The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-12-07

peculsrties added the and darkness OF
the streets, and the air Of antiquity when pe''Aoe'
| them, render the old town Of Frankfort mosi int
resting subject for the exploration OF the curious IRA
weller In one Of those antique streets SIN resides
the mother Of the Rolhschilds in the same house IN
which her sons were born She sticks religously to
The old tenement from supers,i,ious fear that u she
quits H. her sons will longer enjoy that unbounded
good fortune which has thus far crowned their enter
prses One Of the brothers resides in Frankfort, in
very handsome, but not very pretending house but
his villa near the town. said to be princely in its
splendor.
| Among the things which contribute to render
Frankfort agreeable ] ought not to forget the public
gardens and promenades, which entirely surround the
town, and impari to its environs most cheerful and
smiling appearance. Like the buwarks Of Paris,
these gardens were formerly occupied BY Notifications
but that the free city is guarded by the soldiers Of
the Confederation she has longer need Of ramparis
and osses and they have been very wisely converted
into shady promenades, which productive ofa thou
sand times benefit the inhabitants both moral
y and ply sicaly, than the Notifications were.
Among the individual "sights" of Frankfort, are a
cathedral two or three museums Of paintings and
anu uthef O. teteFus WhieH az
they not particularly interesting to see would be
far less in the description There is one pirate
object of art however worth all the rest is piece
Of sculpture the statue of Anadne) belonging TO
gentleman of Frankfort, who seems to take great
pride in showing it to strangers, and Witnessing the
universal admiration which they bestow upon it. II
of the most exquisite pieces of modern statuary
tha, have SEEN and il was the desire of seeing
famous work which induced me, than any
thing else to visit Frankfort ! would advise every
body travelling on the Rhine follow my example;
they will not fail to be repaid for the time and expense
of the excursion.
Every body knows that Frankfort is the seat of the
Germanic Diet. There is special hall provided
for the meeting of this body it assemblies at the resi-
dence of the Austrian Ambassador, who is its Pref
dent. In former times, the Emperors were sometimes
crowned here. There is an old hail. often visited
account Of its historical interest where the Emperors
were easted after their coronation, and received the
homage OF the princes Of the Empire. The hall con-
tains the por,raisof nearly all the Enperors in
gular series One cannot help looking with deep in
terest upon this array Of sovereigns, with their
blems Of power and Office and tie imperial costumes
of such long series of ages, but works of art,
the portraits very famous. Ia the same build.
ing is the Senate Chamber of Frankfort the Senate
cons,u the supreme government of the Republic
and exercises all the legislative and executive powers.
happened to be at frankfurt at the season Of the
fair, which was in former times very important
mercial mart Merchants from the towns in Ger
many and on the Rhine far and near, came lhher TO
dispose OF their wares and the manuac Of their
respective districts. The buyers too, focked tbther
in great numbers that at each annual Of the
fair, Frankfort was overlooking with wealth and with
people, and bore the appearances OF a vast mart. AT
present. the fairs have degenerated sadly from their
former Importance; Frankfort ID not the great
commercial centle that it used TO be- and tile distrbu
ling trade which il carried with great part Of
Europe is transferred to other towns advanta
geousy situated Besides the increased facilities Of
communication and transportation render the fairs
much less necessary and therefore less important than
they were formerly. However this may be, the
Frankfort fair Of the presen, day is for the part
a mere peddling assembage There is no scarcity of
sellers, Of articles but they principally of
rihlng character and uncomfortable value such as
toys, confectionery, prints shoes, &c, &c. but espe
ciay pipes which said to form nearly fifth part
of the merchandise The articles exposed for sale
in booths or sheds made of panks, which set up
in long row along the quay and in the principal
squares They are the very picture Of the temporary
shops which flank the avenue of the Champs Eytes
fee-days and the wares exposed in the latter form
no small portion of those which at the Frank
fort fair. In of the latter print shops the
river saw for the first time in my life, engraved
portrait of Mr. Tyler il did not not come all the way
from America, but engraved in German town.
You may well imagine that was somewhat surprised
to find our Chief Magistrates sharp face and colossal
nose thus far from home, in the midst of confused
and gaudy exhibition Of Turks and Arabs, Napole-
ons, Louis Phppes horses, dogs, and every thing
engraveble though my surprise far from equaing
that which ] experienced seeing portrait Of
Washington in certain strange company at Amster-
dam. The most interesting articles exhibited at the
fair, find, after ALL to be the pipes They were in
immense numbers and Of every variety of taste, and
the connoisseur pipes would need no better occasion
for studying that important article in all its different
phases and degrees Of refinement and elegance from
the humble and fragile affair Of white clay, up to the
very mammoth of the species, with its mouth piece OF
amber joined by lexable tube to its long stem Of
polished wood, to which succeeds enamccd bowl
| carved, with silver lid. In every German town
there great numbers Of ppe-shops which forcibly
attract the attention of the curious traveller fol
my part could hardly pass ofthoss shops
without stopping to examine the numberess varie
ties of shape and of ornament displayed in the manu-
facture ofthose constant companions Of German life
the curious devices carved and painted upon the bowls
the Madonnas and Saints, the Napoeons and Char
lemsgnes the hunting scenes and landscapes, ant
above ALL for they the most frequent subjects tn,
love-scen and pretty women. Ii needs not the eyi
dence of the sight to show the important part which
the pipe plays in the habits Of German life. TIL,