The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-01-20
THE DEMON ARCHITECT.

In connection with the recent great
opening ceremonial at Cologne Cattle
dral the following legend, as suggesting
its plan, will be found of interest
Mighty was the Archbishop Conrad de
Hochsteden, for he was lord over the
chief city of the Rhine, the City of
Cologne; but his thoughts were troubled
and his heart was heavy, for though his
churches were rich beyond compare in
relics. vet other towns not half so large
or powerful as his had cathedrals whose
fame extended over Europe, and whose
beauty brought pilgrims to their shrine,
profit to the ecclesiastics and business to
the townspeople. After many sleepless
nights, therefore, he determined to add
to this city the only thing wanting to
complete it, and sending for the most IA
NOUS architect of the time, he commits
stoned him to complete the plan for the
Cathedral of Cologne.
Now, the architect was clever man,
but he was more vain than clever. He
had a dreamy notion of magnificence,
which he desired to achieve without a
clear conceptian of how he was to do it
or without the will to make the neces-
sary sacrifices of labor and perseverance.
He received the commission with great
gladness and gloated for some days upon
the fame which would be his as the
builder of the structure which the Arch
bishop desired; but after this vision of
glory. when he took out his crayons to
sketch ont the design, he was thrown in
to the deepest dependency. He drew
and drew. and added and erased and
corrected, and began again, but still did
not succeed Not plan could he conf
plete. Some were too mean, others too
extravagant, and others. when done and
examined, we're found to be good, but
not original Efforts of memory instead
of Imagination, their points of excellence
were discovered to be copies-a tower
from one a spire from another, an aisle
from third and an altar from fourth,
and one after another they were cast
aside as imperfect and useless, until the
'f1raughtsman, more than half crazy,
felt inclined to end his troubles and per-
plexities by plunge into the Rhine.
In this mood of more than half despair
he wandered down to the rivers edge,
and seating himself upon stone began
to draw in the sand with a measuring
rod, which served as a walking stick, the
outlines of various parts of a church.
Ground plans, towers, finals, brackets,
windows, columns, appeared one after
mother, traced by the point of his wand
but all, one after another,
were erased as unequal and insult
fcient for the purpose, and unworthy to
form part of the design for Cathedral
of Cologne. Turning around, the archi-
tect was aware that another person was be-
side him. with surprise the disappointed
draughtsman saw that the stranger
was also busily inventing design. Rap
idly on the sand he sketched the details
of most magnificent building, its towers
raising to the clouds, its long aisles and
lofty choir stretching away before the
eyes OF the gazer until he mentally con-
fessed it was indeed a temple worthy
Of the Most High. The windows were
enriched by tracery, such as artist meyer
. had before conceived, and the lofty col
umns. reared their tall length towards a
roof which seemed to claim kindred with
the clouds, and to equal the armament
in expanse and beauty. Bat each line of
this long sought plan vanished the mo-
ment it was seen, and with a complete
conviction of its excellence, when it was
gone not portion of it could the archi.
tect remember.
"Your sketch is excellent" said he to
the unknown; cit is what / have thought
and dreamed of-what have sought fol
and wished for, and have not been able
to find. Give it to me on paper and
will pay you twenty gold pieces"
'Twenty pieces! ha! ha! Twenty gold