The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-10-05
A Piece Of Antiquity.

Col. WARTNG thus describes lin
| Sc7t67ae7' for October) a wonderful old
German castle:
1t seems futile to attempt to give in
words anything like an adequate idea
of the wierd and unworldlike impress
sion which the first view of SChIOsS
EltZ, seen as we saw it, must inevita-
bly, produce. Sitting as we did at the
foot Of one of the little pilgrim sta
tionS which dot the path leading from
the castle to the chapel, with no other
building, no human being and no cul-
tiVated field in sight, and no sound in
the air, the sunshine that lay warm
upon these mellow old walls seemed to
wrap them about with a veil of myS-
terry, and an old-world charm that
carried it. and us, far back to the
legendary days. Had the draw-bridge
fallen to give passage to a cuirassed
robber-knight with his stout retainers
going out for plunder, or for a raid
upon the Archbishop's castle of TrutZ
Eltz, whose ruins lie on the hill above
us, we should have been prepared to
accept the apparition as entirely natu-
raj, and should only have shrmk for
safety into the thick-growing copse at
our side. Indeed, | believe there is no
spot on earth where one SO entirely
loses identity as member of modern
society, and drinks up so fully the real
flavor of medieval days as on this hill
side where all that he can see is
heaven and earth and the wonderful
Schloss EltZ.
The castle, with its accumulated
relics of 800 years the portraits, and
the arms, and the furniture, and the
household gods of the family, back to
its earliest days, being still preserved
has been, until recently, freely
shown to the public. We learned only
too late that.-it- is now closed save to
those who are armed with an order from
Count Eltz, who was absent at the
time of our visit-indeed, the castle IS
no longer his chief residence, only a
hunting lodge. We crossed the draw
bridge, passed under the gloomy por-
tai of the doorway and pulled the
rusty old iron bell-handle that hung
from above. The door is pOnderous
great affair, large enough for the en-
trance of vehicles, and is of time-Worn
and undecorated oak planks. Through
its chinks we could see the rough road
way. covered with black stone vault
ING, which led to the inner court. we
were. greeted by the mutterings and
erowls of hounds, and after a time by
an elderly female voice. Our tones
seeming peaceable, she swung the gate
a little aiar to ask our errand. one
would take our card to the Forstmeis-
ter, and would tell him that we had
come from the other side OF the great
Atlantic chiefly to see the curlosltles
of Schloss Eltz-but she doubted. Her
mission was unsuccessful; the Counts
orders were positive, and there was no
hope. ~
The feelings with which we regarded
the present scion of this ancient house
and the speech which gave form to our
ideas concerning him may perhaps be
safely left to the imagination. We|
contrasted him with the gentle Earl OF
Warwick, who throws the wonderful
treasures of his great fortress home
omen to all the world, and who gives
to the poorest wayfarer the wonderful
delight of an hour in what Is, taken
all in all, the most remarkable exist
ing combination of what an Intelligent
American cares most to see in Europe.
Indeed our ire almost took the form
that was shown by Ingoldsby's good
bishop when the raven had stolen his
ring. 80
On calmer reflection, saw agllmpse
of Justification for Count Eltz, remem-
bering how the English edition OF
Baedeker speaks of his castle. AS
our disappointment grew older was
quite ready to acknowledge that were
| | the owner of this entirely unique
ancestral home, l should incline to
withhold my hospitality from all En-
glish-speakng persons, for Baedeker
says, and this is all he says, OF schloss
Eltz: can ancient residence OF the
noble family Of Eltz, most pic
turesquely situated and one OF the
best specim ems in Germany OF "a me-
diaval chateau. Many Of the rooms
are furnished in the ponderous style OF
by-gone ages, and the walls are hung
with family portraits, ancient armor'
etc. In the Rittersaal (Knights' halD
a book is kept in which visitors may
record their names, and inspect the
autograph of the Prince Of Wales
scho. during his sQjourra in Germany,
pisited this dezighttaIl spot.