Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-02-05
Description OF CraCOw.
The following striking description is take
from the recent work of Mr.. Xavicr Mariner

+''''
Cracow is city, the aspect of which is at
once majestic and painful to contemplate. II
is the cradle of monarchy. and the tomb of Il
nation the town in which kings were crowned
and where they are now buried the capital of
"A powerful empire, and the powcrlcss head of Il
morrow district :the first pare of "A heroic epoch
and the last line of a disastrous history. 1t is
monument of splendor and olnothingncss. Ma
turc adds TO these contrasts by her freshness and
brightness. Approaching Cracow from Warsaw
nothing meets the eve but a large green valley
fertile as the Touraine in France. and strewed
with trees as in Normandy. The Nistula wa
tiers it. meandering amongst golden crops and at
the horizon are seen the varied lines of those
great chains of mountains which spread from the
Black Sea to the Danube. In the middle of this
vast valley rise the Gothic peaks of the churches
| of Cracow. the blackcncd walls of its ramparls
and the crcviccd towers of its castles, the de-
crcpit works of man side by side with the eternal
youth Of nature. In the interior of the town. as
well as the country which surrounds it. there is
not one monument which is not illustrated bv
some noble rcminisccnrc mot brook, not a
vale not Il bill. which does not recall to mind
historical tradition or fabulous legend. On
the steep summit of the Wawull. Cracus. the
founder ofthe Polish monarchy. constructed
fortress. and gave his lame to the city which
spread itself before him. Near the Village of
Mogila, are buried the remains of the heroic
Wanda, the first Queen of Poland, daughter of
Cracus. beautiful as an angel according to the
old chronicles. and proud and courageous as
valkyory. Cracow. founded by Cracns. ut the
end otthc seventh century. was the residence of
kings till the commencement of the 18th at
which epoch Sigisrnund III. established himself
at Warsaw, and until 1864 preserved the prv-
lege of browning the sovereign of Poland. All
in town bears an imposing character of age. \
rampant surrounds il yet as it did in the time
when it was the bucker of Poland. The streets
are mostly tortuous and dark like those of the
middle ages. and houses have festooncd rabies.
like Augsburg or Nurcmhurg. Here one sees
gates adorned with small columns and covered
by vines as they are in the pleasant villages
along the Rhine there are statues of saints. and
further the p0i0iS of the bishops, whose favors
were long since courod by kings, and the old
univcrsity-thc first of the Old Sclavonc unver-
sit cs, after Prague.
On all sides peaked towers and gilded crosses
meet the eve. There are no less than thirty
eight churches in Cracow. all remarkable some
by their architecture, others by their pious tra-
dtions. That of Metre Dame dates from the
thirteenth century; it contains thirty marble
affairs that of St Peter and St Paul was recon-
structed by Sigsmunl Ill. on the model of St.
Peter Mt Home. that Of the Dominicans f,undod
in 1920 possrsscs n double row of stalls Of .culn.
turoJ oak. wrounht admirably 'rbo lora no1iti.
cal vicisstudcs which have dcsoatcd and op-
pressed the people of Cracow have not yet cX-
tinguished their religious feelings. One Sunday
saw the artzans Of the CITY. the peasant from
tne country, with their wide blue dresses adorned
with red borders, and the women with pieces OF
white linen, which they throw IN slawl-iashion
over Their shoulders, running from church to
church, prostra'lrr themselves in the squares
before them, and kissing the marble floors of the
naycs.
Ono dorI orossod ,ho marriott ,I,co ot tho mo-
mon, u.Lc, n ,,r;o., ,,s abou, 10 tol.o .ho La,
gocr,,,a,,, 70 d.;,,,r ,,o, ho v-all,od uu,Ioro
..,nn'I iii o,'orLi,, ,.,o,,l,,ts C,nr .nIIinr.
,,.;,I nriiar,J o.c,r,.J b,m, nnd
"','' i.;. -. CO.. ri,,ri,,,, Lon
b 80 i n IN a.. - .,,,,,I
=. ''.' '. Wv ,.,,
.''N o'' ~ ~, I." '''- ,,,,.
va '.'' ~ - ..'l;i I .l
~, :" ~ .. ~ i,, ,,,'
i ,oo -.
'',' a. ''I "''i, ""' -,
"c.y uciV' N".c""E' WIN .''''' i''"'1
%" ut" " ".'S' an" paw III -" ~" 'o'l
"iiui u'e p'''' came o"'' " ~" we 'c''P''.'l
al. u ,!t ulV'e Po'r PIoI "'.t SUIy'NG' II :
! -. - -, 49,
Su'ci,"e u'rS nave neScrN'u ''ir p'c'! ""'C
oo"7cIc' TIC hca''' an" t'ic ''''' "ii'oh s"cis'"
ems It,
In the centre of the CITY. upon hgh roc
which looks down upon the distant plain. rise
he old castle Of their kings rebuilt by Casino
the Great. enriched by his succcssors and de-
wasted by the AuStrans. In ascending the staiI
cases, and trayorsinc the galleries of the castle
we find no traces left of the ornaments DESERT
ed in such glowing terms Of admiration by tn
travellers of the seventeenth century: but il
thick walls, its old towers. which still gave
so imposing an appearance. and the rccolleC
/, tons Of its former heroic dwccrs. have giycl
D slammed on il n character Of sublimity Thi
: castle has seen six powerful dvnastics pass be
t meath its vaulted roofs. 1t has seen one of o,
= princes seated on the throne of the Jagcllon
= and two French women, Marie de Gonzar,,
: and Marie d'Arquien, wear the sccptre of til
II crown Of Poland. The descendants of til
g Great Gustavus Nasa received there the COZ
; signs OF royalty then the descendants OF IL
II Electors OF SaNony ; then inc noble Slahialal
lesezynSkIn, whose m 'mory Is sun blessed
one OF our provinces and finally. the lover
u, the Empress catherine Now all Is over WI
III tho'e days OF splendor, WIN those national ie
i" uVlueS' Wh'ch auraC'cu 'le a'ehtoh oil u
u Whole oil Europe ne cas'Ie mas been deSpol
t. ca oil us wealth. ana roDord OF Tue crown OF u
10 KINGS preserving oi'y 'nelr 'o'hnS' inere r
:" pose al 'hose WHOSE hearts once peat hish
&c he''n 'he roocS oi royalty uluer that sep'
> "r . no,;, ~. J''nu '''.,; " nee "