The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-08-16
Sketches OF Prague.
Correspondents Of the Boston Journal
PRAGUE, June Il, 1868.
THE APOSTLES CLOCK.

PRAGUE, June II, 1868.
THE APOSTLES CLOCK.
While in the market place we will wait for the
hour, for here is a curious old clock that licked
four centuries ago. when the Swedes were thur
deriDg at the gates Of Prague, and when Bohemia
was great and powerful kingdom, just as it Is
ticking now. Twenty four hours--the day and
night-are marked on The dial, instead Of twelve,
for the clock follows the sun. When the night
comes the face Of the dial becomes black, just as
the night is, and when the day approaches 1t
turns its great white face out TO meet the light.
You can tell from il what time the sun RISES and
at what hour he will set. Hanusch, the clever
fellow who made IT, was something Of an astrono.
mer; but men knew little about the stars in those
days.
But the hour has arrved-it is ten o'clock,
Watch closely, for the delicate mechanism is now
at work. Out of small door above the dial
comes skeleton, CHASTITY and grim. Around its
bOny neck old Father Time has hung his remorse-
less scythe. The gaunt figure produces an hour
glass, and turns it to indicate that another hour
has gone, and that the new has commenced. 1t
then pulls violently bell rope precisely as the
old sexton in a new England village church does
on a sabbath morning. At each pull the bell
strike and the skeleton bows its head in approval
Then out of the mysterious tower comes miser
with bag of gold. He clenches 1t tight for 1t Is
evident his time has come, and he hates to leave
his worldly goods behind. He walks about and
and beats the ground with his stick. There is
avarce in his heart and eye-a sort of cold, re.
lentess QIaspng after dollars, that no one can mis-
take. This figure is tie masterpiece Of the clock.
When the skeleton has rang the hour. both it and
the miser retire into the tower. Then great
bronze door opens, and the twelve apostles pass
before the Saviour, and bow down 10 him. Far
up the tower their faces look life.like, and the
scene is impressive.
How beautiful to think of the scenes enacted
here in Prague, under the eye Of this old clock,
and of the momentOus and terrible hours it has
licked away. In the old building, upon which the
tower stands, the great dgnitsries of Prague used
to hold their banquets and feasts. Here they en-
tertained their Austrian rulers, and delberated
upon the political events Of the age In the great
square in front, the tournaments Of the old chval
~ were held. Bohemia had a blind king then,
John of Luxembourg. After having fought many
battles he came into the lists of tournament one
day, in this very square, and was endorsed by an
other knight, whose lance was longer and whose
arm was stronger than his. We imagine we hear
the ladies clapping their hands and cheering the
successful knight, and then the queer old clock
striking the hour Of the kings defeat. Then
few years later, in this very square, ia full view
of the dial, eleven officers of noble rank were be-
headed because they bad run away from the battle
field of LutZen. But the old clock witnessed
another terrible sight about this time-one which
is connected with our own history and belief. IL
was 10 1921, after the battle of White Hill, where
Romanism tTiumphed over Professionalism. Twenty
seven persOns-some of them OF noble rank-Were
then executed, to appease the wrath OF the con-
queror. The heads of the poor victims we're stuck
upon The gate tower, little way down the street.
The grim skeleton tOed the bells for their death,
and the mser and saints appeared on the tower
then, as we have just seen them to-day. There is
probably not clock face in the world that has
seen so much. For four hundred years it has
turned its face daily to see the sun rise. fear
that, among all our skillful mechanics to- day,
there j. not one that could make such wondrOus
clock or one that wOuld last halt so long,