The Princeton union., 1879-02-26
The ROthschild Chateau.
From Frazer's Magazine.

With princely iberality Baron Roths-
child admits any one to his Fairyland
who takes the trouble to write for permis
sion, and however much we may have been
thinking of Haroun al Raschid King Solo
man 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
country-houses and well-kept flower gar.
dens, and thel gradually ascend road
winding amid hill and valley up to the
chateau, graceful structure in white
marble, o. so it seems, proudly command
ing the wide landscape. The flower gar
dens are blaze of colors, aud the orange
trees give delicious fragrance as we ascend
the terrace; ascend, indeed, being hardly
the word applicable to steps sloping SO
easily upward, and SO nicely adjusted to
the human foot that climbing Mont Blanc
under the same circumstances could be
accomplished without fatigue. It is
impossible to give any idea Of the differ
ent kinds of magnifcence that greet US
on every side. Now q little Vatican
world in tapestries, having for back
ground sky-blue satin and roses; now a
dining-hall, somber, gorgeos and majestic
as that of Spanish palace; 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 II
might be suggested to the generous own.
er of this noble treasure.house of art that
the brietest possible catalogue of bis
choicest treasures would unspeakably
oblige his visitors. There is hardly piece
CT furniture that is not interesting, alike
from historic and artistic point of view
while some are chefs '0uore both in de
sign and execution, and dazzlingly ricf
in material. Among these may bt
mentioned pair of chimney ornamenr
thicklY hung with pendants of precious
stones; a piano which belonged to Mari,
Antoinettee-thec case of which is formed
OF tortoise shell richly decorated will
gold "a cabinet set with emeralds, sapphire
and other jewels; another composed o
various precious stones; chairs ant
couches covered with exquisite tapestr.
of the Louis Qmnze period; some rar,
specimens of old cloisonne work, also O
Florentine mesaics-these forming q small
r part of this magnificent museum. TIL
. striking feature is the great quantity AM
D variety of rich marbles in every part
= One Of the staircases is entirely formed Q
different kinds of rare marble, tho effec
J.. being extraordinarily imposing. Else
where room is divided by Corinthia
d columns of jasper and porphyry, and o
!. every side is displayed wealth an
splendor quite unique. Without doub
n nothing lends such nagnifcence to ir
teriors as marbles, but they require th
=. spaciousness and princeliness of such
chateau as this to be displayed to &C
y vantage. Next in Importance, as matte
4 of mere decoration, must be cited tt
"a tapestries, of which there is q rare an
valuable collection, chiefly in the hall, ,
7. called, and where they are arrange
~ about the running gallery sur1oundin
10 the pictures. What this hall would |
worth would perhaps sound fabulous {
4 paper; it is here that some of the mo
- precious cabinets are found; treasures
ivory, ebony, gems, gold and silver; al
n the pictures alone represent princes
dowry, examples of some of the gre
20 masters are here--VelasQues, Rembrant
~ Rubens, Claude Lorraine, Borden
~ Reynolds; lastly, among moderns, Ing1
~ and Hippolyts Flandrin. Much mig
ha be said about the pictures if space p,
"a mitted, but they alone are worth maki
~ the journey from Paris to see.
as The young men Of to-day should pla
at their hopes on the future, with it glo
lor Gus chances and possibilities. The p
hoo haon oovn n, i$$od ~ h;u%o.v ou1 ~