New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-14
OUT or A TRAVELLERS DIARY.
yRElBuRe AND SWITZERLAND


Of such water as slips aud sings through moan
tain woodland stood il the square alone WITH
the one sDired Cathedral and few early frat
women aud fewer pions souls WHO passed IN to
pray Nothing but the merest forms were similar
vet to nv mind, probably still misted with the
sweet beayiress Of travellers siaeP,-the noble
church with its single spire recalled New. Eng
land meeting house and the square With its
stands and fruit II ezchants, tue common around
the meeting house, where fairs and the general
training take place beg pardon OF romance
and the romantic 1t was only the too rcmem-
bering tenderness Of early morning, real and
unreal recollection, like forms ard faces in wax
ing dreams.
A completed Cathedral ST, Peters is not that
nor the Milan CathedrRI-nor ST. 6tcphens-nor
Notre Dame-nor will they ever be it. They are
struggling now at Cologne. But Cologne Ca
thedral is romantic ruin before it is completed.
The leaves and flowers wave on the one III
finished tower and the locker Of to-day steals
from it sentiment and delight, which will not be
legitimate for a score OF centuries.
This of Freiburg is of ford Gothic. The base
of the spirei is massive and plain with one OF two
statues Higher it is richer and finally scars into
a pinnacle OF airy and elaborate richness. The
whole spire is pyramida from the base to tae
point. The building is of rusty grey color and
looks sad and lonely, in so small town of such
unsympathsing buildings. Yet it serves as key
note Of musical dream which Imagination may
sing to hope OF Gothic city. A city built in all
the richness, massiyeness and variety of this ar
chitecture. The rocks Of the earth bossomed into
its fairest ornaments city for the last stages
Of human Development, in which the natural
forests that shaded its first-should remain fixed
in inmoveable grace forever-understoo at last
and interpreted by human genius A city OF in
habitants with natural right to live in it. These
are the cities to the fancy that Damascus and
distant Constantinople are, to the hope.
We followed the pious pilgrims OF the early
morning and stood in the Cathedral with reyer
ent congregation, with the Priest saying the morn
ing mass, fasting, and the handsome acolytes
kneelng in white robes, holding candles and ring
ing the silver bell The interior is richer than the
Church at Strasbourg. Upon the inside of the
columns in the nave, range OF pedestaled statues
increases the beauty and elaboration and does not
I1l1uTe tUG STuuuGuI dhl luctIlI INC eye SN ms
beyond, into the pointed solemnity of the choir
High arched windows piercing with coored light
the grave uniformity Of the wall and at the end Of
each side AISLE massive rosc-window prism
of rainbow glores meekly adjoining the Temple Of
a worship whose traditionary pact and symbol dis
the rainbow. Is it not clear, standing in such
a building, that worship may last, long after its
faith is dead ? Every thoughtful man, impressed
by solemn beauty, worships the unknown God in
the forms which appear before him. The place
digniGes every ceremony with meaning, though
Priests may profane it with needless, hasty bah
ble-hurrying through the service, not that God
NAV be praised, but that they may breakfast
gold laced Bcadle with huge gold knobbed
staff, swellcd like q Turkey cock in shining splen-
dor, and regretted that we could not see the Ca
thedral until o'clock. Blessed Beadlc! were
not you sight enough for one Summer morning
In the still streets the rappew beaten From
every lane and alley emerged the soldiers, accou-
tired with heavy knapsack and coat-imperial
troops destined for Schleswig Holstcin, Few
others were stirring. The soldiers and the wor-
shippers, the Barracks and the Cathedral were
alone alive. We sauntered through the streets
and the whole air Of the town and townsmen was
that of quiet domestic, provincial life. There was
honey for breakfast, already strain of Switzer-
land fare. Breezy woods, fresh and free feelings
and suggestions were in the very taste. The Ri,
CHI and Fnsteraarhosn were certainly delectable,
and confess to slight flavor of Mt. Blanc in
mine and why not, since the next taste would be
in Switzerland, and since honey and Swiss break
fasts go always together? Hackneyed and hob
bled and hectored by miserable Cockneydom is
that patient land but forever beautiful as a new
America totnew Columbuses, keeping, yirgin-like,
its smiles and glances for lovers not loungers.
The sunny brilliancy of white morning clouds
flashed through the open tracery of the Cathedral
spire as we mounted the cars at Freiburg and en-
tered upon the last stage to Switzerland. The
sharp shrill shrieks of the locomotive were the
impatient snorts of charger snufiing victory
We knights Of more balanced temper lay back
cased in the shining amor of hope and put the
lance Of expectation in rest, then suddenly darted
forward. The spire nestled dark against the
deeply dark hills, and left it, glad that the land
behind US was so well lowered with beauty
The hills on the left were fast becoming noun
tains and opened into the most alIuring yaIlies.
Heavy black clouds brooded over them, settled
among them, and hung over the yallies like roof
of night, Great gushes of sunlight streamed over
the nearer grain fields, lining the shadow with
golden splendor 1t was grand game of clouds
and mountains, until rain swept over them and
rubbed out the lines against the sky. But while
this was on the left, far out upon the right, over
the plain beamed a cool, calm morning. and the
distant hills, whose massive wall seemed the
bulwark Of Switzerland, were as clear and rosy
as the air in which they melted.
The clouds passed. The cars stopped We
were at the end of the railroad, and mounting