BOOKS BEFORE TRAVEL.ByDORA DE BLAQUIÈRE.PART I.Andeven as I write this heading I feel my heart failing me somewhat. First the largeness of the subject before me is a cause of misgiving and next the thought of the many differing minds and impressions of the people who travel nowadays, and who, most of them, are of the generation of globe-trotters. These care more about covering the surface of the earth with their tracks, and are not in the least degree anxious about the culture that may be acquired in travel, and the nearly dormant condition of the intellect carried about with them in their peregrinations. Others who travel are eager to see, but have had in their past life neither the time nor the means to educate themselves for enjoyment; or they are too young to have had the opportunity to do so. We all meet with examples of these classes on our own travels, and there are few of us who have not, at some time, had cause to exclaim, “Good gracious! what on earth did these people come abroad for?” so little interest do they find or show in the beauties of nature or art which surround them. They are far more interested in their meals, the bills at the hotels, and the extortions of the shops, than in the finest pictures by Guido, or the loveliest and grandest view from a mountain-side.But even while I write, this I know, that the earnest study of years and the reading of many books would hardly suffice to the knowing of it all; and we often have to be content with the careful reading of Baedeker or Murray, and the use of our eyes; and reserve the reading-up of the subject until we have reached home once more. Even then, we often do not know what to get in the way of reading, unless we have some direction to aid us. It is to help those who have time before starting, and those who desire to read up, as I have said, afterwards, that these articles are written, and if there be some shortcomings, some books left out, or others inserted that should not have been put in, it must be remembered that my views of what I personally want to prepare myself for a journey may not be your views; and that everyone is not interested in a special object. Therefore the list must be comprehensive, so as to take in all comers.It always seems to me a good plan to start with the history of the country to which your steps are turned, because the chief interest of every land must naturally be derived from its past, from the people who made it what it is, and who lived in its buildings, on its lands, and worshipped in its temples. If the country in which we travel be our own England, we generally have learnt enough of its history to make the names of the actors in it household words; and the local histories have been carefully collected for us by the many archæological societies in all parts of England. So that we may, if we like, know all particulars of the styles of living, and the people, and manners of the past centuries. In England especially, men who lived in it made the interest of the land they lived in, and the same is true of Scotland. But in Ireland it was different, and there the land is the chief point of interest, and the interest is with legend more than with real people and things. If the Green Isle had only been fortunate enough to have a wizard-like Walter Scott to touch the scenery, and make it alive with people, what a change it would have worked for her to-day!For a history of England we cannot do better than select Green’sHistory of the English People, which is not only history, but history written in a delightsome manner, and quite long enough to be interesting and concise enough not to fatigue the reader of any age. But if time be not an object to you, take Miss Strickland’s histories and read them through, every one of them, even including those of theBachelor Kings. It may be the fashion to think her gossipy, but her gossip is worth anything in making you feel that the people of whom you read really lived, breathed, and walked the earth. Scott, Wordsworth, and Tennyson, Shakespeare, and Ossian; and in Ireland both Lever and Lover should bear you company, while the reminiscences of Dean Ramsay and Wilson will make you feel Edinburgh doubly delightful. In the far north, William Black has touched Thule and the Hebrides with the pen of romance; and Kingsley and Blackmore have done the same in the south, withWestward Ho!andLorna Doone. And in London we walk with Thackeray and Dickens, on every side, from Piccadilly and Clubland to Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Fleet Street.Beside the romancer we must also read Freeman’sEnglish Towns and Districtsand Fergusson’sArchitecture, George Barrow’sWild Wales, King’sHandbook of the Cathedrals, and Cassell’sOld and New London. Alfred Rimmer’s book on theAncient Streets and Homesteads of Englandis most helpful, and I will end by remarking that you had better begin Ruskin, with, I think, the Elements of Drawing and theLectures on Art.In France we are very well off for books in all languages; but in the way of history, Guizot’s is rather a long business, and any shorter history which is available is less tiring, if you be not a rapid reader. Viollet le Duc will be a great delight to you, I am sure, and Hare’sWalks in ParisandWays near Paris, and Eastlake’sNotes on the Louvre, with a good guide, should be enough for the capital. In the way of romance, you have Victor Hugo’sHunchback of Notre Dame. Miss M. B. Edwards’France of To-day,A Year in Western France, andHolidays in Eastern Franceare charming books, and so are Hamerton’sRound my House,Modern Frenchmen, andA Summer Voyage on the Saône. Miss Pardoe’s books on the Court of France are also well worth reading for the historical side of life.Switzerland I have always thought most resembles England, in the interest of its history, and in the character of its people. In many ways it is the model country of Europe, for the Swiss are ever open to change and improvement, and to trying experiments in all the social walks of life into which many other greater nations would shrink from embarking. A book recently published onSocial Switzerlandgives a view of their charitable and other institutions, and shows this very clearly, and it is worth reading if you be interested in that side of the country. General Meredith Reade’s two great volumes ofVaud and Berne, deal entirely with the historical, descriptive, and family side of the country, and are very interesting. Foreigners have done much to make Switzerland delightful, and especially the English, for have we not that delightfulPlayground of Europeby Leslie Stephens, and J. A. Symonds’Swiss Highlands,Tyndall’s GlaciersandWhymper’s Alps, to say nothing of a long series of most excellent guide-books, and histories, and the finest of poetry, beginning with Coleridge’sHymn to Mont Blanc, and Byron’sPrisoner of Chillon.There seems to be hardly a foot of this most delightful country that is without its interest, and its literature; and if we read French and German it is well worth the trouble to read Vinet, the philosopher and religious writer, and Amiel’s Diary, the saddest and most beautiful of records.If you are interested in the flowers of the mountains, you have a delightful book by W. Robinson,Alpine Flowers; andThe Alps in Winterare written of by Mrs. Main (Mrs. Fred Burnaby), and the many books on Davos Platz, and the Engadine, may all be found in any catalogue, if health be in question. If you were interested in geology, glaciers, and botany, you can study them with ease in Switzerland, as well as Lancastrian dwellings, and the last methods in tree-culture. As for schools, they abound, and the Swiss education is the best in the world, in its thoroughness and complete grounding in all subjects. Lately, too, it has been found worth while to study the Swiss army, and its manœuvres which take place every year in the month of September.One of the European countries round which both history and literature have been making and growing is Holland; and for so small a country the amount of both is quite marvellous. It is all so interesting too, and most of it in our own tongue, so that we need not be professors in Dutch. The most delightful of all histories have been written for us by American hands, and no library is complete without Motley’s two great Dutch works,The Rise of the Dutch Republicand theHistory of the United Netherlands. The great Italian writer, Edmondo de Amicis, has written two books on Holland—Holland, andHolland and its People; and we have the charming volume on theDead Cities of the Zuyder Zee, H. Taine’sLow Countries, andHolland and Germany, by J. P. Mahaffy and J. E. Rogers. In the “Story of the Nations” Series there is an excellent volume by J. E. T. Rogers, and there are several delightful tales published lately, with the Low Countries for a background. And we have made acquaintance with Maarten Maartens, the author of stories that are Dutch in their characters and surroundings.You must bear in mind that the Netherlands means Holland and Belgium. For so small a portion of the earth, the history of Holland is most interesting; and we must remember that she was once the mistress of the seas. There is a popular history of theGreat Dutch Admirals, by Jacob de Liefde, and he has also writtenBeggars, Founders of the Dutch Republic. Prescott’s work ofPhilip II. of Spaincovers much the same ground as Motley’sRise of the Dutch Republic, though from the point of view of Spain. In this connection, W. C. Robinson’sThe Revolt of the Netherlandsmay be read. Holland claims to be the birthplace of printing, and advances the claims of Haarlem, in opposition to Mentz, and the record of the Elzevir presses at Leyden, Amsterdam, and the Hague is a very famous one. Lord Ronald Gower has written aPocket Guide to the Art Galleries of Belgium and Holland, containing both the public and private galleries; and Kate Thompson has contributed aHandbook to the Picture Galleriesof Europe, while there are several very excellent guide-books in the ordinary way.Now that Norway is so much visited, it would not be well to leave it out of the list of places to be seen, and read up before visiting. I think the most charming book I have ever read about it is Mrs. Stone’sNorway in June, which is quite as delightful as herTenerife, and its Six Satellites.Round about Norway, by Charles W. Wood, is another pleasant volume; and Professor Boyesen’sHistory of Norwayis one of the best-written of histories.There are several best books on Sweden.The Land of the Midnight Sun, by Du Chaillu, andUnder Northern Skies, by Charles W. Wood, are concerned with both countries; and in the way of romance, we have Frederica Bremer’s works, which are full of national colour. Paul du Chaillu has also written a delightful book called,The Viking Age, in two volumes, illustrated. TheStory of Norwayhas been written also by Mrs. Arthur Sedgwick. In the way of Historical Biographies, there are many. Charles XII., Gustavus Vasa, Gustavus Adolphus, and the Thirty Years War; with that wonderful woman, Queen Christina, and Queen Caroline Matilda, who was the sister of George III.The early history of Denmark is of course comprised in the history of Scandinavia generally; and the same may be said of Iceland and Greenland. An excellent Handbook of Runic Remains and Monuments, both in England and Scandinavia, has been written by Professor George Stephens, and these you should know something about in reference to both countries. The Danish novelAfraja, and Björnstjerne Björnson’sStories and Norse Talesare well worth reading. Mrs. Alec. Tweedie has writtenA Girl’s Ride in Iceland, and a pleasant book about Finland. And there is theUltima Thuleof Sir Richard Burton, andThe Story of Iceland, by Letitia MacColl.The Land of the North Wind, by E. Rae, andUnder the Rays of the Aurora Borealisis a book written by a Dane, and translated. One of the most delightful books I ever read of, one of which a new edition was issued in 1887, is that entitledLetters from High Latitudes, by the Earl (now Marquis) of Dufferin; and there is a charming book by Baring Gould, onIceland, its Sagas and Scenes. Iceland is a country which is more and more visited every year; but there are no more recent books than those I have mentioned.We are so near to Russia that it seems foolish to pass it by, though I feel it is a difficult country to deal with. The history of Russia is dealt with in the “Story of the Nations” Series. Mr. A. J. C. Hare has given usStudies in Russia, and the R.T.S. a charmingRussian Pictures drawn by Pen and Pencil. Mr. W. S. Ralston’sSongs of the Russian Peasantrycontains an excellent account of the social life of Russia. In the way of poetry, the Rev. T. C. Wilson has translated for usRussian Lyrics into English Verse, which gives specimens of all the best recent poets, and there are translations of the works by most of the Russian novelists, as well as of Tolstoi’s books. But I do not feel inclined to advise you to enter on this troubled sea of thought. As a mere traveller you will not need to do so. Turner’sStudies in Russian Literature, and hisLectures on Modern Novelists of Russia, are quite enough for you, I fancy. The latter were delivered at the Taylor Institute, Oxford, and are pleasant and instructive, both. AnArt Tour to the Northern Capitals of Europe, by Atkinson, includes those of St. Petersburg, Moscow and Kiel.In Germany the poets are our best travelling companions. I remember Nuremberg best through the medium of Longfellow, and its history through the historical tales of Mühlbach, Auerbach, and Marlitt. The Baroness Tautpheous, the Howitts, and even Hans Christian Andersen, and Grimm, have all, too, lent a magic to the land. The literature that has arisen with Wagner and Bayreuth, for a centre, is very wide, and begins with theArthurian Legendsand theNibelungen-Lied. Of the first you will have some knowledge from our own Tennyson and theIdylls of the King, even if you do not go as far as theMabinogion, which was edited and translated by Lady Charlotte Guest, of which there is an abridged edition. We have a translation of theNibelungen-Liedby W. N. Lettsom, and another by A. G. Foster-Barham, in the “Great Musicians” Series.Wagneris written by Dr. F. Hueffer, who has also writtenWagner and the Music of the Future. There is a volume to be obtained at Bayreuth of all the operas given there, which you will most likely procure, if you should be led there any August to assist at the Wagner festival.For Austria we have several delightful fellow-travellers. Amelia B. Edwards, inUntrodden Peaks and Unfrequented Valleys, deals with the Dolomite region; a more recent book is Robertson’sThrough the Dolomites; and there are two books by W. A. Grohman onTyrol and the Tyrolese, andGaddings with a Primitive People. Victor Tissot’sUnknown Hungaryhas been translated from the French, and the little-knownDalmatiahas been dealt with by Mr. T. G. Jackson. C. W. Wood has writtenIn the Black Forest. There are several modern books on Bismarck and his master, the Emperor William I., and also on Imperial Germany, and you should choose the most recent of these. There is an illustrated book, by K. Stieler, called theRhine from its Source to the Sea, which has been translated and is very interesting. As a general thing, the guide-books are so many and so various, dealing with health, baths and spas, and the various artists, musicians, battle-fields, and seats of learning, that unless you were looking up any special subject, they will give all the information you require for travelling in the Fatherland.In the way of extended literature, you may read, if you like, Helen Zimmern’sHalf-hours with Foreign Novelists, and in the way of distant travels there is, to me, the ever-fascinating Ida Pfeiffer, that wonderful German woman, whose wanderings were worldwide, and the contents of whose purse was microscopic at all times. Mrs. Bird, Miss Gordon Cumming, Lady Brassey, Miss Kingsley, and that delightful Miss Gates, who is quite the equal of Madame Pfeiffer in her fearless and adventurous spirit, are all worth reading. James Gilmore, as a writer and traveller, is so delightful that one feels the deepest regret at his early death. Mr. and Mrs. Pennell are always excellent companions, whether they travel to the Hebrides or take aSentimental Journey through France; or one nearer home,On the Stream of Pleasure; The Thames from Oxford to London, orPlay in Provence. They are the pioneers in cycling, for the tourist, and have steadily ridden from the days of the tricycle, till it has been eclipsed by a more rapid machine.
ByDORA DE BLAQUIÈRE.
A
ndeven as I write this heading I feel my heart failing me somewhat. First the largeness of the subject before me is a cause of misgiving and next the thought of the many differing minds and impressions of the people who travel nowadays, and who, most of them, are of the generation of globe-trotters. These care more about covering the surface of the earth with their tracks, and are not in the least degree anxious about the culture that may be acquired in travel, and the nearly dormant condition of the intellect carried about with them in their peregrinations. Others who travel are eager to see, but have had in their past life neither the time nor the means to educate themselves for enjoyment; or they are too young to have had the opportunity to do so. We all meet with examples of these classes on our own travels, and there are few of us who have not, at some time, had cause to exclaim, “Good gracious! what on earth did these people come abroad for?” so little interest do they find or show in the beauties of nature or art which surround them. They are far more interested in their meals, the bills at the hotels, and the extortions of the shops, than in the finest pictures by Guido, or the loveliest and grandest view from a mountain-side.
But even while I write, this I know, that the earnest study of years and the reading of many books would hardly suffice to the knowing of it all; and we often have to be content with the careful reading of Baedeker or Murray, and the use of our eyes; and reserve the reading-up of the subject until we have reached home once more. Even then, we often do not know what to get in the way of reading, unless we have some direction to aid us. It is to help those who have time before starting, and those who desire to read up, as I have said, afterwards, that these articles are written, and if there be some shortcomings, some books left out, or others inserted that should not have been put in, it must be remembered that my views of what I personally want to prepare myself for a journey may not be your views; and that everyone is not interested in a special object. Therefore the list must be comprehensive, so as to take in all comers.
It always seems to me a good plan to start with the history of the country to which your steps are turned, because the chief interest of every land must naturally be derived from its past, from the people who made it what it is, and who lived in its buildings, on its lands, and worshipped in its temples. If the country in which we travel be our own England, we generally have learnt enough of its history to make the names of the actors in it household words; and the local histories have been carefully collected for us by the many archæological societies in all parts of England. So that we may, if we like, know all particulars of the styles of living, and the people, and manners of the past centuries. In England especially, men who lived in it made the interest of the land they lived in, and the same is true of Scotland. But in Ireland it was different, and there the land is the chief point of interest, and the interest is with legend more than with real people and things. If the Green Isle had only been fortunate enough to have a wizard-like Walter Scott to touch the scenery, and make it alive with people, what a change it would have worked for her to-day!
For a history of England we cannot do better than select Green’sHistory of the English People, which is not only history, but history written in a delightsome manner, and quite long enough to be interesting and concise enough not to fatigue the reader of any age. But if time be not an object to you, take Miss Strickland’s histories and read them through, every one of them, even including those of theBachelor Kings. It may be the fashion to think her gossipy, but her gossip is worth anything in making you feel that the people of whom you read really lived, breathed, and walked the earth. Scott, Wordsworth, and Tennyson, Shakespeare, and Ossian; and in Ireland both Lever and Lover should bear you company, while the reminiscences of Dean Ramsay and Wilson will make you feel Edinburgh doubly delightful. In the far north, William Black has touched Thule and the Hebrides with the pen of romance; and Kingsley and Blackmore have done the same in the south, withWestward Ho!andLorna Doone. And in London we walk with Thackeray and Dickens, on every side, from Piccadilly and Clubland to Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Fleet Street.
Beside the romancer we must also read Freeman’sEnglish Towns and Districtsand Fergusson’sArchitecture, George Barrow’sWild Wales, King’sHandbook of the Cathedrals, and Cassell’sOld and New London. Alfred Rimmer’s book on theAncient Streets and Homesteads of Englandis most helpful, and I will end by remarking that you had better begin Ruskin, with, I think, the Elements of Drawing and theLectures on Art.
In France we are very well off for books in all languages; but in the way of history, Guizot’s is rather a long business, and any shorter history which is available is less tiring, if you be not a rapid reader. Viollet le Duc will be a great delight to you, I am sure, and Hare’sWalks in ParisandWays near Paris, and Eastlake’sNotes on the Louvre, with a good guide, should be enough for the capital. In the way of romance, you have Victor Hugo’sHunchback of Notre Dame. Miss M. B. Edwards’France of To-day,A Year in Western France, andHolidays in Eastern Franceare charming books, and so are Hamerton’sRound my House,Modern Frenchmen, andA Summer Voyage on the Saône. Miss Pardoe’s books on the Court of France are also well worth reading for the historical side of life.
Switzerland I have always thought most resembles England, in the interest of its history, and in the character of its people. In many ways it is the model country of Europe, for the Swiss are ever open to change and improvement, and to trying experiments in all the social walks of life into which many other greater nations would shrink from embarking. A book recently published onSocial Switzerlandgives a view of their charitable and other institutions, and shows this very clearly, and it is worth reading if you be interested in that side of the country. General Meredith Reade’s two great volumes ofVaud and Berne, deal entirely with the historical, descriptive, and family side of the country, and are very interesting. Foreigners have done much to make Switzerland delightful, and especially the English, for have we not that delightfulPlayground of Europeby Leslie Stephens, and J. A. Symonds’Swiss Highlands,Tyndall’s GlaciersandWhymper’s Alps, to say nothing of a long series of most excellent guide-books, and histories, and the finest of poetry, beginning with Coleridge’sHymn to Mont Blanc, and Byron’sPrisoner of Chillon.
There seems to be hardly a foot of this most delightful country that is without its interest, and its literature; and if we read French and German it is well worth the trouble to read Vinet, the philosopher and religious writer, and Amiel’s Diary, the saddest and most beautiful of records.
If you are interested in the flowers of the mountains, you have a delightful book by W. Robinson,Alpine Flowers; andThe Alps in Winterare written of by Mrs. Main (Mrs. Fred Burnaby), and the many books on Davos Platz, and the Engadine, may all be found in any catalogue, if health be in question. If you were interested in geology, glaciers, and botany, you can study them with ease in Switzerland, as well as Lancastrian dwellings, and the last methods in tree-culture. As for schools, they abound, and the Swiss education is the best in the world, in its thoroughness and complete grounding in all subjects. Lately, too, it has been found worth while to study the Swiss army, and its manœuvres which take place every year in the month of September.
One of the European countries round which both history and literature have been making and growing is Holland; and for so small a country the amount of both is quite marvellous. It is all so interesting too, and most of it in our own tongue, so that we need not be professors in Dutch. The most delightful of all histories have been written for us by American hands, and no library is complete without Motley’s two great Dutch works,The Rise of the Dutch Republicand theHistory of the United Netherlands. The great Italian writer, Edmondo de Amicis, has written two books on Holland—Holland, andHolland and its People; and we have the charming volume on theDead Cities of the Zuyder Zee, H. Taine’sLow Countries, andHolland and Germany, by J. P. Mahaffy and J. E. Rogers. In the “Story of the Nations” Series there is an excellent volume by J. E. T. Rogers, and there are several delightful tales published lately, with the Low Countries for a background. And we have made acquaintance with Maarten Maartens, the author of stories that are Dutch in their characters and surroundings.
You must bear in mind that the Netherlands means Holland and Belgium. For so small a portion of the earth, the history of Holland is most interesting; and we must remember that she was once the mistress of the seas. There is a popular history of theGreat Dutch Admirals, by Jacob de Liefde, and he has also writtenBeggars, Founders of the Dutch Republic. Prescott’s work ofPhilip II. of Spaincovers much the same ground as Motley’sRise of the Dutch Republic, though from the point of view of Spain. In this connection, W. C. Robinson’sThe Revolt of the Netherlandsmay be read. Holland claims to be the birthplace of printing, and advances the claims of Haarlem, in opposition to Mentz, and the record of the Elzevir presses at Leyden, Amsterdam, and the Hague is a very famous one. Lord Ronald Gower has written aPocket Guide to the Art Galleries of Belgium and Holland, containing both the public and private galleries; and Kate Thompson has contributed aHandbook to the Picture Galleriesof Europe, while there are several very excellent guide-books in the ordinary way.
Now that Norway is so much visited, it would not be well to leave it out of the list of places to be seen, and read up before visiting. I think the most charming book I have ever read about it is Mrs. Stone’sNorway in June, which is quite as delightful as herTenerife, and its Six Satellites.Round about Norway, by Charles W. Wood, is another pleasant volume; and Professor Boyesen’sHistory of Norwayis one of the best-written of histories.
There are several best books on Sweden.The Land of the Midnight Sun, by Du Chaillu, andUnder Northern Skies, by Charles W. Wood, are concerned with both countries; and in the way of romance, we have Frederica Bremer’s works, which are full of national colour. Paul du Chaillu has also written a delightful book called,The Viking Age, in two volumes, illustrated. TheStory of Norwayhas been written also by Mrs. Arthur Sedgwick. In the way of Historical Biographies, there are many. Charles XII., Gustavus Vasa, Gustavus Adolphus, and the Thirty Years War; with that wonderful woman, Queen Christina, and Queen Caroline Matilda, who was the sister of George III.
The early history of Denmark is of course comprised in the history of Scandinavia generally; and the same may be said of Iceland and Greenland. An excellent Handbook of Runic Remains and Monuments, both in England and Scandinavia, has been written by Professor George Stephens, and these you should know something about in reference to both countries. The Danish novelAfraja, and Björnstjerne Björnson’sStories and Norse Talesare well worth reading. Mrs. Alec. Tweedie has writtenA Girl’s Ride in Iceland, and a pleasant book about Finland. And there is theUltima Thuleof Sir Richard Burton, andThe Story of Iceland, by Letitia MacColl.The Land of the North Wind, by E. Rae, andUnder the Rays of the Aurora Borealisis a book written by a Dane, and translated. One of the most delightful books I ever read of, one of which a new edition was issued in 1887, is that entitledLetters from High Latitudes, by the Earl (now Marquis) of Dufferin; and there is a charming book by Baring Gould, onIceland, its Sagas and Scenes. Iceland is a country which is more and more visited every year; but there are no more recent books than those I have mentioned.
We are so near to Russia that it seems foolish to pass it by, though I feel it is a difficult country to deal with. The history of Russia is dealt with in the “Story of the Nations” Series. Mr. A. J. C. Hare has given usStudies in Russia, and the R.T.S. a charmingRussian Pictures drawn by Pen and Pencil. Mr. W. S. Ralston’sSongs of the Russian Peasantrycontains an excellent account of the social life of Russia. In the way of poetry, the Rev. T. C. Wilson has translated for usRussian Lyrics into English Verse, which gives specimens of all the best recent poets, and there are translations of the works by most of the Russian novelists, as well as of Tolstoi’s books. But I do not feel inclined to advise you to enter on this troubled sea of thought. As a mere traveller you will not need to do so. Turner’sStudies in Russian Literature, and hisLectures on Modern Novelists of Russia, are quite enough for you, I fancy. The latter were delivered at the Taylor Institute, Oxford, and are pleasant and instructive, both. AnArt Tour to the Northern Capitals of Europe, by Atkinson, includes those of St. Petersburg, Moscow and Kiel.
In Germany the poets are our best travelling companions. I remember Nuremberg best through the medium of Longfellow, and its history through the historical tales of Mühlbach, Auerbach, and Marlitt. The Baroness Tautpheous, the Howitts, and even Hans Christian Andersen, and Grimm, have all, too, lent a magic to the land. The literature that has arisen with Wagner and Bayreuth, for a centre, is very wide, and begins with theArthurian Legendsand theNibelungen-Lied. Of the first you will have some knowledge from our own Tennyson and theIdylls of the King, even if you do not go as far as theMabinogion, which was edited and translated by Lady Charlotte Guest, of which there is an abridged edition. We have a translation of theNibelungen-Liedby W. N. Lettsom, and another by A. G. Foster-Barham, in the “Great Musicians” Series.Wagneris written by Dr. F. Hueffer, who has also writtenWagner and the Music of the Future. There is a volume to be obtained at Bayreuth of all the operas given there, which you will most likely procure, if you should be led there any August to assist at the Wagner festival.
For Austria we have several delightful fellow-travellers. Amelia B. Edwards, inUntrodden Peaks and Unfrequented Valleys, deals with the Dolomite region; a more recent book is Robertson’sThrough the Dolomites; and there are two books by W. A. Grohman onTyrol and the Tyrolese, andGaddings with a Primitive People. Victor Tissot’sUnknown Hungaryhas been translated from the French, and the little-knownDalmatiahas been dealt with by Mr. T. G. Jackson. C. W. Wood has writtenIn the Black Forest. There are several modern books on Bismarck and his master, the Emperor William I., and also on Imperial Germany, and you should choose the most recent of these. There is an illustrated book, by K. Stieler, called theRhine from its Source to the Sea, which has been translated and is very interesting. As a general thing, the guide-books are so many and so various, dealing with health, baths and spas, and the various artists, musicians, battle-fields, and seats of learning, that unless you were looking up any special subject, they will give all the information you require for travelling in the Fatherland.
In the way of extended literature, you may read, if you like, Helen Zimmern’sHalf-hours with Foreign Novelists, and in the way of distant travels there is, to me, the ever-fascinating Ida Pfeiffer, that wonderful German woman, whose wanderings were worldwide, and the contents of whose purse was microscopic at all times. Mrs. Bird, Miss Gordon Cumming, Lady Brassey, Miss Kingsley, and that delightful Miss Gates, who is quite the equal of Madame Pfeiffer in her fearless and adventurous spirit, are all worth reading. James Gilmore, as a writer and traveller, is so delightful that one feels the deepest regret at his early death. Mr. and Mrs. Pennell are always excellent companions, whether they travel to the Hebrides or take aSentimental Journey through France; or one nearer home,On the Stream of Pleasure; The Thames from Oxford to London, orPlay in Provence. They are the pioneers in cycling, for the tourist, and have steadily ridden from the days of the tricycle, till it has been eclipsed by a more rapid machine.
A QUIVER OF QUOTATIONS.“Let a girl grow as a tree grows.”—Mrs. Willard.“She gave me eyes, she gave me ears.”—Wordsworth.“Education is but another term for preparation for eternity.”—Sewell.“By dint of frequently asserting that a man is a fool, we make him so.”—Pascal.“To assert a child is indifferent to its parents is not the way to make it affectionate.”—Guyau.“Our children should be brought up, from the first, with this magnet, ‘Ye are not your own.’”—Mason.“All education should be directed to this end, viz., to convince a child that he is capable of good and incapable of evil.”“The art of managing the young consists, before everything else, in assuming them to be as good as they wish to be.”—Guyau.“The best service a mother can do her children is to maintain the standard of her own life at its highest—“‘Allure to brighter worlds and lead the way.’”—“A Great Mother.”“A child should not need to choose between right and wrong. It should not conceive of wrong. Obedient, not by sudden strain or effort, but in the freedom of its bright course of constant life. True, with an undistinguished, unboastful truth, in a crystalline household of truth. Gentle, through daily entreatings of gentleness and honourable trusts. Strong, not in doubtful contest with temptation, but in armour of habitual right.”—Ruskin.“Right dress is that which is fit for the station in life, and the work to be done in it, and which is otherwise graceful, becoming, lasting, healthful and easy, on occasion splendid. Always as beautiful as possible.”—Ruskin.“God made the child’s heart for Himself, and He will win it if we do not mar His work by our impatient folly.”—Anon.“Omnipotent the laws of the nursery and the fireside. Fatal for weal or woe the atmosphere of the home.”—Delano.“The soul is hardened by cold and stormy weather.”—Bunyan.“System is a fundamental basis of education.”—Sewell.“Harmony, not melody, is the object of education. If we strive for melody we shall but end in producing discord.”—Sewell.“The prayers, the love, the patience, the consistent example of holiness, which are to-day in our power, may be committed to God’s keeping, in the full confidence that even if not permitted to gather their reward on earth in the present conversation of the children we love, it will be ours in the great to-morrow of eternity, when we shall be permitted to recognise the fulfilment of that enduring promise—‘Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.’”—Sewell.“Fiction is natural to children. They do not, as a rule, lie artificially. The lie is the first exercise of the imagination—the first invention, the germ of art. Children often invent or lie to themselves. The lie is the first romance of childhood. The child plays with words as with everything else, and makes phrases without troubling himself as to reality. Thereallie—themorallie—is dissimulation which only arises from fear. It is in direct ratio to ill-judged severity and unscientific education.”—Guyau.
“Let a girl grow as a tree grows.”—Mrs. Willard.
“She gave me eyes, she gave me ears.”—Wordsworth.
“Education is but another term for preparation for eternity.”—Sewell.
“By dint of frequently asserting that a man is a fool, we make him so.”—Pascal.
“To assert a child is indifferent to its parents is not the way to make it affectionate.”—Guyau.
“Our children should be brought up, from the first, with this magnet, ‘Ye are not your own.’”—Mason.
“All education should be directed to this end, viz., to convince a child that he is capable of good and incapable of evil.”
“The art of managing the young consists, before everything else, in assuming them to be as good as they wish to be.”—Guyau.
“The best service a mother can do her children is to maintain the standard of her own life at its highest—
“‘Allure to brighter worlds and lead the way.’”—“A Great Mother.”
“A child should not need to choose between right and wrong. It should not conceive of wrong. Obedient, not by sudden strain or effort, but in the freedom of its bright course of constant life. True, with an undistinguished, unboastful truth, in a crystalline household of truth. Gentle, through daily entreatings of gentleness and honourable trusts. Strong, not in doubtful contest with temptation, but in armour of habitual right.”—Ruskin.
“Right dress is that which is fit for the station in life, and the work to be done in it, and which is otherwise graceful, becoming, lasting, healthful and easy, on occasion splendid. Always as beautiful as possible.”—Ruskin.
“God made the child’s heart for Himself, and He will win it if we do not mar His work by our impatient folly.”—Anon.
“Omnipotent the laws of the nursery and the fireside. Fatal for weal or woe the atmosphere of the home.”—Delano.
“The soul is hardened by cold and stormy weather.”—Bunyan.
“System is a fundamental basis of education.”—Sewell.
“Harmony, not melody, is the object of education. If we strive for melody we shall but end in producing discord.”—Sewell.
“The prayers, the love, the patience, the consistent example of holiness, which are to-day in our power, may be committed to God’s keeping, in the full confidence that even if not permitted to gather their reward on earth in the present conversation of the children we love, it will be ours in the great to-morrow of eternity, when we shall be permitted to recognise the fulfilment of that enduring promise—‘Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.’”—Sewell.
“Fiction is natural to children. They do not, as a rule, lie artificially. The lie is the first exercise of the imagination—the first invention, the germ of art. Children often invent or lie to themselves. The lie is the first romance of childhood. The child plays with words as with everything else, and makes phrases without troubling himself as to reality. Thereallie—themorallie—is dissimulation which only arises from fear. It is in direct ratio to ill-judged severity and unscientific education.”—Guyau.