Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-23
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 permits
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 then gradually ascend a road
winding amid hill and valley up to the
chateau, q 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 a 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 it
might be suggested to the generous own
er Of this noble treasure.house of art that
the briefest possible catalogue of bis
choicest treasures would unspeakably
oblige his visitors. There is hardly piece
Of furniture that is not interesting, alike
from historic and artistic point Of view,
while some are chefs a'euore both in de-
sign and execution, and dazzlingly rich
in material. Among these may be
mentioned a pair of chimney ornaments
thicklY hung with pendants of precious
stones; piano which belonged to Marie
Antoinettee-the case of which is formed
OF tortoise-sheu richly decorated with
gold "a cabinet set with emeralds, sapphires
and other jewels; another composed of
various precious stones; chairs and
couches covered with exquisite tapestry
of the Louis Quinze period; some rare
specimens of old cloisonne work, also of
Florentine mesaics- these forming small
part of this magnificent museum. The
striking feature is the great quantcity and
variety of rich marbles in every part.
One of the staircases is entirely formed of
different kinds of rare marble, the effect
being extraordinarily imposing. Else
where room is divided by Corinthian
columns of jasper and porphyry, and on
every side is displayed wealth and
splendor quite unique. Without doubt,
nothing lends such magnifcence to in
teriors as marbles, but they require the
spaciousness and princeliness Of such a
chateau as this to be displayed to adj
vantage. Next in Importance, as matter
OF mere decoration, must be cited the
tapestries, Of which there is rare and
valuable collection, chiefly in the hall, so
called, and where they are arranged
about the running gallery surrounding
the pictures. What this hall would be
worth would perhaps sound fabulous on
paper; it is here that some of the most
precious cabinets are found; treasures of
ivory, ebony, gems, gold and silver; and
the pictures alone represent princess
dowry, examples of some of the great
masters are here--V elasques, Rembrandt,
Rubens, Claude Lorraine, Bordone,
REYNOLDS; lastly, among moderns, Ingres
and Hippolyte Fland1in. Much might
be said about the pictures if space per
mitted, but they alone are worth making
! the journey from Paris to see.