The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-01-19

truthful man, and nobody but the En-
peror believed him.
In the midst of these snow-white noun
tains, on lovely plain through which the
river rushes rapidly, stands the ancient
city of Innspruck. Its palace, university
monastery, churches and schools, and
1900 people, make a town of wonderful
interest in such region as this One ha:
to reflect that these countries have a his.
tory that covers thousand years, and of.
ten more, before he can realize the growth
that has resulted in such fruits as these
amid rugged hills and unlettered people
And it is true that in the church in the
Tyrol, the HofkTke, or Dom, or cathe.
dral, We were more interested than in any
other we have yet seen in Europe. In the
very midst of it stands q marble monu.
ment of immense proportions, on the sum-
NIT of which is a statue of Macmillan I.
in bronze. The sides Of the monument
are covered with bas-reliefs in marble,
representing twenty-four scenes in the life
of this Emperor The exceeding delicacy
of this work is astonishing, as it seems to
be rather such traeery Of sculpture as
might be made in ivory, but is scarcely
possible in marble | could not find the
emperor falling down the precipice, and
am inclined to believe that the legend is
not deemed sufficiently authentic for per-
manent record with pen of iron. But
far more impressive than this memorial
of the Emperor, were twenty-four life-size
bronze statues of the illustrious men and
women of the Austrian royal house. That
they are portraits, there could not be a
doubt. And it was with something ap-
preaching to awe that stood in the midst
of these lines of statues, in armor or in
queenly costume, of these celebrated char
acters, from Clovis, King of France, down
to Albert III. of Austria. In a church
too They made it very solemn, and /
had something of a superstitious feeling,
as If the air was filed with the spirits of
these heroes of other times.
| went back the next day to this church
alone, and sat down among the memorials
of these men and women, and spelled out
the Latin and bronzed inscriptions at the
feet of them, and read the names of God.
frey, and his valor in the Crusades, and of
women who have made immortal names
by their virtues and deeds And all this
in the old church in the heart of the
Tyrol.
The sacristan was very urgent to unfold
the treasures of the Silver Chapel, which
he did with evident pride, for it contained
statue in solid silver of the Virgin Mary,
and an altar of silver, and ornaments of
many names in silver, and this chapel thus
enriched is the mausoleum which Ferdi-
nand ii. made for his wife PHILIPPINE
Welser of Augsburgh, of whom we heard
and saw many things to assure US that she
was the best favored lady of her time.
The chapel is connected with the palace
by private passage over the street, so
that the royal family can drop in and at
tend service at any time without going
out of doors.
But the most modern statue in the
church is the most interesting. 1t is that
Of Andre Hofer, the hero of 1909. He
was peasant inn-keeper, and when Aus
tria and France were at war, he put him
self at the head of the Tyrolese soldiery
and drove the French out the country.
He entered Innspruck as a conqueror, and
played king in the palace for six weeks,
but living as q simple peasant all the
while. The next year Napoleon drove
him out, took possession of the city, and
when he caught Hofer had him shot.
The Tyrolese afterwards got his body, and,
burying him with all the honors, set up
this splendid statue to their peasant hero,
under the same roof that covers the mon
uments of the royal line.
We made an excursion from the city
into the villages and among the farms in
the valley. The people were busy with
their fall crops. Everybody was at work
The men and women sat on the ground
husking corn. The COWS were harnessed
to wains, in which the harvests were car
ried home. We called at the church door
of an old monastery. 1t had a magnifi-
cent interior. The ceiling was rich with
gilt and frescoes. Beautiful paintings
adorned the side chapels and the high
altar. The spacious house looked as
though it were kept for show, and had
never been used, so clean, fresh, and glow
ing was the whole Such was the appear
ance, also, of the more splendid chapel in
the monastery on the heights at Prague
Tunnels-twelve or fifteen of them
pierce the mountains up which we climb,
as we go by the way Of the Brenner Pass,
from Innspruck to Italy. The descent is
more rapid and more fearful. We fairly
rnsh amain down. Ruined castles tell Of
feudal wars. Wolfenstein's was a strong
hold 600 years ago. A modern fortress
at Mittewald puts to shame these ancient
towers, which were onl castles Of cards if
powder and ball had been spent upon
them. Biren has been the See of an
archbishop these last nine centuries The
Benedietine monastery of Leben is near
the village of Klausen, and the Capuchin
Convent, with the Loretto chapel, rich in
treasures of the church For this Tyrol
has played no poor part in Roman Catho-
lie history. We stop at Botzen, and
hasten to the city of Trent. The Council
of Trent every one has read of, but every
one does not remember that the city in
which that famous Council was held is in
Austrian Tyrol. Its former Importance
as the capital of the Tyrol has indeed
passed away, but it is still n magnificent
place, with evidence of its ancient great
ness in its decayed palaces and ruined
castles. Its cathedral is of pure marble
And now it is the fayorite resort Of princes
in the Church, of scholars and titled dig
nitaries. The Council that held its ses-
sions here from 1915 to 1868, term of
eighteen years, had some 400 cardinals,
patriarchs, archbishops, professors, &C.,
and made its mark in the history of reli-
gion of the world.
This IS the last town of Importance We
pass through in the Tyrol. We are not
long in going hence to Verona, and then
we are in Italy.
And so we pursue our devious way from
land to land, pilgrims and strangers, seek
ing always better country. Not the Tyrol
or Switzerland, where Nature, that is God,
has all his mightiest works outdone Not
Italy, where Art makes canvas breathe
and marble speak. Not the Holy Land,
whose acres were pressed by the feet that
''were nailed to the tree for our adyan
tage." But better country, even a
heavenly; a city that hath foundations,