pius IX., was lying at anchor waiting -her turn to get northern pine to carry home to Italy. The channel was -obstructed in 1854 to prevent the British under Napier from getting up -to Wyborg, and now the trouble is just as great for friends as foes, -only that the Russians have put the poles into the water, each pole -being made to hold a flag above the waves, to designate the tortuous -channel. Two large islands lie in front of the town, and make a safe, -snug harbor. An arm of the sea stretches away between the lines of -fortification and the old town, and in the midst of the water a mighty -rock rises majestically, crowned with a tower of other times, partly in -ruins now, for the storms of heaven and the storms of earth and sea have -often beaten upon it in peace and war. Its roof is gone, but it is a -prison still, and its hollow sides have secrets never to be revealed -till the final day. The sun is in the west, as we approach the city, and -its domed churches blaze in its setting glory. The old castle, now in -ruins, has a history of just six hundred years, a history of courage, -endurance, and heroism, while it resisted the might of Russia, until in -1710 it yielded to Peter the Great. Then followed, with an interval of a -few years only, the submission of Finland to the yoke of Russia, which -it still wears. - -Finland is a Protestant country, Lutheran being the established religion -of the country. The Greek and Roman churches are regarded with equal -dislike. All native Finlanders are obliged to have their children -baptized in the Lutheran Church. They must also be able to read before -they can be married, or take any part in the government of the country. - -The public officers are appointed by the Russian government, but the -Finns pay no tribute to Russia, except the support of the civil list for -their own officers. The Grand Duke of Finland is the Emperor of Russia -himself. Under him are four orders, the nobles, clergy, citizens, and -peasants. Each of these orders is represented in the legislature of -Finland, meeting annually to regulate the domestic affairs of the state, -subject to the veto of the Emperor of Russia. - -For the last ten years every harvest has failed, being cut off by -untimely frosts. Great famines have therefore prevailed, with diseases -incident to want, and many have perished. Men on salaries have -voluntarily paid fifteen per cent of their incomes to feed the poor, and -they will do so for a few years more; but if the same destitution should -continue five years, the country will be depopulated. So severe has been -the distress, that the inhabitants have eaten the bark of trees, and as -little or no nourishment can be found in bark, they are rapidly dying -out. The Russian government is preparing to transport all who are -willing to go, to some portions of Russia where there is land in -abundance, and a population is wanted. - -The Emperor is popular among the Finns, who have ceased to regard him as -a conqueror, and now look up to him as a protector and friend. He is -bound by an oath to preserve the integrity of their constitution, and -they trust him. The Finns are not drafted into the Russian army. They -enlist in it freely, under the temptation of bounty money. But they have -a strong national feeling of their own, refusing to be called Russian, -or to admit that they are part of that empire. - -Wages are very low. A skilled mechanic gets only about a rouble (eighty -cents) a day, and a farm hand is glad to earn ten cents a day. But with -this terrible state of things, poor pay and no food, emigration is not -allowed, either by Finnish or Russian law, and there is no prospect -before the peasantry but to perish on the ground. - -The country is more thoroughly sunken in the water than any other -inhabited part of the globe. It seemed to me that the inhabitants might -have been called Finlanders, because they ought to be amphibious. But -the name comes from the ancient _fen_, or fennen, which is also an -English word for bog or morass. The Laplanders were the original -settlers on the southern shore of the Baltic, but they have retired to -more northern regions still. The interior of the country is almost -filled with lakes, irregularly shaped, and making travelling by land -exceedingly tedious, as one must wind his way far around these arms and -branches. There is one lake, Saima, two hundred miles wide, in which -there are a _thousand_ and more of islands. The largest is called -Amasara, or mother-island; on this island there are _seventy-seven_ -lakes, and in these lakes _fifty_ islands. This great lake is connected -with Lake Ladoga, in Russia, and, by a canal here at Wyborg, with the -Gulf of Finland. Now it will pay you to take a map, and, with this -description, see what a stretch of water communication extends through -Finland into Russia. If you were to go by this canal to Lake Saima, and -so to Lake Ladoga, you would not see much of the people, but you would -find it easier and pleasanter getting through than to take the only -other conveyance, that of the drosky. This is a low sulky, in which only -one person can sit, though a driver, if you must have one, manages to -get a seat by the horse’s heels. The horses are small, nervous, and -wiry, and have learned from colthood to go on the jump all the time, up -hill and down hill, and on a level. Ladies who come travelling here must -and do adapt themselves to this unsocial mode of travel, and ride all -day alone, or with the company of a ragged boy, who speaks no word the -traveller understands, and spends his time in walloping the beast, to -quicken his rapid canter. Between the lonely post-houses it is rare to -meet a human being, or to pass a habitation; but the solemn pine-trees -make the gloom more gloomy, and huge boulder stones rise, like towers of -giant builders waiting for their masters to return. Some of them have -been utilized by the progress of art and science. It was one of these -great boulders that was cut into the splendid Alexander column we saw in -St. Petersburg, the largest monolith in the world. The enginery required -to move it from its place, where, perhaps, the deluge left it, and -transport it to the heart of a distant city, fairly rivals the skill of -the Egyptian pyramid builders, or the men who set Pompey’s Pillar on its -base. - -A crowd of five hundred people or more were on the dock at Wyborg -waiting for the steamer, when we touched the shores of Finland. At least -a hundred droskies and other conveyances, with little horses attached, -swelled the concourse. Many of the persons were expecting to receive -their friends who were coming by the steamer, and as there are but two -arrivals from St. Petersburg in a week, every steamer brings a goodly -number. Many were well dressed, “fashionable” ladies and gentlemen, who -welcomed their friends with cordial greetings, the kissing being quite -as affectionate and common as in Russia. But more of the people on shore -were the poor, the toilers, looking for a little something to do; and -the drivers of the droskies were as importunate and impudent as the -donkey boys in Alexandria or the hackmen in New York, and none in the -wide world are worse. - -A gentleman of Wyborg, with whom we had formed a speaking and very -agreeable acquaintance on board, proposed an excursion through the town -into the country, as the steamer was to lie at the wharf till after -midnight. _It was now only nine_ o’clock at _night_, and there was -plenty of time _before sunset_ to take a ride of a few miles into the -interior! A long line of droskies was therefore engaged, and in single -file we set off, at a break-neck pace, but according to the custom of -the horses and the country. - -The town of Wyborg has about six thousand inhabitants,—Swedes, Russians, -Germans, and Finlanders. The churches are numerous, the Lutherans being -more in number than all the rest, which are chiefly Greek for the -Russians. The town is ancient and uninviting in its appearance, with -nothing to indicate enterprise or progress. - -Through it we were carried, all flying, by the tower or castle or prison -of the year 1300, and out into the country where villas were here and -there planted, and some little culture was displayed. Our destination -was the summer residence of Baron Nicolai, a wealthy Russian, who has -made himself the possessor of a peninsula, and here has laid out a park -and grounds with the novel and beautiful idea of making A MINIATURE -FINLAND,—a little representation, with the aid of nature and art, of the -lakes and islands, the rocks and hills, of the very country of which -this princely domain is an insignificant part. At the gate we were very -properly required to pay an entrance fee, which goes to the relief of -the poor of the neighborhood, and the visitor is not forbidden to -enlarge his fee to any amount more agreeable to himself. The villa we -soon pass has nothing imposing in its aspect, but in the midst of a park -of ancient shade trees has an air of quiet contentment that justifies -the name its first owner gave it, “Mon Repos”—_My Rest_. Passing it we -pursue the shaded walks, by the borders of little lakes and along -running streams, till we come to a wooded islet, reached by a -foot-bridge and crowned with a monumental tomb, and this is the family -sepulchre. Fittingly did the master of all these grounds call the spot -to which he had retired “My Rest;” for he who spent such vast sums of -money to convert these rocks and wilds into a garden of Eden now sleeps -in the tomb, and his son reigns in his stead, rarely, however, coming -here, and only for a few days in summer. - -Such had been our associations with Finland, that we were more than -surprised to find so much culture and taste, elegance indeed, within an -hour of landing on its coasts. And as we emerged from the woods in our -walks we came suddenly upon the shore of the bay, and the glorious sun -was sinking to his “repose” at _ten_ o’clock! It seemed very late for -the sun to be going to bed; he keeps earlier hours in our country, and -it is odd to be out sight-seeing at this time of day! - -Yet in the midst of this Finnish paradise there was a pest as bad as the -serpent in Eden. We were nearly devoured by mosquitoes! They beset us -behind and before and bit us horribly. With handkerchiefs over our -faces, and with bushes to drive them away, we were pursued as if they -were starving like the other inhabitants, and they sent in their bills -with no more mercy than landlords in Spain. I would not take the place, -with all its splendor and natural attractions, for a gift, if it were -encumbered with the condition of being obliged to live in it through the -summer season. But some people get used to these little plagues. Nature -is fond of setting off one thing against another, and it may be that the -inhabitants of mosquito regions have some compensating advantages that -make these evils a luxury rather than otherwise. They do prevail in the -cold climates of the north, as well as in malarious southerly regions, -and there is good reason to believe that they are not very troublesome -to the settled inhabitants, however savage they are upon strangers. For -I have observed in the United States, and within a very few miles of New -York, if a man purchases a home, a “Mon Repos” like this we are now -visiting, and says to himself, “this is my rest,” he is able to say, in -answer to the inquiries of friends as to mosquitoes, “We are not -troubled with them at all.” And if the fever and ague has been there -through all generations, he is free to declare, “There is nothing of it -around us.” From which we infer that mosquitoes and other plagues like -them, and the chills, respect the manorial rights of the owners of the -soil, and only draw the blood and shake the bones of strangers, who in -all ages and countries have been considered as lawful prey. - -We stood on the shore and saw the sun go down in clouds of glory, and -then returned, in the same style in which we came, to our ship. A great -amount of freight was to be left and more taken in, and this kept the -vessel in such confusion that sleep was quite out of the question. At -two o’clock I was sitting at my cabin window writing without a candle, -and a carriage came to the wharf with a gentleman and lady to come on -board. No one would have thought of its being night to see the arrival. -It was difficult to adjust one’s mind to the fact that we had come into -such a latitude, that night could be told from day only by looking at -your watch. - -The ride to “Mon Repos” brought our steamer passengers into pleasant -relations. We had come to feel less like strangers, and more like -acquaintances, not to say friends. I came on deck early this morning, -and had a cup of coffee at the same little table with a lady whose grace -and beauty had rendered her somewhat a point of attraction yesterday. -Two little children were playing at her feet, and a nurse for each was -in waiting. I soon learned from her, as we fell into conversation -naturally, that she spoke all the languages of northern Europe, as Russ, -German, Swedish, Finnish, and the French besides, but not a word of -English, and this she regretted all the more, she said, since so many -Americans are now travelling through her country. _Her_ native tongue -was Finnish, and her education would have been finished had she known -_mine_. - -Rarely in any country is a lady to be found with a wider culture and -more accomplished manners than this Finland wife and mother has. She -_reads_ the English language, but has never attempted to speak it; and -the standard authors of our country and of England were her study and -delight, as the best French and Italian writers are familiar to educated -persons among us. - -The company by degrees came on deck, and all nationalities were soon -merged into one family. Two or three from the capital are talking in -English to an English party on their way to the interior of Finland, -going a-fishing. Norway is farmed out to English gentlemen, so that it -is hard to find a good stream for salmon and trout that is not the -private property of some one in England, who keeps it for his own -enjoyment. Finland is now persecuted by these piscatorial parties. One -of the English gentlemen was loud in his praises of the fish of Finland, -and his own wonderful skill in “killin’ of them.” The streams are very -swift, and the true sportsman uses only the fly hook. This gent said, “I -kill them _loyally_, with fly only; sometimes, when they will not rise -to it, I take a bait, but in that case I throw them back into the water, -even if they weigh twenty or thirty pounds. It’s the pleasure of killin’ -of them that I enjoy; it’s not for the fish, it’s the killin’ of them.” -The “parties” expect to enjoy two or three months in Finland fishing and -shooting. It was an entertainment to note the pleasurable anticipations -of these pleasant people, on their way to _enjoy_ what to me and many -must be about as great a bore and punishment as could be endured in the -name of sport. - -The Gulf of Finland, as we are running along the coast, is full of -islands, to the very edge of which our vessel often comes,—romantic, -rocky, hilly islands, to the right of us and left of us, without the -sight of an inhabitant. The weather is glorious, cool, bracing, breezy, -a cloudless sky and a brilliant sun covering the smooth water and these -green isles with a blaze of beauty as we plough our way northward. How -widely does all this differ from what we had expected when meditating a -cruise along the coast of Finland! - -We come to Fredericksham by a tortuous channel, among islands and rocks -strongly fortified; but, verily, it seems scarcely worth while to make -special provision to prevent people from coming up into these regions. -The domes and spires of the city tell us that God is worshipped there; -and, as the morning sun tips the temples with fire, we send up our matin -prayers with the people of the town, whose God is also ours. - -We passed the ruined fortress of _Sclava_, of some importance once, but -now only a monument of the times when Russia and Sweden were fighting -for the poor bone of Finland, from which all the meat, if it ever had -any, was picked before the war was over. - -The war is nominally over, and Russia is the master now; but the people -keep up the old spirit of patriotic love for the mother land and tongue. -The Russ is the language taught in the schools. If a scholar speaks in -his own language the teacher flogs him, according to law; and if the -scholar speaks in the Russian language, the other boys flog him when the -school is out. So that flogging would seem to be the fate of speaking at -all. - -We chatted freely with the ladies respecting the social customs of -Finland. There is much less freedom of social intercourse among -unmarried young men and women, in polite circles, than in England, or -even France. Parties of young men by themselves are common, and of young -ladies by themselves; balls for dancing bring them together, and their -parents come with them, but one young lady said archly, “They are not -always near enough to hear what we say.” These fashions are common to -Russia and Finland, and other countries in the north. I had seen it -written, in an English book of travels, that at dinner parties the -ladies sit by themselves, apart from the gentlemen, but have met with -nothing of the kind, and am assured it is a mistake. Yet it is true that -the ladies generally enter the dining-room by themselves, in advance of -the gentlemen, and then sit promiscuously. There is more freedom of -manner and less stiffness and formality than in the same social rank in -England or Germany. - -It is not probable that the practice of bringing up children in this -exclusion from social intercourse tends to improve their morals or -manners. On the contrary, it makes matters worse. In well-ordered -households, where the virtues are inculcated in the first lessons that -youthful minds receive, and where parental example, more powerful than -lessons or discipline, is such as children may safely follow, it will be -found that as boys and girls are apt to be mixed up in the family, so -they should be in social life. - - - - -[Illustration: HELSINGFORS.] - - - - - CHAPTER XXXII. - - FINLAND (_Continued_). - - -AT the close of a delightful day’s sail along the coast of Finland, we -reached the harbor of Helsingfors. The distant sight of the city is -imposing, and one’s admiration is doubtless heightened by the surprise -he feels when first finding such splendid structures in this part of the -world. - -The Fortress of Sweaborg, commanding the approach to the city, is rather -a series of fortifications than a single fort. The works of nature have -been turned to as good an account at this point as in the Straits of -Gibraltar. Seven islands were placed by the Great Maker in just the -right position for the purpose of being fortified to protect the city, -and they have been so strongly fortified as to defy the force of any -foe. The combined fleets of France and England tried their guns upon it -in 1855, and retired from the trial, quite content to get away. - -Peace is reigning now. The fortress fell into the hands of the Russians -in 1808, after the garrison was reduced to the last extremity by famine, -and it was the last stronghold that Sweden held in Finland. When this -was gone, all was gone, and the Finns changed masters. But their -subjection is rather nominal than real, as we shall see when we enter -the town. On the shore where we land is the “Society House,” or, as we -should call it, “The Company’s Hotel;” and we find similar houses in -many parts of northern Europe. They are hotels built by the company -running the steamers, or by associations, and they combine many of the -features of the first-class hotels at watering-places in England or -America. Near it is the palace in which the Emperor of Russia, who is -also the Grand Duke of Finland, resides when he makes his brief visit, -now and then, to this remote and “outlandish” part of his empire. His -accommodations here are very narrow, but just as comfortable as those in -the Winter Palace of St. Petersburg, holding five thousand people. - -On the ship we had formed the acquaintance of a gentleman of -Helsingfors, whose pleasant manners and intelligent conversation had -greatly interested us during the voyage. As we had now reached his home, -and were going ashore, he gave us a warm invitation to his house, which, -of course, we declined, and then he insisted upon being our guide to see -the famous old town. It is one of the richest in historical interest in -the north. - -On a grand square stand the chief public buildings, and they present an -appearance that would be commanding in Paris or London. The senate-house -stretches across one side of the square, the Lutheran church adorns -another, the university fills a third, and from the fourth a broad -avenue opens, half a mile long, to the foot of a hill crowned with an -OBSERVATORY. - -The University of Finland! In our ignorance, we had associated -Finlanders with the Laps and the Esquimaux, and had never thought of -letters and science and art in connection with this race. Among the -pleasures of a visit to Finland we had not reckoned an introduction to a -venerable university, endowed, sustained, and flourishing on a par with -those of Germany. In fact, very few of the German universities have -accommodations and advantages equal to this at Helsingfors. It would be -considered first-class in England or France, and there is nothing -comparable to it in the United States. It has a magnificent stone -edifice of architectural proportions and finish, that make the building -a perpetual lecture on the beautiful and sublime in art; and within is -the most complete system of rooms for every department of knowledge here -pursued,—for museums, laboratories, lectures, recitations. The -professors were in session in the great audience-room as we entered it; -the place was adorned with a full-length portrait of the Emperor -Alexander I., who is styled, in the Latin inscription, “the father of -his country and the university.” The prophecy is added that art will -preserve his features, and his fame will fill the whole earth. The -professors seemed an earnest set of men, mostly young, all fine-looking -and well dressed. I took them to be happy and successful in their -calling, and I wished much that I understood their language, so as to -enter into the sympathies of a set of scholars giving their lives to the -pursuits of science in Finland. - -The university has five separate departments, law, medicine, theology, -&c., with _thirty-one professors_, and it is older than any university -in Russia. It was founded in 1630 by the Empress Christina, eleven years -before the art of printing was introduced into Finland. Its charter was -signed by Axel Oxenstiern, a famous name in his country’s annals. The -library contains 200,000 volumes, in all languages and in every realm of -human learning. It is admirably arranged in a series of beautiful rooms, -in niches and galleries, having an air of repose and seclusion inviting -to quiet study, such as Ptolemy anticipated when he put over the -Alexandrian doors the fitting inscription, “The food of the soul.” - -And the halls, floors, walls, and the whole interior, are kept with a -scrupulous neatness unknown in any institution of learning claiming the -dignity of a college, or university, that my feet ever entered, in the -most enlightened, civilized, and beloved land in the world. Yet there is -little in the way of literature in the Finnish language, which is spoken -only by the peasants, the Swedish being the language of law and social -life among the other classes. Some rich treasures of popular poetry have -been discovered floating about in the memories of the people, and these -have been gathered as curious specimens of an unlettered, but -imaginative race. Kalewala, an epic poem, was first printed in 1835, and -an earnest effort has been made to rouse young Finland to seek laurels -in the fields of song. Two of the professors deliver lectures in -Finnish. Schiller and Shakespeare have been done into the native tongue -of the Finns. And the imperial decree has gone forth that after 1883 the -Finnish language shall be the official tongue of the country. If Russia -would be as kind and considerate of the feelings of Poland, she would -conciliate her southern subjects as readily as she has her northern. - -We were now led to the Senate-house. The Diet, or Congress of Finland, -consists of four chambers, the nobles, the clergy, the citizens, the -peasants. Each of them has a hall of its own for meeting; that of the -nobles has a large chamber, with two hundred or more handsome chairs. On -the walls is placed the coat-of-arms of each noble family in Finland, -with the name inscribed upon it, an ostentatious display indeed, but -very interesting. We came upon one familiar name; it was that of our -friend who was our guide. His brother is the head of the family, and, in -his absence, the next in order, our friend, takes his seat in the -senate. - -We rode out of town a mile to the beautiful Botanical Garden, one of the -resorts of the ladies and gentlemen of the city. Here they come toward -evening, and enjoy themselves in social intercourse, and take a cup of -tea in the grounds. The park is laid out tastefully,—beautiful shaded -avenues, green meadows, banks of flowers, and the walks lead up to rocky -heights overlooking the bay and sea; and these heights have been -fortified to resist the coming foe. The guns, which were brought up here -in the Crimean war time, are now lying about useless; but they are doing -as much service when dismounted and rusting on the ground as they did in -the fight, for they were not big enough to reach the ships of the enemy, -whose bombs went easily over these heights into the town. - -Below, and in front of a beautiful “House of Refreshments,” tables are -scattered about in great numbers, and at one of these our company sat, -to enjoy the hospitality of Herr Edelfelt, our new-made friend, who -insisted upon entertaining us at tea in the Finland fashion out of -doors, as we had declined his invitation to his own house. This custom -of taking dinner, tea, or supper at a garden or restaurant is prevalent -among respectable people in many parts of continental Europe, and, by -the accession of Europeans into the United States, is gradually becoming -an accepted custom there. - -Near to this garden is a health establishment of great repute. All the -medicinal springs of Europe and America, and of Asia and Africa too, I -presume, are reproduced by skilful doctoring, and whosoever drinks may -be cured of whatsoever disease he has, provided the disease is curable -by any of the waters of the world. To this many-mouthed fountain of life -thousands resort in the morning and drink the waters. As they are -required by the rules of health to take a brisk walk up the heights and -down again, before and after taking the refreshing draught, there can be -no manner of doubt that strangers resorting hither must derive great -benefit. The air is salubrious, the scenery magnificent, the climate -bracing, the regimen judicious, and the morning exercises quite as -edifying for invalids as those prescribed by Dr. Jay, of Bath. It is -quite probable that this artificial fountain in Finland has cured as -many patients as Baden or Kissingen, and yet it has not been celebrated -half so widely. Besides drinking, bathing is plentifully enjoyed; and -his case must be hard that is not softened somewhat by the internal and -external application of pure cold water, with plenty of exercise in the -open air, on the heights of Helsingfors, in Finland. I drank none of the -water, inhaled the air, took the constitutional walk, and was perfectly -well when I came away. As I stayed there only about an hour, the -inference is fair that if I had used the waters and remained a week or -two, I should have been competent to give the cure a first-rate -certificate. - -We are now at the _sixtieth_ degree of north latitude, eighteen degrees -further north than New York city, or more than a thousand miles nearer -the North Pole. We have returned to the ship, and night is nominally -about us, but no darkness settles on the world. We can read and write -all night without a candle, if we are so disposed. And there is no sleep -to be had, for all the livelong night the natives are pouring on board -with freight; passengers are coming; they fill up the cabin and spend -the parting hours with friends, eating, drinking, laughing, and talking -obstreperously; and the leaving-taking, with the inevitable -indiscriminate kissing, keeps the place in a constant uproar, that knows -no alleviation until at four in the morning we put to sea, and find rest -in the cradle of the deep. - -We are now going further north, by narrow passages among islands simply -masses of rocks, utterly barren, washed by the waves till they are -perfectly smooth; and not a tree, nor shrub, nor blade of grass is in -sight upon them. The channel is very tortuous, marked by poles, and -sometimes it is so near the rocks that we seem to be grazing their -precipitous sides. The weather is cool, clear, and delightful; though -midsummer, the overcoat or shawl is agreeable; and the exhilaration of -the day and the passage among the islands became general among the -passengers, who throng the hurricane-deck to enjoy the scenery. Some of -the islands that we pass in the course of the day have some available -land and a few inhabitants, whose chief pursuit is fishing. And these -scattered islands, and the adjoining shores on the mainland, furnish -sailors that enter the service of other countries, and are among the -most hardy, healthful, and valuable seamen to be found. The subjects of -the Russian government, either here or in any other part of the empire, -are not allowed to expatriate themselves at their own pleasure, as -thousands would gladly do, if they could make their way into some more -hospitable portion of the globe. But they can often find opportunities -to get on board merchant vessels as seamen, and they are not slow to -avail themselves of such opportunities. The soil does not give them -food. They have no market for the fish that the sea would furnish. They -are therefore very poor, and in bad seasons famine overtakes them. The -people that have money, the well-to-do people,—and there are many such -in Finland,—have plenty of dried salmon, and fresh too, beef and -potatoes, which, with bread and butter, make good enough living for -anybody; and to these staples they add some of the luxuries that money -will command anywhere. But the poor are very poor, and they constitute -the masses of the people,—the great multitude whose condition we go to -look into when we visit foreign lands. - -Abo is pronounced Obo. It is the name of the northernmost town of any -note in Finland, and a famous old town it is. We were told that the -hotel is the farthest north of any hotel in the world. Away up above us -on the borders of the Gulf of Bothnia,—and Abo is at the dividing line -between the Baltic and Bothnia,—is Bjonneborg, and Christireestad, and -Wasa, and Uleaborg, and Tornea on the very head of the gulf, where there -is something in the way of a house of refreshment for travellers, I have -not a doubt. Perhaps this is the last that aspires to the distinction of -a hotel on the European plan, and we will enjoy the comfortable -satisfaction of thinking that, as we are going no farther north, there -is no place of rest and entertainment to receive us if we should. - -A large crowd of people was standing at the wharf to see the steamer, to -greet friends expected, and to hear the news. They were quiet, orderly, -and well-looking. There was no rush to the gangway, no pulling and -hauling to get on, or get baggage and passengers, though there were -hundreds waiting for any kind of a job by which a little money could be -made. The hotel—the Society House, as it is called—is close by the -landing, and affords all the substantial comforts a traveller requires. - -The old castle, historic, romantic, and famous, is in full view; a -massive stone tower on which the storms of centuries, in war and peace, -have spent their fury. The streets of the town are wide and the houses -low, and one looks in vain for the appearances of a city that was -founded by Eric the Saint, who reigned from 1157 to 1160, the time when -the Sun of Christianity first softened the rigor of this northern clime. -The castle was founded then, and for long centuries held in check the -Russians who sought the conquest of Finland. - -The cathedral has been an object of intense interest for ages past, as -the first monument of Christianity in this region, and the burial-place -of the most illustrious persons in the history of the country. One of -the tombs bears the name of Catharine Monsdotter, who was taken from -humble life and married to the King of Sweden, and by one of those -strange reverses, now ceasing to be strange, she returned to Finland and -died in obscurity, and her husband perished in prison. Her remains -repose among queens and princes, but she finds no compensation in this -for the loss of a diadem. Two white marble statues, life-size, stand on -a sarcophagus in one of the chapels, over the dust of a man and wife who -were celebrated for their wealth and noble birth, having the blood of -kings; and the statue of the wife is even now decked (not adorned) with -necklace and bracelets,—gaudy jewelry indeed to garnish a whited -sepulchre. - -In 1827 an awful conflagration swept over this city of only 20,000 -inhabitants, and consumed two-thirds of all the houses in it; the inside -of the cathedral was destroyed, the university and its great library, -and the chief public edifices fell a prey to the flames, and the town -will never recover from the disaster. Its university was removed to -Helsingfors, where we have already visited it. Its trade is now of no -account. The interior of the country furnishes little or nothing for -export, and the glory of Abo—for it once had some glory—is departed for -ever. - -The Gulf of Bothnia extends six degrees to the north of Abo, but there -is no trade or travel that requires a steamer, and ours is now to strike -across the gulf, through the Aland Isles to Stockholm. We are bound -there to visit Sweden and Norway. Those who have not this trip in view, -and wish to see more of the country, can remain at Abo and go back to -Wyborg and St. Petersburg by land. There is semi-occasionally a coach -for travellers in Finland, but the more excellent way is by private -carriage, or _carriole_, the carriage of the country; a narrow low -sulky, with room enough for one, hardly for two, besides the driver. It -has no top; but there is another trap called a _kibitka_, a long, narrow -wagon with no springs, and a leathern hood which you can draw over you -in case of rain, and with a bed in the bottom of it, on which, if not -too long, you can stretch yourself out, while the driver attends to the -little animal ahead, that tears up and down hill, through the sand, at a -fearful pace, regardless of an occasional break-down and turn-over. This -is a Russian innovation, and in the Paris Exhibition there were several -very handsome specimens of the vehicle, which is far more pleasant to -read about than to ride in. The _bondkara_ is still another wretched -contrivance, about the same thing as our _buck-board_; with this -essential, not to say fatal difference, that ours has four wheels, and -the board extending from the forward to the hind axle makes an agreeable -spring; an experienced driver sitting before, and the passenger behind -him, holding on with both hands, can ride astride and not suffer much. -The _bondkara_ of Finland has but two wheels, and the bench, without a -back, is fastened to the axle-tree, the driver before, the traveller -behind; the equilibrium must be preserved with care or the load goes to -the ground, and when the wild horse tears down hill as if running away, -the passenger must hold on tight with both hands on the sides of the -seat, and the other—but he has no other, unless he’s a little -behindhand, in which case he would do well to use it as best he can. The -average speed of ten miles an hour is made, and that is pretty well in -such a country as this. - -It is very strange that the intercourse of nations does not lead to the -more rapid adoption of improvements which have been found to be useful. -Nations are slow to learn of one another. We in America have railroad -arrangements that Europeans know, but will not introduce. They have many -things in their system that we ought to apply, but will not. People of -different countries have an idea that what they do not know is not worth -knowing, and so they prefer a poor way of their own to a better way of -others. But we have nothing to learn from Finland in the line of travel. -Patient endurance is something, and the people of Finland deserve credit -for the spirit with which they have borne themselves through the long -period of their dreary history. They are not numerous, the entire -population amounting to but 1,800,000 souls: 40,000 are members of the -Russian or Greek Church; the rest are Protestants, mostly Lutherans. It -embraces only 6,844 geographical miles of surface, and no other country -is so much covered with water. Yet it has a splendid university, with -thirty-one professors; it abounds in churches, it has a peaceful, moral, -and intelligent population, and some of the gentlemen and ladies whom it -was my pleasant fortune to meet were among the most agreeable and -cultivated persons I have encountered abroad. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXIII. - - SWEDEN. - - -The day was bright as we left the harbor of Abo, and struck out into the -sea among the Aland Isles. The wind was strong, but not enough to -disturb the weaker brethren who are easy victims of the sea. Breakfast -was served at ten and a half o’clock, and already the Swedish customs at -meals began to show themselves. Before sitting down to the table, or -immediately on taking a seat, as you prefer, little glasses of gin -schnapps are passed around, and each one is expected to take a nip as an -appetizer. The same at dinner. Ditto at supper. Also after meals a -punch, not like the American drink of that name, but something that -looks thick, oily, amber-colored, and inducing a smacking of the lips, -which, without uttering a word, say, “It ees goot.” Breakfast, after -schnapps, comprised radishes sent around as the first course, with -Bologna sausages, tongue and dried beef, salt fish, bread and butter, -beefsteak and potatoes, ham and eggs, with coffee if you insisted on -having it. There is evidently no need of starving when you get all that -for breakfast, and about four hours afterwards sit down to dinner and -take soup (if you _can_), with fish following, and beef, poultry, game, -salad, cucumbers, puddings, fruit, nuts, &c., and wine at your order. -Eating is one of the principal institutions in these northern climates. -There is but one other institution more highly valued, and that is -drinking. They keep at one or the other or both pretty steadily. Besides -the four regular meals, lunch and supper, in addition to those I have -named, they are fond of intermediate refreshments, and a drink never -comes amiss. The amount of strong liquor they can carry without apparent -inconvenience is something wonderful. And it is more remarkable as we -get along into the north toward the Pole. They say it is the bracing -climate which induces such an expenditure of vital force, that the -supply must be replenished with nourishing food and stimulating drink. - -We were crossing the Baltic. It was warm off the coast of Finland. It -was cold in the middle of the sea, so cold at noon that we had to wrap -up with shawls and blankets, and then be uncomfortable on deck, and were -finally driven below. But when at four o’clock we ran in among the -islands off the Swedish coast, we found it warm again. So there are -belts about the globe itself. - -We approach Stockholm through a thousand isles and more, so near each -other that we seem to be winding our way along a narrow river. Now and -then a tower, solitary and sublime, starts up from some grand cliff. An -ancient castle stands among the rocky headlands. Suddenly the city -rises, like Venus or Venice, from the bosom of the sea, beautiful in the -sunlight that gilds her palaces and domes. The entrance to Stockholm is -magnificent. I have not been more impressed by the approach to any other -city but Constantinople. - -As our steamer touched the wharf the captain’s wife and children and a -few friends came on board to welcome him home. He had been absent nearly -two weeks! Had crossed the Baltic and sailed or steamed along down the -coast from Abo to Petersburg and back again, and his friends were here -to receive him as if he had been around the world! And it was good to -see the greeting. His young and beautiful wife the captain was proud to -present to his new-made friends on the ship, while two charming children -clung to his legs as if they would not let him go again. - -Porters from the hotels were ready to take the luggage, and the -passengers, ladies and gentlemen, went ashore and walked up the streets -at their leisure. There was a quietness about this quite refreshing. No -bustle, no pulling and hauling, no loud talking and swearing; the -landing in Sweden was a pleasant contrast to that of more highly -cultured countries, our own for instance. - -[Illustration: STOCKHOLM STEAMERS.] - -Hotel _Rydburg_ received us,—large enough to entertain two or three -hundred guests,—and a curiously arranged house it was, the geography of -which I have not learned, after its careful study of several days. I -know that to get to my room I have to go up two flights of stairs, then -out upon a balcony, then down one flight of stairs, then ring a -door-bell and get admission into a room that is not mine, then across -this apartment into my own, which is a spacious and handsomely furnished -room,—sofa, lounge, ottomans, piano, secretary, bookcase containing a -set of Voltaire’s works in _seventy_ French volumes, pictures, -engravings, stuffed birds, and other specimens in natural history, all -suggesting the idea that the mysterious passages through which I have -been conducted have led me out of the hotel proper into some private -house attached, and that some Swedenborgian philosopher has rented his -premises to the hotel. He certainly has things comfortable if such be -the fact, and I will use them as not abusing them while I stay. - -Scandinavia includes the peninsula of which Sweden is but a part, Norway -and Denmark making up the rest of it; and its history, is it not all -written by Pliny and Tacitus in pagan antiquity times? and a thousand -years after they wrote of it, did not Saxo Grammaticus the Dane, and -Snorrow Sturleson, of Sunny Iceland, bring down the story to their -times? Not far from the same time when the Saxons invaded England, the -Gothic tribes under Odin migrated to Sweden, and founded an empire on -the borders of Lake Malar, with Sigtuna for its capital. Odin was a god, -in his own esteem and that of his followers, and he combined in his -sublime and mysterious person all the offices of priest and king and -teacher; he was the law-giver and judge. With lofty aspirations for -power, he conquered by his will, his arms, and his address, and finally -he became the object of religious worship through the north of Europe. -The Sagas, or sacred books of the ancient Swedes, give us the fullest -insight into the views of the Scandinavians in religion, as to the -creation of the world, the government of the universe, and the destiny -of man. It was in the ninth century that Christianity was openly -preached in Sweden for the first time, and the dynasty of pagan kings -did not terminate till the beginning of the eleventh century, when Eric -V., in 1001, being converted, destroyed the great temple at Upsala, -where, to this day, are the graves of Thor and Woden and Freytag, on -which this Eric, the first Christian king, was slain by his pagan people -in their fury, excited by the destruction of their temple. - -The history of Sweden since Christianity became its religion has been -glorious among the nations, although she has been a small and -inconsiderable power. Under Gustavus Wasa, in 1529, the Roman Catholic -religion was abolished and the Lutheran established, and just one -hundred years afterwards, Gustavus Adolphus, the grandson of Wasa, was -called upon by the Protestant powers of Europe to put himself at their -head to resist the Roman Catholic movement to obtain universal dominion -in Christendom. He was triumphant in his masterly generalship, and fell -covered with glory at the battle of Lutzen. His name is now inscribed -with that of Washington, among the noblest characters the human race has -ever produced. - -At the present time the King of Sweden must be a Lutheran, the -government is a hereditary constitutional monarchy, restricted in its -descent to the _male_ line. The congress is composed of four separate -houses,—nobles, clergy, burgesses, and peasants; and the unanimous -consent of these four houses, and the approbation of the king, are -required to make any alteration in the constitution, which is therefore -not likely to be very suddenly amended. In other measures a majority in -three houses may pass a bill, but if two houses vote _aye_, and two vote -_no_, then a committee of eighteen, from each house, takes the subject -in hand, and their decision, approved by the king, is final. This -arrangement works well for conservatism, but is not favorable to -progress. It is easy to retard legislation, and difficult to press -things through. - -Having a letter to Dr. Stolberg, of Stockholm, I was directed to call at -the Caroline Institute to learn his address. A walk of a mile into the -outskirts of the city took me to what proved to be a hospital, with -ample grounds and excellent arrangements. A woman answered my ring at -the door, and led me to the study of one of the professors, and left me -there to await his coming. It was so simple in its furniture, and yet so -well fitted up for business, I could plainly see it was for work, not -rest, that he had that den made. And when he came, a thin, bent, pale -student, cap on his head and pipe in his mouth, and working-wrapper on, -I felt at once that he lived in his books and his thoughts. He would -have me go to his chemical laboratory, and when he found me interested -in the experiments he was making, he became enthusiastic in his -descriptions, and would have cheerfully given up the day to the “pursuit -of science” with a stranger from a distant land. Yet I had but one -question to ask him, and he was able to give me the address of the man I -was seeking. - -Here was a hospital, or rather an asylum for invalids, into which, on -easy conditions, a poor body could get admission, and be kindly cared -for at the expense of the state. Many of these institutions are -scattered over the world, the fruit of Christianity, and when I find -them in places where I least expect, they tell me that love works the -same results everywhere. I soon found Dr. Stolberg, in a modest -dwelling, in a garden retired from the street, and he received me with -great courtesy and warmth. - -In Sweden a physician makes no charge whatever for medical attendance; -and, what is more remarkable still, very many of the people who can -afford to pay for the services of a doctor are willing to avail -themselves of such aid without paying any thing for it. One physician -told me that of ninety-six cases that he had treated within a certain -time, only six paid him at all! It is customary for those who do pay to -pay by the year, and fifty-six dollars, or about twelve American -dollars, would be a large sum for persons in good circumstances to give -for the benefit of a physician’s counsel for a whole year. There is, -therefore, no great inducement, in the way of profit, to go into the -medical profession. Nor is it an introduction to society, the physician -not being in this respect materially above the apothecary in social -standing. - -The clergy, as a profession, are not materially better off than the -physicians. Their pay comes from the state, but their salaries are very -small, and, with only here and there an exception, they have very little -influence, social or political. They are not men of learning, and -perhaps they are as influential as they could be expected to be. The -established religion is Lutheran, with one archbishopric, eleven -bishoprics, with 3,500 clergymen. They are said to be “highly educated,” -but I was assured that there is a great lack of education among the -clergy, and the very small salaries which even the dignitaries receive -would confirm the statement that the church does not retain the aid of -learned and able men. - -The press is free, and when a man is called to account for the abuse of -this freedom, the case goes to a jury, whose action is final, and there -is no appeal from it. - -Only one in a thousand of the population is ignorant of letters; they -can read, and nearly all can write. - -A common laborer gets about twenty-seven cents of our money for a day’s -work, and a mechanic at his trade earns a little more. The cost of -living must be very little, where the working classes can support -themselves and families on incomes so small as these! - -Yet they do live comfortably, and if it were not for drinking -intoxicating liquors, they would be well off. - -They are, as a people, as little given to other vices as in any country -of Europe, perhaps I might say, in the world. The statistical tables -show that many, very many, children are born into the world whose -parents are not lawfully married, and it is therefore set down to the -discredit of Sweden and Norway that they are very lax in their social -morals. There is this, however, to be said on this delicate subject, the -law forbids the marriage of any parties who have not taken the Lord’s -Supper, and many do not wish to become communicants in the church, who -are also quite willing to be married. But the church will not sanction -their union, and they live together in the marital relation, true to -each other, but without the blessing of the church. Their children are -returned in the census to the discredit of the morals of Sweden! Here is -an interesting point for moralists to study. The practice is wrong, and -so is the law that has made the practice so common. - -The mysterious words, Riddarholm kyrkan, provided always your education -has not extended into the language of Sweden, are used to define a -kyrkan or kirk, the Riders’ or Horsemen’s or Knights’ Church in -Stockholm, decidedly the most peculiar and interesting of all I have -seen in the north of Europe. - -Divine service is celebrated within its walls but once a year. It is not -a house for the living to pray in, but for the dead to lie in. It is not -for the dead of common clay, but for the dust of kings only,—a royal -mausoleum. It is a structure of nameless architecture, once Gothic -doubtless, but worked over until small trace of its original design -appears. A spire once almost reached the clouds, and when the lightnings -played too fiercely on it, it was replaced by one of cast iron, which -tapers finely to a lofty height, and defies the thunders. - -It is a symbol, the whole church is, of a rude age and land. The doors -were opened at noon of a bright summer day, and yet as we entered, a -sense of gloom, of ruin, of vast antiquity, and the utter emptiness of -this poor life of ours, came over me like a thick cloud. Every stone of -uneven, broken pavement was a tomb, and the inscriptions long since were -worn away by the feet of strangers. In dumb silence, for centuries the -royal remains of successive dynasties have been resting here, and their -names are forgotten, rubbed out, and unwritten elsewhere. The flags, -spears, drums, swords, guns, and implements of war unused in modern -times, are hung around the walls, as if this were an arsenal and not a -sepulchre. In front of the high altar, with recumbent effigies of -ancient kings, and in the midst of inscriptions hard to read and some -still harder to understand, was one epitaph in these words:— - - JUSTITIÆ SPLENDOR - PATRIÆ PATER - VIVAS IN ETERNUM - O MAGNE BEATE. - -On either side of the door, and on elevated pedestals, are equestrian -statues, cased, both horse and rider, in solid armor; and that of -Charles IX. is said to have been made by Benvenuto Cellini. The armor is -more interesting from its association with the name of its maker than -the king who wore it. Such is fame. - -On the right of the high altar, and within the choir, is the tomb which -every Protestant who comes to the north visits as a shrine,—not to pray -for the repose of a soul, but to testify his reverence for the name of -Gustavus Adolphus. The trophies of his victories adorn his sarcophagus -of green porphyry, which was made in Italy to receive his remains. His -own “garments rolled in blood,” in which he fell while fighting on the -field of Lutzen, November 16, 1632, are preserved remarkably in their -stains, for more than two centuries! His epitaph is short and fitting: -“Moriens triumphavit,”— - - “DYING HE TRIUMPHED.” - -The cause of truth, religious liberty, and the rights of man, all denied -and crushed by the Papal power,—the cause which woke the soul of Luther -and inspired the Reformation for these three centuries,—has been -struggling on toward the universal empire of the human soul. That was -the cause in which Gustavus Adolphus died covered with wounds and glory, -and his epitaph says that he triumphed when he died. I think he did. -True, the battle goes on still, and many a hard field is to be fought -over yet, before He whose right it is shall reign unquestioned in His -dominion over the souls of the race. But the grand foe of the Church of -Christ was then the civil power of the Papacy. Rome had the armies of -all papal kings at her command, and they moved at her ghostly will, -propagating her religion, like that of the Moslem, by the sword. It was -to roll back this tide, more terrible than the waves of the Crusades, -that Gustavus Adolphus was called to lead the armies of the Protestant -powers, and the result was complete success. There is not now one -crowned head on earth that acknowledges the supremacy of the popes. -Austria has cast off its allegiance, and it was Austria that led the -South of Europe against Gustavus Adolphus. Italy is independent of Rome. -And Spain, the birthplace of the Inquisition, and the most abject to the -Pope, has cast out the principle of intolerance, and proclaimed the -rights of worship. What Luther did for the truth in the pulpit, Gustavus -Adolphus did for the same cause in the field. - -We went down the stone stairway, worn deeply by the tread of -generations, into the lower regions, where lie whole rows of dead kings -turned to dust, coffins tucked away on shelves and in niches, reminding -me of the Bible words: “All the kings of the nations, even all of them, -lie in glory, every one in his own house.” What’s the glory, though, of -such a resting-place, it is hard to say. Their dust is no better than -that of other men. Their names, even among kings, have ceased to be -distinguished from other names. No man could go among these walks of -tombs, these shelved kings, and pick out one or another, and say who is -who. And if he could, I do not see that it would be any particular -satisfaction to the quiet gentleman on the shelf. If the visitor should -say, “Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake -kingdoms?” no answer would come back from the tomb. - -We did not set foot within the gates of his majesty, the King of Sweden, -and this neglect was much to the disgust of some of our Swedish friends, -who consider the royal residence a marvel of architectural grandeur and -beauty. We could not see it, even when they pointed to its magnificence -with the same exalted opinion of its splendor that possessed the Jews in -sight of their temple. The Lion’s Staircase, rising from the water’s -edge and leading to the main entrance, adorned with two bronze, and -therefore quiet, lions, presents a grand front to the palace, and within -the same interminable suites of apartments, and the same gaudy -furniture, and the same sort of pictures and statuary, with nothing that -has a title to any distinction above what is common in all palaces. - -The picture-gallery has some five hundred paintings, some by Van Dyck, -Paul Veronese, Domenichino, and others equally well known to fame, and -the sculpture gallery boasts a sleeping Endymion, and a few other gems; -but we are out of the enchanted zone, and must not expect to be charmed -with the brush or the chisel in Sweden. We shall find Thorvaldsen when -we come to Denmark. - -But the royal library has 75,000 volumes, and if it had the library that -Queen Christina sent to the Vatican at Rome, it would be still a greater -wonder, and then would be increased if the ancient collection made by -Charles X., and consumed by fire in 1697, had been preserved. The _Codex -Aureus_, a Latin manuscript of the gospels, dating in the sixth or -seventh century, “is written in Gothic characters of gold, on folio -leaves of vellum, alternately white and violet.” - -“This book is additionally interesting, from its containing an -Anglo-Saxon inscription, of which the following is a translation: ‘In -the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I, Alfred Aldorman (Senior or -Prince), and Werburg, my wife, got up this book from a heathen -war-troop, with our pure treasure, which was then of pure gold. And this -we got for the love of God, and for our souls’ behoof, and for that we -would not that this holy book should longer abide in heathenesse; and -now will we give it to Christ’s Church, God to praise, and glory, and -worship, in thankful remembrance of his passion, and for the use of the -holy brotherhood, who in Christ’s Church do daily speak God’s praise, -and that they may every month read for Alfred, and for Werburg, and for -Alhdryd (their daughter), their souls to eternal health, as long as they -have declared before God that baptism (holy rites) shall continue in -this place. Even so I, Alfred, Dux, and Werburg, pray and beseech, in -the name of God Almighty, and of his saints, _that no man shall be so -daring_ as to sell or part with this holy book from Christ’s Church, so -long as baptism there may stand. (Signed) Alfred, Werburg, Alhdryd.’ No -trace appears to exist of the history of this volume from the time it -was thus given to Canterbury Cathedral until it was purchased in Italy, -and added to this library. Here also is a huge manuscript copy of the -Bible, written upon prepared asses’ skin. It was found in a convent at -Prague, when that city was taken by the Swedes during the Thirty Years’ -War. A copy of Koberger’s Bible, printed at Leyden, 1521, and the -margins of which are filled with annotations by Martin Luther. Besides -these, the library is rich in manuscripts and rare editions.” - -The King of Sweden is the most affable and approachable monarch in -Europe. In his daily walks, or while going about in the public steamers -that ply through the waters of the city, as omnibuses do in New York, he -enters freely into conversation with the people. To strangers, -especially Americans, he is exceedingly kind, or, as his subjects would -say, _gracious_. I saw him frequently while he was riding, but came no -nearer to his Majesty. He had one of the most splendid reviews that I -had ever seen, when the whole of the Swedish army that is stationed in -this part of the country, together with the militia, all liable to be -called on to do military duty, are put through a drill for a few days -and nights every year, in the summer season. A vast open country, hill, -wood and plain, is chosen, tents pitched, and for a few days mimic war -goes through all its motions, saving and except that there is no blood -shed. This annual exercise does something to keep up a martial spirit, -and makes a few grand holidays, when the whole city is agog with the -excitement. A fête day in Rome, an emperor’s day in Paris, or Derby day -in London, would not exceed the annual review in Stockholm. The nobility -and fashion, the beauty and folly, the masses of people in all sorts of -conveyances, and more on foot than on wheels, were out at the parade. -The squadrons were set on the hills, so far apart that a telescope was -needed to see what was going on, and the marching and countermarching -made a pretty show that delighted the people, and gave the soldiers a -taste of the amusements they would have when rushing into battle under a -blazing sun, and blazing guns in front of them. - -The wars of Sweden occupy a large place in European history. Yet when we -see how small the population, how limited the resources, and remote the -situation of the country, it seems incredible that human wisdom has been -so foolish as to permit a race of kings to waste the lives and wealth of -a nation of honest men, in the miserable game of war. - -But the genius of Sweden is seen in a very clever arrangement to make -the burden of soldiering as light as possible. The standing army proper -is very small and has little to do at present. But the reserve is large, -and consists of men who are distributed about the kingdom and quartered -on the government lands, which they work in time of peace, and thus earn -their own support. If the crown lands are leased to others, a certain -number of these soldiers is set apart for, or quartered on the land; and -the lessee has their labor, and is responsible for their support. In -this ingenious way the government makes its land pay the expenses of its -army in peace. We might take a leaf out of the royal book of Sweden, -and, by a wise administration of our vast national landed property, make -it contribute something to the support of the government, while we -improved its value. That would be certainly more statesmanlike than to -give it away by millions every year to speculators. The Swedish soldiers -are also employed in making roads, and on other public works, as ours -might be, greatly to their own moral benefit, and to the advantage of -the country. - -It strikes me that there is more order and less crime in this northern -part of Europe than in any other country I have yet visited. I see -little evidence of abject poverty and low vice. By night or day I have -not seen a person on the streets at Stockholm who seemed to be of the -abandoned class. Longer acquaintance may correct this impression and -reveal another state of facts. Two American travellers were robbed of -their watches and money, at the hotel where I am lodged, but a few days -ago. It is not at all likely the thief is a native of these regions. He -has probably followed the travellers, or, what is quite as likely, been -one of their travelling companions. The landlord paid the losses without -a lawsuit, and the Americans went on their way. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXIV. - - SWEDEN (_Continued_). - - -BY the beautiful island of Drottningholm, on which the king’s mother -resides in a palace within a park, that seems the abode of peace and -plenty, and along the shores of other islands small and picturesque, but -lovely to look on as we pass them on our way, we sail out into Lake -Malar. - -It is a wide, winding, beautiful sheet of water,—one of the many noble -lakes that Sweden holds in her bosom. Two islands in it come so nearly -together, that a drawbridge for a railroad stretches across, and opens -for us to pass through, and then we sweep out into another expanse of -water, the shores skirted with pines and hemlock; no hills in sight, but -the scenery is lovely, though lacking grandeur. We are going into the -heart of Sweden. Now the shores are cultivated to the water’s edge, and -fine farms rise to view, with here and there a red cottage, with a tile -roof: all the peasant houses and fisherman cottages are painted with red -ochre, cheap, but unpleasant to the eye. Now the shores are bolder, -rocky, and great forest trees, fir and spruce, are abundant. - -The oldest place in Sweden, and that carries us back into far antiquity, -is SIGTUNA, and we have come to it, on the shores of Lake Malar, about -four hours from Stockholm. We are in the midst of the remains of the old -pagan worship of Scandinavia, where the altars to heathen deities, whose -graves (!) we are going to see to-day, have smoked with human -sacrifices. - -Odin or Woden (whence comes our Wedensday or Wednesday), a hero of the -north,—in time to which history, at least reliable history, runneth not -back,—here established the seat of his power, and it took its name from -his original title, which was Sigge, and Tuna, which is our word town. -Here Sigge, or Odin, reared stone temples, of which the ruins are before -us. Here his power became so great, and such the reverence of rude -peoples for power, that the temples and altars which he reared to gods -whom he worshipped, became, in the eyes and hearts of the people, -dedicate to him, whom they came to revere and worship as a god. From -this spot the worship of Odin, and afterwards of his son Thor (whence -our Thursday), spread through the whole of the North of Europe, and, in -spite of the subsequent triumph of Roman Christianity, and then of the -Lutheran Reformation, the Odin superstition—a secret, unconfessed, but -controlling reverence for those heroic human deities, the hero worship -of the human soul—still obtains among the more ignorant classes of the -people over all this northern country. The legends that have come down -from sire to son, keep alive in successive generations the hidden fear -of these false gods, and form the largest part of the unwritten poetry -and romance of all Scandinavia. - -Pirates from Finland came here and laid waste the fortified town of -Odin, and it has again and again been built and destroyed; but here is -the remnant of an ancient temple or church, and three towers, which have -the highest interest of antiquity (whatever that is) hanging, like -mantling ivy, all about them. No one but an antiquary would wish to -spend more than a moment in Sigtuna, among its 400 inhabitants. Tyre and -Sidon on the sea coast are not so desolate as this spot, which seems -accursed for its pagan crimes and impostures in days long since gone by. - -Sweet pictures of rural life in Sweden were seen this morning as we -sailed through this Lake Malar. Opposite Sigtuna, and a little farther -on, we touched the shore, and landed Professor Olivecrona, of the -University of Upsala, with his wife and a party of English friends. He -had been to Stockholm to meet them, and bring them up the lake to his -country residence in summer. It was a beautiful mansion, very near to -the water’s edge, in the midst of woods and delightful walks. The -children and servants came down to the landing just in front of the -house, to a private wharf, and as the parents went ashore, and four -lovely children in their light summer dresses welcomed them, and greeted -the friends coming with them, it was a scene of domestic beauty and -happiness that quite touched an old man’s heart some three or four -thousand miles from home. - -More islands, among which our boat makes its tortuous course, coming so -near to the rocks that we might easily scrape them; now and then a bare -white rock holds its peak solitary above the water, and a bird of prey -perches on its top, looking into the deep for his dinner. Now the shores -are clothed with green forests, and again we emerge among meadows, and -in the bright sun the contrasts of light and shadow, as we pass by the -pines and fir trees, are constantly pleasing. An air of infinite -quietude pervades the region, and it is painful to believe that it was -once a “habitation of cruelty.” - -Suddenly a grand old chateau, the ancient residence of the Brahe family, -one of the oldest and most illustrious in Sweden, opened on our view. It -was built in 1630, and each one of its four towers is surmounted by an -orrery, in honor of the famous astronomer whose name alone has made the -family famous. A boat comes off from the shore, and takes passengers who -wish to visit the house. Its library and museum and galleries of art -make it a popular resort. On its walls are portraits of Tycho, and the -Ebba Brahe, whom Gustavus Adolphus loved, and would have married but for -more ambitious schemes of her mother that never came to pass. - -During this delightful passage of six hours through Lake Malar, in one -of the loveliest days of summer, we have not seen a sail nor a steamer, -except the return boat of the line that has brought us. And this fact is -sufficient to show the utter stagnation of commercial life in the -interior of Sweden. - -I confess to surprise on coming to Upsala and finding the ancient -university here in high prosperity, with all the appliances of education -that first-class institutions require. Linnæus, the great botanist, was -professor here, and his statue is one of the ornaments of the -university. The Hospital,—a new and extensive building,—a royal palace -on a hill, the Agricultural College, the Library, &c., with a Botanical -Garden and ample parks, suggest to the traveller that in Sweden one -might find a home to his mind, if his lot had been cast in this part of -the earth. - -You have a fondness for old books and manuscripts. Here they are in -abundance; not of the sort, perhaps, that most antiquarians would run -after, but, nevertheless, very precious and costly. - -Bishop Ulfilas, toward the close of the fourth century, translated the -four gospels into the Gothic language, and his translation was copied in -letters of silver upon vellum of a pale purple color, in characters very -like the Runic. This manuscript is the very oldest extant in the -Teutonic tongue, and was probably made by the Ostro-Gothic scribes in -Italy. It was once owned by an abbey in Westphalia. Then it was -treasured up in Cologne; then by the fortunes of war it passed to -Konigsberg, and to Amsterdam, with Vossius, on whose death the Swedish -chancellor bought it and presented it to the University of Upsala. It is -known among biblical scholars as the _Codex Argenteus_, or Silver Copy, -from the style of the lettering. - -[Illustration: UPSALA.] - -If you have a taste for Icelandic literature, so refreshing in the heats -of summer, here you can find the oldest and coldest of the Eddas; and -alongside of them is a Bible with the marginal notes of Luther and -Melancthon. Students in and out of the university have free access to -these treasures, and the reading-room is a pleasant resort for those who -love to refresh themselves in the midst of a hundred thousand books, in -all tongues and every realm of human thought. - -About fifty professors and fifteen hundred students compose the faculty -and attendance of this famous university. It was founded in 1477, and -has but one rival in Sweden, that at Ludd, founded in 1666. The expense -of a student’s education, including board, fees, &c., is about three -hundred dollars a year. - -No one can be admitted to practise in any of three professions,—law, -medicine, or divinity,—without taking his degrees at one of the two -universities. This _ensures_ a high order of acquirements in -professional men, and when we state one fact in addition, that one male -person in every 688 in Sweden enjoys an education at the universities, -it will be seen that these institutions reach the whole people, and -extend their advantages into the midst of the masses. Sweden, and in -this respect she is not singular in Europe, has not made the mistake -which we in the United States have been making, of multiplying little -colleges, and little theological seminaries, one-horse institutions, -with the idea that, by bringing a school to the door of every man, or of -every church, we should be enlarging the area of education, and -multiplying the number of educated men. Thus we have reduced the -standard of fitness for professorships. Thus we have diminished the -number of students. Lowering the mark to which scholars should aspire, -we have cheapened education, suppressed literary ambition, made the -professions less attractive, and filled them with an inferior order of -men, compared with what they would have been had the standard of great -universities, with their high qualifications of professorships and -degrees, been maintained. If all the money which has been expended in -the maintenance of feeble and famishing colleges and divinity schools -had been applied to the education of youth in two, three, or four -universities, they would have been far better taught, and the surplus of -money over and above the expenses of their education would endow a new -university as often as the extension of territory and the increase of -population render it necessary. - -A student of the university is required to wear a cap of peculiar make, -to distinguish him, not in the university town only, but wherever he may -travel in Sweden. The cap is white, with a black border, and a rosette -of the national colors in front. This requisition is useful in keeping -the student upon his good behavior, and also as a peripatetic -advertisement of the educational institutions of the country. It is only -by slow degrees that our people come into the habit of putting classes -into uniform. It is but recently that the police were so clad: now we -have letter-carriers, railway officials, &c. The clergy formerly were -generally known by a white neckcloth, but that has ceased to be their -distinction. - -The old cathedral had the appearance of neglect; it was out one side -from the busy haunts of men, and this was in its favor, but it seemed to -be neglected. Twenty-four whitewashed columns support the roof. In side -chapels are the tombs and the remains of the old kings of Sweden. And -when I had spelled out some of the Latin inscriptions, and had linked -the names of these sleepers with the old-time stories of the land, the -venerable cathedral began to take upon itself the form of a great -monument of the dead past. And well it might, for the first stones were -laid for its foundation in the year 1289, and it was consecrated in -1435. Its dimensions rise into the sublime, for it is 370 feet long, 141 -feet wide, and 115 feet high. - -The columns within are capped with carvings of grotesque beasts, -strangely out of taste in the house of God. Linnæus lies buried here, -and a splendid mural tablet and bronze medallion portrait of him adorn -the wall. Here lie Gustavus Wasa and two of his wives, and a long series -of fresco paintings in seven compartments celebrate the great events in -the life of this illustrious man. Here, too, is a tomb of John III., -remarkable for this,—that it was made in Italy, was lost at sea on its -way here, was fished up sixty years afterwards, and brought to this -spot. - -The sacristan was very kind in revealing to our not very reverent eyes -the precious things here kept for special exhibition to those who would -pay for the privilege. With this understanding we were permitted to -behold crowns and sceptres, a gold cup two feet high, a dagger that had -been stuck into a king, and a statue of the old god-king Thor! This last -is not worshipped here, but is cherished as a memorial of the times when -paganism was prevalent, and as a trophy of the triumph of Christianity -over the powers of darkness. - -About three miles north of Upsala, the seat of the great university, is -Old Upsala, more sacred than any other spot in Sweden: for here are the -lofty mounds which tradition has consecrated as graves of the gods,—the -gods who aforetime were held in reverent awe and honor by the -Scandinavian race, and who, to this day, hold some sort of sway over the -rude masses of the North. - -We rode out in carriages from the university, and passed in sight of the -house which covers the Mora Stone, _on_ which the kings of Sweden were -chosen and crowned. It is made of about twelve different stones joined -and inscribed with the names of the monarchs who have been elected by -the voice of the people. In 1780 the house was built over it by Gustavus -III., but that was seven centuries after the first inscription upon it; -for here it is written that Sten Kil was chosen in 1060, and seven -others, down to Christian I., in 1457. Gustavus Wasa met his subjects -here in mass-meeting and addressed them from this stone in 1520. The -hoar of ages, with all the memories of the revolutions of these -centuries, gathers on this spot. It is now only a shrine for pilgrims -with antiquity on the brain, who wander the world over to see what the -world _has_ been. I have a large development of that weakness, and it -has a great gratification in this part of Europe: more, indeed, than it -had in Egypt; less than in Palestine. In the Holy Land the sacred -associations with the religion we love makes every acre of it dear to -the heart: we take pleasure in every stone, and favor all the dust of -Judea. With less awe,—indeed, with no awe,—but with wonder, we now come -to Old Upsala, to the graves of the pagan deities. - -They are three conical mounds, about fifty feet in height, very regular -in shape, with a broad plateau at the summit, and the unvarying -tradition of the country is, that the largest of the mounds is the grave -of Odin; the next, that of Thor; and the smallest, the grave of Freytag, -Odin’s daughter. In all probability these are natural hillocks -artificially reduced to these regular forms, and superstitiously set -apart in the minds of the people as the graves of persons to whom their -ancestors paid divine honors. To this hour, the name of Odin is used as -that of a demon king, and “Go to Odin” is the profane execration which -answers to the modern imprecation, “Go to the devil.” - -On this spot the great temple to Odin was erected, and his worship -maintained with horrid rites and ceremonies. The altars here have smoked -with human blood and burnt sacrifices. In the sacred groves that -surrounded the temple these savage deities were propitiated with all -manner of offerings, parents laying their children with their own hands -upon the altars, and slaying them in the face of heaven. A record still -exists of seventy-two bodies being seen suspended at one time from the -limbs of trees in this grove; men, and lower animals than men, if any -animals are lower than such men, being offered in company to please the -deities of the wood. - -We entered the old church, the tower of which is said to be a part of -the temple. This tower is the most ancient building in Scandinavia. A -rude stone image of a human being, uncared for and lying in total -neglect and dirt, was pointed out as an idol of Thor, that had once and -often been worshipped on this spot and honored with these human -sacrifices. It seemed more likely that it was a bogus image, and, -therefore, all the more fitting to be presented as one of the false gods -of a superstitious race, whose reverence is not yet so thoroughly -extinguished as to prevent them from leaving hay on the highway at -night, to feed the horses of Odin when he comes riding through the -country on his missions of destruction. - -On the reach of the Reformation to this region, the great battle of -faith was fought on this spot. Here Gustavus Wasa, in his robes of -royalty, addressed the crowds of pagan people, and besought them to turn -from their idols to the living God. They replied with sullen rage, and -threatened him with death. He finally flung off his robes, and told them -they might have Odin for their king if they would, but he would not be -their king unless they would worship the Lord God Almighty and his Son -Jesus Christ. This was the decisive hour and word. They yielded, but -only an outward obedience, a lip service, and it required long years and -generations to extirpate the pagan worship from the minds of the people. -One king of Sweden, Domold, was actually offered in sacrifice on Odin’s -altar to propitiate the gods when the people were suffering by famine. -And when Eric V., in 1001, embraced the Christian religion and destroyed -the temple, the tower of which is said to be standing now as part of -this church, the people in their fury put him to death. - -From Odin, or Woden, as he was called, comes our Weden’s-day, and from -Thor our Thur’s-day, and from Fry-tag our Fri-day; and these every-day -words make links of association to connect our times with those fearful -days, now past and gone for ever. - -I was surprised by finding the practice of dining out of doors in summer -quite as common here as in France. On our return from Upsala to -Stockholm, Dr. Scholberg went with us to spend part of a day at the Deer -Park, a vast tract of land in easy reach from the capital, that has been -set apart for the use of the people. It is entered through a grand -gateway, ornamented with a bronze deer on each side; within are villas -and cafes, and theatres and concert-rooms. Long drives over country -roads take us under majestic old trees,—oaks and elms, pines and spruce; -and now and then we pass parties taking their mid-day or evening meal -under the trees, or among the beautiful gardens that surround their -houses. Our ride takes us up and down hill, in sight often of the sea: -one has a taste of the country, rare indeed to be had so near the town. -The quickest way to get there is to take one of the many little steamers -that ply, like our omnibuses or street-cars, among the waters of this -northern Venice; but many of them do not hold as many passengers as a -horse-car carries. They are just like a large row-boat, with sharp bows -and stern, and a boiler in the middle. They require but very little -coal, and, being driven with great care, very seldom, if ever, blow up -the people sitting so near to the boiler and all its works, as to -suggest continually the idea that it would require no great effort to -scald the company. If our American people could do any thing with -moderation, they might introduce these little iron steamers with great -usefulness into the North and East Rivers, and, indeed, into the waters -of all our great cities. We often availed ourselves of them, for they -run everywhere, and the fare is lower than in our city cars. A few -minutes of fast running brought us to Deer Park, and our Swedish doctor -led us to what was considered the best restaurant in the place. Hundreds -of people were already there to dine, and at the middle of the day. It -did not speak well for the industry and habits of the people, that so -many of them could thus quit business at such an hour and go off out of -town to their dinner. And Stockholm is the only city in the North where -there is such a class of people. The city has the name of being very -like Venice in this matter. And here they were in the middle of the day, -hundreds of people, away from home, and making a business of eating and -drinking. - -Dinner was a study and an art. They had some science in it. There was an -ante-prandium and the prandium, and the dessert and the post-prandium, -and more post that I did not see; but what I did may be set down to give -you an idea of the Swedes at dinner. First, every gentleman steps to a -side table and takes a glass of schnapps, or gin, or other liquor that -he prefers, and appetizes himself by eating of salt fish, dried tongue, -cold meats, bread and cheese, making a very satisfactory snack or lunch, -which would serve most of men for a fair dinner. The second course is -soup, and one who is recently from Paris needs a little education to -make it pleasant to his taste. Then follow salmon, chicken, roast beef, -pudding, ice cream, jellies; and with these dishes, which are served one -after another, and all to be eaten, are the usual trimmings of bread and -butter, with vegetables to any extent. When this bill of fare—a dinner -to order, and exquisitely cooked and served in good style—is disposed -of, you are expected to indulge in the national punch, an oily, fiery, -pungent liquor, that should not be taken without medical advice; yet it -may be that it assists digestion after the organs have been overladen -with such a dinner as I have just eaten and described. Now, it is not -unlikely that such dinners are very largely enjoyed by the people, for -all that I have mentioned may be had for seventy-five cents! And as you -pay for just what you order, and no more, it is possible to make a -sufficient dinner for half the money, and thousands do. We protracted -our stay till the evening (not the dark) came on, and rode to the -charming rural retreat for the royal household, and had the pleasure of -gratifying our democratic eyes by seeing the ladies of the family taking -their tea out of doors, so much in the same way that other people take -theirs, we should not have suspected them of being any thing more than -common, had we not been told of it, and actually had seen the august -servant, with a white wig and pompous strut, bringing the “tea things” -out to the little table in the garden. So many other little family -circles did we see enjoying themselves in the same way, that we could -readily see it was a national habit, and quite in harmony with those -domestic pictures which Frederika Bremer has made us so familiar with in -her letters about Swedish homes. - -[Illustration: COSTUMES OF SWEDEN.] - -One thing impressed me daily in these north countries of Europe,—the -general content and comfort of the people. The climate has not helped -them to this, for it is far less favorable to general enjoyment than -that of the south. But there is an amount of industry, intelligence, and -morality, that make a contrast easily marked between the people of -Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, and the inhabitants of Spain and Italy. I -find no such masses of squalid vice and misery here, as one may easily -see in Naples or Seville. - -Sweden has all the elements of a great and good people. She is making -progress, too, in moral and intellectual culture, and her people are -rising in the scale of social enjoyment. I notice these things in the -rural districts even more than in the cities, which are so much the same -all the world over. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXV. - - SWEDEN (_Continued_). - - -WE are going across the kingdom, from Stockholm to Gottenburg. We might -be carried through by rail in a day; but what should we see of life in -Sweden if we went flying over it in that style? We will take the slower -and better way, by the raging canal. This canal is the Erie of Sweden. -It extends from lake to lake, and so connects sea with sea, the Baltic -with the Atlantic; it leaves Malar lake, and takes lakes Wetter and -Wener in its way, and all the chief towns of the interior; and as the -travelling is rationally moderate, the pauses frequent and long, we have -a fine opportunity to study the country and the people whom we have come -to see. - -It is a steam canal; that is, a canal for steam navigation, as the Erie -and other canals of our country ought to be, and might be, but for the -penny-wise and pound-foolish policy of politicians. The steamers are -small. We embarked for this inland voyage on the OSCAR, a royal name. -The cabin had ten state-rooms, with two berths in each; a wash-stand in -the middle had a movable cover, making a table, on which I am writing. -The boat is furnished with great simplicity, but is comfortable. It is -crowded with passengers; several families, with children and luggage -immense, probably emigrants on their way to the land of promise. Their -friends in troops thronged the wharf to see them go, and when the -hand-shakings and hugging and kissing were finished, the boat was off, -and the tears and waving of rags continued as we steamed away. - -The clouds wept too, for a few moments, and then, like the passengers, -dried up; smiles and the sun came out again, and beautiful Stockholm -seemed more beautiful as we left it than it did while we were in it. The -green slopes around the city were joyous in the sinking sun. The iron -steeple of the Ridderkolm, and the white palace, and many spires, -glistened in the light. Gems of islands, with pretty bridges uniting -their shores, neat villas, with lawns carpeted with rich verdure, -abodes, we may hope, of sweet content and comfort, are on either hand, -and now and then, from a window or balcony, a white handkerchief greets -a friend on board, who responds, and we have a telegraphic communication -at once with the people we are leaving. I do love to find in strange -lands, and among those whose language is all unknown to me, the same -ties, the same loves and hopes, that fill our own hearts at home. It -makes me know that all these people are my kin, children of my Father. - -We have been passing across Lake Malar. But now, at seven in the -evening, we enter a lock, and the Gota Canal begins. The village of -_Sodertelje_ receives us here. So sweet does it seem to be, in its quiet -repose, that every house appears to invite you to stop and make a visit. -It was at this point that St. Olaf, when a viking, was shut in by the -fleets of the Swedes and Danes, and he cut his way out, not through the -enemies’ fleets, but by digging a canal to the Baltic! This was in the -eleventh century, and no such feats of rapid canalling were known from -that time down to the Dutch Gap ditch, during the late war in America. -The story of the saint is history, and the other one will not be -forgotten. - -The passage of the lock from the lake to the canal is tedious, but in -the mean time the villagers come on board and greet friends, the -children, as in all other countries, ply their sales of cake and fruit, -till we are out and enter the Gota Canal. The banks for some time are -fifty feet high, but they slope away gradually, and are beautiful in -their green sod. Neat cottages and wooded walks and gardens, signs of -taste and culture, and plenty, are on our right hand and left; and these -dwellings are so near that the canal seems a street like those of -Venice, where you step from the gondola to the marble threshold of your -house. Passengers on board recognize their acquaintance, and exchange -salutations. Now and then an old mansion, with many out-buildings, shows -that an extensive farm is behind; and occasionally we pass a village -which appears to be of modern creation, as if progress was making even -in Sweden. We are following the course of the very same canal that St. -Olaf, the viking, cut in such a hurry eight hundred years ago, and we -soon come to the end of it, and run again into the sea, or a bay of the -Baltic, and keep along the coast, among a wilderness of islands, -touching now and then at one of them to drop or take a passenger. Heaps -of rock on the points are painted white to guide us in the mazes of -these intricate passes, and sometimes trees have been moored in the -water to mark the pathway of the ship. Ruins of castles, each one of -which has its legends as romantic as those of the Rhine, still haunt -these rocks. Stegeborg Castle is the most picturesque in its solitary -grandeur and desolation, and the traditions of the country associate it -with many a hard-fought fight in times so far gone by that history is -rather too romantic to be credited. - -The night is now about us, but in these latitudes it makes little -difference for seeing the country whether it is night or day. There was -no sleeping to be done, for some of the rising generation rose all -night, and made the little cabin vocal with their cries, so that only -those who enjoy the music of sleepless babes could be said to have a -pleasant night in that vicinity. Out of my little window I see the -islands, with their stunted firs, shores rarely rising so as to be -entitled to the dignity of hills, sometimes a forest, and here and there -a house, red and neat, with no signs of slovenliness or poverty. - -It was very early in the morning when we left the canal-boat, and in the -midst of a drizzling rain followed a porter who had been directed by the -captain to take our luggage to a hotel, the best hotel in the village of -Soderkoping. - -This was the village we had selected as a quiet, retired, obscure, but -pleasant place to pass a sabbath in, to see the Swedes in their rural -churches and in their humble homes. - -It was so early when we came to the little wooden tavern that no one was -astir. We went around to the back door, as the porter led us, and there -knocked long and loud, till a maid thrust her head out of the window, -and made signs that she would come down and let us in, which she did. -The American language was of no use now. French was no better. But we -managed to let her know, morning as it was, we wanted beds. She led us -to the chambers, and when we pointed to the sheets as having already -seen service since the last wash, she took the hint in a moment, and, -pulling them off, supplied their places with linen without wrinkles. -After a few hours sleep we rose for breakfast, taking what should be set -before us. It proved to be comfortable. Coffee with delicious cream, -bread and beefsteak on a novel plan, chopped fine, made into cakes and -fried in butter with spices. - -It was our FIRST SABBATH IN SWEDEN. An ancient brick church with a -spire, a venerable structure, stood near a swiftly flowing stream of -water, embowered in majestic trees, and surrounded with the graves of -buried generations of those who had worshipped within its old walls. It -was a solemn, yet beautiful spot, and all its surroundings were in -keeping. The graveyard was laid off in little plats, and the graves were -bordered with flowers. On some graves pots of flowers were set, and on -others fresh-plucked flowers were strewn, soon to wither and to be -replaced. The bell was tolling and the people were assembling; all came -on foot and by walks leading through the yard from various parts of the -village. Some had come evidently from a distance in the country, with -books in their hands. All were decently devout in their deportment as -they came; even among the young there was no levity, they were on a -solemn errand, and were sensible of the time and place. - -The sexton sat at the door, with a big key in his hand, and opened the -door to let the people in, but locked it when prayer began, and kept it -locked till prayer was ended, and then admitted those who had gathered. -Earthen pitchers or jugs stood on stools near the door to receive the -offerings, and many cast in what they had. The floor was of stone, and -many were tombstones, the inscriptions worn by the footsteps of the -living, so that the names of the dead were illegible. Eight immense -whitewashed pillars supported Gothic arches on which the roof rested. -The pulpit was of wood, elaborately carved, with Scripture scenes and -figures. A sounding-board above it was ornamented with quaint devices, -and surmounted by a human figure, perhaps an image of the Saviour. On -the front the word JEHOVAH, in Hebrew letters, was inscribed. The pews -were very plain, unpainted slips, with doors locked until the owners -came, whose names were on slips of paper attached. On the sides of the -church, long rude seats were free. We occupied them. The congregation -was very slow in getting in. The same variety of dress that would mark -one of our rural churches was apparent. Rich and poor met together. Some -of the ladies were dressed elaborately with the flat French bonnet; -others in a costume of the country, a small black shawl or kerchief -thrown over the head and pinned under the chin. The men were all rustic -in garb and manner, accustomed to out-of-door hard work. All appeared -devotional, respectful; old and young, on coming in, bowed in silent -prayer; all stood in singing. The service was Lutheran, the established -religion. All had books of the service, which was read with a loud voice -and much intonation by the clerk. The preacher was a handsome young man, -with great energy of voice and no action. His text had the name Jesus -Christ in it, and the words were often repeated with tenderness and -earnestness. I could understand no other words, and could only hope that -as even those were sweet to my ears, the preacher was commending him to -the congregation as the chief among ten thousand, the one altogether -lovely. - -Many of the men took snuff. The man on my right, two on my left, two in -front of me, held the box under their noses to catch what fell back in -the operation. They also offered the same boxes to me. One of the men -sneezed immoderately four or five times. The sexton going up the aisle, -and standing on the tombstone of some old saint, blew his (the sextons, -not the saint’s) nose with his fingers, wiped it with a blue cotton -handkerchief, polished it off with the back of his hand, and then walked -up to the pulpit to do his errand. - -Bating the snuff-taking and the nasal twang in the singing, the service -was pleasing even to us who heard no words that we could understand. We -worshipped in spirit, and felt at home among the children of our Father, -not one of whom knew that two strangers from beyond the sea were in -their village church on this pleasant summer sabbath morning. - -Soderkoping proved to be more of a place than we had anticipated. It -was, and is even a watering-place. Pleasantly planted on the banks of -the great canal, with historic and towering heights rising by its side, -and rejoicing also in the possession of a mineral spring, whose healing -virtues have been spread among the people of this and other countries, -it has become a resort for invalids. It maintains at one end of the -village a series of bathing-houses, and modest lodgings for visitors, -and a “conversation hall” of moderate dimensions, and some hundreds of -the ill-to-do may be carefully cared for, and, perhaps, cured at the -same time. But there is no hotel, nor any thing worth the name. The -village is primitive, simple, neat as a new pin, not the sign of a new -building going on anywhere. It might have been finished years ago, and -kept in order to be looked at as a curiosity. The dwellings are, all of -them, low, unpretending, small, and usually of wood. - -Dr. Gustaff Bottiger, physician and surgeon, called at our lodgings in -Soderkoping. He spoke the French well, and English tolerably, and we -were able to get on with him delightfully. He is a fine looking man, -accomplished in manners, and superintendent of the “Water Cure.” - -The mineral waters of this locality have had a reputation in Europe -through the long period of eight hundred years. They were formerly -resorted to by invalids from Italy and Spain, as well as other -countries. But in the course of time, and after the discovery of other -springs, and the invention of more, the fame of these in Sweden -declined. The town declined also. But when the modern water-cure idea -sprang into being, an establishment was opened here, which has proved to -be a wonderful success. It is resorted to by a thousand persons every -year, who come as patients, and patiently submit to the hydraulic, -hydrostatic, and hydropathic, and all the hydra-headed processes of -scientific treatment requisite to purify the system and make the patient -clean inside and out. The cure is sure for nearly all diseases to which -flesh is heir, but is specially efficient in expelling such monsters as -rheumatism, gout, and dyspepsia. The College of Health in Sweden, a -national institution, has the establishment under its control, and the -company that have taken out a royal charter, and built the bath and -packing houses, have made provision for ninety patients, who are -constantly lodged, fed, and water-cured at public expense, and one -hundred and thirty more are treated gratuitously, with the use of the -establishment, while they pay for their board and lodging. Six hundred -patients can be supplied with baths at one time. - -The establishment thus combines the advantages of a free and pay -hospital, as do many of our asylums for the afflicted in America. But I -am not aware that any of our States have made provision for sending -their invalid poor to water cures. Our inebriate asylums may be called -water cures in the best sense of the term, and it is quite certain, -whether intemperance be a sin or a disease, or both, there is no hope of -a cure without the use of cold water. - -Here at Soderkoping the rich and the poor are so mingled and packed and -purified, that the distinction is not palpable, and the institution is a -model of social and medical propriety and equality. - -Dr. Bottiger is enthusiastic in his pursuit of the grand idea he is here -set to work out, and the patients catch his enthusiasm, believe in him -and in the cure, and that helps the cure amazingly. It is not worth -while to discuss the reason of the thing, or to inquire whether the -mineral water here flowing at least eight centuries, and probably -eighteen and many more, is any better for the cure than other waters. I -am inclined to believe that there is superior virtue in the springs. But -any waters are good enough, with the advantage of air, exercise, -temperance, and recreation, to make most people whole who are only -partially broken down. Nine-tenths of these invalids, especially of the -richer classes, are victims of their own imprudences. God gave man -reason, but he makes a poor use, or rather no use of it, when he works -his brain so much as to overwork it, and loads his stomach so as to -overload it, and by neglect of the laws of health, which are just as -well defined as the moral laws of God, brings upon himself dyspepsia, -and that long catalogue of evils that haunt the victim. He must be a bad -liver who has a diseased liver. It was his own fault, in the first -place, and the warning that he had he neglected, and now when he comes -to Soderkoping, or goes to Kissingen, Spa, or Kreusnacht, for the -benefit of his health, he is suffering the penalty of his own indulgence -or neglect. If an ante-mortem coroner’s inquest should be held on his -arrival at the springs, the verdict would be _served him right_. - -There are six or eight water-cure establishments in Sweden, one in -Norway, none in Denmark. The system is popular in this part of Europe, -and in Germany. Patients appear to be attracted to them not so much by -advertisements of special advantages, but by the reports which patients -spread abroad, when they go away relieved of their maladies. - -Just after the doctor left us a young man called who had heard that two -Americans were here, and he wished to get information respecting the -United States. He brought with him a phrase-book in German and English, -or rather in German and _American_, for the book was called “The Little -American,” and was made to teach the American language. The most it -could do was to aid the young to pick up a few phrases of the language, -and to stimulate their desire to emigrate to the western world. The book -was evidently issued by the steamship or emigration companies, for it -gave all needful directions as to the expense and mode of getting to -America, and it held out the most encouraging prospects to those who -might be tempted to go. The desire is wide-spread—to seek a home in the -New World. Books and papers and pictures are industriously spread among -the village and rural population to stimulate this desire. The wages of -labor are represented as so great in contrast with their own earnings, -while nothing is said of the cost of living,—the price of land is said -to be so low in comparison with land here, which is not to be bought at -all,—that they are filled with the idea of going to a country where they -suppose they may get all they want for little or nothing. To what a sad -reality they wake up when they set their feet on our shores, and find -themselves in the midst of the harpies of New York! - -Our bill for boarding and lodging, every thing included, at this village -tavern, where we were well cared for, and had all that we could -reasonably desire, was less than a dollar a day for each person. Board -at private houses can be procured for much less. And if you are not able -to pay any thing, and have the dyspepsia, it is quite likely that I -could give you a line of introduction to the doctor, who would put you -on the free list, pack you, duck you, all but drown you, cure you, and -send you on your way rejoicing, with refreshing memories of Soderkoping. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXVI. - - SWEDEN (_Continued_). - - -WE went on board the canal steamer very early in the morning, and found -the deck covered with passengers taking their coffee as comfortably as -if they were at home. This was not breakfast, that was to come by and -by; but they turned out early, and all wanted coffee immediately. - -The steamer was large, adapted to the canal, the lake, and sea, for all -these waters are to be ploughed in going from Stockholm to Gottenburg. -One of the sailors hearing us speaking the English, addressed us in the -same language, for he had been in the British service until he spoke the -English as well as his own tongue. Indeed, I have rarely heard the -English spoken by a foreigner so well as by this Swedish sailor; yet he -had acquired it solely by the ear. - -Locks are now frequent, and the passage very slow. One of them was -tended by a comely maiden, not more than sixteen years old, dressed -neatly with an embroidered petticoat, which she had to expose in pushing -the beam around to open and close the lock. This was a novel application -of female influence, but not very pleasing, being the first thing I had -seen in Sweden that was uncivilized and offensive. Lock after lock, -slowly and tediously we made our way through a pretty country, the -fields well tilled, woods and green meadows interchanging often, and the -land fenced off into smaller divisions than we had noticed in any other -country. The soil appeared to be good from the abundance of the growth. -The houses were neat, and the out-buildings numerous and well arranged, -showing signs of thrift and taste. The look was that of a farming people -well to do. - -We enter another lake, short, but very pretty, by name Asplagen, with -richly cultivated shores and sweet homes nestling among the trees; and -on the rising grounds we see beautiful pictures of Swedish life, rich -and prosperous residences, where it is evident that the good things of -this life are enjoyed, and plenty of them. - -An elderly Russian gentleman and a Swedish professor of physics in -Stockholm were among the passengers; the Swede had travelled in America, -and was very happy to meet an American, while the Russian was greatly -interested in learning of that wonderful country. He spoke five -languages, and he said that his countrymen, if educated at all, could -speak both English and French. While these gentlemen were my constant -companions on board, they cordially hated each other’s country, the old -antipathy of Russian and Swede cropping out continually, and making it a -difficult task to keep the peace between them. - -[Illustration: ROXEN LOCKS.] - -Another stretch of the canal brought us to Lake Roxen, a wide and -beautiful expanse, the passage through it requiring an hour. At the -western end of it is the town of Berg, where a hill is to be surmounted -by a series of locks, eleven in number, opening one into another, and -the process requires so much time that we can leave the ship and make an -excursion to an interesting and ancient church in the neighborhood. It -is the Vetra-Kloster, Gothic in style, and built in 1128, when Inge II. -was king in Sweden, and he is buried in it. The Douglas family of -Scotland, in the time of Cromwell, came to this place to find a safe -retreat, and they became famous in the wars of Sweden. They are interred -right royally in this sanctuary. The mansion they occupied stands -conspicuously on the borders of the beautiful lake, commanding splendid -views of this lovely scenery. Villages are scattered over a rich -country, and the spires of churches pointing heavenward tell the pious -hopes of a people whose God is the Lord. The church stands in the midst -of a large graveyard, and this is filled with flowers and shrubs and -shade trees, and the monumental stones bear dates of great antiquity. -The portal of the church was once the prison of a convent which was -attached to the church, for this was built when Romanism ruled this -region as well as southern Europe. The floor is of stone, and the aisles -are of tombstones bearing inscriptions in German, Swedish, and Latin; -epigrammatic and striking some of them are, and have silently preached -to the passer-by for some centuries. “_Mors certa, hora incerta_,” and -“_Hodie mihi, cras tibi_,” are not very sententious, but they have their -point on a gravestone. - -In a stone sarcophagus of very singular form, with a long inscription -upon it, lies the body of Inge II.; wooden effigies of unknown -personages, divine or human alike unintelligible to me, keep the dead -monarch company in his sleep of the ages. Another chapel contains two -sarcophagi, in which side by side through successive centuries the royal -ashes rest of those whose names are now forgotten, but might be spelled -out, if it were worth the trouble. And in another chapel are the tombs -of the Scotch Douglases, who fled their own country and found glory and -graves, that’s all, in this retired spot in the heart of Sweden. For -this is purely a rural church, far from the town and all the busy haunts -of men, a fitting place for worship, and a comely spot for graves. It -has been used for both, more than seven hundred years. The avarice of -man has not encroached upon its acres, nor coveted its stones. - -Returning from our excursion, we heard the sound of children’s voices, -and were led to a neat school-house in a pleasant enclosure, retired -from the street, and being in the pursuit of knowledge we turned in to -see and hear. About fifty children were receiving instruction from a -master, who courteously bade us enter, and proceeded with his work. All -the scholars, and they were of both sexes, were standing, and reading in -concert from a history of Sweden. The reading being finished, the -teacher put questions to them on the portion they had read, which they -answered promptly, and showed lively interest in the lesson. Around the -walls were suspended maps of the world and of the several countries, and -there were black-boards and all needful appliances, such as would belong -to a well appointed school. In the Universal Exhibition at Paris I had -seen a Swedish school-house with its furniture, &c., and had remarked -that no country made a better exhibition of the apparatus for educating -children than Sweden. - -Returning from the visit to the Vetra-Kloster, and its graves of the -kings and the Douglases, we found that the boat had made its way through -the eleven locks and was once more fairly launched on the peaceful bosom -of the grand canal. It was the hour for dining, and the table was spread -on deck, awnings overhead and at the sides to shelter us from the cool -wind while eating. The Swedish dinner, even on a canal-boat, was good, -preceded by the inevitable schnapps and radishes and other appetizers, -and followed by a tolerable soup, fine fish, veal, puddings, and various -trimmings needless to mention. I give you the bill of fare merely to -show that there is enough to eat all the world over, and that you are -not likely to suffer for want of comfortable food, even on a canal in -the heart of Sweden. - -We pass through many villages, each with its venerable church, and -houses shaded with overhanging trees, farms well tilled, and now smiling -with growing harvests and heavy clover. I saw no Indian corn, though I -looked for it often. Probably the warm weather is too short-lived for -the crop to ripen. No women were working in the fields. But we came to a -drawbridge, and whistling for some one to open it, a woman ran from her -house with the lever in her hand, ground away as for dear life, and by -the time we reached it the draw was open for us to pass through. The -poor woman was exhausted by the severe exertion, her lips were white as -snow, and she looked ready to faint as we glided by her, and the pilot -gave her a caution to keep a better lookout next time. - -And now we cross another lake, _Boren_ by name, the most beautiful of -any we have yet seen. This frequent change from the monotony of the -canal to the lovely scenery of these lakes, imparts a charm to the -journey across the country which we did not anticipate. We now come to -_Motala_, where the greatest Swedish iron-works are located. An English -company has possession of one of the most valuable iron-mines, and the -Swedish government has set up a vast establishment here for the building -of locomotives, iron-clad steamers, monitors, &c., which are said to be -equal to any that are made in the world. The boat had to lie here for -freight long enough for us to go through all the works, which were -freely open to our inspection. - -We enter Lake Wetter, one of the largest lakes in Europe. We are soon -out at sea, at least so far that we cannot see the land. It is very -rough, with high wind. One of the sailors assured me that old salts, for -whom the ocean itself had no terrors, are sometimes made sick by the -pitch and toss of Lake Wetter. We touch at Wadstena, a large town from -which our good ship takes its name: a place of great importance in the -commerce of the country, with shops on the docks, like those of a -seaport. What I supposed were bags of grain, lying in great heaps to be -taken on board, proved to be dried peas, and they, with beans, must be -largely grown in these parts. In the suburbs of the place were elegant -residences, with fine parks and beautiful gardens, old and -wide-spreading trees, flower-beds and ornamental shrubbery, some of them -evidently public resorts for the people, and others the appendages of -private residences. Wealth, culture, and enjoyment were thus revealed, -and I had that pleasure which so often greets me in travel,—the -consciousness that a new and strange people, whom I shall probably never -see again, are taking just as much comfort in life, and working out the -ends of living just as well as the inhabitants of other lands with whom -we are more familiar. The Swedish peasantry live well, generally, and -are not exposed to the evils of want, as the hard-working classes in -Poland and Russia. Labor is cheap, and provisions are cheap also. The -houses of the well-to-do people are often made with double windows; they -are rarely more than one story high, the ceilings are low, and thus they -are more readily kept warm in winter. Indeed, I am assured that the -inhabitants in these northern countries, including Russia, often suffer -more from heat than cold in their houses during the severe weather of -their cold season. Education is generally diffused in Sweden, nearly all -being able to read and write; and, taken as a whole, the people being -moral, industrious, frugal, and contented, what could they have more? - -The captain came to my cabin, where I was writing, and asked me on deck -to see the sunset and the loveliest view as we approached the village of -Forsvik. It stands at the head of a small lake, and is embosomed with -field and forest—a sweet picture; the manor-house, whose owner is also -at the head of the iron-works, is large and elegant. Here we pass into -the canal again, and through a dense forest, the banks of the canal -being bold and rock-bound, and we just graze them as we pass; indeed, we -seem to be more on land than water; and in fifteen minutes we have cut -through the woods, and rush out into another lake, coming soon to the -highest level between the two seas. We are three hundred and twenty feet -above the sea level, all of which has been surmounted by locks, and now -we must begin the descent by the same means, seventy-five locks in all -being required to take us up from one sea, on one side of Sweden, and -set us down in another sea, on the other side. - -The evening had been delicious on deck, but as it drew nigh to midnight, -I would turn in. My companion for the night was the Russian gentleman -whose friendship I had secured during the day. His long, white beard had -commanded my respect. He had asked me innumerable questions of my -country and myself, all of which I had answered to the best of my -ability. He had learned my name,—which he pronounced _Preem_, as all the -continental Europeans do,—and somewhat of my profession, and he -determined to do the polite thing, and in English too, before going into -retirement for the night. His berth was on one side of the little cabin, -mine on the other. We could shake hands across, but we did not. He -arrayed himself in his robes of the night: a red night-cap surmounted -his head, making a fiery contrast with his snow-white beard. Sitting up -on his couch, he addressed me with great dignity and formality: “My -Reverend Preem, I wish you good-night,” and subsided into the pillow. - -In the course of the night we steamed out of the canal into Lake Wenner, -the largest in Sweden, and the third in size of all the lakes in Europe. -Even in bed we could perceive that we were at sea, for the roll of the -ship was as if we were on the Mediterranean. But we made the most of the -passage before morning, and touched the next day at Johkoping, one of -the most important inland towns in the kingdom. - -This Lake Wenner abounds in trout, and to catch them of the modest -weight of forty pounds is nothing remarkable. It would have been -remarked, however, if we had had the luck to catch one of that weight, -or any thing like it. - -A Swedish ship-captain entertained me with stories of his life on this -canal, with vessels worked by sails, pulled by man, and sometimes -bullock power, creeping cautiously through the lakes, and running in -shore whenever the wind was up. He said that he had lived all his days -in this way, and was now taking his ease. All day, as we were making our -way slowly along, we had been hearing the praises sounded of the Falls -of Trollhatten, which we were to reach in the afternoon. The scenery had -been improving, rising sometimes into the grand, and always picturesque -and pleasing, as we passed well-tilled farms and the abodes of -prosperous peasants. A range of locks must be worried through to get by -the Falls, and this gives us the time we want, to see and enjoy one of -the finest cataracts in Europe! You know they have nothing very great in -that line. I have seen them all, and written them up as much as they -would bear, but they do not amount to any thing very wonderful, nothing -indeed to be compared with ours. We have half a dozen falls that would -outleap and outroar all theirs, and we must praise them as an off-set to -their palaces and pictures and stone women. They have marvels of art; -we, wonders of nature, especially Niagara. Foreigners enjoy a -description of Niagara by one who has seen it more than to hear of any -thing else in America. But they have often been sullenly incredulous -when I have assured them that a mighty river, with the water of half a -dozen inland seas, gathers itself within banks a mile asunder, and then -makes one prodigious plunge over a precipice 150 feet deep, into an -unfathomed gulf! - -Trollhatten does not attempt such a feat. But the river is caught among -a mass of rocks in a narrow gorge, just where the mountains break down -to the valley, and the stream comes roaring, tumbling, foaming, rushing -headlong with power, fury, madness, indescribable. Water in motion is -always beautiful, and when a mighty volume of it is struggling with -resisting forces, tearing its way over and down the jagged rocks, and -among the green trees of overhanging precipices, what is beautiful -becomes sublime and fearful, and admiration rises into awe. In one place -the rocks have been actually cut away by art to allow the passage of the -water for use, and then the torrent leaps seventy feet at one bound into -a frightful abyss. One lofty rock, with a broad, smooth face, like a -great tablet, is inscribed with the names of kings, and the dates of -their visit to this romantic and interesting spot. - -We are now to take the river. The canal is at an end for us. Already we -have a taste of more exciting navigation. To get the steamer into the -river the sailors are working away as if for dear life. One poor fellow -is caught by the leg in a hawser-line, carried overboard, and when -brought on deck is found to have one of his legs broken. It was a sad -termination to our pleasure excursion of three days. We had been brought -into such constant intercourse with the men that we knew them all, and -felt a personal interest in the poor seaman now stretched helpless on -the deck. He was carried to the forecastle, and put away to be taken to -the hospital at Gottenburg, but we could not put him out of mind so -easily. After the excitement was over, I asked the captain what the -owners would do for a sailor thus injured in their service, and learned -that they would pay his hospital charges, and nothing more; in the mean -time, while he was getting well, his family must look out for -themselves. I then proposed to the captain and the Swedish professor -that we should take up a collection among the passengers to help the -man’s family in their want. To my surprise, they said it was a thing -unknown among them, and would not meet with any favor if attempted. They -regarded the idea as quite fanciful and preposterous. Well, I said, “In -my country the passengers would do it; if you will interpret for me I -will make a little speech, and you will see that they will not only -give, but be greatly pleased with the opportunity of doing something.” -The professor consented to be the interpreter, and we called the -passengers together. I told them that “two or three Americans travelling -with them through their beautiful and interesting country had greatly -enjoyed the pleasant voyage of the last few days; but its pleasure had -been marred by the sad accident that had just occurred to one engaged in -our service. Though he was unknown to us, he was a man and a brother, -and in the country from which I came, when such an event took place, we -were in the habit of showing our sympathy for the injured by giving him -money to lighten the calamity that had befallen him. You would gladly do -so if you were permitted, and we propose to go around with a hat and let -every one who is disposed contribute what he or she is pleased to give.” -The professor turned the speech into Swedish, or at least said as much -in that tongue, probably more and better. I could not understand a word; -but his remarks were received with lively applause, and at his allusions -to the _Americans_ I nodded most intelligently, taking it for granted -that he was saying something complimentary. We then received the gifts, -and I believe that every passenger, male and female, gave something, and -with a cheerfulness beautiful to observe. - -A lone tower, rising above a mass of ruins, with a single wall -surmounted by a heap of stones, strikingly resembling a huge lion, is -all that remains of Hongfel, one of the most extensive of the old-time -castles of Sweden. Here the river divides into two. We enter the left -branch, passing near a fertile island; and, as the sun is going down -behind a bank of threatening clouds, the city of Gottenburg, a seaport -on the German ocean, rises upon our view with commanding beauty as we -approach, and see the towers of its churches and the roofs of its -principal buildings glistening in the last rays of the summer’s setting -sun. The harbor is well protected, and the forest of masts presented all -the appearances of a busy seaport. The usual crowd was on the wharf as -our boat came to, but perfect order prevailed. No rush was made for -baggage or passengers, but each one waited to be called for,—a model of -good breeding that might be shown to advantage in the wilds of western -civilization. Those of us who had become _well_ acquainted in three -days’ companionship now shook hands and bade each other farewell in our -several tongues, the broken-legged sailor not being forgotten, as he lay -in his bunk waiting to be taken to the hospital. We were soon -distributed in our several directions, and parted, perhaps not to meet -again, certainly not all of us, in this world. - -It will give you an idea of the prices that rule in this country if I -tell you that at the wharf we stepped into a carriage with two horses, -our luggage was put on, we were driven to the hotel _Gotha Kallare_, the -luggage was taken up to the chambers, and the price for the whole -service was less than fifty cents of our money. Sweden still bears the -palm of cheapness over all the countries I have seen. - -Gottenburg proved to be an interesting place, though noted more for its -commerce with Britain and America than for any thing else. The -Merchants’ Exchange is a model in its way, combining a hall, and rooms -for social entertainments, concerts, &c., which are managed by municipal -authority. A museum of antiquities, illustrating the history and -condition of the country, is well arranged, and would profitably detain -the traveller a day or two to study it. The paintings are also -interesting, where they preserve the memory of men and things belonging -to Sweden, and of these there were many. The landlord of our hotel -having learned from some of the Americans in our party that I was -connected with the press, took pains to bring me into contact with my -brethren of that fraternity in Gottenburg. Mr. Rubenson called and led -me to the office of the _Daily News_, a paper devoted chiefly to the -interests of merchants and sailors. I went through their press-rooms, -composing and editorial apartments, and found them remarkably like those -I was quite familiar with at home. This paper has a circulation of 8,000 -daily, and on Saturday is published an edition of 3,000 extra, because -on that day the poorer classes buy a paper for Sunday reading. - -Mr. Rubenson took me to visit an institution the like of which I never -heard of in any other city, and yet so useful in its object and result, -that I had great satisfaction in visiting it. I am very anxious to have -it known to the ladies of my own afflicted land. It was established by -the energetic benevolence of one of the ladies of the city, who -succeeded in getting a building specially erected and fitted for the -purpose of giving young women instruction and practice in the arts of -domestic life. - -Impelled by a desire to benefit both the servant and the mistress, by -improving the qualities of the one, and adding thus to the comfort of -the other, this Swedish lady, with charity equal to her countrywoman -Jenny Lind, or Fredrika Bremer, established this school. Girls of good -moral character, who wish to go out to service, are received, and, under -the direction of a competent matron, are made adepts in the sublime -mysteries of the kitchen and laundry. The establishment takes in washing -and baking and cooking for private families, hotels, and restaurants, -and the money thus earned goes far toward paying the current expenses. -The girls are taught to put their hands to every thing that must be done -in the household. By turns they wait upon table, and the matron is at -its head to give instruction, that they may become expert in serving the -dinner as well as in cooking it, and those who sit at table may also -learn to be decent in eating it. - -And it was pleasant to learn that admission to this training-house is -regarded as a great privilege. It is even secured as a reward for -proficiency in the free schools; so that a young woman who has -distinguished herself for good conduct in school, is entitled to still -further education in this house as a reward of merit. These young women -are in constant demand by families, who are ready to pay them higher -wages, because they are graduates of a training-school where they have -learned the theory and practice of household labor. - -One of the greatest enjoyments of wanderings in foreign lands has been -found in the discovery that there are good people all over the world; -that they are toiling and praying for the good of their -fellow-creatures, trying to make society better, the burden of the poor -more easy to be borne, and this by helping them to help themselves. The -future of these northern countries is more hopeful because of the -enlightened philanthropy of such as the friends I have just met. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXVII. - - NORWAY. - - -UP in this part of the world you must be very careful to look out for -yourself, in all matters that require _certainty_ as to times and ways -of travel. It was hard to learn when a steamer would go north from -Gottenburg, and all that we did learn from captains and porters and -landlords proved to be erroneous. But at last it was settled that a boat -would be along the next morning from Copenhagen, bound to Christiania, -and if we were at the wharf at _four_ A.M. we could go! We were called -at three, and it was just as light as noonday. The luggage was taken by -hand-carts, and the travellers, a goodly company, trudged to the wharf, -a sleepy, grumbling set of Americans, who were sore vexed at being waked -so early; four families, who met at Gottenburg, and were now embarking -on the German Ocean to visit Norway. We suffered on deck from the cold, -and were obliged to seek shelter in the cabin, but every berth, settee, -chair, and peg, were occupied, so great was the crowd of passengers on -the Viking to-day. Breakfast was served early, beginning with Norwegian -cheese, quite equal to basswood, followed by eggs, caviar, beefsteaks, -salt fish, and other things, and by the time this was over, the day was -fairly opened; one of the brightest and most beautiful, with its cool, -bracing, stimulating air, that we had ever seen. The Skager-rack (we had -been familiar with the Skager-rack and Cattegat in the geography from -school-days) stretched away to the horizon, seemingly to our own loved -land in the west. - -At Freidericksvern we landed a large number of our passengers. This is a -naval station, and the residence of officers with their families. The -hills about the picturesque town are attractive to the mineralogist, and -the “crystals of shining feldspar are seen at a distance.” I did not see -them. Entering a bay, and keeping near to the rock-bound coast, we -steamed up a river for several hours, touched at Moss, crossed over to -Hosten, a great naval station, and found a host of people on the wharf, -to wait the steamer’s arrival. Here the fiord, or bay, divides into two, -one leading to Dremmen, and the other, which we pursue, to CHRISTIANIA, -the capital of Norway. The mountains on the left are bold; sometimes -lofty perpendicular rocks rise from the water. The sight is striking, -grand indeed. Night approaches, but not darkness. It is nine, ten, -eleven o’clock, and still the daylight lingers. At midnight we arrived -at our destined port. We have been steaming almost due north twenty -hours. Our baggage must be searched, for Norway has its own customs, -though under the same crown with Sweden. But the search was slight and -soon over. Perhaps you will be as much surprised to hear as I was to see -that the city of Christiania is so much like other cities; if I had -awoke out of sleep and found myself in it, I would not have supposed -myself in the northernmost kingdom of Europe, and on the confines of the -frozen zone. It has indeed a frigid look, a barrenness of ornament, a -precise, severe, and perfectly plain style of building, if that may be -called a style which is no style at all. But there is nothing about it -to excite observation, except it be that it is more of a city, with -greater attractions in objects of interest to visit, than one would look -for in Norway. - -The house at which I am stopping, Hotel du Nord, has rooms for two -hundred guests; it is a hollow square, with a balcony on the four sides -of the quadrangular court within, and each room on the balcony has a -door opening upon it. On the piazza of the central building is a -platform covered with awning, and surrounded with shrubs and flowers, -with a fountain of water playing in the midst. I find in these -hyperborean regions the people take pains to adorn their houses with -plants and blooming flowers, to cheat themselves with the pleasing -delusion that they are just as well off as those who dwell in more -genial climes. This is true of the dwellers in the cities, and in the -rural villages also, where I have noticed that windows are filled with -plants exposed to the sun and the passer’s eye. - -The stove in my room is of cast iron, and wood is the fuel. As it is now -midsummer (July 6), we do not intend to use it, but it is a curiosity. -It is four stories high, the lower one for the fuel, and the others are -chambers to hold dishes for warming, and also to increase the surface -for radiation of heat. We enjoy the sight of it, hoping that in the -dreadful weather to come some of our successors may enjoy the heat -thereof. - -This morning we took our first breakfast in Norway, and, according to -our usual custom of giving you a bill of fare in each country, to let -you know how we live in strange lands, I will just mention that we had -for our simple repast coffee, cold lobster, beefsteak, ham, tongue, -corned beef, fried sole, boiled salmon, herring, with bread, butter, -cheese, strawberries, and all other things needed to make out a meal. - -The city has about fifty thousand people in it, and makes progress very -slowly. It has a palace, which I positively did not visit, having made a -resolution not to be tempted to go through any more, and a museum, which -greatly entertained me for an hour or two. - -In these Scandinavian countries (meaning Sweden, Norway, and Denmark), -they are very curious to discover and to preserve all remnants of the -heathen worship of Odin which once prevailed, and this museum has some -very precious relics of that dead past. A massive gold collar, and -various ornaments, which were found buried in the earth, are very -naturally referred to the days of idolatry, when they adorned a statue -of Odin. And I am more and more convinced that to this day there is a -lurking reverence among the ignorant peasantry for the deity of those -old-time heroes, whom their fathers worshipped. So prone is human nature -to superstition, and so hard is it to blot out of the popular mind and -heart those ideas which, even in remote generations, got firm hold. - -Another very remarkable memorial of past times and customs treasured in -the museum is the girdle and the knives which the gentlemen of Norway -used in the good old days, now lost, when they _pitched into_ one -another in duels. First, each one of the combatants took a butcher-knife -(we call them bowie-knives now), and plunged it as deep as he could into -a block of wood. The blade, so much as was not in the wood, was then -wound round tight with strips of leather, and the knives were cautiously -drawn out, and each man took his own. It therefore had now a longer or -shorter point, according to the strength he had to plunge it into the -wood. Their girdles were then fastened together, so that they could not -get away from one another. Now they went at it hip and thigh, cut and -slash, till one or both were killed. If modern duellists were put to -such tests of strength and courage, there would be few challenges. - -Much more pleasant to look upon, and a memento of a very curious and -perhaps a pleasing custom, which, however, is not of the by-gone times, -but still common in Scandinavia, at least in the Bergen district, is the -crown and girdle and frontlet worn by the bride on the wedding day. But -all brides are not allowed to wear such ornaments as these: only brides -who have been good girls all the time before. If they have been naughty, -they must be married without these distinctions, and we may well believe -that they are therefore very highly esteemed among young women in the -north country. It seems to intimate, also, that it is not altogether a -rare thing for a bride to be deprived of the privilege of being thus -distinguished, for it is hardly possible that such a state of society -can exist anywhere as to have an advertisement made at a wedding that a -bride is no better than she should be. But the manners and customs of -the world are very queer to the notions of those whose manners and -customs are very different, and in no part of domestic life are these -habits so monstrously diverse as in the matter of wedding ceremonies. - -While wandering through the museum I found that the collection of -heathen relics was comparatively small. They are often found by the -peasants in their tillage of the land, but they keep them secret and -sacred, attaching peculiar value to them as charms and medicines, -averting evil and healing diseases. So powerful still is this hereditary -heathenism in the vulgar mind. - -The university is beautifully situated, and handsomely appointed for the -instruction of about a thousand students, that great number flocking -here to enjoy the lectures of its distinguished professors. But Norway -has done very little for science or literature, though such names as -Holberg and Wessel are well known abroad. The men of learning in Norway -generally publish their writings in the German language, to find -readers. Norway would furnish a limited field. Education is general, and -it is rare to find a person who cannot read and write. Nearly every town -has its newspaper, and at the capital there are reviews and magazines -which evince learning and ability. - -In the afternoon we set off to go by rail and boat a hundred miles into -the interior, to spend the sabbath among the natives in the heart of the -country. Going north from Christiania we found the scenery tame, but -cheerful, as we passed among well-tilled farms, through small villages, -with low but comfortable houses, and in each village a neat church, -which told us, as we rode by, of two good things, first, that the people -were Christians, and, secondly, that they were not split up into sects. -Long may it be before a little village in Norway, with five hundred -inhabitants, shall require five places of worship! Now and then in the -open country a white mansion gave evidence of wealth and taste. A stream -of water and frequent ponds, with saw-mills, rafts of logs and piles of -lumber, showed the staple of this region; and we saw forests of fir, -pine, spruce, and birch, the hardy natives of the North. Occasionally we -caught fine views of distant hills, with long intervals of field and -forest and villages. - -At EIDSVOLD we came to Lake MJOSEN. You can’t pronounce the name of the -lake? Well, you must do as well as you can. The lake is a beautiful -expanse of water sixty miles long, four or five wide, full of salmon and -trout, and navigated by steamers, on one of which we are speedily -embarked. The company is a curious mixture. Three or four American -families, some English, many natives, and all social and friendly, for -they are beyond the restraints of society, and are willing to give and -take, as people should be, but are not, all the world over. We do not -know how many kind-hearted neighbors we have in travel or at home until -we break our respective shells and speak out. - -The English commercial traveller is everywhere, and, of course, was on -this boat. He is altogether ahead of the smartest, cutest, and most -inquisitive Yankee. He will ask more questions and tell you more of his -business than our communicative countrymen are disposed to mention. One -of them was near me this afternoon; he was on his annual excursion among -the inland towns of Norway, to get orders for his employer’s house (iron -goods was the line of trade) in England. When he began his travels, a -few years ago, he was the only agent from the city where the business -was located; now, he said, there are twelve houses in the same trade, -each one of which has its “commercial traveller” persecuting the natives -of Norway into buying their goods. They must learn the language, of -course, and then go from village to village all the summer, driving -their business with energy, followed by other travellers of other -houses, in other lines of traffic. So the shops of England are open at -the door of every trader in the most obscure parts of this secluded -country. So the iron and cotton and woollen goods of Sheffield and -Birmingham and Manchester are forced out of the little island of their -production into all the earth. I presume we do our share of the same -kind of pushing; but John Bull is the master of the business. - -On this boat were files of newspapers and a neat library of well -selected books in Norse, and German, and in English, for the use of -passengers. The large number of volumes in our own tongue showed that -they made special circulations on having English-speaking travellers. -Indeed, in the summer season Norway is taken possession of by the -English. All the streams are bought or hired by sportsmen in England, -who come annually, and thus secure the exclusive right to catch the fish -in them. Many who are not aware of this “pre-emption” come to Norway, -and are disappointed of their sport. - -Close by the hotel stands an ancient church, well preserved, and very -interesting. The pastor resides five miles away; but he arrived at the -hotel before service, for the good people of the inn were his -parishioners, and they make him welcome every Sunday morning for a -little refreshment after his ride and before his labors begin. He was a -very fat man, with a face that did not bespeak the scholar and divine -any more than did the faces of my lamented friends Bethune and Krebs, -both eloquent and learned, but not _spirituel_ in their _physique_. He -spoke neither English nor French, and our conversation was, therefore, -only of the most general character, patched out of German and Latin. - -At eleven o’clock we went over to the church. It is built of logs, in -the form of a cross; the logs fitted nicely together, and boarded rudely -on the outside. No plaster or paint was on the inside. Pine-tree -branches, with projecting sticks, were convenient hat stands. In front -of the pulpit the altar was railed off, and over the railing was the -national coat of arms. Over the altar were little images, a crucifix, -Virgin Mary, and such signs of lingering superstition as the Lutheran -Church in these countries still retains. - -The women sat on one side of the middle aisle, the men on the other. The -men were fine looking, generally of good height and stalwart. The women -were not good looking. They wore no peculiar costume. Many had bonnets -on. Some had only a handkerchief on their heads, of white, yellow, red, -or spotted, as the taste of each suggested. Some elderly ladies wore -white lace or muslin caps, extending in front, and some had a black silk -cap on the back of their heads. The men wore plain, black clothes, -coarse, but clean and decent. - -They were devout in appearance and very attentive. The preacher was -earnest, and in his manner patriarchal, pastoral, affectionate. He had -no Bible, and no notes before him, but discoursed with great fluency and -fervor. - -After sermon the Lord’s Supper was celebrated. The whole congregation -communed. The house was packed full of people, and it appeared to me -that every individual came forward to partake. They went up in -successive groups, knelt, and the pastor placed his hand on the head of -each one and pronounced words of absolution. When this was done the -assistant came out and put a white gown on the pastor, over the black -with a white ruff, in which he had preached. The assistant said a prayer -while the pastor was kneeling, and then intoned a service, in which -there were no responses, except from the organ. Each communicant -received, while kneeling, both bread and wine from the hands of the -pastor. - -The service was very long, and it appeared longer to us who did not -understand a word of the language used. But it was very affecting. There -was so much earnestness and devotion in pastor and people; they -approached with such evident solemnity and becoming fear, and yet with -such strong desire, and the venerable pastor, like a father in the midst -of his children, gave them the emblems of redeeming love with such -gracious kindness of tone and manner that I was constrained to ask my -companion what he thought of it, and he answered, “I should like to go -and join them.” This would not have been proper, as we were strangers to -all present, and it may be that it would have been inconsistent with -their rules to receive us. But our hearts were with them, and we came -away refreshed. We had been in communion with them, though they knew it -not, and with our common Lord and Master, whose table in Norway is the -same, and spread with the same simple but delicious fare in the north as -in the south. And when we all come, as we shall come, from the east and -the west, and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom -of God, I hope to meet my Norway pastor and his people at the Supper of -the Lamb. - -It made very plain to me the essential oneness of the church on earth. -What did they,—these simple-hearted Christians in the heart of -Norway,—what did they but testify their faith in Him whose sacrifice is -their salvation? - -It was pleasant to observe that the village was throughout the sabbath -as quiet and orderly as any place in our own or any land could be. The -scenery around it is picturesque and beautiful. Sombre mountains, sweet -valleys, romantic waterfalls, green hillsides, these are the natural -features of this secluded region, where I came to get into the very -heart of Norway, and spend a sabbath among the people. - -Cheap as living is in Sweden it is cheaper in Norway. In -Lillehammer,—this pleasant village at the head of Lake Mjosen, in the -midst of beautiful scenery, where a fire is a luxury in midsummer, and -the windows of the cottages blossom with flowers, and the streams laugh -loudly as they tumbled along among the hills, where the linen on the -beds and the table is as white as the snow of the long winters,—here in -Lillehammer I spent one day and two nights, and my hotel bill for five -meals, two sleeps, and three rides, was three dollars of our money. That -is cheap enough, I am sure; for the eating and sleeping and riding were -just as good as you would get at Niagara Falls, where the prices are so -high that the Falls appear low in comparison. - -Early in the morning we returned to the steamboat on the lake, to go -back to Christiania. A young woman, a cripple, was brought in an -arm-chair by two men, and tenderly placed on board. The care they seemed -to take of her was touching, and her gentleness made me wish that I had -the Norse language at command that I might learn something of life among -the lowly and the suffering, in this part of the world. - -At _Eidsvold_ we touched, and saw the people launching an _iron -steamer_, for lake navigation, of course, and it was new to me to see a -vessel launched _sideways_. - -[Illustration: TRAVELLING IN CARIOLES IN NORWAY.] - -At Christiania a large party of Americans—and we were certainly in the -midst of them—spent the afternoon in seeing the sights of the town, and -riding about in the _carioles_ of the country. A _cariole_ is not a -carry-all, for its capacity is to hold one, and no more. A boy may hang -on behind to hold the little horse when you stop, but you ride alone and -drive. Not much driving is required; you take your seat in this low, -uncovered, rattling, comfortless concern, and away goes the rat of a -horse, tearing along like mad; and as each person has to have a machine -to himself, a dozen of them make a long string of vehicles, which, -dashing over the stones, create a sensation. Young ladies from America -are fond of this exciting exercise. It is almost equal to horseback -riding. Some English ladies of title and wealth are making the tour of -Norway this summer with no attendants, travelling only in the cariole. -The government makes all needful provision for travellers that they may -not be imposed upon by the post-keepers. Licensed houses are planted -along the highways at intervals of about ten miles, where the keeper is -obliged to keep a certain number of horses for hire, and if all are out, -when a traveller comes he is required to get horses from his neighbors. -You buy your cariole,—a cheap and miserable thing it is,—hire a bit of a -horse, and are off. At the first post-house you leave your horse, take -another, paying the legal price for its use, enter your name in a book -with any complaint you may have to make of the treatment you have -received, which the Government Inspector is to read when he comes in his -regular tours. These post-houses could, at a pinch, give you something -to eat and a place to sleep in; and a few days and nights of travel in -Norway will make fare and quarters tolerable, at which you might have -slightly elevated your nose in Paris or Broadway. I have been in several -countries and have passed some years in travel, but never spent -twenty-four hours in my life without food convenient for me, and a -better place to sleep in than his who had not where to lay his head. - -So we set off from the tavern in the capital of Norway, in a dozen -carioles, rushing amain down the rough streets and out into the country -to _Oscar Hall_, and marvelled exceedingly at the taste and beauty of -its decorations within and without: nature adorned by art, in lovely -grounds about the house, and the views of the Fiord, the mountains and -plains. - -The castle of _Agershaus_ commands magnificent views, and keeps in its -strongholds the regalia of Norway and the records of its romantic -history. Old guns, relics of an effete system of warfare, bear on their -faces rude pictures in brass of barbarians in war. The old castle is a -prison now. And if you suppose that it takes an Englishman or even a -United-Statesman to make a cute rogue, just read the story of the Robin -Hood of Norway. - -In the castle of _Agershaus_, in Christiania, in a cage of thick iron -bars, is immured for life, Hoyland, the Robin Hood of Norway. His -robberies were always confined to the upper classes, while his kindness -and liberality to those in his own rank of life rendered him exceedingly -popular amongst them. His crimes never appear to have been accompanied -with personal violence. He is a native of Christiansand, where he began -his career. On being imprisoned for some petty theft, he broke into the -inspector’s room, while he was at church, and stole his clothes; these -Hoyland dressed himself in and quietly walked out of the town unobserved -and unsuspected. He was subsequently repeatedly captured, and imprisoned -in this castle, and often made his escape. On one occasion he was taken -on board a vessel just leaving the Christiania Fiord for America. -Previous to his escape, all descriptions of irons having been found -useless, he was placed in solitary confinement in the strongest part of -the basement of the citadel—his room was floored with very thick planks. -Here he had been confined for several years, when one night the turnkey -said to him, “Well, you are fixed at last, you will never get out of -this, and you may as well promise us you will not attempt it.” To this -he only replied, “It is your business to keep me here if you can, and -mine to prevent your doing so if possible.” The following day, when his -cell was opened, the prisoner was gone, apparently without leaving a -trace of the manner in which he had effected his escape. After a -repeated and careful search, on removing his bed, it was found that he -had cut through the thick planks of the flooring. On removing the planks -cut away (and which he had replaced on leaving the cell) it appeared he -had sunk a shaft, and formed a gallery under the wall of his prison—this -enabled him to gain the court-yard, from which he easily reached the -ramparts unseen, dropped into the ditch and got off. No trace of him -could be found. About twelve months afterwards, the National Bank was -robbed of 60,000 dollars, chiefly paper money, and in the most -mysterious manner, there being no trace of violence upon the locks of -the iron chest in which the money had been left, or upon those of the -doors of the bank. Some time afterwards a petty theft was committed by a -man who was taken and soon recognized to be Hoyland. He then disclosed -how he had effected his last escape, which had taken him three years of -steady patient labor to accomplish; while others slept he was at work, -and with a nail for his only tool. Having money concealed in the -mountains he was sheltered in Christiania—disguised himself—made -acquaintance with the porter of the bank—gradually, without his -knowledge, took impressions of the various locks—made keys for them—and -thus committed the robbery before mentioned. He is said to carve -beautifully in wood and stone, but is no longer allowed the use of -tools. His sole occupation is knitting stockings with wooden pins. Twice -during the day, while the other prisoners are not at work, he is allowed -to leave his cell for air and exercise, and he occasionally gets the -amusement of a chat with the governor, by writing to him that he will -disclose where the rest of the bank money is concealed which he did not -get rid of while at liberty. - -Then we rode on and took a look at the Asylum for the Deaf, and Dumb, -and at the Home for the Aged, and at the Orphan Asylum, and at the -Workhouse, and all these institutions had the appearance of being the -fruit of intelligent philanthropy and Christian charity. - -Manufacturing villages were in the immediate vicinity of the city, with -cotton and iron mills driven by water power, and every thing about them -suggested thrift and comfort. - -We rode out to the oldest church of the city, and found in the adjoining -cemetery the grave of _Bradshaw_, whose _guide_ everybody carries and -nobody understands. I thought he was living and working in London, but -it seems that several years ago he came up here, with one of his own -guides, and found a grave. - -[Illustration: Drawing of coat of arms] - - - - -[Illustration: Palace of Frederiksberg] - - - - - CHAPTER XXXVIII. - - DENMARK. - - -WE are coming down to Denmark. Down from Norway and along the coast of -Sweden. First through the Skagerack and then the Cattegat, in the -steamer EXCELLENT TOLL, by name, with twenty American passengers. Fleets -of sailing vessels were in sight, the crews engaged in the mackerel -fishery, a great business off this coast. The day was as lovely as the -suns of Italy ever show, and the sunset revealed such splendors as I -never saw except in Mantua, under Italian skies. - -The sun went down as if into the western ocean, where poets often tell -us he “quenches his beams.” A few clouds were lying along the horizon, -in long rifts stretching a quarter of the way around the great circle of -the heavens. They were burnished with golden splendors, and among the -rifts the sky seemed painted with the hues of the rainbow. The -passengers stood on the upper deck, and _all_ were in raptures of -admiration gazing upon the magnificent scene. Long after the sun was -gone the great picture hung on the northern sky, and we watched it till -the many-colored painting gradually and finally faded into the sombre -tints of evening. The moon then gave us silver for gold, and for some -hours after sunset it looked as though the sun were rising! - -We passed the night on this voyage, touching at Gottenberg at midnight, -for an hour only. The next day (July 10) was equally brilliant with the -first, and the run along down the coast was exciting and pleasant. About -midday we entered the Sound and soon came to Elsinore, where we had no -Sound duties to pay. From time immemorial—so long that the date of the -origin of the custom is lost in the fogs of the region—the Danes have -been accustomed to demand and receive toll from every vessel passing -Elsinore. No end of trouble was the result of this. The Vienna treaty of -1815, after Napoleon’s downfall, confirmed the Danes in their enjoyment -of this imposition. Some nations afterwards commuted with Denmark, and -the whole thing was abolished in 1857. - -In the time of Tycho Brahe, the famous astronomer, whose house we saw on -one of the lakes in Sweden as we were going to Upsala, the Danes built a -mighty castle here, called KRONBORG, and mounted big guns, so as to -sweep the Sound and make it very desirable for vessels to stop as they -were going by and pay their toll. If they refused to do so they were -spoken to by these guns. And sometimes it was a word and a blow. This -castle is famous in the legends and history of Denmark, and within the -last hundred years it has held distinguished and royal prisoners, who -have exchanged dungeons for the scaffold. Down in the subterranean -casemates a thousand men may be stored away—soldiers to defend the -castle, or prisoners to pine in captivity. In one of these secret hiding -places, where neither light nor pity finds its way, a noted mythical -giant of Danish story is said to reside. He never comes up to the -surface of the earth, but when the State is in danger, and then he takes -the head of the army and leads it on to victory. His grasp is so strong -that his fingers leave their imprint on an iron crowbar when he holds it -in his fist. - -The views from the castle and from any of the elevations in Elsinore -embrace the town, the fortifications, Helsingborg on the other side of -the Sound, the Great Belt, the Baltic dotted with sails,—a grand -panorama indeed. - -Shakespeare was kind enough to make this vicinity classic and famous by -his Hamlet, whose grave is said to be here, and travellers come to find -it, as they look for Romeo and Juliet’s at Verona. In vain we are told -that Hamlet did not live nor die in these parts; that Jutland and not -Zealand, was his country. But they pay their money and they take their -choice, and most of people choose to believe that Hamlet was buried -hereabouts, and any heap of stones with Runic characters upon them would -answer the purpose, but they cannot find even this. Drop the letter H -and we have Amlet, and that signifies _madman_, and so you have the -beginning of the story on which the tragedy was founded. And the story -runs in this wise in the gossipy guide-books, so useful to travellers, -and especially to those who have to write about their travels. - -According to the Danish history of old Saxo Grammaticus, Hamlet was not -the son of a Danish king, but of a famous pirate-chief, who was governor -of Jutland in conjunction with his brother. Hamlet’s father married the -daughter of the Danish king, and the issue of that marriage was Hamlet. -Hamlet’s father was subsequently murdered by his brother, who married -the widow and succeeded to the government of the whole of Jutland. As a -pagan, it was Hamlet’s first duty to avenge his father. The better to -conceal his purpose, he feigned madness. His uncle, suspecting it to be -feigned, sent him to England, with a request to the king that he would -put Hamlet to death. He was accompanied by two creatures of his uncle, -whose letter to the English king was carved upon wood, according to the -custom of the period. This Hamlet during the voyage contrived to get -possession of, and so altered the characters as to make it a request -that his two companions should be slain, and which was accordingly done -on their arrival in England. He afterwards married the daughter of the -English king: but subsequently returning to Jutland, and still feigning -madness, contrived to surprise and slay his uncle, after upbraiding him -with his various crimes. Hamlet then became governor of Jutland, married -a second time to a queen of Scotland, and was eventually killed in -battle. - -I wish we could stop at Frederiksborg, but we must come back to it from -Copenhagen. For here is the royal castle of Denmark, built in 1600, and -now the repository of works of art and objects of antiquarian interest -connected with the reigning house. It was in this castle that the -unfortunate queen of Christian VII. died at the early age of -twenty-three, a broken-hearted victim of slander and conspiracy. In one -of the private rooms in which this beautiful woman was a prisoner, she -wrote with a diamond upon the window pane this touching and -self-sacrificing prayer:— - - “O keep me innocent, make others great.” - -The woodland scenery around the castle is charming. The Royal Forest -covers a vast extent laid out with lovely walks and drives, and the -whole island of Zealand is _preserved_ for royal pleasures in forest and -field. - -A drive through this forest brings you to the _Castle of Peace_, so -called because a treaty of peace was concluded in it with Sweden; and -perhaps it keeps its name the more fittingly, as the palace is now cut -up into apartments which are occupied by families, once rich, now poor, -belonging to the _aristocracy_. They find it very convenient to live in -a palace free of rent, and as the neighbors are all in the same -condition with themselves, they are not mortified by the fact that they -are dependents of the State. We would call such a place the royal -poor-house. In England, the splendid palace at Hampton Court, which -Cromwell built and gave to his king for fear he would take it without, -is used for decayed families of the British aristocracy, who live -genteelly in kings’ houses at very little expense. - -Denmark is not one of the _great_ countries of the earth, but very far -from being _least_ among the kingdoms. It has a history, and a future -too, civilization, religion, science, art, and enterprise. It made a -fine show at Paris in the World’s Industrial Exhibition, and has no -reason to be ashamed of her agriculture, manufactures, and _fish_. I was -surprised to notice in the fields so many of the productions common in -the northern States of America. A kitchen garden looked homelike, with -its pease and beans and cabbage and potatoes and turnips, and all the -ordinary vegetables cultivated in the same way with our own; and the -crops on the broader farms, wheat and rye and oats; so that the -children, playing the games of the country and singing as they played, -were doubtless familiar with the farmers’ song,— - - “Oats, pease, beans, and barley grow.” - -Let us study the history of Denmark for a moment. Time was when Denmark -was the ruling power in Scandinavia, which name includes her and Norway -and Sweden. Time was when Denmark conquered all England, and Sweyn I., -the king of Denmark, was on the throne that the Georges and Victoria -have since filled. Canute the Great was also king of Denmark and -England, and a line of kings after him swayed the same double sceptre. -This was when the Christian era was in the 1000’s, and perhaps Denmark -has never had a more illustrious period of history than in the first -part of the eleventh century. Then England and all the north, with part -of Prussia, were under her crown. - -She fell. And not by the superior prowess of any rival foreign prince, -but through the treachery and violence of one of her own subjects. Those -were turbulent times doubtless, and it is wonderful that the mighty -monarch of such a kingdom could be seized, as Valdemar II. was (by one -of his own subjects) while he and his son were hunting in the woods, -carried on board a sloop and off to a foreign castle and immured in -prison for three years. The proudest king in Europe was thus insulted -and bearded and degraded, while Europe looked on without raising a hand -to deliver him. At length the Pope threatened, and one word from him did -what the kings of the earth could not. Valdemar was released and -restored, but his prestige was destroyed and he never recovered from the -effects of his fall. Provinces revolted and became independent. England -set up for herself again. In 1387, Queen Margaret came to the throne of -Denmark and Norway, and subdued Sweden. For a hundred years the three -Scandinavian countries were under the same government. In 1448, the king -of Denmark died, and for a whole century no male heir was left by any -sovereign for the throne. Then the German dynasty came in, and the Duchy -of Schleswig was united with Holstein, which was annexed to Denmark -under Christian I. _There_ begins that Schleswig-Holstein question, -which bothered Europe and has plunged the country into war even in our -day. The very next king, Christian II., lost Sweden; and then Denmark -became a little monarchy, all by itself, which you will find embracing a -peninsula and several islands on the north-west coast of Europe. - -England and Denmark have been good friends notwithstanding the -unpleasant relations that once existed. Three or four times the royal -families have intermarried, and the Prince of Wales of the present day -depends far more on the popularity in England of his Danish wife, than -on any merits of his own for his future success on the British throne. -These pleasant relations were disturbed in the early part of the present -century when the British destroyed the Danish fleet and commerce; and, -since that time, Denmark has cultivated the arts of peace, making for -herself a name better than the glory of arms or extent of territory. - -Christianity fought with paganism in Denmark during the eighth and ninth -centuries; and, after a terrible struggle, triumphed over Thor and Odin, -whose superstitious power is still felt in the minds of the more -ignorant of the people. Then the Romish religion reigned, until the -Luther reformation came with healing in its beams, and Protestantism -became the religion of Denmark. The Lutheran form of worship is -established, but, under the constitution, toleration is enjoyed. - -In no one department of public interest have I been more pleased to be -disappointed, than in the general intelligence prevailing among the -people of these northern countries of Europe. They are Protestants, and, -therefore, knowledge is diffused; the people wishing it, and the -government encouraging it. No Roman Catholic government favors free -schools and the universal elevation of the people. The Danes have a -school in every parish, and every child is obliged to go to school and -learn to read and write. There are higher grades of schools in all the -towns, and two universities,—one at Copenhagen and one at Kiel. Thus the -means of education being brought within the reach of the humblest, the -whole country is enlightened. - -[Illustration: A DOMESTIC SCENE IN DENMARK.] - -The women are good-looking, and in this matter there are national -peculiarities worth noticing. At a fair or public entertainment, where -men and women of the working classes are brought together in great -numbers, the women of Denmark will be pronounced above the average for -good looks, and, perhaps, the same thing would not be said of the men. - -Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark, and the capital of Copenhagen is -Thorvaldsen’s Museum. Copenhagen has other and many attractions, but -this museum is _the_ crown and glory of Denmark. Art has her victories, -and those of war are not so enduring in their glory as the fruits of -genius and peace. Here in this ancient and beautiful city, in 1770,—a -hundred years, save one, ago,—was born Albert Thorvaldsen, the son of an -Iceland ship-carpenter. Poor, obscure, and friendless, but inspired with -the genius of his future art, the boy made his own way to Rome. He found -employment in the studio of Canova, and his talents soon commanded -respect. But he lacked the aid of a patron and friend, and he was about -to abandon Italy in despair, when an English banker, by the auspicious -name of _Hope_, appreciated the artist, ordered a marble statue of -JASON, which was standing in the clay, and from that glad hour his -career was onward and brilliant, till he attained wealth and fame -unsurpassed by any sculptor of ancient or modern times. He loved his -native Scandinavian climes, and often visited the city of his birth, -which he enriched with the noblest creations of his marvellous hand. But -he dwelt in Rome, unmarried, save to his art; and when he returned, at -the age of sixty-eight, to Copenhagen, he was received as a conqueror, -was domiciled in the palace, and, six years afterwards, died in the -midst of the lamentations of the people, who loved him and whom he -loved. - -[Illustration: FAÇADE OF THE THORVALDSEN MUSEUM, COPENHAGEN.] - -As he made the people the heir of his glorious works—in large part the -models of the statuary he had executed for kings and nations and wealthy -individuals—it was resolved to erect a monument to his name, which -should be at once a museum of his creations and a mausoleum for his -remains. In the midst of the city, and on an open square, a building—a -vast parallelogram with a court-yard in the centre of it—has been -reared; the successive stories filled with the productions of the genius -of this one man, including the minutest specimens, up to the model of -his “Christ,” the highest achievement of his, not to say of human, art. -In the midst of the little court-yard, surrounded on its four sides by -the walls of this museum, so that every window on the inner side looks -down into the court, there lie in solemn and sublime repose the ashes -and bones of the man who made all these things! It is silent; but oh! -how eloquent the lesson of the greatness and the vanity of genius! It is -something, it is a grand thing, to have made all these marbles for the -joy and instruction of mankind; and it is sweet to die with the -consciousness of leaving for after generations the works that shall -teach them lessons of virtue and strength and beauty. But to die and -leave them all! To lie and moulder in the midst of them! To be rotting -while even the clay that one’s fingers moulded into life-like shapes is -admired—this makes the cup of life an insipid draught, and the wise man -cries it is vanity, all vanity, after all. Yet not so vain after all! No -man liveth unto himself; and one would gladly take the pay that a good, -great man gets, who adds to the material wealth of the world the -glorious creations of art for all time to come, and then dies in the -midst of them. It is more also to be useful than to be great; and he who -lives to make others happy, though not an artist in stone or oil, lives -to a noble purpose, and his mausoleum is in the hearts made glad by his -kindness while he lived. - -On the outside of this museum the walls are covered with fresco -paintings illustrating the mechanical processes by which the statuary -was brought to its place. This is the antique Grecian, and even -Egyptian, idea of celebrating an historical event. It might be called -Thorvaldsen’s triumph. Within the frieze of the grand hall is the -triumph of Alexander the Great. The Hall of Christ contains the casts of -the Saviour and all his disciples—that wondrous group which in marble -illuminates the chief church in Copenhagen. And as we ascend from floor -to floor, and pass through successive chambers—all of them filled with -the handiwork of the same great artist who sleeps in sight of every -window—one is filled with admiring awe, while charmed with the beauty of -the design and execution. Beauty is not the word, though much here is -very beautiful. Thorvaldsen was one of the first to appreciate and -encourage our own sculptor Powers, whose works are more _beautiful_ than -the Dane’s. Strength, majesty, power—these are the attributes that cover -as with a garment the face, the head, the limbs of the heroes whom -Thorvaldsen by his magic chisel turned into stone. The divine is -revealed in his conception of the Redeemer of men. The god-like is in -Moses and Peter and John the Baptist; and his ancient heroes are -inspired with a sentiment that is easily drawn from the mythology of -Scandinavia, in which the worship of Thor and Odin seems to be -incorporated ineffaceably. - -[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF THORVALDSEN. (_By Horace Vernet._)] - -Away in the farthest corner of the museum is a collection of gems and -bronzes and vases and coins and antique sculpture, which his taste and -money had gathered in Italy. Here is the furniture of his sitting-room -as it was the day he died, and here is a cast of LUTHER, which on that -day of his death he had begun to work! Here are sketches he had made -with pen and pencil, the dawn of his gigantic conceptions, afterwards -made perfect in marble—now interesting as the outlines we have of the -first thoughts of Raphael and Michael Angelo and others on their -immortal works! - -Never was an artist so honored by his countrymen; never was one’s fame -more precious in the memory of his fellow-men. And I may easily convey -to you an impression of the reverence in which he is held by saying that -THORVALDSEN is to-day in Denmark what in our country is the name of -WASHINGTON. - -VOR FRUE KIRKE, the _Notre Dame_, the Church of our Lady, is the royal -church—the Cathedral of Copenhagen. - -I worshipped there yesterday; and of all the days in the year, and of -all the churches in Europe, not one could have been selected more -crowded with interest to a traveller whose tastes flow in the channels -of religion and art. - -For as I came to it there were standing on one side of the portal a -statue of David, and on the other one of Moses, in bronze, both of them -by the hand of Thorvaldsen, and sublime with the inspiration of his -power. I stood a few moments before them, and thought of the royal poet -and the inspired law-giver, and wondered at the art which could embody -and express their spirit and mission with such silent eloquence. And -then I entered the church itself, and it was all ablaze, not with five -thousand candles, as I had seen at St. Peter’s at noonday, not with -flaring gaslights, nor even the glorious sunlight alone, but with the -greatest of modern statues, the CHRIST in marble, standing over the -altar, and the twelve apostles, six on one hand and six on the other, -along the sides of the house (Paul being put in the place of Iscariot), -and all by the hand of the same master. Thorvaldsen chose this sanctuary -as the place to be made beautiful and glorious with his works,—his -triumphs. The SAVIOUR is represented with extended arms, as if he were -saying the sweetest of all his words, “Come unto me,” and on the face of -his disciples rests the expression that sacred art might desire to -present as characteristic of each one of the chosen group. In the middle -of the chancel a marble angel, of loveliness unspeakable, is kneeling -and holding in his hands a shell, which is the font for baptism. Copies -of this are multiplied till the world is familiar with it. Near the door -is a group representing a child walking with his face heavenward, and an -angel follows, pointing with his finger over the child’s head. And on -the other side of the door is a Mother’s Love in marble. - -Those who worship here from day to day become familiar with all this -sculpture, and are not distracted, if they are not aided by the beauty -and the majesty of such a wealth of art. But a stranger within the -gates, for a morning only, seeing it all at once for the first and the -last time, would find it difficult to withdraw his soul from the marble -and contemplate for an hour the unseen and eternal. And this would be -more difficult when the worshipper is unable to understand a word of the -service. - -The church was full of people, going out and coming in, as in Romish -churches. The officiating minister had on a white robe, ruffles, and red -mantle, with a broad gilt cross on his back. He stood before the altar, -on which was an image of the crucifixion, and two candles four feet -high, and burning. After a brief service and sermon, he administered the -sacrament of the Lord’s supper to a few who remained to receive it, -kneeling; he gave them the bread, with a few words to each, and an -assistant followed, putting the cup to the lips of the communicant. The -formalities of the ceremony, the tones of the priest, the -tergiversations, the responses of the choir, &c., were similar to the -forms in use in the Church of Rome. - -When this sacrament was concluded, I was about leaving the house, which -was now nearly deserted, when I noticed something going on in the -chancel. Twenty mothers, each with a babe in her arms, and a female -attendant, entered and arranged themselves in a large circle around the -kneeling marble angel holding the baptismal font. Twenty women, twenty -babes, twenty female friends, not nurses, but god-mothers; not a man -appeared. It was a beautiful spectacle; perhaps it would be impossible -to invent a more lovely tableaux. The mothers, the infants, the friends, -all clothed in white, all before the altar in a circle, in the midst of -which was this white angel kneeling, and above the whole the finest -statue on earth of Jesus, with open arms, as when he said, “Suffer -little children to come unto me.” - -The priest read a form of baptism, and then, passing around the circle, -made the sign of the cross on the face of each child; he then read -again; again he went to each child, and laid his hand upon its head as -if in blessing: then he read again. The service was now so protracted -that the mothers were allowed to sit down, and then, one by one, each -came up with the attendant, and, the cap being removed, the babe was -held over the font, the priest took water and poured it three times from -his hand upon the head of the child, pronouncing its name and that of -the Triune God. - -This being concluded, and as I was coming out of the church, a carriage -arrived with an elegantly dressed lady and her attendant with a babe, to -be baptized after the people of the humbler class had received the -sacrament. Alas! I said to myself, is aristocracy in religion the same -everywhere?—and cannot the noble of this world be humble before God? So -I would not return to the baptism of this “better born” infant, but went -on my way praying that all alike might be washed in the blood of Christ, -and made children of the kingdom. - -It will surprise you—it certainly did me—to find that the people of -these northern countries of Europe give far more time to mere amusements -than the Americans do. I was struck with this on coming to Sweden, and -saw something of it, but not so much in Norway; and here in Copenhagen -they are as much given to it as the Athenians were to news. - -Perhaps the French and Italians are more disposed to make themselves -merry in crowds. But on recalling the habits of the masses as they are -seen in public places in Paris and Florence, I think that I was never in -any city in the world where so many people in proportion to the whole -number go from home to be amused. On the outskirts of the city—but not -so far away as to be difficult of access—there are large gardens, so -called, laid off with walks and shrubbery and fountains, and in the -midst are all sorts of spectacular games and plays, combining in one -enclosure theatre, circus, gymnastics, music and dancing, concerts, -orations, and whatever is usually found scattered in different parts of -a city, and to be visited only after paying a fee for each admission. To -enter this garden—for one is a type of many—you pay about ten cents, and -that gives you the _entrée_ to nearly all the shows. The theatre may -charge another trifling fee, but the one admission makes all these -amusements open to the visitor. Around every stage are little tables and -chairs, and refreshments are served, if you choose to call for them, at -an extra charge. To such places as this thousands upon thousands of -respectable people resort night after night, usually coming _before -dark_, for the days are long and nights short; men bring their wives and -children, and take their evening meal together in little stalls provided -for the purpose, and go home in good season. This is their refreshment -after a day of toil, and it is not unlikely that it helps them to bear -with patience the burdens of a working life. - -These gardens are the _institutions_ of Copenhagen, for the -entertainment of the people. They are _cheap_, so as to be within the -reach of all; and they are _cheap_, as one of the proprietors told me, -because _low prices_ bring more money than high. Doubtless there are -other and more intellectual enjoyments provided for those who prefer -them; but when you consider the enormous expense incurred to fit up and -furnish every night such entertainments as these, you see it requires -the attendance of many thousands, at the insignificant charge, to make -them pay at all. - -On certain days, the Royal Picture Galleries and Thorvaldsen’s Museum -are thrown open to the people, and the throngs of working people, -evidently in very humble life, as their dress and manner indicate, who -pack the halls and rooms, show that the people have also a taste for -something higher and better than plays. Something might be said of the -effect of so much amusement upon the morals of the masses; but it is not -safe for a transient visitor to speak with certainty of any thing but -what he actually sees as he goes along. To me it is a pleasant, and only -a pleasant reflection, that the people in these northern countries, who -do not accomplish much beyond making a decent subsistence from year to -year, find both time and money to spend in amusements that are not in -themselves as demoralizing as the sensual and intoxicating pleasures -which so many of our own poor pursue to their ruin. - -You would have to go far and search long before you would find a more -interesting museum than that of NORTHERN ANTIQUITIES, which occupies -part of the Christiansborg Palace. This northern country abounds in -curious relics of past ages, defunct systems of religious worship, modes -of warfare now wholly unknown; and by law all these remains, wherever -found, belong to the crown. In every parish in Denmark the minister is -made the agent of government, to have every thing discovered, and that -promises to be of any interest, sent to the museum, where a fair price -is paid for it to the finder. - -There is scarcely an end to the number and variety of these curious -objects, illustrating the manners and customs of the long-buried past. -Weapons of war form the most conspicuous feature of such an exhibition, -and stone is the material from which the most formidable are made; clubs -and axes, arrow-heads of flint, chisels and knives most singularly and -beautifully wrought; urns from ancient sepulchres, with bones of other -animals than human, are here; and tradition tells us that the old Norse -heroes were buried with their dogs and horses, to bear them company in -the world of spirits. It is hard to say what part in the funeral rites -_a sieve_ could perform, but it is often found in the ancient tombs. - -The Runic monuments are the most remarkable objects in the collection; -and the one that has excited the closest scrutiny came from Greenland, -in latitude 73, and is said to bear a date 1135. - -Among the fire-arms of the earliest years of their use, we have old -cannons to be loaded at the breech, and guns on the revolving principle, -though we have been in the habit of thinking that both of these are -inventions of our own times. - -Besides these collections, there is the Royal Arsenal, and the Museum of -Natural History, and the Royal Museum, and many others, which are but -the repetition and extension of these and like objects of -interest,—interesting, indeed, to look at for a few hours, tiresome -after a while; and I will not weary you with the details. - -Setting off by rail from Copenhagen to Hamburg, I encountered a -gentleman who claimed to be a countryman of mine, because he hailed from -South America. He was German born, in England bred, and he went to -Uruguay, S. A., where he had been twenty-four years in business. He was -now travelling with his family in the North of Europe. He was a -shipping-merchant, and vessels in which he was interested come from -Hamburg and Havre and England with furniture, tin-ware, and a thousand -manufactured articles, and carry away hides, tallow, and so forth. It -was easy to see that he had an eye to business in the midst of his -pleasure travel, and that he was learning what wants of the North of -Europe could be supplied from the South of America. My conversation with -him developed the beautiful relations of the different parts of the -earth to each other: the climate, the soil, the position of one country -supplementing another, and showing that no country “liveth unto itself” -any more than a man lives to himself. There is a thorough mutual -dependence running through society and the whole world. - -[Illustration: HAMBURG.] - -Our rail ride was across the island of Zealand—flat, poor, wet, cold -soil; the peasants’ houses were low, of stone, and thatched. The windows -were so few and small, they must be ill ventilated, and probably -unwholesome. Mustard was growing in large quantities, fields of rye were -fair, and grass was looking well. Cattle abounded in the meadows,—not on -the hills, for those were not in sight. - -At ten o’clock at night, and while it was yet light, we reached the -steamer at Corseow. It was a large, commodious, and well-furnished -vessel, excepting that it had no state-rooms. The berths were good, but -were all in one open cabin. The decks were crowded with -live-stock,—pigs, calves, cows,—whose squeals, bleating, and moaning -were to be our serenade till the morning light. A bountiful supper was -served,—tea and coffee, meats, eggs, &c.,—and the charge for the whole -was twenty-seven cents! And this being over, I spent the livelong night -fighting, not wild beasts, nor the tame ones overhead, but those -pestering fleas, which seem to be one of the pet annoyances of the -travelling world. - -We arrived at Kiel very early in the morning, and went ashore through -mud and rain; and the only way to ride was on the outside of an omnibus, -to the railroad station. This is a famous seaport, and like all other -seaports, so that Kiel will not have a sketch. We make no stay, but by -rail set off for Hamburg. Wheat and rye and buckwheat cover the fields. -Little Indian corn is raised in these countries, where the soil and -climate are as well suited to it as parts of our country where it -flourishes. The gardens are filled with the same vegetables as our -own,—potatoes, pease, beans, lettuce, radishes, beets, carrots, -cauliflower, cabbage,—making it pleasant to know that the good things at -home are just as abundant here. The flowers, too,—roses and lilies and -lilacs, others wild, and cultivated,—make the wayside and the -court-yards of the humble dwellings smile. All the fields of grass and -grain are ridged, and a ditch is made about every twenty feet for a -drain. Small tiles are used for underground draining. Few evidences -appear of high cultivation; very little attention is paid to scientific -preparation of manures, which might greatly enhance the value of the -land. - -At Elmshorn,—a very pretty village where we stopped a few moments, and -large numbers of people gathered about the train, as if they were quite -at leisure,—old women brought baskets of strawberries and cherries to -the cars for sale; as large and of as fine a flavor, and of such -varieties as were quite familiar to the eye and taste. - -The train moves slowly on, and the spires of Hamburg appear in the -distance. We are now fairly out of Scandinavia. With hearts full of -thanksgiving to Him who has safely led us through our journey, we turn -away from the land of Odin and Thor, and in a few weeks are - -[Illustration: HOME AGAIN.] - - - - Cambridge: Stereotyped and Printed by John Wilson and Son. - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber’s note: - -This book uses inconsistent spelling and hyphenation, which were -retained in the ebook version. Some corrections have been made to the -text, including adjusting spelling in the table of contents to match the -main text and normalizing punctuation. - -Further corrections are noted below: - - p. 62: in it the first mass was celebrated in 1805 -> in it the first - mass was celebrated in 1085 - - p. 179: and the ablity of the organist -> and the ability of the - organist - - p. 230: to wear only on funeral occasious -> to wear only on funeral - occasions - - p. 265: Order and quiet are my chracteristics -> Order and quiet are my - characteristics - - p. 289: vast quantites of charcoal -> vast quantities of charcoal - - p. 323: poured out their grateful ackowledgments -> poured out their - grateful acknowledgments - - p. 400: fifty rix dollars, or about twelve American -> fifty-six - dollars, or about twelve American - - p. 447: followed by eggs, carviar, beefsteaks -> followed by eggs, - caviar, beefsteaks - - p. 470: Copenhagen has other and many attactions -> Copenhagen has other - and many attractions - - p. 476: Suffer little little children to come -> Suffer little children - to come - -The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the -public domain. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ALHAMBRA AND THE KREMLIN*** - - -******* This file should be named 65004-0.txt or 65004-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/5/0/0/65004 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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