The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-06
CHAMBER OF ART, BERLIN:
BARON TRENCK AND PRINCESS AMELIA
BY HON. JAMES W. WALL.

had been wandering for hours among the
rare and antique things that Prussian pride
and curiosity had gathered in the old Chamber
Of Art at Berlin. Feathered cloaks from the
Sandwich Islands; Australian necklaces of
human teeth; tattooed heads of New Zealand
savages were there, most strangely mingled
with curious relics illustrative OF names and
deeds in Prussian history. The earlier records
of the Wendish tribes, who first laid the
foundations of the Prussian State, were there.
Memorials of the Great Elector, who, after
the prostration Of Prussan energies during
the Thirty Years. War, succeeded in vindi-
eating the honor of the Teutonic name, might
be seen scattered all around. Old Zietheu's
hussar Dress battle-stained and moth-eaten,
with his dinted helmet, still ornamented
with the wing from the black eagle-a plume
that had been the orihamme to the Prussans
at Prague-Occupied a conspicuous position in
the main hall. There, too, upon raised plat
form was to be seen the wax figure of old
Fritz, clothed in the very suit he had on when
seized with the agonies of death. The suit
consists OF dirty blue coat, faced with red,
q yellow waistcoat and breeches, snuf-stained
and begrimed with dirt. Near this may be
seen the CHASTITY cast taken from the old
mOnarch's face after DEATH most strikingly in
contrast with the angelic features in wax of
Queen Louisa, whose rare, almost supernatural
beauty death itself could not mar. Aud there,
too, one may notice the curious collection of
pipes, sole relics of that singular gathering
which met, night after night, beneath the
roof of the old Schloss-the Tabagie, or
Smoking Parliament of Frederic William, the
half-mad father of the king whose memory all
Prussia worships. These are strengthening
pipes shocking to the sensibilities of a modern
devotee of the weed, and the mere sight of
them would throw Turk into convulsions.
One, as he gazes at them, might very readily
e0njure up the reality of the scene, of which
numerous engravings to be found in the Berlin
print shops give him very fair idea. There
heavy-visaged Grumkeu, old gunpowder Des.
sau, Seckendorf, and "dirty Flans," Dragged
Dutch specimen" as Carlyle calls him, "capa
BILE of rough slashes of sarcasm when he opens
his old beard for speech" And there, too
one spies Ginkel, the Dutch Ambassador
talkative and peripatetie Polnitz, together
with a rabble rout Of kings and
princes on their royal visits, all o
whom were permitted to sit beneath thu
cloudy canopy that foated above the heads o
the members of the Tabagie convened fol
high debate, stormy controversy, and drunken
revelry. And here, in this old collection
marked conspicuously with his name, il
GTundley's pipe, poor court fool, who wrinklet
the Tabagie so often into grim radiance o.
banter, with here and there the outburst of {
loud guffaw-a being without any wit himself
cause of wit in others. Carlyle calls him, in
his strange way - "Chaotic blockheadism
with the consciousness of wisdom most won
drOus to behold-a mine of native darkness
and stupidity capable of being made to phos
phOresce and efervesce."
II was while was gazing and speculating
one morning over these curious treasures O
the past SO dear to the heart of every Prus
sian. that / stumbled accidentally upon
curiously carved cup, which my catalogue in
formed me was Baron Trenck's, with the cary
ings done by his own skilful hand. There
stood. with etchings of rare beauty upon it
surface-lines painfully traced, day by day
through the long and weary hours OF tina
frightful imprisonment, and its edge actual
worn away by constant contact with tn
sparched lips of the poor sufferer himself
whose tale of patient endurance, resolut
energy. and most marvellous escape, had bee
.the Wonder and delight of my childhood. 1
a amoment the whole story OF his eventIul III
was before me. -.
The secret love of Amelia, the sister
Frederic the Great, and Baron Trenck was
40 romantic a nature that it was imposslDl
nat 10 have them recalled, standing as wa
beneath the roof of the very palace that ha
been the scene Of their daily intercourse an
,nost unfortunate amours. The unluoky baFo
apDears TO have been another example Oh u