St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-11-07

precious stones. Most of these latter
disappeared at the time Cologne was
held by the French toward the end of
the last century. The remains were
brought to ConstantinOple by that fa-
nous relic hunter, the Empress Helena.
They were afterwards removed to Mi
Ian, and in 1164 were presented by
Frederick Barbarossa to Archbishop
Reiald, by whom they were transferred
to Cologne. The remains of st. Engel-
bert are preserved in a silver shrine,
which, of itself, weighs one hundred
and forty-nine pounds. There is more
authenticity about these latter remains
than the others, for St. Engelbert was
Archbishop of Cologne at the beginning
of the thirteenth century. He was as
sassinated by Friedrich Won Isenburg
in 1925.
THE CHURCH OF ST. URSULA.
But Cologne has a more curious ex-
hibition than the one we have been
describing, and it is also in the line of
sacred relics. Coleridge described Col
ogne as Clown of monks and bones,"
and well he might after visiting the
cathedral and the churches of st. Ursu-
la and st. Gereon. 1t is to the church
of St. Ursula, or the Church of the
Eleven Thousand Virgins that we will
direct our steps. 1t is but a short dis
tance from the cathedral, and threading
our way through two or three narrow
and i'll conditioned streets we reach an
old and not particularly conspicuous
edifice which is said to have been built
by the Emperor Henry H., at the be-
ginning of the eleventh century. st.
Ursula was princess of Britanny who,
with the modest retinue of eleven thou
sand vestals, made pilgrimage to
Rome about fourteen hundred years
ago. Messrs. Gaze & Sons representa-
tive assured us that it was the first
personally conducted" party on record.
AS the women returned down the Rhine
they were attacked by the cruel Huns,
who overran the country at that time,
and the whole eleven thousand perish
ed. This church was erected as their
mausoleum and all the bones that could
be collected were placed within the
edifice. Twenty-Five hundred skulls
grin at you from cornices, inches and
ii. II =
of other bones abound in all parts of
the church. Carloads of them were
dumped behind the walls and through
little chinks left for the purpose, piles
of the ghastly relics are to be seen.
The treasury of the church is literally
lined with them and sacred inscriptions
are spelled out in relief with them upon
the walls. Here, too, is numerous
assortment of skulls, including those of
st. Ursula herself and numerous other
saints, though how even the chief among
eleven thousand was identified after So
many hundred years, is not disclosed.
Then there are other famous objects,
such as one of the vessels used in the
Saviour's miracle of turning water into
wine at the marriage feast of Cana in
Galilee. There are also three thorns
from the SaviOur's crown, and the ar
row that killed st. Ursula In one place
is box of teeth belonging to st. Ursu-
la. Many of the skulls are preserved
in metallic busts, and pious hands have
wrought crowns and bands of precious
stones with which they are adorned. |
forgot to say that two links of the chain
by which st. Peter was bound may be
seen in the treasury of the cathedral.
In one of the churches of Rome, the
entire chain is preserved.
AS have intimated, there are other
interesting churches in Cologne, but we
have not time to visit them.
HANDSOME MONUMENT.
As we wended our way to the hotel
for dinner, we passed the fine equestrian
statue of King Friedrich Wilhelm ILL.,,
which stands in the centre of the Heu-
Markt. 1t is elevated upon massive
pedestal, around which are bas-reiefs
in life size of the ministers, generals
and statesmen of his reign, including Won
Blucher, Won Hardenberg, Won York,
w. Won Humboldt, Won Kleist, Won
Stein, Won Buelow, Alexander Won
Humboldt, Niebuhr, etc. 1t is the
handsomest monument in the city and
one of the finest of its kind to be seen
anywhere. ATHENIAN.