Part 17

From Zurich, I took a northerly direction to Schaffhausen, to see the Cataract of the Rhine, which is well worth a visit; but the fall of a river of only eighty feet, although grand and beautiful, and highly extolled by continental tourists, does not so particularly interest an American who has visited the majestic and indescribable falls of Niagara. This reminds me of an anecdote related of a controversy between an American and an Italian, relative to the beauties and remarkable curiosities of the two countries. The Italian thought he had the advantage, particularly in describing the volcano, and the eruptions of Mount Vesuvius; but the American replied, “Yes, all very true; and we have Niagara, which can drown Vesuvius in less than five minutes.”

From Schaffhausen, the steamer takes one along the upper Rhine, which is low and flat in many places, and not remarkable for its beauty. We then entered Lake Constance, which is the largest sheet of water in Switzerland, touching at different points until our arrival at Constance, which has nothing particular to offer for the traveller in the way of sights.

Having made zigzag routes in Switzerland in my former as well as present voyage, and having seen eighteen out of the twenty-two cantons comprising the Confederation, I was quite satisfied to depart for the head of the lake, on my way to Augsburgh and Munich. This latter city, with a population of one hundred thousand, is an interesting place, and contains more to interest a stranger than most of the German cities. It, too, has had a share of revolution; and the late king Louis, who has abdicated in favor of his son, and whose favorite, Lola Montez, created so much noise in the world, has fled to Switzerland. The king had a great passion for the fine arts, both painting and sculpture, and good taste in architecture; and the new part of the city is beautified with piles of immense edifices for the use of the state, and galleries of paintings, statuary, and antique collections. The contrast between the quaint, antique houses, of irregular construction, with high roofs and two tiers of windows in their main fronts, ornamented with scroll-work, and the modern style of buildings, is very great.

The new palace, copied after the Pitti Palace at Florence, is one of the most beautiful in Europe, with floors of various kinds of wood, inlaid in patterns which differ in all the rooms, and produce a sort of mosaic. The cornices, bas-reliefs in marble, fresco paintings, after the fashion of Pompeii and the Vatican at Rome, statuary in marble and bronze gilt, with the damask hangings and tapestry--the magnificence and apparent comfort of these things struck me very forcibly.

For one who has not seen other parts of Europe, some weeks could be employed advantageously in Munich. I have been here several days, and have had constant employment, first in visiting the gallery of sculpture, where I found a vast collection of Egyptian and Etruscan antiquities; those which were broken were well restored by Thorwaldsen. One room is devoted to Egyptian statuary, another to Etruscan, another to Ægina collections, and the decorations of each apartment are adapted to the contents, the floors of marble, and the ceilings in rich fresco and stucco patterns, with gilding. In the room appropriated to Egyptian statuary, I could almost fancy myself back among the ruins of Thebes, and the great temples of Karnak, so natural did everything appear.

The picture gallery is one of the finest buildings for paintings in Europe. The paintings are arranged in the schools of the different masters and countries, filling seven splendid halls, and twenty-three small cabinets. The finest and largest pictures of each school are placed in the centre halls, and the light is thrown down upon them from above; the others are lighted from the sides. The ceilings are in fresco and paintings, all of historical character. There are some one thousand five hundred paintings, selected from seven thousand of the different galleries in Bavaria; and altogether the collection reflects honor upon the late king, who has expended large sums of money from his private purse for the embellishment of his capital, which is now so beautiful, and which a century since was only a small German town. A heavy debt, however, has been created for the state, which, as in all other countries, the good people must pay, whether for honorable appropriations, or the follies and caprices of sovereigns.

Among the public monuments, is one now in process of construction, called the Genius of Bavaria; it is of cast bronze and of colossal size. It is the figure of a female with flowing ringlets, about fifty feet in height, mounted on a pedestal, with a crouching lion at her feet, all of solid bronze. The work is still going forward at the foundry in the suburbs of the city, and will require some time yet to finish it. It will surpass altogether the statue of San Carlo Boromeo, of beaten copper, upon Lago Maggiore, in Italy.

The population of Munich are mostly Catholics, and yesterday being Sunday, I visited the churches, which are not as remarkable, with some exceptions, as in Italy. There is one, the Basilica of St. Bonifacius, which is built in Roman style, after the plan of St. Paul’s, about three miles from Rome. It is of red brick, but the interior is beautifully decorated, and supported by sixty-four columns of marble in four rows; it is divided in four arches, with a nave seventy feet high, and fifty feet wide. The pave is of marble with painted ceiling of blue, and beams carved and gilded with a variety of frescoes.

My valet took me in the suburbs in the afternoon, and, as in all Catholic countries, the Sunday afternoon and evening are devoted to recreation, so here also. The gardens were full to overflowing, the tables were crowded with drinkers and smokers, and a full proportion of the fair sex with their peculiar costume, and head-dress called _Riegel Haube_, which is a small bag of gold or silver tissue, with two points like a swallow’s tail, and is worn on the back of the head to inclose the hair. It costs twelve or fifteen dollars, and it is the height of ambition of the peasant girl to indulge in it. Music was heard in all directions, and waltzes and dances kept up much later than I had a disposition to stay and gratify curiosity.

What a striking contrast between this and our own quiet Sabbaths at home! But such is the result of early education, and we must learn to exercise charity towards those who differ from us from the fact that they have been taught differently. Ever since the reformation of Luther, such is the strong tenacity of the people to Sunday recreations, that, in many parts of Germany, the dance and promenade in the evening succeed the morning services of the Protestant church.

I was at Augsburgh at the anniversary of the birthday of the Bishop, and was much amused at the immense collection of peasants who thronged the streets in costume, and filled the cathedral and vicinity; many of the women wore head-dresses not unlike those of Munich, but the greatest singularity about their dress was the peculiar mutton-legged sleeve, specimens of which may sometimes be seen on the arrival of emigrants in New York.

The town of Augsburg is old; it has a population of thirty thousand, and is quite a manufacturing place. Some fine bronze antique fountains, the Rathhaus, or town hall, the cannon foundry, and a fine collection of richly ornamented brass pieces, are the principal objects to be seen. The old hotel, which is well kept, dates under the sign of the Three Moors for five hundred years. The landlord brags of his old wines, and takes pleasure in showing his cellars. The old register book is a curiosity, with the names of Napoleon, Wellington, Sir Walter Scott, and a host of others, both kings and princes. In one of the rooms Napoleon received the Augsburg magistrates, and told them with sang-froid, that their city was free no longer, and that the king of Bavaria was now their sovereign. There are other incidents related of the house, and valued by the master. This reminds me of the Hotel Fedder where I stopped in Genoa, where they now show the gilded rooms of what was once a palace, where Daniel O’Connell died. Those who wish to make the pilgrimage will find good quarters, but must not be surprised if a small tribute is added to the bill.

XLI.

FRANKFORT, GERMANY, 1848.

From Munich I proceeded to Ulm, the frontier town of Würtemberg, on the opposite bank of the Danube from Bavaria. The Gothic cathedral there is the most curious object for a stranger, and is now a Protestant church. The body of this church is the largest in Germany, and is a second St. Peter’s in size, being four hundred and sixteen feet long, one hundred and sixty-six feet wide, and one hundred and forty-four feet high, with five aisles; the terrace is unfinished, and is three hundred and thirty-seven feet high. There are some fine old stained glass windows, and some remarkable carved work in the building.

I had once tasted of snail soup in Naples, which, during the season of Lent, is considered a great delicacy, but I did not know, until I came to Ulm, that there was a snail market. They say they export millions of them yearly into Austria, and other parts of the country. They are produced in the vicinity, and put up in casks for exportation.

From Ulm I went to Stuttgart, by diligence. It is the royal residence of the king of Würtemberg, who is so celebrated for his love of horses. I saw him driving a fine pair, of the Hungarian Esterhazy breed, through the park, with apparent satisfaction. The manager of the stables of the Prince is an Englishman. The prince married a Russian princess, the daughter of the Emperor Nicholas, and had some Russian carriages and droskys with a Russian driver in costume--the first I had seen.

This Englishman accompanied me through the Crown Prince and King’s stables, and showed the horses belonging to government for the improvement of stock. I counted in all two hundred and ten belonging to the king and his son, and one hundred and eighty for the account of the crown. Arabian, Russian, Hungarian, English, and Persian horses are to be found here. The stables, the harness rooms, and carriage repositories were on a grand scale; but the sovereign people will say when the time comes, “The expenses are too great; we cannot submit any longer to these extravagances.”

Stuttgart is a well-built and interesting city, surrounded by hills covered with the grape, with fine palace-gardens and a park, traversed by carriage roads and promenades for some miles.

I went to Kannstadt, some four or five miles from the city, to the mineral springs, which are much frequented by the inhabitants. The railroad passes through the place, and there are agreeable walks to return, for pedestrians, along the valley of the river Neckar, and through the palace park to the city.

From Stuttgart I made my way by diligence to Carlsruhe, and here struck the railroad for Baden Baden. Carlsruhe has not much of interest for the traveller. It is the capital of the Grand Duchy of Baden, is dull, with sandy soil, but being a royal residence, has a very fine park. It is curiously built, and is described by a writer as being in the form of a fan, or rather a wheel--the main streets, like the spokes, all radiate from the Palace, which terminates the vista in every street, so that the citizens who wish to know which way the wind blows need only look to the palace weather-cock.

Everybody has heard of Baden Baden, so famous as a fashionable watering-place, and all who have visited it can speak of the beauty of its locality, surrounded by hills and mountains, and its narrow valley with its delightful shady walks; but this year they are quite deserted. The princes have enough to do to take care of their subjects; citizens remain at home to look after their interests; the blacklegs find their avocation almost gone. There is not one-third the usual number of arrivals, consequently the balls, concerts, and gaming tables are less frequented.

Baden Baden is certainly a lovely spot for the invalid, or the man of pleasure; combining the advantages of public life, or solitude in the dark woods, which can be reached in a few minutes. As I before observed, all have heard of Baden Baden, so all have heard of the Castle of Heidelberg, which is a magnificent ruin, and formerly the palace and fortress of the Elector Palatine. It is situated upon a high hill, and approached by a winding footpath on the side of the city. It was one of the strongholds of the middle ages, and is of different styles of architecture by different founders, and has been burnt at different times and rebuilt. It was last burnt by lightning, and remains a ruin, although parts are quite perfect.

One guide takes you through all the castle, and shows the relics and implements of war yet preserved, mounts the bastions and towers, from which the view is unsurpassed; another conducts you into the cellar of the castle, to see the famous Wine Tun, which is the largest in the world, and contained eight hundred hogsheads, or nearly three hundred thousand bottles, and, it is said, in former times, when filled with the fruit of the vintage, they danced on the platform. This tun will not compare with a vat I once saw in the immense brewing establishment of Barclay, Perkins & Co., of London, which contained four thousand hogsheads of porter.

Mannheim is only a short distance from Heidelberg, and is a city of some twenty thousand inhabitants, but possesses nothing of sufficient interest to the traveller to detain him long. The gardens behind the palaces, and terraces along the banks of the Rhine, are quite pretty. It was once a walled city, but was besieged by the French and reduced to ashes, and now has no protection, which, as experience has proved, saves a city from the horrors of a siege.

The city next on my route to Frankfort was Darmstadt, the capital of the Grand Duke. The gardens of the palace are beautifully laid out, and all through this section of country vegetation is very luxuriant. The rides through the country with the villages and towns prettily located at the foot of the mountains, overhung with clusters of grapes, and surrounded with orchards, make it very interesting for the traveller.

This free city of Frankfort, which I visited some years ago, has more the air of life and bustle, I find, than many other German cities, which may in part be attributed to the fact that there are now many strangers from all parts of Germany, as members of the Confederation, and for the reception of the new Vicar General of the German Union, the Archduke John, of Austria, who has just been received with great honors by the military, succeeded by an illumination of the whole city--a very splendid affair. The immense circular church--now converted into an Assembly for the representatives of the whole German Empire, comprising six hundred, and which with the galleries extending all around, will hold perhaps more persons than the Tabernacle in New York--was filled to overflowing on the presentation of the Prince to the Assembly. I could with difficulty procure a seat by going early, and immense numbers were obliged to withdraw for want of room. Numerous addresses were delivered, to which the Archduke responded. He was dressed in uniform, and accompanied by the whole force of the National Guard to the National Assembly. He looked calm and dignified, with a good expression of face, and is sixty-six years old. His task will be arduous, as well as that of the assembly, to amalgamate the different races and sects of the German and Austrian Empire, and will not be accomplished until more blood flows.

I assure you I was greatly rejoiced to arrive at Frankfort, which is an interesting city, and has many sights to interest a stranger. I was pleased to arrive in a city where I could so agreeably repose myself. The gardens and pleasure grounds which encircle Frankfort, occupy the place of former fortifications, and make a delightful retreat for the inhabitants during the warm weather. The principal garden among the number was beautifully illuminated the night following the reception of Prince John, and as the German bands always afford good music, all the élite were found sipping coffee and partaking of ices, and other refreshments.

This is the residence of many bankers, and here the Rothschilds were born, in the Judenstrasse or Jews’ street, and when I was last here I went to see the house where the mother still resided, and refused to give up the old confined quarters for the palace of her son. The condition of the Jews has been much ameliorated here as well as in all parts of Europe.

When I first saw the Jews’ quarters in Rome, under Pope Gregory XVI., they were confined within small limits, in narrow, dark, dirty lanes and streets, where the sun’s rays scarcely reached them; a population of about six thousand huddled together in filth, by daylight, when the gates were open, carrying on their trade in old clothes, second-hand articles of all kinds, readymade clothing, &c. But thanks to the liberal mind of Pope Pius IX., the gates have been beaten down and the Jews may now be seen locating themselves in other parts of the city, although the mass prefer to keep together.

My health not being yet established, I have consulted a celebrated physician, of the race I have just spoken of, who advises me to drink the waters of Ems, recommended highly for all pulmonary and bronchial diseases, and I shall go via Wiesbaden and Schwalbach to the above-named place, and make trial of them.

XLII.

BATH OF EMS, DUCHÉ DE NASSAU, 1848.

After leaving Frankfort I came to Wiesbaden via Mayence, by railroad, which is rapidly accomplished, but being familiar with those places my stay was short, and I took the diligence to the Baths of Schwalbach, and from thence to this place, where I bought a Bohemian stained glass goblet, an indispensable article to every water drinker, and took up my position at the fountain in the line of invalids.

Ems has been entirely quiet and tranquil, and seems to stand aloof from the Revolutions all around us. Almost every house is a lodging-house or hotel, and the people and peasantry have an interest in keeping quiet.

About one thousand strangers are here at present, the larger portion in pursuit of health, and society is more select and less gay than at the other watering places. The balls, concerts, and gaming tables are less frequented than in Baden Baden and Wiesbaden. The musical band commences at seven in the morning in the promenade, and continues playing until eight, during which time the drinkers swallow their three or four glasses at intervals of fifteen minutes, while the physicians are mingling with their patients to inquire after their health, and give counsel, if needed. One o’clock is the table d’hôte, in all the hotels, when everybody dines; after which the company adjourn and take coffee in the walks in the garden, listening to the music; or go in parties of pleasure along the banks of the beautiful river Lahn, or cross over the bridge of boats to the opposite side and branch off among the hills and cliffs, by the footwalks which extend in every direction. Droves of donkeys with their drivers are always at hand, and are all numbered, which is a good idea, as they are not all sure-footed, and when one is proved can always be engaged in advance, which is important for the ladies, as large numbers scale the hills and vine-clad heights in this manner.

From six to eight in the afternoon, when the heat is less intense, Ems is seen to best advantage. Then all the visitors appear upon the public walks, and the ladies, of whom there is a large proportion, as it is considered essentially a ladies’ watering-place, are promenading in the garden, en grande toilette, or seated under the shady trees listening to the music from the band.

Almost every house has its name, and where I am living, upon the banks of the river Lahn, it is called Lust Garten, or in English, the Pleasure Garden. The high walls with a sort of terrace separate us from the river, with a beautiful garden adorned with plants and flowers, which gives the house its name; in the rear of the garden rise the cliffs to a great elevation, which are walled, and covered with the clustering grape. The town is so shut in by hills that sometimes the heat is oppressive, but in a few minutes one may escape into the woods and winding paths on the opposite side.

Notwithstanding among so many persons there are numbers in good health who accompany their friends thither, and who can enjoy life, and many whose ailings are trivial, and who need not deprive themselves of luxuries, still there are many, very many, real sufferers, who naturally put the best foot foremost, and keep up appearances; but the hollow cough and the hectic flush tell too truly of the ravages of that disease which is so flattering.

One of the vices of these watering-places is that of gambling. The new Kursaal built by the Grand Duke, has a handsome Café, gambling rooms, with hazard tables, and is open from eleven to one o’clock and from three to ten in the afternoon. A large ball-room is attached, with marble columns, sofas, and rich furniture. Although there is less gambling here than at other places, still there is too much, and it is curious that some ladies have also a great propensity for gaming. At a public festival the other evening, on the occasion of the birthday of the Grand Duke (in the Kursaal), I was in company with several ladies, and the husband of one of the number, whom I considered a decided invalid and a man of fortune, was at the gaming table. He had previously won, but fortune had turned against him; he continued to lose; his friends begged him to desist; his wife watched him with tearful interest; I saw the hectic flush upon his cheek, and the perspiration starting from his forehead; he staked the last piece of gold in his purse; suffice it to say he lost, and in an agitated state we induced him to leave the room. A few days later he left for Switzerland.

With the exception of a Russian family whom I met in Nice and Genoa, I have not found any of the Italian travellers of last winter; but one is not at a loss for acquaintances, for here are French, Germans, Russians, Hollanders, English, and a few Italians, and as I have been a sufferer myself, and was in possession of some medical works and treatises for the diseases of the chest and bronchial tubes, which were new, my physician adopted them for his patients, which brought me in contact with them.