The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-08-07
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS OF THE ERA
A DAY IN POTSDAM.

! pleasant days OF the opening Of spring. accord
ingly left Berlin with party of friends, and
after ride Of three quarters Of an hour on the
railroad through level country laid out in fields
which were undergoing the first labors Of the
husbandman, we arrived in Potsdam. few steps
from the depot led to the so-called Royal Palace
it being the oldest of the Royal Palaces which
are shown to the stranger in Potsdam. 1t was the
residence Of the father Of Frederic the Great and
his wife, the daughter Of George the First Of Eng
land. Here that remarkable character, remarka-
ble however, chiefly for his vices and his brutali-
| ty, was accustomed TO abuse his family and kick
his cOurtiers, to smoke his pipe and review his
army oil giants. The suit OF rooms were also shown
us which Frederic the Great himself occupied
during the first years OF his reign. Here we saw
his library filed with French books, his music
stand and bis piano, with music composed by him
SELF in his own handwriting, and his writing desk
inlaid with tortoise shell, and covered with blue
velvet, which looked badly worn, and from which
Napoleon when in Potsdam had cut out piece
as relic Of the illustrous hero The suit Of rooms
we're also shown us which Napoleon himself oc-
oupied in this Palace
We next visited the Church of the Garrison,
where Frederic the Great is buried. His remains
are in plain metal sarcOphagus, deposited in a
vault beneath the pulpit. At his side, in a sar-
cophAgus Of marble, rests his father from whom he
! experienced 40 much ill.treatment, and whose
severity hardened him for the conflicts of after life
-'-' - 's-io hs1 been fse" bis coffin.
but was carried of by Napoleon but over the
tomb, on each side Of the pulpit now hang the
eagles and standards taken from NapoleOn's armies
by the Prussans ga fitting Fetribution,n as
another has said, and as II were sn atonement
to the shade Of the hero for this paltry theft"
We had but few moments to spare in the vault,
hardly enough to realize that the remains Of him
rested at our feet, who was the greatest monarch
and the greatest warrior of his time, who was
distinguished patron of the arts and sciences, and
who, by his wisdom and energy, raised the petty
State 10 whose throne he succeeded to the proud
rank which it has 30 long enjoyed among the Pow
ers Of Europe.
From the Church Of the Garrison we proceeded
to visit the Palace of Sans SOuei the favorite resi-
dence of Frederic the Great during the most Of
his reign. Our road to the Palace led through
gardens laid out with alleys and hedges, and
adorned with statues, basins, and fountains aud up
fight of terraces fronted with glass, beneath
which grow vines, olives, and orange-trees. On
the uppermost of these terraces stands the Palace
low building and nowise magnificent or inter-
estng in its external appearance II we except the
elegant semicircular colonnade Of Corinthian
columns behind it. The front rooms of this man
sion command charming view Of the gardens and
city below, and Of the Havel the river on which
the city ia situated with its intricate windings
Its wooded picturesque, and sloping banks and the
has"taSNihg- sarJbi Nifvrs nj was dccnstoniEu 10
| surround bis table with a company Of learned
Frenchmen, with Voltaire at their head captiVa-
ting the King by the brilliancy OF his wit, and
the severity Of the sarcasm and ridioule which he
lavished upon everything moral and religious
the concert room where Frederic led the music
with his hute-and his bedroom, which has been
scrupulousy preserved in the state in which he left
il. and in which were shown us, among other OBJ
ieots of interest, the chair in which he breathed
| his last and the clock which was always wound
M with his own hand, but which, being forgotten
at last, stopped at the moment OF his death, and
ati noints TO the hour Of his decease We we're also
permitted to visit the suit of rooms occupied by
the present King during his summer residence in
Potsdam, as the Court had not yet moved from
Charlottenburg These apartments are no less
interesting 10 the student Of history than TO him
who IL yainly curious to witness the splendors Of
Royalty. will only mention the apartment of
Voltaire. which Is at present used for a toilet
room by the Queen Here were shown us traces
Of the habit of practical joking to which Frederic
the Great was 40 much addicted for its walls
are still covered with figures, which are pictorial
epigrams on VOltaire's oharacter-for example,
monkey meant as portrait parrots from bis volu-
hilitv storks. from his migrations, coming in
summer. going in winter. AT the extremities OF
the terrace, on which the Palace stands, were
shown us the graves Of his favorite dogs, and OF
his horse that carried him through many OF bis
battles Amongthe eccentricities OF this remark
able man are 10 be reckoned his excessive fond
ness for dogs, and his hearty contempt for women.
He KENT them about him, in his hours OF labor as
we'll as in his hours Of sleep at the same time that
his wife banished from his presence, was living
In unbappv seclusion. His love for his dogs be-
came 40 extravagant in his latter days, that he
even directed in his will that he should be buried
among them.
From Sans SOnei, we took a carriage to visit the
&C Mem P0laes,n which Is two miles from Potsdam
On our way we stopped at Charlottenhot villa
Of the present King where the celebrated natu-
ralist. BARON Humboldt, also spends much Of his
inu and exhibits the most exquisite taste and ele-
ganoe In the garden surrounding tits an exact
imItatjon Of Pompeian bath, several fountains,
an antioue altar and statues in bronze from
Uerculaneum or Pompei The rooms within
are also adorned with pictures from Pompeii
nresents from the Court Of Naples short ride
from CbarIottenhof brought us TO the Mem Pal
oes.D AN edi6ce Of enormous size, erected by
Frederic the Great, on spot previously occui led
by a morass, at cost Of nearly three millions OF
t6alers In order to show the world that his resour
ces had no. been exhausted by the seven years
war IL contains two hundred apartments, upon
which treasures have been lavished with far more
extravagance than taste Their sides are lined
with silk or satin Of various coors, embroidered
vitb cold and ornamented with paintings Of all
sorts Int chiefly representations Of the fables Of
classic mythology. The most remarkable room
in the entire edifce Is the great marble ball, one
hundred feet long sixty feet wide, and forty feet
high. The floor is OF marble mosaic and the
walls of solid white and red marble, and orna-
mented by four large paintings-th< Offering Of
IphiQsuia n Aplis The Robbery Of Helena, the Jadg
| nleuf of Paris and BaeehnS and AYiadne.
We were vet TO visit work OF art, which, III
not the greatest object OF interest In Potsdam Is
certainly well worth the labor Of long journey
| 10 see | refer 10 the recumbent statue Of the
late q ueen OF Prussia one Of the most beautiful
and amiable and at the same time unfortunate
princesses Of her day. Though one Of the lowell
est and most gentle Of her sex, she has never yet
received In foreign countries the honor due 10 her
memory. Notwithstanding her mildness, purity,
afAbility and simplicity, she was hated and SLAM
| dsred by Napoleon. Christian Rsaoh, the great
est sculptor OF Germany, undertook the task OF
producing work which should be worthy OF the
subject which IL was designed 10 commemorate,
and after fifteen years Of study and Of labor he
has succeeded most triumphantly The statue
Is Of white marble, and represents the Queen
| ..I... nnlu The nonnlenanoA and mart OF the