Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-03-27
a Deserted Palace.

writing from Trieste, iuTuiSies du dCeoou'
of visit paid to the now deserted pal
ace of Miramar, where the unfortunate
Maximilian and poor Carota spent many happy
,},vs previous to their ill-starred expedition to
Mexico The beautiful palace of the Austrian
Archduke. by the waters ofthe Adrlatlc, which
H.. loved so we'll, remains in the same condition
Is when he departed from it for far off Mexico.
An air of melancholy, however, pervades these
now silent halls deserted by all save few old
faithful servitors and the visitors who are oc-
casopally drawn to the spot BY the historic
interest now attached to the place
Miramar lies three miles from Trieste. You
take a carriage from the city and drive along
the margin road of the gulf to the southward,
passing singular strata Of soft stone, which IN
Sections afford an instructive study to the
u,erest tyro in geology. High winds, with a
few clouds of mountain dust are the only IN
convepieuces you will suffer along the route,
while the broad bay, studded with infant ship
ping and squadrons Of the peculiar telluca are
not unpleasant to an eye weared by the mono
tonons craft of our coastlng trade. ~ all
means visit Miramar in the most cheerful part
Of the day-sav at noou-for it requires con-
siderable time to diyest yourself of the unwel-
come sadness which the spot inspires. Near
one O clock we arrived at the, lodge OF the
Palace. No sign of life was seen at the gate,
though looming into majestic prominence
were the gorgeous tacades OF white marble
rising from the margin OF the sea.
,Iiramar trom seaward view, Is the palatlal
gateway to Trieste, standing on rocky base,
VIII ;-.,.~4nSe boulders hanking it, and green
toliase and Varlee~.aa1 ID. flowers for deepening
landscape. MaXlmllllan r,,~" e+nod, as it were,
upon the threshold Of his house, o.ie~~;ve his
marine guests and. when a foreign man-ot-
~ wont H,-np SaI,to uas fired in
double Difference to his trim qualities as Adnl-
raj and Archduke You must yourself litt the
latch for no porter is at hand to admit you.
Once within, the way lies up broad, gravelled
drive, either side being ornamented BY garden
plots and hedges.
The gardens of Miramar are burst Of beau
ty such, | venture to say, as cannot be found
elsewhere in close coptigulty to the sea. Saltl-
ness offends vegetation so much that 1t Is only
bv marvellous application of the gardener 5
art that Mramar still smiles and blooms as 1t
does Our party consisted Of three-a friend
and myself and stranger We made a de
tour of the palace and at last reached the main
entrance from the lear. \ ring. The porter
responds Yes the palace is open, but | must
have your cards Even here the low voice
and melancholy accent has begun, with the
burly, healthy, unseDtimental door keeper
Yes, we say Maximillan must have been belov-
cd He must have been man OF magnetic
tenderness to have forsworn bis own domestlcs
to six years Of mourning tor his unhappy fate
aud time knows how many more We walk
softly on the tesselated marble toward the
grand staircase the porter closes the mam-
moth oaken door with slow solemnlty, as IT a
quick movement would awake the indignation
of the dead, and now we staud IN the midst OF
the splendid but deserted palace. We
speak in hushed whispers lest we might protane
the spot sacred to the grave domestlcs, and
less, too our foreign manners mi ght offend the
studied mechanism of their grief The habits
orthese people are not counterfeit, that could
see The guide, who conducts you over the
ruins of the sweetest marital union ever known
to the Hapsburgs, is an intelligent German.
Trieste in the distance First We lance out Of
a grand plate window upon the same Trieste
that Maximillian loved so well. The view is
charming The Hamburg of the Mediterra-
mean, with its dense shipping, recedlng terraces
and varuished spires, stands at the end OF a
green avenue of water. Within the wainscot-
ing is in carved walnut but not over done; the
ceiling is thirty feet from the mosaic floor, aud
the vestibule in which We are is sufficiently ee-
CANT for an ante-room or large enough for a
grand promenade. At our right is the grand
along its carved walls are groups OF armor, clus
ters Of antique weapons, spears battle axes,
helmets, cuirasses and what not all woven into
those curious circular textures which princes
believe SymbOllze warllke taste.
The billiard room. From the vestlbule we
passed into the billiard room. There the por-
traits of all the Hapsburgs, many of them OF
old types, hang upon the walls, being support
ed in old black wooden frames.
The library was next visited. There one
could Judge of the intelligence of the unfortu-
nate Archduke. The collection is a very rich
ne,and Maximillian must have been an indus
trlous reader Upon assorted shelves found
collections of travels in English, especially re-
latlng to India; works on military and civil en-
gneering, hundreds of volumes on moral SCI
ence, all bearing evidence more OF use than OF
ornament The iulaid flooring, the rich panel
hing, the cases, stands and mantel ornaments
We're all in harmony, without any effort at am-
bilious ornamentation. A full figure of Met
teruich stood on the table aud a marble bust OF
Goethe faced the doorway as We entered. From
tins collection of 10000 volumes we passed
northward into the Admirals tavorite room,
his cabin, an exact counterpart of the cabin OF
his last flagship, the Kaiser Therein were the
last tableaus ever enacted by Maxlmilllan at
Mlramar Nothing had been disturbed which
had last received his sacred touch. Indeed,
this rule has been followed throughout the
palace. An empty decanter and two wine
glasses stood upon silver tray upon his writ
ing desk; some odd scraps of paper were lying
loosely around; an imperial photograph OF Car
lota was under his last gaze his sister-ln- law,
the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, was also IN
unavoidable view, while small portraits of Ma
poleon, Cavour, De Beust and other notableS
We're distributed upon the walls in cabine' size.
In construction and finish this cabin is the cab
IN of the man-of war There are the oiled car
a"a a%fs tho on s ths nd spe % RSats mp Hs H
ors were very numerous The friends of the
family have guarded this cabin with religi-
Gus care, and to touch an object there is
regarded as little less than sacrilege Pass