Connecticut western news., 1872-07-26

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 Friend Pease-I th,nk you were promised an account of brief tour through some of towns and cities of Northern Germany I might have said few years ago, Principal ities and Dukedoms; but they are now un der the powerful sway of King William the Fourth of Prussia; the most powerful King in my judgement now in Europe. Even this Duke0om of Nassau was inde- pendent at one time, and the neighboring city of Frankfort was free city previous to the late war, but now both are under Prussian authority. Before entering on the tour, however, let me give you little gos- sip about this watering place, ''Homburg Les Bains y, for having just returned from our morning walk to the Elizabethen Spring, the Congress of the place, it is quite fresh in my mind. All the springs, some six or seven in number. are embraced ill " valley, much broader tnd richer than that at Saratoga and park of some l5O acres, and which is owned and managed by the Government. There are no buildings upon it, except those appertaining to the springs, such as green houses, music stands, covered promcnades, etc and few shops for the display of jewelrY, etc. There are miles of drives and walks through long avenues, clusters of trees, open lawns, by the side of fish ponds, flower beds and clus- ,ers of Towering shrubs, almost innumera- bIe. It is entirely sate to say that there are Inf Howar ho1c many of the most splendid roses that have ever seen. All these places are kept in tho most exquisite order and every morn- ing, even at this early season may be Seen thousand or titteeen hundred people scat tered through these various walks, and amidst tLese flower beds, making as beautiful sight as one could wish to look upon in the way of form, feature, style and dress. This park is nearly surrounded on three sides by neat and convenient boarding houses, and the whole town is kept as neat and clean as a we'll kept gar den. We commenced the trip by leaving the city of Frankfort-on- the Maine On the 27th of May we turned aside somewhat from the beaten track of tourists, to visit some of the old and less frequented cities of central Europe An afternoons ride through some of the largest German forests brought us to Nuremburg, one of the oldest and once. one of the most important towns in Europe. On the following day we visit ed some of its ancient churches, it's old castle prison, museum, etc., etc. We can give no better general description of it than in the words of Longfellow
 In the valley of Pegnitz, where
 Across broad meadow lands,
 Rise the blue Franconan mountains
 Nnremburg the ancient stands,
 \ Quaint old town of toll and traffic.
 Quaint old town of art and song,
 Memories haunt thy pointed gables, like
 The rocks that around them throng;
 Memories of the middle ages, where the
 amperors, rough and bold,
 Had their dwelling in thy Castle-time-
 Defying, centuries old.''
 (Take down the volume and read the whole.) The old castle, built In the lIth Century, is still in such good preservation, that part of it IS occasionally occupied by the Royal family. An old Linden tree, said to be TOO years old, planted by Queen Cunigundia, (to which legend attaches, still flourishing in the court, though bound with many an iron band to keep it firm. There is also on the premises, huge. deep we'll, some 3l5 feet deep and about 9 feet broad in the clear, the cut stone masonry of which, is quite perfect although it is over 800 years old. A woman in charge, let down three candles, properly arranged, to the depth of 280 feet, and enabled us to see the terminus of subteranean way, through which prisoners came for water from prison at the base of the hill below the castle. The prison itself. however is the horrid feature of the place, and still re- tains, within damp and mouldy vaults, the evidences of the barbarian of the olden time, in the instruments of torture, which were used to crush out human life. I will only refer to one of them. This is called the "Iron Virgin," a hollow figure, large enough to enclose prisoner, opening in tho center, and when closed upon an un- happy victim, forces spikes six inches long into the head and body, and when opened again lets the body through trap door ls' feet down into the river. Both the instru- ment and the prison are deep under ground, and may be emblematic of broader prison and more horrid tortures. Brighter features of the old city, are beautiful fountains, old and elaborately wrought, with curious de- signs and an abundant flow of water The museum, with arms and armor of every age; with articles for use and for ornament thousand years old with musical instru- ments by hundreds, dating back more or less distant for 800 years; with manuscript letters of Martin Luther, Melancthon, and other old worthies, etc., etc., would occupy days instead of hours, satisfactorily, if we had them to spare. The quaint architect ure is indicated in the extract above, and space will not allow me to refer with any particularly to the city walls and the quaint old towers, fifty or sixty of which are still standing upon them. Leaving this unique old city on the following day, we started for another, almost as old and quite out of the line of ordinary tourists, Prague, the capital of Bohemia. A railway breach in. terrupted our journey and compelled us tc spend an afternoon at the small but not un known city of Eger. Here the famous ol infamous Wallenstein, with four of hiE generals were murdered, the former in the town hall or Rathbanes, and the latter 1T the old castle near by. We were taken tc both these localities, the latter in ruins, tht former still in use. One feature of the ole castle, however, may remain an object ot interest to visitors thousand years hence as it has a thousand years in the past. A