The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-11-08
THE ROTHSCHgLD CHATEAU,
A Dazzling Collection nf the splendid and
the Beautiful

[Frazer's Magazne1
With prncely liberality Baron Rothschild
admits any one to his Fairyland who takes the
trouble to write for permission, and however
much we may have been thinking of Haroun
oil Raschd, King Solomon and the Thousand
and One Nights beforehand, we shall not be
disappointed. Quitting the railway at the
cheerful little town of Langny we drive
past handsome Gountry-houses and we'll
kept flower gardens, and then gradually
ascend road winding amid hill and valley up
to he chateau, graceful structure in white
mai bic, or 80 1t seems, proudly commanding
the wide landscape. The flower gardens are
a blaze Of colnrs, and the orange trees give
delicious fragrance as we ascend the terrace;
ascend, indeed, being hardly the word appli-
cable to steps sloping SO easily upward, and
so nicely adjusted to the human foot that
climbing Mont Blanc under the same Circum-
stances could be accomplished without fa-
tigue. It ia impossible to give any idea Of the
different kinds OF magnifirrnce that greet us
IN every side. Now q little Vatican world
in tapestries, having for background sky-blue
satin and roses; now duing-hall, somber,
GORGEOUS and majestic as that Of q Spanish
palaces now We are transported to Persia,
China and Japan; next we find ourselves
amid unspeakable treasures OF Italian and
other marbles. To come down to practical
details, it might be suggested to the generous
art that the brietest possible catalogue
of his choicest treasures would nn-
epeakably obIige his visitors. There is
hardly piece Of furniture that is not inter
esting, alike from q historic and artistic point
of view, while some are chefs-d Huure both
In design and execution, and daZzlingly rich
In material. Among these may be mentioned
q pair of chimney ornaments thickly hung
with pendants of precious stones, piano
which belonged TO Marie Antoinette-the case
of which is formed of tortnjse-shell richly
decorated with gold; O. cabinet set with
| prnnraliC GapnhjTrS ami other IpVpIS. n
other composed of various precious stones
chairs and couches covered with exquisite
tapestry of the Louis QuiDze period; some
rare specimens OF old clolsonne work, also OF
FIorentine mosaics-these forming q small
part of this magnificent museum. The strik-
ing fea ture is the great quantity and variety
OF rich marbles in every part. One oi
the staircases is entirely formed Of
different kinds of rare marble, the effect being
extraordinarily imposing. Elsewhere q roon
is divided by Corinthian columns Of jasper
and porphyry, and on every side is displayed
g wealth and splendOr in this respect quite
unique. Without doubt, nothing lends such
magniflcence to interiors as bles, but they
! acquire the spaCiOusnesS and princeineSS o
such a chateau as this to be displayed to ad
vantage. Next in Importance, as a matter 0
mere decoration, must be cited the tapestries
Of which there is q rare and valuable COlIeC
| ton, chiefly in the hall, sO-called, and where
they are arranged about the running gallery
surrounding the pictures. What this hal
must be worth would perhaps sound fabulous
on paper; it is here that some Of the mos
precious cabinets are found; treasures 0
ivory, ebony, gems, gold and silver; and th'
pictures alone represent princess dowry
EXAMPLES Of some Of the great masters ar
-Velasquez, Rembrandt, Rubens, Claude
Lorraine, Bordone, Reynolds: lastly, among
moderns, Ingres and Hippolyte Flandrinl
| Much might be said about the pictures i
space permitted but they alone are wortt
making the journey from Paris to see.