The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-11-06
THE TOMB OF CHARLEMAGNE.

Grase GrcenWood Vi.its = n,d rSi!s MhIt
History.
We clip the following from Cologne
letter of Grace Greenwood to the New
York Times:
l also made a solitary pilgrimage to
the tomb Of Charemagnc, leaving the
train at Aix-a-Chappcllc, on our way
from Brussels to Cologne 1t was the
first German town had been in for many
years; l knew no German, and had little
French ut my command; it seemed an
adventurous thing TO do, but accoutcrcd
as l was, plunged in" As the Dom or
Munster, seemed near | thought / had
better walk it than try my lonely luck
with German cab-drivcr, but soon got
involved in labyrinth CT narrow streets,
overhung with quaint, sombrc id houses
curious mis-shapen cdificcs, which seemed
to come upon me round every corner, out
Of the middle ages, and was obliged to
call in the aid of both church and state
4 priest and a policeman before could
find the entrance Of the old, old chapel
designed and erected by Charlcnagnc for
his own grand burial place nearly Il
thousand years ago Around the chapel
later additions have been built, and there
is a lofty modern choir made almost ell
tirely Of beautiful stained glass, but these
things had little interest for me. only
felt that that monarch Of monarchs had
stood where | was standing, planning
royalty for his own scpulturc. | only
SAW on the marble slab ut my feet the
brief great inscription, "Caro Magno." !"
| knew he was not resting beneath that
slab-tllat it only marked the spot where
once stood his tomb, which dread
abode" was broken into by Otto Ill.
IN nf
rcposng in 4 coffin, but seated in: !! throne
like chair Of white marble, arraycd in
royal robes, crowned, sccptcrcd and with
his familiar pilgrims pouch at his side
On his knees rested Il copy Of the gospels,
and at hand, rs though ready to defend
1t, was his favoritc sword JoycuSe.
There is something awiully grand in
such an cntombmcnt. He had sat there
in silence and in night for nearly two
hundred yc:irs, waiting for the rcsurrcc-
ton, which came all too soon. The fra
GRANGE of rare gums and spices used i'll
hspartial cmbalmment must have tainted
i'll the mold, and colors of rich silk and
the sheen of gold died out in the dark
ness; but 1t seems to me that the sleeping
light OF those crown jewels must have
dreamed of the sun and the east soft
trcmulous CLEANS down on the opcn pages
OF the word He should have been left
there i'll state, while at least his grand
chapel should endure, but the stone was
rolled away from the scpulchrc, not by
angels, but by hungry rclic.huntcrs and
saint-mongcrs, and they laid dcsccrating
and dissccting hands upon him-partcG
not only his raimcnt, but his skeleton
took him to pieces bone by bone, an(
have distributed him about munstcrs an(
monasterics A dead emperor of tha
quality was too much for Il chapel of thi
size to have all to itself. 1t preserves
however, his skull, the darkcncd shell O
an extinct star of sovcrcignty-a giganti
t7bla-thc real chair in which he sat
and which was afterward used at the cor
onatlon OF cmpcrors, and the parian s:,r
c0phagus in which rested his tired fec
all through that two hundred years sit
ting. This church is marvclously rich il
iplate, Jewels, chaliccs, shrincs and RELIC
X liiariesof rare and exquisite workmanship
and in relics. the bare list of which appaIl
one as an exhibition Of human credulity
superstition and imposition What al
idea Of Christ they have wl!c "ct;aIl'
believe he can be pleased at seeing hi
people redeemed from oldcn idolatry
prostrating themselves before the roc
wsEch once smotc him, the cord thai
bound him, the nail that pierced him
and even the bluckcncd and shrivccd
arm of poor old Simon-that arm which
bore the smiling infant Jesus in tho
temple.
y very interesting building is tho
Rathhaus, which dates back to 1853, and
was then built on the site of the old
palace in which Charlemagnc was born.
In the Kaiser Saal, sombrc, low-archcd
hall, the coronation Of the cmpcrors
used to take place. No lest than thirty.
seven, they told me, had there received
the crown, seated on the mortrary chair
OF Charemagnc, anu swearing upon the
sacred relics, curious and ghaslly col
lection -Christ's lcathcrn sirllc, the
sponge once wet with vinegar for his dy-
ing lips, some blood and bones of st.
stephen, some mamma from the wilder
ness, that arm Of old Simon, and bit
OF Aaron's rod. There is grand new
staircase to this hall, and the old one
has fallen into decay and desuctudc
The stone steps Of this seemed to ne
worn out by the tramping of many cm.
Perors and their mailed rctaincrs.G In
spite of some bright modern frescocs
giving the glorious incidents in Charlie
magnc's life, the air of this old saloon
was melancholy and oppressive to me-
filled with shifting pictures of history
more gloomy than grand-of those me
dinvals 'monarchs, coming and going
with a mighty clang of steel and surg
ing of banners, and sstormy bursts O.
music, and taking holy names and awf:
oaths itpon their lips, now and then ono
resolved on tho reign Of justice burning
to do them great good work for God and