The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1878-12-05

uouso ON uuCkieOcrry NIL, tuo IDEA
; has all oozed out Of us, and We can.
not think Of anything postical. ID
like manuer, when we think Of moon
light walks ''under the lindans," We
, picture 10 our selves, brown haired
blue eyed, German lovers with their
} armes around each other N q roman
tic and natural manncr--but when
! we talk about moonlight under che
bass wood which means the same
thing. it 10 impossible to bring up
: any thing poetical or to think Of any
} thing short OF Samantha Simpkins
} and Hezekiah Rawbones struggling
awkwardly along on opposite sides
OF the road, and venturiug an occa
sionsl remark about huskins, quilt
ings. or the prospect Of the apple.
sass crop.
i On the way down we have q fine
view Of the valley Of the Neckar aud
up a pretty little stream on the op.
posite side of the river. We again
sec the city from height above the
castle, aud from it are enabled TO get
something OF au idea Of the size of
the castle and the gardens around il
Descending, we eutcr the castle
grounds at the Great Terrace, which
forms one side Of the gardens, and
from which there is very i,e view
OF the castle, the city and tho country
beyond as far a. tho Hartz noun
tsius. A part Of this terrace is q
very high wall built up from tho
gardens below aud filed in against
the side of the mountain. Between
this aud the crag on which tho cas-
tie stands there was formerly n
large flower garden which must
have presented beautiful appear
auce from the part Of the castle fac.
ing it, or from the terrace
A walk ofa quarter OF a IN 10 along
the terrace brings us to the main
entrance of the castle, beyond which,
aud nearer to the town, is the Eliza,
bethan gate, large triumphal arch,
built by one of the lords Of the cas-.
tic in honor of his English wife, Eli,
zabeth. The main entrance was
formerly over the mast by q draw
bridge and through watch tower
with II narrow passage closed by a
massive portcullis, whose rusty iron
points can still DO seen above our
heads rs we enter. The entrance
opens into q great open square,
around which the buildings arc
mostly arranged. There are thir
teen or fourteen Of them in all, of
various sizes aud in different de-
grees OF preservation. These were
built by successive rulers from 600
to 800 years ago. and iiuishde with
more or less elaborate Ornamental
The castle was several times be.
sieged and captured, and was three
tunes destroyed, a2d entirely or
partly rebuilt, About two hundred
years ago the Notifications or ,hc
place were blown up, the castle was
set on fire and a part OF the town
burned by the French. IL was after
wards partially restored, but little
less than a hundred years ago it was
struck by lightning and it's destruc.
ton completed. Since then it has
been left in ruins, but carefully pre-
served. Several of the buildings
have temporary roofs, and some arc
occupied by the attendants. As We
wander for hours through the many
rooms, banquet halls, chapels aud
underground passages connected
with this vast system Of buildings,
we begin to realize in measure
what must have been its mayuiti.
cence when it was completed, three
hundred years ago. A part of o
round tower at one angle Of the for.
tifcation which was blown up by the
French, shows wall of solid ma.
sonry twenty feet in thickness.
In one Of the many cellars is tho
celebrated tun or vino cask which is
tie largest ever constructed. It was
built l3O years ago and though un.
used is yet 10 a good state Of pre-
servation. 1t is almost as large as u
house, having O leugth Of thirty two
feet, o head diameter OF twenty.
four feet, aud o buug diameter OF
twenty five feet. Measured around
the middle it would girt more than
seventy eight feet.
1t holds 80 hogsheads OF wine,
aud its contents would fill 2S3,0OJ |
bottles. Near it stands a figure of |
one OF the court fools who said to |
have taken eighteen bottles of wine
daily, aud the color of his face and |
the size Of his stomach confirms the
story.
In many places the ruined build
ings are covered with dense growth |
Of ivy, as il Nature were kindly trys
ing to cover up mans failure in try
ing to make that which would last
forever.
In the evening We had the pleas
ure OF seeing the ruins illuminated
in honor OF q convention Of millers
who came to the city for an excur-
sion.
The Univer sity Of Heidelberg
shares with the castle the honors
and pride OF the citizens. An
American looking over the city fuds
no grand buildings whic b suggest to |
him the idea OF great University,