1841.VIII.
Naples,February 22, 1841.
After landing at Marseilles I proceeded by steamer to Genoa. On approaching the city from the sea it shows to great advantage. Its numerous and stately edifices resemble the seats of a vast amphitheatre placed on the declivity of the Apennines. It is termed the City of Palaces, and deservedly so, as its palaces are very numerous, and composed of beautiful marble, splendidly adorned with noble entrances and elegant staircases, with floors of marble. Among the most prominent sights of the city are the palaces and churches. The cathedral of St. Lorenzo is an ancient Gothic structure, built of marble, and paved with the same material. The sacristy contains an emerald vase, found at Cesarea when the Genoese captured that town, and they chose it in preference to any other tribute offered. (A.D. 1101.) This vase is said to have been presented by the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, and deposited by him in the temple at Jerusalem. Napoleon carried it to Paris when he conquered the Genoese, but it was afterwards returned. I was shown the mortal remains of St. John the Baptist, brought from Lycia and placed in the cathedral, inclosed in a silver sarcophagus. The plate of beautiful agate and gold which held the head of the saint, when presented to Herod, is also exhibited. The cross of gold worn by Constantine was also shown. It is two feet long, one foot wide, and weighs almost ten pounds, and is filled with precious stones, and contains a small fragment of thetrue cross. I visited the palace of the king of Sardinia, which is a large and magnificent edifice, and contains a large collection of paintings, among the most remarkable of which is one representing Mary Magdalen at the feet of our Saviour in the house of the Pharisee, by Paul Veronese; also one of Titian’s, representing Christ bearing his cross. I visited several other palaces where are to be seen beautiful collectionsof paintings. The rooms are gorgeous. One saloon in the palazzo Serra is lined with the most costly materials, white marble, large mirrors, etc., with ornaments of precious stones and the richest gilding; in short, it combines taste with splendor in its gorgeous decorations, and is considered equal to any single saloon in Europe.
From Genoa I, with two travelling companions, took private carriage to Pisa, a distance of one hundred and thirty miles, passing through several interesting towns, visiting the marble mines of Carrara, where are eighty-five workshops, preparing statuary and various kinds of work for foreign markets.
The scenery on this route is enchanting. Genoa is left in the distance as you wind along the coast of the Mediterranean, at the base of the Apennines. Villages are continually presenting themselves; the walled hills and mountains are filled with olives and the vine, and cultivated to their tops. The valleys, beautified with gardens, produce an abundance of the orange, lemon, &c. On arriving at Pisa, which is situated on the banks of the Arno, fourteen miles from Leghorn, I visited all the objects worthy of notice. One of the most remarkable is the Leaning Tower. It is of a circular form, one hundred and ninety feet high, and declines thirteen feet from perpendicular. This beautiful structure was commenced in the year 1174, and consists of eight stories, adorned with two hundred and seven columns of granite and marble, many of which have evidently been taken from other buildings. The stairs leading up are easy of ascent, and the view extensive.
The Campo Santo, or ancient burial ground, a beautiful edifice, is a vast rectangle, surrounded by sixty-two light and elegant Gothic arcades of the Greco-Arabic school, built of white marble, and paved with the same. It is founded on a part of the earth brought from Mount Calvary, by two warriors from the Holy Land, and was commenced in the year 1200. The interior walls are decorated with ancient fresco-paintings, statues, and monuments of the best artists, bearing testimony of the most distinguished characters.
From Pisa I went to Leghorn, a fine commercial city, with a population of sixty thousand, and took steamer for this city.
On entering the harbor of Naples, the city presents itself beautifully to view, rising in the form of an amphitheatre, andcrowned by the castle of St. Elmo; with its noble bay, thirty miles in diameter; and the island of Capri, rising in the centre. The towns of Sorento, Portici, Castellamare, Pozzuoli, and others, stretching along the promontory right and left, with Mount Vesuvius “eternally smoking in the distance,” at the base of which lie the ill fated cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, all of which I shall visit in a few days, and describe in my next. Naples is nine miles in circumference, and contains a population of three hundred and fifty thousand, but with the towns in the suburbs is said to contain five hundred thousand. On the summit of the hill, which is difficult of ascent, and adjoining the castle of St. Elmo, is a convent, and the church of San Martino, which is more magnificent than any other sacred edifice in Naples, being rich in gilding, paintings, precious marbles and jewels. The view from this spot is enchanting. The flat-roofed city, whose streets appear like narrow footpaths; the buzz of the inhabitants who seem like pigmies; carriages appearing no larger than children’s toys, and with difficulty distinguished; on one side the rich Neapolitan country, on another the majestic Apennines, with Vesuvius in front, and on the other side the bay covered with boats, and its shores lined with villages—the whole produces a rich and beautiful sight.
Messina(Sicily),March, 10, 1841.
In my last, from Naples, I promised, after having visited Mount Vesuvius and the entombed cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, to describe them. On arriving at Resina, about five miles distant from Naples, our party took mules and donkeys and ascended to the hermitage by a good mule path, occupying about two hours time. Here we were compelled to leave our animals, and ascend slowly and cautiously through masses of lava for about an hour—an exceedingly fatiguing task. At times we were almost suffocated with the sulphurous smoke which seemed to burst forth in different directions. The most difficult task was in returning from the mouth of the crater after having descended about twelve hundred feet. It is rare that persons descend to the verge or the mouth of the crater, and ourguide was quite unwilling to attempt it, but our party persisted, and it was accomplished with great labor. The top of the crater is computed at two and a half miles in circumference, and at the bottom the opening is about thirty feet in diameter, and ejects forth sulphurous smoke, with a loud rumbling noise, resembling the escape of steam of a Mississippi steamer.
The distance from Naples to Pompeii is about twelve miles. The city of Pompeii was buried under ashes and pumice stones, and deluged with showers of boiling water, in the year 79 of the Christian era, and accidentally discovered in 1775 by a peasant while planting a vineyard.
On arriving at the gate we were conducted by a guide through part of the town, already excavated. The streets are straight and well paved with lava, which prove an eruption previous to the destruction of the city. Traces of carriage wheels still remain in the pave. The houses were generally two stories high, and had flat roofs. The walls of most of the rooms were stuccoed, painted and polished; many of the paintings and frescoes are in a good state of preservation. The apartments were paved with mosaic, some very magnificently executed. On many houses are seen the name and occupation of the owner, written in deep red; on the walls of some public buildings advertisements of gladiatorial shows, festivals, &c.
Here are seen remnants of public baths, theatres, amphitheatres, the Basilica, the houses of Sallust, Diomede, the temples of Isis, Hercules, and other gods.
We also visited Herculaneum, which lies about five miles from Naples. Some portions of the city were buried six feet deep, others one hundred feet. The towers of Resina and Portici are built over the city, which prevents much excavation. We descended by torchlight a narrow and winding staircase a considerable depth below the surface, where part of the theatre is exhibited. It is said that it was capable of containing ten thousand persons. After having visited most of the objects of antiquity in the city, I made an excursion along the coast, visiting the tomb of Virgil, and passing through the grotto of Posilippo, which is two thousand three hundred and sixty feet long, twenty-three feet broad, and eighty-nine feet high, to the small town of Pozzuoli, where St. Paul landed and remained seven days before commencinghis journey to Rome. I also visited the ruins of the ancient city of Baiæ, near which are the ruins of Nero’s villa, and the hot vapor baths, which will boil an egg in two minutes. One of my most interesting excursions was to the ruins of Pæstum, about forty miles from Naples. The disease called malaria, which exists to an alarming extent in the vicinity of this ruined city, prevents travellers from visiting it at all seasons of the year. Persons should not sleep there, nor approach until an hour after sunrise. We took our supplies with us, as nothing can be obtained in this land of solitude and silence. Our sympathies were excited and charity exercised by seeing many squalid and wretched objects of malaria lying in huts upon the bare ground. This city was supposed to have been built seven hundred and twenty years before Christ, and to have been destroyed in the tenth century by the Saracens. Here are some of the finest ruins of temples in Europe. One, called the temple of Neptune, is very majestic. Its shape is quadrilateral, length one hundred and ninety-four feet, and breadth seventy-eight feet; and it has two fronts, with six minute fluted columns of the Grecian Doric order. The exterior columns, thirty-six in number, are twenty-seven feet high, and there is a Doric frieze and cornice all round the building. The situation of the high altar, and those on which victims were sacrificed and offerings made, is still visible. Fragments of sea-green and dark blue mosaic are still found on the spot. The temple of Ceres and the Basilica are still quite perfect and very beautiful. On our return through this gloomy tract of country and pestilent swamps we saw herds of buffalo, which are the only animals that inhabit it. I next visited the towns of Salerno and Amalfi, situated along the shores of the Mediterranean. The latter is bounded by lofty mountains on three sides, with beautiful cascades running through the town. The front opens on the sea. On the summit of a lofty wall is the Capuchin convent, which we visited, and then crossed the mountain of St. Angelo, over a height of four or five thousand feet. The route was difficult, but we were compensated for the fatigue by the many picturesque scenes constantly presented. At times the ascent was so rough among the craggy rocks I was compelled to dismount my donkey; at other times he would wind his course along the brink of a frightful precipice, where one mis-step would launch me into eternity.He proved as sure-footed as the herds of goats we frequently passed, jumping from one crag to another on the verge of a precipice.
I left Naples by steamer, stopping at Tropea, in Calabria, for a short time; then, passing down through the straits of Messina, we saw Scylla and Charybdis, which have been the dread of mariners so long, and about which so much has been said and sung. It is said that during tempestuous gales, the noise of the waves dashing violently against Scylla, and then precipitating themselves in the cavern, still resembles the howl of dogs and beasts of prey. The rapidity of the current here is very great, and the boiling eddies very strong. On passing the mountain of Stromboli, not far distant from Scylla, situated in the sea, I was struck with the beautiful eruption and ejection of fire, smoke, and red-hot stones, thrown up at intervals of fifteen minutes—a beautiful sight in the night.
Catania, Sicily,March 27, 1841.
I wrote you at Messina on the 10th inst. That city is delightfully situated, partly on an eminence and partly on a plain, surrounded by a luxuriant country, abounding with oranges, lemons, and many other tropical fruits. The population was, at one time, eighty thousand, but it is now somewhat reduced. It is said that the plague of 1743 carried off fifty thousand of its inhabitants, and the earthquake of 1783 nearly destroyed its beautiful quays in a few minutes, levelled its finest buildings, and killed one thousand persons. The city, as now rebuilt, has magnificent quays and a very pretty harbor. The walls of the present buildings are very massive, and usually from two to three stories high, to resist the shocks of earthquakes, which they are still subject to. I omitted to state in my last that I had experienced one slight shock since I had been in this latitude.
After remaining a sufficiently long time at Messina to see all the objects of interest, and its beautiful sunrises, I took a steamer for the city of Palermo, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. The approach to the city presents fine scenery. The mountains which form the background, the deep blue sea,whence rise the most picturesque rocks imaginable, the luxuriant plains immediately surrounding the city, altogether, are peculiarly striking. The city has a gay and Asiatic appearance, and the architecture is of the Saracenic, Greek, and Roman styles. It is one of the most regular built cities I have yet seen, and has a population of two hundred thousand. The Strada Toledo, which is about a mile in length, wide, clean, and well paved, intersects another street of the same character at right angles, and leads into a handsome octangular piazza called Quatro Cantori, from the centre of which both parts of each street and the four principal gates of the city, are visible. The number of nunneries is immense. The basements of these—many of them in the principal streets—are occupied as shops, while the upper stories are the apartments of the nuns, as may be discovered by the long, grated, projecting galleries.
The church of the Capuchins, about a mile distant from the city, attracts the attention of travellers. Here we descended into an immense vault, about one hundred and fifty feet in length, and probably sixty in width, which is used as a depository for the defunct brethren. They are dried, dressed, and placed upright in railings against the wall, that their friends may visit and pray by them annually, on the second of November. These catacombs also contain the vaults with iron doors where the body is placed and dried for six months; at the end of which time it is clad in its usual habiliments, and placed with the general assembly. The floors are covered with coffins inclosing the remains of persons not in holy orders. In one coffin I saw the late viceroy, who had been embalmed seven months, and was in good preservation. In one apartment are shelves devoted to females, who are disposed of in glass cases, and are richly dressed, and decorated with ornaments. This apartment must contain several thousands. The atmosphere is not altogether agreeable, and the grim-visaged defunct monks contribute not a little to make the sight appalling and disgusting.
Having finished our observations with the dead, we next visited the palace of the king, which is rich in marbles, mosaics, fresco paintings, tapestry, &c., and then made an excursion to the Chinese villa, called “La Favorita,” the summer residence of the king of Naples and Sicily, while at Palermo. The grounds are beautiful, inclosing splendid drives, four miles inextent, embellished with fountains, thickets, labyrinths, all varieties of tropical fruits, &c. The palace is purely Chinese in construction, in furniture, and in decorations.
After having examined most of the prominent sights of the city, we chartered a private carriage, to take the route from Palermo to Catania, a distance of one hundred and sixty-eight miles. The tour of Sicily is not generally made by travelling about the island, as it is attended with great fatigue and exposure, and want of accommodation; the usual mode of travel being on mules and donkeys.
In the principal cities all the comforts required by a traveller can be obtained, but in the interior the estates are large and owned by few, the peasants poor and living mostly in villages, going for miles to perform the labors of the day, instead of having farm-houses scattered along the road. The accommodations to be found are of the worst character. But we passed through a delightful country, with all the variety of mountain scenery. Sicily was once denominated the granary of Rome, and some writers say that hounds lost their scent in hunting over Sicilian heaths, on account of the odoriferous flowers which perfumed the air. This is the most delightful season of the year for travelling here, as the green almond trees are in blossom, the weather delightfully warm, and the flowers abundant. On our route we saw immense pasturages and herds of sheep on the mountains, attended by faithful shepherds with their crooks and watch-dogs. At sunset the sheep are all gathered to the folds.
The city of Catania was greatly injured by an eruption of Mount Etna in 1669, and almost destroyed by the earthquake of 1693, when most of the inhabitants were buried under the ruins of their houses and churches. But it rose rapidly, and now has a population of seventy thousand. It is regularly and handsomely built, and the streets are paved with the lava of Mount Etna.
So terrible have been the eruptions that parts of the city have been buried sixty feet deep with the burning lava. Excavations have been made in many places, and one of the number I visited, and descended sixty-three steps, when I came to the original earth and a spring of water. In another place the excavation exhibits the ancient Greek Theatre with its corridors,rows of seats, and other fixtures. In another place may be seen the remains of an amphitheatre, with its dens for wild beasts, and aqueducts for water, far below the surface on which the present city is built. It is necessary to descend with torches. All these things render it probable, if not certain, that Catania shared the fate of Herculaneum and Pompeii, in ancient times as well as in modern.
Since our party arrived here we have made an excursion up Mount Etna. Having each provided ourselves with a mule, and one extra to carry supplies, we set out on a lovely morning for Nicholosi, a small settlement, twelve miles up the mountain from Catania. The first part of the route presented a luxuriant and beautiful country abounding with vineyards, olives, figs, oranges, limes, and almonds. Vegetation was far advanced; the soil was very rich from the vast quantity of lava, cinders, and ashes which covered this extensive tract of country at the time of the eruption, and the destruction of Catania. On starting the weather appeared highly favorable for the entire ascent, but on arriving at Nicholosi the guide declined going up to the summit, as the sky indicated a snow-storm, in which, if caught, we could not possibly be saved at this season of the year. We therefore only ascended to the top of what is called Monte Rossi, the volcano that destroyed Catania in 1669, and covered the country with lava for thirty or forty miles.
The summit of Mount Etna is always covered with snows. Before we returned we found that the snow-storm had commenced, and rejoiced that we had escaped. At the height we attained we lost sight of all vegetation, nothing being visible but lava, cinders, and ashes.
Rome,April, 1841.
I wrote you last from Catania, Sicily. On leaving that city for Messina we passed through a fine country bordering on the Mediterranean, and stopped at Gardina, a small fishing town, prettily situated, with a fine view of the Straits of Messina and the shores of Calabria. The following morning we took donkeys, which were simply provided with rope halters and sheepskinsfor saddles, and proceeded to Taormina, an ancient Roman city, celebrated for its antiquities. It is situated on the top of a high rock, crowned with an ancient Saracenic castle. Pre-eminent among the antiquities is the theatre, a colossal edifice located in a singular hollow in the upper part of the rock. The ascent to the top is about two miles, and is very steep.
We next arrived at Messina, passing through a luxuriant country abounding in all the tropical fruits, and from Messina came by steamboat to Naples. On the route from Naples to Rome the first object of particular interest was in diverging from the present town of Capua to the ruins of the ancient city, where are the remains of one of the largest amphitheatres I have yet seen, and a part of it is quite perfect. It is said to have contained four hundred gladiators, and the school of gladiators amounted to four thousand in number. Cicero described it as holding one hundred thousand spectators. It was one thousand seven hundred and eighty feet in circuit, one hundred and forty feet high; length of arena two hundred and ninety-four feet, width one hundred and seventy-six. On the road we saw the cenotaph of Cicero, placed on the spot where he was murdered while endeavoring to escape from his enemies.
On entering the Pope’s dominions we had our baggage rigorously examined. We halted at the town of Albano, fourteen miles from Rome. Here are several subjects worthy of attention. A large monument supposed to have been erected by Pompey, to inclose the ashes of his wife Julia, daughter of Cæsar; the lake of Albano, an extinct volcano, six miles in circumference, and four hundred and eighty feet in depth; castle Gandolfo, a village built in the lava, stands on the top of the hill, and here the Pope has a summer residence. It is a beautiful location, and the walks through the avenues of shady trees are delightful. From this point I first caught sight of St. Peter’s, the first view of Rome. On arriving in the truly wonderful city my first desire was to see the great Basilica, St. Peter’s, far surpassing any other in the world, in size, splendor, and magnificence. The length of the church in the interior is six hundred and fourteen feet; the front is three hundred and seventy feet, and one hundred and forty-nine feet high, ornamented with columns of the Corinthian order, each column eight feet in diameter and eighty-eight feet in height. Thefront terminates with a balustrade surmounted by thirteen colossal statues, seventeen feet high, representing our Saviour and his Apostles. The width of the nave is two hundred and seven feet; diameter of cupola one hundred and thirty-nine; height from the pavement to first gallery one hundred and seventy-four; to second gallery two hundred and forty; to the representation of the Deity in the Lantern three hundred and ninety-three; and to the summit of the eastern cross four hundred and thirty-eight feet.
The interior is adorned with rare marble, columns, statuary, gilding, and solid bronze, gold and silver, the sacred Confessional with one hundred superb and elegant lamps, always burning. In the year 1694 this edifice was supposed to have cost forty-seven millions dollars, since which time immense amounts have been expended in mosaics, statuary, &c.
Under St. Peter’s is a subterranean church built by Constantine. Here are many tombs of the Popes, and that of Charlotte, Queen of Jerusalem. The height of this subterranean church is twelve feet, and the pavement the same as in the days of Constantine. The ascent to the top of St. Peter’s is not difficult, and there may be had a magnificent view of the city and country.
The Vatican, which is a city of itself, contiguous to St. Peter’s, contains some thousands of rooms, variously estimated. It is seventy thousand feet in circumstances. Some writers suppose it was erected by Nero, others are of opinion that it was built by Constantine; but every sovereign extended it. It is the residence of the Popes, in which are the Latin Chapel, the Pauline Chapel, also occupied with the most extensive collection of statuary, paintings, bronzes, &c., in the world; and here we saw the master-pieces of the world, as Rome may justly be called the mistress of the globe in the arts. Here are rooms twelve hundred feet long used as libraries, and for the collections of the museums.
Rome contains such a vast variety of antiquities that one is compelled to be very industrious to accomplish much in seeing the objects of interest unless two or three months are spent in the work. It is impossible to give an adequate description of the manifold objects of curiosity in this wonderful city.
I visited the Coliseum first by moonlight, which gives a verypretty effect; the pale light throws a beautiful shadow, and leaves the imagination to cover the defects. It is an immense edifice. Titus at the consecration exhibited gladiatorial shows ten days, and five thousand wild beasts with some thousands of gladiators are said to have been sacrificed at the horrid festival. It was opened in the year 80. It is of an oval form, one thousand six hundred and forty-one feet in circumference, and one hundred and fifty-seven feet high; the arena is four hundred and eighty-five feet long, and one hundred and eighty-two wide. It was four years in building. The benches held eighty-seven thousand, and the gallery twenty thousand spectators.
The Pantheon is a beautiful structure, and has so well resisted the ravages of time that it is in quite a perfect state. The front and sides of the portico contain sixteen Corinthian columns of red ornamented granite, each fourteen feet in circumference and thirty-nine feet high, with bases and capitals of white marble. The portico is surmounted by an entablature and pediment finely proportioned. The inside is circular, one hundred and thirty-four feet in diameter; the walls are nineteen feet thick, with an opening in the top twenty-six feet wide. Verde-antique, porphyry, and other valuable marbles are everywhere prominent. The dome was originally lined with bronze, but it was taken by Pope Urban Eighth to make the great canopy over the high altar of St. Peter’s.
Among the many other objects of interest the most conspicuous are the ancient Forum, the arch of Constantine, the arch of Titus, temples of various heathen gods, the tombs of Scipio, the palaces of the Cæsars, the baths of Titus and Caracalla, Trajan’s column, the Mausoleum of Augustus, and the Mausoleum of Adrian. The latter was erected by the Emperor Adrian to be a deposit for his remains; it is now converted into the Castle of San Angelo, and occupied by the military on the banks of the Tiber. The bridge that leads to it is surmounted by the figures of many angels, bearing in their hands the instruments of torture said to have been used at the crucifixion of our Savior. Near the Campidolio, which contains a vast collection of antiquities, is the Tarpeian Rock, celebrated as the place from which the ancient Romans executed their criminals by throwing them headlong down the precipice.
Near the Temples of Concord, Jupiter, and Fortune, is situatedthe prison in which St. Peter and St. Paul were confined with forty-seven other prisoners. A light is kept burning continually in one of the cells, in which are an altar, and figures of the saints on a side screen. You descend by torchlight into a vault or prison, on one side of which in passing down you see the grated iron window through which the prisoners looked, and near it is the iron frame to which they were bound. Here also, far below the surface of the ground, is the living stream which gushed up for the baptism of the convicts after their conversion, and which now in case of severe droughts never fails to flow.
In visiting the immense ruins of the palace of Cæsar we descended by torchlight to the baths of Livia, where are seen the remains of stucco and fresco work in the wall, arabesques, medallions, &c. Near this place on the hill, we had a view of the seven hills of Rome, and looked down upon the Forum, Senate House, and on the other side the Circus Maximus, which extended for miles, and held in the time of Constantine three hundred and eighty thousand persons. It was used for horse and chariot races, as well as feats of wrestling, boxing, combats with wild beasts, and other exercises to improve the Roman youth.
Rome, according to the published statistics, contains six hundred and thirty-five palaces, three hundred and twenty-eight churches, fifty public fountains, one hundred small fountains, thirty-four bishops, one thousand four hundred and sixty-eight priests, two thousand one hundred and eighteen monks, one thousand four hundred and seventeen young monks, one hundred and fourteen convents, thirteen obelisks, and sixteen city gates. The ancient Romans had aqueducts to convey to the city eight hundred tons of water daily. Three of them still remain, one of which supplies the Vatican and the fountains in front of St. Peter’s, and is thirty miles in length. Another is twenty-two miles long. The ancient mistress of the world, reduced as she now is in size, population, wealth, and power, still has her stately palaces, noble churches, splendid fountains, stupendous obelisks of Egyptian character, matchless amphitheatres, and almost innumerable antiquities, with their classical associations, which can never fail to attract strangers from all enlightened quarters of the globe, to say nothing of the finestmodern works of art, to be found almost everywhere, and in which she is unrivalled.
Vienna, Austria,June 25, 1841.
I promised to give you some account of this beautiful city and the characteristics of the government and people. The registers kept at the police are so accurate and full that the history of a person from his birth, his changes of abode, his journeyings, in fact all his movements, are ascertained with perfect precision, so arbitrary and jealous is the government. No Austrian is allowed to leave the empire unless by making a deposit of five hundred florins, or giving security to that amount, to indemnify his return. The consequence is that we seldom see them in America. I find no Americans here at present. It is a fine country for a stranger to reside in, but he must not meddle with affairs of state—if he does so he must not be surprised if an officer hands him his passport with orders to leave the empire instantly.
The expenses of living are one third higher here than in Paris. You find notable d’hôteat the hotels, but merely take a lodging room, and then have your meals at therestaurantconnected with the hotel, or where you please. The city abounds withcafés, which are resorted to by all classes. In these establishments you are almost constantly enveloped in smoke, as every one uses a pipe or cigars. There are somecafésin which smoking is not allowed.
At this season of the year, to escape the heat, a general resort is had to the different gardens, where you find innumerable tables spread in the open air under the trees, in the hearing of bands of music, and occupied by well dressed, orderly people of both sexes. The city is highly favored with shade trees.
Vienna has been pronounced by travellers the most dissolute capital in Europe. But in this I should think there was much exaggeration. There is, at all events, none of that open display of vice that disgraces Paris and London. Violations of the peace are said to be rare, and you seldom see a drunken man. No public gambling is allowed. In the public walks and gardensall seem to be alike merry and happy—feasting, dancing, and amusements being the order of the day. London is celebrated for its wealth, Paris for its beauty and gaiety, but Vienna for all these characteristics.
In a former letter I stated that I had visited the vault of a Capuchin convent, where the remains of the royal family are deposited. There are in all seventy metal coffins; the oldest is of the Emperor Matthias; the most splendid is that of Margaret of Spain, being of pure silver; the most interesting is that of young Napoleon, Duke of Reichstadt. A singular custom they have here in disposing of the remains of the royal family. The body is deposited in one place, the bowels in the cathedral, and the heart in a silver urn in the church of the Augustins. I visited the latter, and had the urn containing the young Napoleon’s heart in my hand, and also that having the heart of his grandfather, the late Emperor.
The imperial jewel office surpasses all sights of that kind I have ever witnessed. Here are riches unbounded. Among the prominent objects is the crown of Charlemagne, consisting of gold, diamonds, and precious stones, taken from his grave at Aix-la-Chapelle. It was used at the coronation of many Roman Emperors. There are also the crown worn by Napoleon at his coronation at Milan as King of Lombardy, the entire Austrian crown, necklaces, and jewels of all kinds. Six large rooms are used to display them, with many other articles, including robes, sceptres, orbs, and shelves filled with precious stones—the largest diamond in the world, weighing one hundred and thirty-three carats, gold vases, basins, the gold and silver cradle of young Napoleon, &c. Here is also preserved a variety of sacred relics, a piece of the holy cross, the spear and nails of the cross used at the coronation of the Roman Emperor, a piece of the table-cloth spread for the Lord’s Supper, three links of the chain of St. Peter, Paul, and John, and so many other objects displaying the superstitions of the people and the extravagance of the government, that a mere enumeration of them is out of the question.
The Imperial Arsenal is the finest I ever saw, far surpassing anything of the kind in London or Paris. It is an immense building, the court of which is filled with cannon of all sizes, the largest being twenty-four feet long, and carrying one hundredand twenty-four pound balls. A chain goes round the entire square where the building stands, hung in festoons of immense size; it contains eight thousand links, and was taken from the Turks, who had thrown it across the Danube.
In the upper rooms of the building are tastefully displayed one hundred and fifty thousand stand of arms, in all forms and figures, so as to present a beautiful decoration, while at the same time they are ready for use. Columns which to appearance support the halls, are all of warlike instruments. You see the large double-headed eagle, the arms of Austria, from twelve to fifteen feet long, with out-stretched wings, all composed of instruments of warfare beautifully arranged.
The coach establishment of the royal family is scarcely less magnificent than the great arsenal. I thought the coaches and equipages of the Pope of Rome must be superior to those of any other potentate, but those of the Emperor of Austria surpass them. There are about thirty large and small coaches, all glittering with gold. The largest of the number corresponds in size with an American stage coach; the wheels, pole, and all but the body, being covered with plated gold, the driver’s and footmen’s seats covered with scarlet velvet, the inside lined with the same material, and the body painted after the design of Rubens, with beautiful characters and emblematic figures, and finished in a style that cannot be excelled in beauty. On the top is an immense crown of gold, which serves as a grand finish of the efforts for grandeur. The painting alone cost thirty thousand dollars, the whole vehicle ninety thousand dollars! It is used but twice a year, and is one hundred and twenty years old. Such is some of the pomp and pageantry of crowned heads, and, after all, what wretched governments, compared with our enlightened republic, do they give the people!
The Emperor is, however, a plain man, beloved by his people. He gives audience one day in the week to all who choose to make application beforehand in writing. He usually sets the example of dining at one o’clock, and, as a consequence, that is the fashionable dinner hour in the city. He is a regular attendant on Divine service in his own chapel connected with the palace. But any citizen can go and see, at certain times, what is called his private side-box, where he does no business and observes few ceremonies.
Since my arrival here I have tested the qualities of the mineral baths, which are the resort of thousands at this season of the year. The warm springs contain large portions of sulphur, are strongly impregnated with carbonic acid gas, and are very extensive.
Among other curiosities worthy of attention, in a public square near the centre of the city, is the trunk of an old tree, the only one remaining of an ancient forest, which occupied half the ground now covered with buildings. It has several iron hoops to aid in preserving it, and as it has been the custom of apprentices on setting out on a journey to drive a nail in it by way of memorial, it has become so filled with nails that there is no place left to drive another. It has the appearance of, and is called, “the tree of iron,” and gives its name to the square in which it stands.
With regard to apprentices, Austria has some peculiar regulations. The law compels them to travel in the empire two years in search of employment, and to gain information. They can enter any city and apply to the head of a committee for employment. If none can be obtained they are provided for, but can remain only two days, before they must travel again. They are required to keep a journal of all the places visited and bring back testimonials of character. When their time has expired they return home and pass an examination; if pronounced worthy, they are then allowed to open a shop. In consequence of this regulation it is not uncommon to see fine-looking young men, with packs on their backs, come up to a coach door and beg for any trifle of money, which their necessities drive them to solicit, and it is a rule with the Austrians always to aid them liberally.
Pest, Hungary,July 2, 1841.
My last letter was from Vienna, which city we left a few days since for the capital of Hungary. We took a steamer on the Danube, about three miles from Vienna, and descended to Presburg, about fifty miles. The navigation of this part of the Danube is difficult, owing to the shoals and rapidity of the currents.On the route we passed the memorable battle-ground of Wagram. Traces of the works of Napoleon’s fortified camp on the island of Lobau, still remain. This narrow island—two and one-third miles long, and three-quarters of a mile broad—it is said contained one hundred and fifty thousand foot and thirty thousand horse, and seven hundred pieces of cannon, concentrated from all parts of Europe. We also passed the villages of Aspern and Essling, the scene of a memorable engagement in 1809, when the Austrians, under the Archduke Charles, gained a temporary but important advantage over Napoleon. Aspern was reduced to ruins; and scarcely any traces now remain of it; save the marks of cannon and shot in the walls of the churchyard.
We soon arrived at Presburg, the place of coronation of the king of Hungary, with a population of forty thousand, pleasantly situated on the Danube. The most conspicuous edifice to be seen here is the royal palace on the hill above the city. It was here that Maria Theresa, the youthful queen, at the commencement of her reign, when attacked on all sides, appeared in deep mourning, with the cross of St. Stephen in her hand, and girt with his sword, and delivered a speech, stating the disastrous condition of her affairs, and throwing herself on the fidelity of her people. The Hungarians could not resist the appeal, but in the excitement of feeling voted supplies to carry on the war, and summoned the wild tribes from the remote quarters of Hungary, to carry terror to all parts of the continent. Near the city an artificial mound is pointed out, about forty feet high, called Konigsburgh, to which every new king of Hungary has heretofore repaired on horseback, after his coronation, and from its summit made the sign of the cross in the air with the sword of St. Stephen, and waved it towards the four points of the compass, signifying thus his intention to protect the land on all sides.
We visited the Jews’ quarter, where, to the number of seven thousand, they are inclosed along the slope of the castle hill. They are restricted to that part of the city. The shores here are connected by a bridge of boats which rise and fall with the tide. Along the river may be seen, constantly, barges rudely constructed, mostly flat bottoms, with produce destined for the Black Sea, and descending rapidly with a current very like theMississippi; others ascending, with supplies for the cities, or with merchandize, and towed by twenty to thirty horses, which traverse the banks, or up to the middle in water. We repeatedly passed fleets of water-mills, driven by the current, stretching obliquely in long lines from the shore into the middle of the river. They consist of a water-wheel suspended between two large boats moored in the line of the current; one boat, with a temporary dwelling, used by the miller. Heretofore, about the only use this mighty river was applied to, was propelling the mills. Steamers, to a limited extent, have been introduced within the last twelve years. The scenery along its banks is rather monotonous until you arrive at the town of Gran, numbering a population of twelve thousand: here is seen a chain of hills, the sides of which are planted with vineyards, producing some of the finest Hungarian wines. The town is celebrated as being the birthplace of St. Stephen, and for a long time the residence of the Hungarian monarchs, and was the finest city in Turkey until it was nearly annihilated by the Turks.
After passing many towers and battlemented walls, all full of interest as connected with the history of the country, we arrived at this city, one hundred and eighty-two miles from Vienna.
Buda, the old town on the right bank of the Danube, is the residence of the Palatine, and seat of government; and Pest on the left, connected by a bridge of boats one thousand two hundred feet long—both places containing a population of one hundred and twenty thousand. In 1838, a sudden rise of the Danube destroyed three thousand eight hundred dwellings. Since that time the city has improved rapidly, and I was agreeably surprised to see here, in almost the extreme Eastern part of Europe, a city that would compare with, and remind me of a new American city in many respects. The chief languages are the Hungarian and German, but I find the people in the cities of Hungary apt in the acquirement of languages. Many of them speak five languages. Their own is of an oriental character, differing from all European ones, and most difficult to acquire.
On crossing the bridge of boats, we passed without any demand being made; but observed that others were stopped, and toll demanded. On inquiry, the reply from a traveller was, that all persons who had good coats to their backs were allowed to pass free; while those who, from their costume, appeared tobelong to the class of peasants of the poorer and lower orders, especiallybeggars in rags, are compelled to pay. The nobleman in every part of Hungary is free from all taxes. This is the Hungarian constitution! All the taxes of Hungary, which contains five millions of people, are wrung from the hard earnings of the peasants. The nobleman may have millions of acres, and immense revenues, and does not contribute a dollar. The excuse offered for this monstrous abuse is, that the peasant has a right in the land in consequence of his paying taxes, and that the tax is a part of the rent paid to government instead of to the lord.
Prague, Bohemia,July 12, 1841.
I will give you some idea of the mode of travel in Hungary. Between Vienna and Pest there is a separate posting establishment, set on foot by peasants, who drive their own horses, and travel twice as expeditiously as an ordinary post. Their only carriage is a light wagon, which is furnished with an abundance of straw or hay to make it comfortable, with a rude temporary cover of matting thrown over it, to protect from the rays of the sun, and rain. The pace at which these conveyances travel is absolutely wonderful, especially some of the stages. One of these stages, of forty miles, was performed within four hours, with a stop of fifteen minutes to water. Most of the time they went at the most rapid speed, keeping the horses, of which there were four, at a full gallop.
It is a curious, but attractive sight, to see the wild looking driver, with his long black hair floating in the breeze, his broad-brimmed hat and feather, as he turns around to ask for your admiration when his four, little, clean-limbed nags are rattling away over hills and through hollows, at a rate absolutely frightful. Go slow he will not; and if you escape being overturned, and left by the road-side, you are fortunate.
Hungary is a rich agricultural country, producing immense quantities of grain of different kinds. In the opinion of some, it is not uncommon for travellers to exaggerate; and when I say that we passed through fields ten miles in extent, with wheaton both sides as far as the eye could reach, it will scarcely appear credible. The small Hungarian towns present a singular appearance, having mostly one long and very broad street. The houses all stand with their gables to the street, are one story high, and about eighteen feet wide, with but one front window, but extending very deep to the rear. In towns of three or four hundred houses, you will scarcely discover two with any other covering than a thatched straw roof, but they are all well whitewashed, and have a greater appearance of comfort and neatness than one would suppose.
The estates are very large, and most of the peasants are mere slaves. It is amusing to see them on Sunday, or a holiday, with their gay attire; their round-topped broad-brimmed hats filled with feathers and gay flowers, and the rest of their peculiar dresses decked in corresponding style, with gaudy finery, remind one of our American Indians.
On our route to this city from Vienna, we stopped at Brunn, the capital of Moravia, a city with a population of forty thousand. The sect called Moravians originated in this country. It is a manufacturing city, and may be regarded as the Austrian Leeds for its cloths and woollen stuffs. Baron Trenck, the savage leader of the Pandours, the wild vanguard of the Austrian army, died here, and is buried in the church of the Capuchins. About ten miles from Brunn lies the famous battle-field of Austerlitz.
This city stands in a basin-shaped valley, cut in two by the river Moldau. It is surrounded on all sides by rocks or eminences, upon which slope the buildings of the city, rising tier above tier as they recede from the water’s edge. There is something of Asiatic splendor in the aspect and form of the domes, turrets, spires, and minarets, which rise up without number on all sides. The most imposing building is the ancient palace of the Bohemian kings, which stands upon the crest of an eminence, and overlooks all the other buildings of the city. The population is one hundred and twenty thousand.
The city contains much to interest strangers. The Aldstadt, as its name imports, is connected with the new part of the town by a bridge of massive stone, which was begun in the year 1356, by the emperor Charles IV., and finished in 1507; it is one thousand seven hundred and ninety feet long, and is ornamentedwith fifty-six statues of saints, twenty-eight on each side,—one of them a bronze statue of St. Nepomuck, who, according to the Popish legend, was thrown from this bridge into the river and drowned, in 1383, by king Wenceslaus, because he refused to betray the secrets confided to him by his queen in the holy rite of confession. The spot is now marked by five stars and a cross, in imitation of the miraculous flames which for three days after he was drowned, were seen flickering over the place where his body lay under water. The river was dragged, his body found and encased in a gorgeous silver shrine, and placed in the cathedral. From this circumstance, he became the patron saint of bridges; and wherever I have travelled in Catholic countries, I find the statue of St. John Nepomuck occupying the same situation by the bridges. The shrine and chapel in the cathedral are among the most richly finished in the world. The body is contained in a crystal coffin, inclosed in one of silver, and held aloft by angels as large as life, also of silver. The candelabra which stand around, the ever-burning lamps which hang above, are of the same precious metal, weighing altogether two thousand five hundred pounds. About three miles from the city is the field of the famous battle of Prague, won by Frederick the Great, in the celebrated Seven Years’ War. The cathedral is still standing at which Frederick aimed his cannon when he attacked the city, and is now a perfect museum of antiquities. Two hundred and fifteen balls passed through the roof. It is an interesting place to visit. The Jews quarter here, and occupy a part of the city by themselves, but are not locked up at night as in Rome and some other places that I have visited. It is recorded that in 1290 they were almost exterminated here by the fanaticism of the ignorant part of the people, who charged them with insulting the Host.
The most ancient synagogue here, the Jews assert, is nine hundred years old; the dust of ages remains undisturbed in it, and brooms, water, or whitewash would be considered sacrilege. It is a small apartment, supported on arches by three pillars, dingy with age and smoke. In some of their festivals they bear torches and lamps for days and nights, which accounts for the smoky and gloomy walls. The burial-ground, not far from the synagogue, is a singular spot. It is a large inclosure in the centre of the Jewish city, filled with the dead of centuries. One oldheadstone was pointed out which bears the date of the twelfth century. Many of them bear symbols of the tribes to which the departed belonged; a pitcher marks Levi, and so on.
We visited the palace of the Bohemian Kings. It is said to contain one thousand four hundred and forty apartments, and some are very splendid in size and decorations. The window is shown where three nobles were thrown out and fell eighty feet, having issued tyrannical edicts against the Protestants, which gave rise to the Thirty Years’ War that ended in 1640. We next visited the palace of the great chieftain Wallenstein. It is stated that one hundred houses were purchased and pulled down to make room for building the palace and clearing the grounds around it. It is now occupied by the descendants of Wallenstein. Those who visited the palace in his lifetime have left behind a surprising account of its splendor, and the regal style kept up by the proprietor. His stables contained three hundred saddle and carriage horses, fed out of marble mangers. Sixty pages, of noble families, were kept in the establishment to wait upon him, and when he went from home fifty carriages each drawn by four or six horses conveyed himself and suite, and fifty wagons carried his baggage, while the whole train was followed by fifty extra horses. His fortune was enormous, and yet during the wars he was often at a loss for means to raise a few thousand florins, so terribly did the country suffer.
The monastery of Straliew, whose library contains fifty thousand volumes, has scarcely its equal in this part of the world for its splendor, being lined throughout with walnut wood, and richly ornamented with gilding. It contains, among other things of interest, the autograph of Tycho Brahe, the great astronomer, and a portrait of the famous Ziska, who, it is said, bequeathed his skin to his followers with directions that it should be tanned and stretched upon a drum, in order that its sound might inflict upon his enemies a portion of that terror which his presence while living had invariably produced among them.
Dresden, Saxony,July 18, 1841.
It was one day’s ride from Prague to Töplitz, celebrated above all other watering places in Austria for its baths. It is pleasantly located on a small stream, and contains two thousand seven hundred and fifty inhabitants, and four hundred houses, sixty of which are inns. There is hardly a house in the town that is not used at times as a lodging-house. A great part of the place belongs to Prince Clary, who has such very extensive possessions in this part of the Austrian empire that he is put down as the proprietor of sixty villages! On the way from Vienna to Prague we passed for fifty or sixty miles through the estate of Prince Lichtenstein, whose entire possessions extend two hundred miles, the land being nearly all of the choicest quality.
Attached to the palace of Prince Clary in Töplitz are parks and gardens abounding with tall groves of fruit trees, and long promenades, fountains of water, lakes with beautiful flocks of swans gliding over the surface, and within the circuit lie the theatre, reading, dining, and ball rooms, which are thrown open for the use of visitors who wish to patronize the baths. The hot springs are seventeen in number, their temperature one hundred and twenty degrees Fah. During the summer there are thousands of persons at these baths. Being one of the most fashionable watering places, it is frequented not only by the nobility of Russia, Prussia, and Austria, but by the sovereigns of those countries, dukes, and princes of smaller estate, &c. There are six public baths and eighty private ones, which are in requisition from four o’clock in the morning until late at night. Each bathing establishment is placed under the direction of a “Badmeister” and his wife, and at the entrance hangs a list, where the hours at which every bath is engaged are noted down.
The visitor must be punctual in occupying only three quarters of an hour, and before the time is up he is notified by the ringing of a bell to prepare to dress.
On the route from Töplitz leading to Aussig, on the banks of the Elbe, at which place the steamer starts for Dresden, wepassed through the battle-ground of Kulin, near the Nollendorf pass, which will always be famous in history. The French forces under Vandamme, and the allied forces under Count Colleredo Mansfield, fought a battle here that had a vast influence upon the fortunes of Napoleon. He had despatched Vandamme, with forty thousand men, under strict orders not to descend into the plain; but, contrary to those orders, he attacked Count Ostermann, who had with him eight thousand guards, chiefly Russians, and the Prussian and Austrian forces came up in time to rout the entire French force before any aid could reach them, killing and making prisoners all except a few thousands who threw away their arms and fled across the mountain. The Prussian, Russian, and Austrian governments have each erected a monument in the field. The Prussian is inclosed within an iron railing, and is of cast iron, with the inscription in German—“A grateful King and country honor the heroes that fell;” the Austrian is dedicated to Prince Colleredo Mansfield, who was wounded in the battle; the Russian was placed by the Emperor Nicholas in the centre of the field. It is an obelisk, surmounted by a figure of Fame, with a lion reposing at its base.
From Aussig, a small town on the Elbe, we descended rapidly, touching at Teschen, a small village most romantically situated, where commences the country called “Saxon Switzerland.” The village lies at the foot of a high rock, on which stands the castle of Teschen, owned by Count Thurn, who is also the proprietor of the village and a district of country around occupied by eighteen thousand inhabitants.
The Elbe here seems pent up between bold cliffs and huge rocks, clothed in rich foliage wherever it is possible for a tree to hang; but it finds its way through them into a most romantic and picturesque country. In passing along we had a view of the Bartec, a rock that rises near the margin of the river to the height of eight hundred feet, and commands an extensive view of the surrounding country. The Konigstein rock, which is a fortress seven hundred and seventy-nine feet above the river, is deemed impregnable, and has never yet been taken. It is surrounded on all sides by perpendicular rocks, and so isolated that it cannot be commanded by artillery from any point. Napoleon tried to batter it from Lilienstein, the nearest eminence, but the shot fell short. The treasures of the Saxongovernment were fortunately placed here, and were thus kept secure. A space of two miles in circumference on the top of the rock, is laid out in fields and gardens, and is finely cultivated. The present garrison numbers only six hundred men.
The scenery on the banks of the Elbe, until within a few miles of Dresden, is of the most enchanting character. Dresden has a population of seventy thousand. It is delightfully situated on the bank of the river, and ranks high among European cities for its attractions, and the number and objects calculated to gratify the intelligent traveller. It is the residence of the king, and has consequently all the accompaniments of a national capital. Its picture gallery has the finest collection of paintings to be found north of the Alps. When Frederic the Great bombarded Dresden, battered down its churches, and laid its streets in ruins, he commanded his troops to keep clear of the picture gallery. Napoleon treated Dresden well, and respected its pictures. The collection is very extensive, consisting of many thousands, one of which, by Raphael, cost forty thousand dollars. It represents the Virgin soaring up to Heaven, bearing in her arms the Divine Child, while Pope Sixtus is represented as gazing upon the scene and trembling with pious awe; opposite to him kneels St. Barbara, and below the group stand two angelic children, their countenances beaming with innocence and intelligence. It is considered the best picture out of Italy.
The Green Vaults, so styled, are a range of vaulted apartments on the ground floor of the royal palace, containing a vast and rich collection of valuables. The Saxon princes in former times were among the richest sovereigns in Europe. This collection is probably the richest in Europe, amounting to many millions in value. The treasures are contained in eight apartments, each surpassing the other, as you reach them successively, in richness and splendor. The objects are so numerous that it is quite impossible to allude to more than a few of the most prominent: A large quantity of gold and silver plate which adorn the banquets of the Saxon palace; vessels formed of agates, precious stones, &c.; goblets composed entirely of cut gems, valued at six hundred dollars each; vessels cut out of solid rock crystal. Among the wonders of the cabinet are the works of Durglinger, an artist formerly employed exclusively by the Electors of Saxony. One piece is called the Court of the Great Mogul, and representsthe Emperor Aurungzebe upon his throne, surrounded by his guards and courtiers in the most appropriate costume, in all one hundred and thirty figures of pure gold enamelled. It employed three persons eight years to complete it, and cost eighty-five thousand dollars. Last of all comes the eighth room, in which is one case containing valuables sufficient to pay off the national debt of Saxony, amounting to many millions; comprising the most precious jewels, sapphires, rubies, pearls, diamonds, &c. The diamond decorations of the gala dress of the Elector consist of buttons, collar, sword hilt and scabbard,all of diamonds. The most remarkable in the mass of chains, bracelets, orders of the Golden Fleece, and so on, is a green brilliant, weighing forty carats, and of great value.
The Historical Museum of Dresden contains all the weapons, offensive and defensive, of chivalrous warfare, all the trappings and accoutrements of tournaments, and other wild sports of feudal times. Here are whole suits of armor for man and horse, ornamented in great profusion with gold and silver. The entire armory occupies nine long galleries, and excels that of the Tower of London. One suit of armor is covered with reliefs representing the labors of Hercules, and other subjects, in gold and steel.
Among the historical relics in the last apartment are the robes worn by Augustus the Strong at his coronation as King of Poland; the little cocked hat of Peter the Great, and a wooden bowl turned by his own hand; the saddle of red velvet upon which Napoleon rode, the boots he wore in the battle of Dresden, and the satin shoes worn at his coronation.
The bridge over the Elbe here is considered one of the finest of stone in Germany. It is very solid, in order to resist the ice in the spring. There is a bronze crucifix on one of the arches, denoting the part blown up by the French Marshal Davoust in 1813, to cover his retreat to Leipsic. One church here is composed of solid stone to the top of the dome, and is of such solid construction that cannon balls directed against it by Frederic the Great rebounded from its surface without doing the least injury.
Wittemberg, Prussia,July 23, 1841.
We this morning arrived in this interesting town. I say interesting, from historical association only, as the town itself is dull and lifeless, with a population of seven thousand. It has been termed the Protestant Mecca; it was the cradle of the Reformation, as Martin Luther openly engaged here in opposition to the Church of Rome.
After procuring a valet-de-place, we proceeded to the market-place, where, beneath a Gothic canopy of cast iron, is a bronze statue of Luther, inscribed with these words in German: “If it be the work of God, it will endure; if of man, it will perish.”
We next visited the town hall, where are preserved several paintings, among the number one of Luther and one of Melancthon; also the drinking cup of Luther, and several other relics. On passing up the street to visit the ancient Augustine convent, where Luther meditated the change of the religion of Europe, we passed the house of Melancthon, on which are inscribed these words, “Hier wohnte, lehrte, und starb Melancthon.”—(Here lived, taught, and died Melancthon.) On arriving at Luther’s cell, we found the old chair and table at which he wrote, and the jug from which he drank. The wall bears the name of Peter the Great, written with his own hand. Outside of the gate of the town is an oak tree surrounded by a railing, marking the spot where Luther burnt publicly the Papal bull, by which Pope Leo X. condemned his doctrines and excommunicated him as an obstinate heretic, in Dec. 1520. Luther and his friend Melancthon are both buried in one church here. Two tablets of bronze inserted in the pavement mark their graves. Here are also the tombs of Frederic the Wise and John the Steadfast, Electors of Saxony, who were great friends of Luther and the Reformation. Against the doors of this church Luther hung up his ninety-five arguments, which condemned the doctrine of Papal indulgence, and which he offered to defend against all comers.
We leave here to-morrow morning for Berlin, the capital of Prussia. I wrote you last from Dresden, and next visited Leipsig, interesting as a commercial place, and celebrated for itsmemorable battle—the battle of the nations—one of the longest, sternest, and bloodiest actions of the war, and one of the largest battles recorded in history; the number of troops on the side of Bonaparte being one hundred and thirty-six thousand, and on the part of the allies two hundred and thirty thousand—two thousand cannon and eighty thousand horse. It is said that after the battle had raged three days in the vicinity of the city, on the 19th of Oct. 1813, it reached up to the walls, and cannon shot fell in showers in the streets. The castle of Plazenburg, the ancient citadel, is lofty, and from the observatory the guide gave us an accurate description of the position of all the armies. I visited the spot where the bridge was, unfortunately for the French, blown up, whereby twenty-five thousand soldiers were lost or taken. The river Elster runs through the city, and by this mistake many thousands of French, on the retreat, were precipitated, with wagons, cannon, and horses, into the stream. The gallant Pole, Poniatowski, whose tomb I found near the bank of the river, lost his life here. Leipsig contains a population of forty-seven thousand five hundred, and its sale of books forms one of the chief branches of commerce, said to amount to twenty million francs yearly. Three fairs are held here during the year, and while they continue Leipsig is said to be the mart of central Europe, and is visited by foreigners from all quarters, sometimes to the extent of thirty thousand. Then every hotel and lodging-house is filled to overflowing, and temporary booths occupy the streets. The old walls of the city have long since been demolished, and instead of them the city is now encircled with a belt of trees, forming delightful promenades bordered with flowers. It is said that in the year 1834, eighty thousand names of strangers were enrolled on the police books, and during the fair the streets were thronged with Jews, Tyrolese, Persians, Armenians, Turks, and Greeks, mingled together in a masquerade. Our valet took us to a cellar for refreshments, where, according to tradition, the famous magician Dr. Faustus performed his feats, which are represented by rude daubs upon the wall. Goethe has laid in the cellar a scene of the tragedy of Faust. It is said that the poet, as well as his hero, not unfrequently caroused here, while a student.
On leaving Leipsig we took passage for Dessau, the residence of Prince Anhalt Dessau, a separate and distinct principality.There is nothing remarkable on this route except the palace of gardens, at Worlitz, belonging to this prince. The grounds are very extensive and beautifully laid out, as is usually the case with those of the titled nobility—adorned with artificial caves and grottoes, miniature Gothic castles, a temple of Venus, an imitation in miniature of the Pantheon at Rome, lakes, labyrinths, &c. The church and chapel are very pretty; the palace is magnificently arranged, and filled with statuary, paintings, antiquities, &c.; it is only used as a summer retreat. While attending service recently we were struck with the fine vocal music produced by about thirty young boys. On inquiry, I found that singing is a part of Prussian education, and in no country, perhaps, is the system of general knowledge so extended as in Prussia. By law every child, at the age of eight years, must attend school.
In most states, although every man is obliged to serve in the army, a substitute may be had; not so in Prussia; every able-bodied man, from prince to peasant, must serve in person. Three years is the usual time, but as an encouragement for superior education, on the meeting of the board of military examination, young men showing proof of superior education may claim the right of serving only one year. All are liable to duty in case of war. By this system it is said that Prussia can, in a short period, furnish over half a million of men for the defence of its wide-spread frontier.