New-York daily tribune., 1858-11-05

be had for 500 rubles.
As we advanced toward the palace the grounds
gradually became more artificial in their design
and more carefully tended. The sward had an i'm
perial "pe." ike imperial velvet it appeared to
have been comb.d rather than raked. Not dead
leaf was visible on the exquisi.eE smooth gravel
Of the walks, not defective bOugh had been suf-
fered 10 remain on the archinf avenues Of linden
or elm. Nature seemed 10 have taken Turkish
bath and put on a clean Sunday dress There is
not an i'll weed, an awkward plant, frog, toad,
snake or bug, in this expensive Eden. Usually
gardener walks after you With broom, TO eGace
any footprints you may have left behind you, but
for some reason or other We we're spared tbs at
tention. Woe unto you if you touch flower
But there il bttle danger of that: you would az
soon think Of cutting rose out OF a drawing
room carpet; az Of thus neddhng with this super
human order.
In the course Of our walk we came upon rrl-
ined abbey, so captally initiated that if it stood
anywhere else old traveller might be de-
ceiyed by il. One square tower alone is standing,
and in this tower, which you reach by wooden
staircase built the ruins, is the famous statue
OF Christ, by Dannecker, the sculptor Of Ariadne
and the panther. This is no traditonary Christ,
with low forehead and straight, insipid features:
the head is rather that of scholar and thinker.
You are at once struck with the individuality Of
the figure. He is represented as speaking, turn
ing toward the left and slightly leaning forward.
single flowing garment, hanging from his neck
TO his feet, partly cOnceas the symmetrical yet
somewhat delicate form. The head is large, noby
rounded and balanced with preponderance Of
development in the intellectual and moral regions
of the brain, his hair long, but very fine and thin,
as if prematurely thinned by thought, the beard
scanty and the expression Of the cOuntenance at
once grave, gentle and spiritual. The longer
looked upon it the more was penetrated with its
wonderful representation of the attributes of Christ
Wisdom and Love. The face calmly surveys
and comprehends all forms of human passion, with
pity for the erring joy in the good and tenderness
for all. 1t is that transcendent purity in whose
presence the sinner feels no repellant reproof, but
only consolation.
i have seen few statues like this, where the form
is lost sight Of in the presence of the idea. In
this respect il is Danneckers greatest, as il was
bor thought and aspiration to the modelling of the
head. When, ct length, it was completed in clay,
a sudden distr,Ist in his success overwhelmed him.
Having no longer confidence in his own judgment
or that of his artistic friends he one day took q
little uneducated child into his studio, placed the
head before it, and said: "WhO is it 2" The
child looked steadfastly upon the features so un-
like the conventional Christ of artists and without
hesitation answered. /" Ii is the Saviour" The
cerity, accepted this answer as a final Judgment
snd completed his work in marble.
Our way led on over straight Dutch canals, past ]
artificial hills and rock work, through Chinese
village which resembles nothing in China, and un-
der Babyonian hanging gardens, to the front Of the
palace, which is l,20O feet in length, and rises
from the crest of long knoll gently sloping down
to a lake. Some fine oak trees adorn the lawn;
on the top Of granite rock bronze nymph is
crying over her broken pitcher out of which rushes
stream of sparkling water; and on the lake itself
pretty little cutter lies at anchor. Arsenals and
fortresses in miniature stud the opposite Shore and
on wooded point stands Turkish kiosk and min
aret, the interior Of which is a sumptuous oriental
bath, presented by the Sultan. The park beyond
the palace, toward the village of Tzsrsko Selo, ia
in even more rigid full dress than that through
which we had already passed, and verify believe
that if leaf gets accidentally twisted in its stem,
some one is on hand to set it right again.
All the pillars, statues, cornices and ornaments
in the long palace front were covered with heavy
gliding in the time of Catharne ii. When they
began TO look little shabby and the gold needed
replacing, the Empress was offered half million
OF rubles for the scrapings, but she replied with
magnificent scorn: 81 am not in the habit of sell.
ing my old rags" The Imperial banner of Russia,
floating at the masthead, showed that the family
were at home, but We were nevertheless allowed
10 enter. A "married" servant conducted us
through the apartments once occupied by Catha.
rine and Alexander |. Here there is much that is
curious, though no splendor comparable to that of
the Winter Palace, on the Imperial apartments in
the Kremlin. One room is lined entirely with am
ber, present from Frederick the Great. The
effect is soit rich and waxy, without being glar-
inc. In others the paneling is of maachite or
lapz-lazuli. Catharines bedchamber has not been
changed since she left it: the bed.pOsts are Of pur-
pie glass, AMI the walls lined with porcelain.
Most interesting of all, however, are the apart
ments occupied by Alexander l., in which every
article has been preserved with religious yenera-
ton. His bed is very narrow mattress of lesther
stuffed with straw, and the eRtre furniture of the
room would not fetch more than fifty dollars if sold
at auction. On the toilet table lie his comb,
breeches, razor, and clean pocket handkerchief;