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Foreign Correspondence

Foreign Correspondence image
Parent Issue
Day
27
Month
September
Year
1872
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

E. B. Pond, Esa.: Pabtenkirciikn, near Iuxsbruck, ) August 24, 1872: j It wíih en tho evening train of .Tuly 20{h thatwo took tliu train froiu Frankfort to X urouibtirg and had onr first experienco of a night ride on tho Oernnm rail. I havo heretofore Stated that tho arrnugements and upholstering of tho cars wero very well adapted to tho travelcr's comfort, by night or ilay, mrl Kuch indeed tiicy proved to bo in tho prcBOnt case. Wo had but one fullow-pitssongor in our coupo, so that even horizontal lodgings were provided for two all tho time Wo had intended stipping at Wurtzburg, an ancient city of sorae !!8,000, which for ovor a thousand years continuonsly wns alloman Episcopal 8ee, and othorwise quito interesting. In its o ithedral is tho tablet to tho memcry of that great misstrel of nipdiovnl times, WaHor the Fowlcr, who providod by bcquost fcr 'eedihg tho birds, and for tbia pnrposo a vaso wn:' ;it ív-i placed npon bis tonib, br.t tbe g'.ipply of sced has not been fsithFully kopt up sinco bis dcath in 1230. j [Tañan, near which as fought or,! of Xapolgon's battlen, is aleo npon thiaroad. 1, nt several placos aloni tho line üivo ocourred pouio of thoso important ovents which have causod this country to 30 called tho battlo-Celd of nations. Somo fino rolling country was passed ov"r boi'ore reaehing Furth, but ono of the nost extensivo orops appoarcd í:o bo hopa. Our arrival at Xurember en tho Pcgnitz Vas at nn early niorniiig hour, and all was vory quiet in tho stroets of tho rnaiut oid city. Aftor a little rest nnd jreakfast we bogan tho work of sight-sooïng. Tho walls of this placo aro by far ast K'.assivo and formidable, aiidthe ditch altognther the deepest, widost, and 3est proserved of any we have met Tvlfh. [ndeed, such is tho capacity of the ditch alono, that its bottora throughout ncarly lts whole extent, although fully . twonty Vet deep, has been laid out and is ëuccesgfully cultivated as pleasuro and Tege;ablo gardens. The 7ú towera aro all quito noticeable, t5io four round ones beug after plans by Burer, the most celejrated of the many noted artists of this city who f'ouri?hod noarly cotenipornncously, early in the lGth century, - Wohlonneth and Kulmbach as painters, Adïm Krafft os a seulptor, Putor Vischor und :iis sons as brass foundors, Voit Stosa as wood carver, and Hirschvogel as glassatainer. Eveiywhoro in Germany are to' ie found in the bost collections specimens of the work of these great magters. We xiund such curious and interesting sights on the streets, in tho buildings, in tbe rieople, and in short whichevcr vray wo iumed, that any account confined to a single letter must bo brief and imperfect. Markot squares are gencvally gox)d places to see the people oarly in tbo day. The two classes, tho gullere and the bvjers, givo the aspect of both town and oountry. The market womenof N., coming in from cirouit of sevcral miles, display in their dress somo of thoso pectiliitritieB which, strango as thoy aro to up, to them luive tho sanction of perbaps fifty or more generations. Nor are theee singular styles confinod to tho country, but porvade whole distriots, being of courso most exhibited in the laboring o rurnl classes. Slee ves stuöed out to s formidablo capneity, from tho shoulder noarly to the elbow, with close fitting waist and short, very fu!l Virtü, wero often met at N. and wero evidently a la Inrtuc. In these Grmnn citicB tha Kafhhaus corresponda vcry hoarly to what is known in Araerica as tho City Hn.ll, and it3 architecture and interior publio rooms and contenfs aro generally vrell worth examination. The older part of this building at N., crected in 1;"j22, contains an immonse huil, in which oivic feasts, on great public occasions, are held. Aftor tho peace at Westphalia a great banquot was attindod hore, the regal maguificence of which Art has perpetuated iu a line picture by Landsart, in tho gallery abovo, giviiig portraits of raany of tho royal and notable participanta. Thera ara some fine frescoes by Durer upon the walls, and stainnd glass by Hirschvogol. In tho oorridor (which is very long) of the upper story, upon the ooiling overhead, is a very high relief piaster sentation of !i tournamcnt held at N. in 1344. Tho figures of tho horsos and the knights are of life size, and tho shields paintod with the proper heraldric designs. It was appnrontly well exconted, but tho ceiling not being very high, it was very trying to tho sincws of the ncc'i to give it tho study it doscrvod. The municipal art colleotion, on the second floor, contains somo of the be;;t spocimons of tho artista I havo namod, in painting, woodoarving, bronzes, stainod glass, fcc. In a caso by thomsolvrs aro proservcd tho various tankards of thoso guilds which onco played bo important a part in Europoan civilization. The dungeons below wore inaccessible at tho timo of our visit, on account of water. The fountaina of Nuremherg are many of them intoresting histoiically and a3 object of art. Ihe most elabórate is tho Shone Brunnen, whieh forms an elabórate Gothio struotiirü 02 feet in height, alinost entircly formed of statues aud allogorical figures, dimini8hing in sizo to tho top : the statues aro of historical personages. Another fountain figure is tho noted gausemano'ion or littlo goose man, by Laberwolf. A peasant is represented as carrying a gooso under each arm, from the bilis of which tho water has been spoutl ing about throe centuries. The finest church in K. ia tho St. Lawrence. I ilke most of the old churohes it has suffered from fires and othcr disasters, and its vnrious parts do not havo the sanie ftntiqmty. The west portal i very fine, proiusely decorated with eculpt-ari n, arrnnged Bümewhat like tile piinoipal portal to tho oathisdral ut Cologne, and datud frciu lü.'32. The interior presenta ft Tery fine effect, with its lofty coiling supporJed by columns of a becntiful, r; colored Btcne. Somo of tho altar piecui' are by Wohlgemuth. Bnt tho most vulucd work ol' art in this obwrofc is a Eomcwhat singular work of Bculptured white marblo, by Adam Kr kflt. Not moro thim about eight foet squure upon its base, it gracefully diminUhes in size to the hcight of (iü feet, when it turns overiiito a i sorai-ooil. From buso to snlinnit it is boaiitifully fínished in tho Gothio stylo, with innumerable pinnaolei ind ciunTiKiiitnl designa of tluborate opou work. í!s i: -. is to fnrnigh a rocoptaolo for tho Ilost. Wc do not fiiifl it cnsy to uistinguish, from tho interior arraugomeuts oí ■ Uurchei, which are Jtoniunist and whioh Protestant. The St. Luwrenoe belongs to tbo latter. St. Hebalclur, is nnother of tho largor Protostant ehurches, and though notpossessing the nrohitoctnval merit of tb former, is far more rich in itn oí.hcr :ttrctions. It is fiaished with two ohoirs, ono oí' tho 13th century and the Other in pivre Gothic stylñ of the lAfch oentury. At the Otflt end, in a lorge n ein tho exterior wall, is tho Sohrgcr Monurnont, callad the noater-piece oí i tor Krafft. It representa tho j ment with nuaiorous tignrfis of fvU aiee and with romarliablo cxprassivoTiess of nttitudo and feature. It waa eiecüj I : ■.', Mad being gereened from acce-.s atid injury by an iron grating, tbo du been allowed to accumulato so an greatjy in !. ;n tho eíiect oí tlii; splandid -work. The interior oi' this chvirch is Tery rich in its mvr.luabla-iveasures oí' Art, and they aro so arnmged that tho vieitor may ítgpeot thera in su order wttiofa enbn tho satisfaction vtry muob . tlioue a, font is shown, which is ore of tho o!ciest specimens in bronze or.st at Nuspaibcrg, aud it was in this tbat Wenzeí aftorword king oi' Bohemia, vas olmstened five oenturios a;o. One of tliü altar pieoes ia by Kranftch ; another, oppoeito, ropreíícnting Gürist hearing tho oross, ie i fino carving by Krufft. The pulpit, erected by fiehvroigort in tl'O 16th century, ie a bccntiful speoituen of órnate oarving ond skillful coustTuction. In the nenter of theenstern choir gtands ■ cd sepulchro and monument of St. Öabaldus. It is the most extensivo work of its kind producod by Oei art, and oceupied V. Visoher and his sous eleven years bofore its corjpletion, iu 1519. It ocoupiea a sptice of ftbout five foet byeight and is cast in many parts of bronzo. It" wnstrnotion bisgiaï tfpöB ?, supporí of twelvo 6nnils, and tho oblong portion constitutin the 3opulchreisccmplötely incasod in an intrioato opon work of ílowers and foliago, of cclumns and 6tatuetíos, of f&ntnstic and symbolio figures, gradufilly coutractod at tho top, till at n htiight of ton fett an infant Chriat, holding a small globo in tho hand upr&ised over his head, completes the design, ftud forras a hoy to the wholo if it is ever to be taken apart. Over ono hundred figures are introclticed, and every portion of the whole will beer elope inon. Noarly every artist of mcrit wlio hn.8 Kved at Nuremberg isrepresented by one or moro of his best works in this chureh. Pictnrts by Culmbach. Holbein, Wohlgerauth, and Durer, as nl80 by many othorí. Severul wood-carvins by Stops and in atone by KraíTt, and windows by Ilirnolivogel. At the lelt of tlie h gh al'ar is hung an over-burning lamp, which was instituted in I'.i2( by the Baron of Tucher, and has not boen extinguiühed since. The Frauenkirch, Coman Catholic, is not arcbitocturally vory etriking, but tho facado has some very fine seulpturing bj' Schonhovcr. AVe visitod tho Gothic chapel of St. ilauriee, now oceupied by a pallery containing a fino colloction of pictures by Gorman masteis, wholly of religious subjeets. Tery íow oí tho picbures aro modern and aro almost entirely of that ora and etylo in which tho baokj;ro'Jiiid, buing of gold, gives a glariug and gaudy eíí'ect, much le3S agrecable to tha i.noducated eyo tliau where t!ie background is toned with color. In order to seo thoso horriblo instrumenta of torturo of which all had read, but nono of us had yot ooen, wo took our way to tho Burg or Imperial Castle.founded in 102IJ and restoTed ia 18."i,3. The room in which they ara kept is vory small and litcrally fillod with tha most ingenious implementa for causing tho most possiblo paia and evon dcath, whioli human or fiendiah skill could invont. Uure woro thumb Borers in variotiee, easy arm chairs with tho se.it fiüed by at least a hnndrcd sharp iron spike, gome two inche3 high ; collars for the arm?, loga and ncck, with rough projeoting knono9 of iron and having suitable attachments for indeiinite comprossion ; headsman's axos and sworda, spoons for feeding molted wax and lead ; motallio funnek for tho steady dripping of T7ater, drop by drop, upon the exposed viotim ; but tho number was 80 lurgo, tho room 30 email, and tho fat wotnan'8 oxplanations 60 hurrieu that I must omit further iicoountof theni, in order to speak of another oolleotion seen the sumo day under inoro favorable surroundings. TJnder the guidanoe of onr juvenile cicerono we applied a vigorous pull at thê bell to a door-way near tho Maxthor, and soon camo the keeper with koys, and opening Iho door duclosed an entranoe to subterrsnoau dungeona bclow, from which carne tho cold, damp nir, wiih a varning to soa to our wraps. Desoending a crook ed passage about twtnty steps T70 came to a series of rooms, or "dungeona rather (tor all the light we had camo from tho oaudles brought by our guide), situated, as wc wero informod, itnmedintoly bolow other rooms abov, which wero used for tho trial and examination of aupnosed of1 fcuders. ïhcse dungeon roouia below were gonurally Rinall, pernfips eight or ton fi'tjfc square, connected witb oach other by narrow passigO3 moro or loss long, and over each was an aperture in the stono masonry, through which a porsou could bo let down, and through whicb. directions tfore given as to the modo and txtf.it of the torturo or puuit-hmont in eacli oaso. It wus n horrible thought to l'eel thftt we were standing in the yery dungeons and snrrounded by tho very ini, in yearg gone by, had here bccti put to thtir inhuman use, - and tuck instrumcnts ! ITru is a wopdef ohiiir, with tha seat, nrma end back Bot full oi shiirp iron fpikes, and sohigh that i i t, to '.vhich wcights wero to bo ! tachad, oould not touch, and roady for I nse thero stosd the wtights, gradad f rom abont iivr to fii'ty pounda. Hore stands on end a hftrd plank, threo luches thio'r, the upper eu:l made. vety sharp, and across this, with weights of largersizo tachfld to the feet, tbe poov suffcrer was ' coinpcllcd to sit aatrido. Here hang a viirii ty of thumb scroíríi, pinoers to tcar : 'iivuo to ncarify, Ilcro ia ft i frame of wood and iron, to receive tho hond id (1 iii-ms, attached to pulloys abovo, while bolow are riugs to vhioh the feet are to bc fastened, and thus bound the body i i gTadnálly to bo druwn, even until it parte apunder, if such ia tho order froHi thoBe abovo. An oxeoution cf this kind actnally took pl(;oe Ipbs than 1Ü0 i the spot whbre we stood. ■■■ a framo 'wotk rcsembling a long ot 'vith ,'ipikes, in which a porson l being pliint'(1., i voftkod to and fro over tho coiiótuntly pieroing iron. But, more horrible than all, herp is a wouden case standing on end, lined both insido and out with iion, tho buclt one solid picoo anl thö front ot' two pieoea opening out■wird ; tbc insido of th's holiow oeo is net -vith Töry sharp, 6:juare iron spikes, five incliea in lengtli, tlio points quitit miitiiig whon closed. Within this the victim wm fasteded and tho door slowly cíosed by a Bcrew, tor tliat purpono extended from tho opposiip wall. Bcnoath the foet of the tted body ft trap-door was 8ot, through which it could be dropped into still cloepor vauliB bolow. Thi3 last drpRfliul product of Batanic ingonuity was called the Iron Virgin. A gret varicty of cthor oonvonionoea for torture and punislimont wero ahown, in somo of which we could faintly trace their fitness iiiince3 of justioe. Thero were cages and barréis, with Opening for the hond, arms nnd logs to protrudo, in whioh dranken men ware to bo eneaeod ; there were ogre-ïooking maoks and head-gersr i'or inebríate women ; theio wore wood;n yokos, whioh brought husband and wifo ir.to closor unisón, whon the solvent of loo bccamo inopoTnbiva ; +aer were ihe i-.trong braokets with wLich two quarrelsome n?ighbors were to be kept in fellowship until beitor oounsels prevailed; there, too, wus tho uneasy oliair, with heavy, weight attnehments fór the feot and serrated rollers for compressing tho bare arras of tho baker who forgot to givo hio loares the propor weight. Mftny of these nofarious contrivances had their origin with tho Spanish inqTiisitioc, bat wora here adopte:! as proper means for exterting oonfoasions from prisonera of stnte and ordinary culprii3, whore other evidonce was wanting, ond for greater refineraont oí' cruelty in caso of punishment. And, etrs'.ngQ to tny, it wasouly with tho beginning cf tho pre3ont contury that they feil into disuse. But my letter is booomino; too long, and I must leavo Nurenaberg without ny aooount of the numorou toy and faney articlos, in wood, bone, ivory, papier-macho, &0., for whioh its ortigftns are ceiobrutert, or oven attorapting a doscription of tho peculiar gingcibread with which the travaler nover fails to regale himself at that city. A long walk wo took outsido the walls and along the Rcsenau wsjs deprived of much of ita gratifioation by the parched oud withered appearanco of tho grass and shrubbery, and tho dingy dÏ3coloration of ovorythin with accunvulatod dust. In no otbor place hftd theso indiuations of excesivo círought boen so generally notionnblo. 3t could not have been long protraoted, for tho vogetablo market ws toniptin};ly Kiipplied and with graat aljund&DOP. In selling string beans, howover, wero carefuüy counted, which itidicatos curely eitLer a BCaröity or a ainerular cuntom. Wo.loave to-morrow for

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus