The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-09-17


keep fancy in the background aud
give facts full sway.
The court, overlooked by beau
tifully carved balcony, contains a
lime tree planted by Cunigunde,
wife of Emperor Henry H., some
time between 1902 ard 1924.
Just inside the inner gate we went
down the remains of a stairway into
the royal chapel, one of the oldest
parts of the building. The room
was almost totally dark, all light
coming from the door through which
we had entered. Slowly cropping our
way over the uneven floor we saw
the large figures of Christ on the
cross, and the Virgin Mary, which
used to stand over the altar, but are
now set to one side. The choir loft
above the altar alcove has prettily
carved Gothic ratings.
Out again, past the well, up very
narrow, much worn stairway to a
room in the tower in which are COL
lected some instruments of torture
used in the middle ages. Stocks
with holes for the head only, others
with holes for the hands and feet,
and some combining all. The guide
seemed much amused as he pointed
to queer tub like arrangement with
a hole in the bottom and told us that
this was placed over the shoulders of
the man who had ill-treated his wife
Clothed in this slightly conspicuous
garb, he was forced to walk through
the streets. Thumb screws, racks
and the dreadful wheel made US
shudder. But worst of all is the
Iron Virgin. This is made to out
wardly represent a woman clothed to
the feet with a cloak. But the front
half of the figure constitutes door
AS this is swung open it shows the
inside to be hollow, lined with iron,
and just large enough to aocommo-
date one person. In the door are
immense sharpened iron spikes, two
so arranged as to exactly strike the
eyes of the victim, others to strike
the breast and limbs The door was
closed slowly to prolong the agony.
That such horrors were ever perpe.
trated by human beings seems in
credible. Shuddering and feeling
almost tortured ourselves we gladly
left the tower.
Just outside the guide called our
attention to two hoof prints in the
top of the wall of the moat. Some
time in the dim and distant past a
robber knight was captured and
sentenced to death. AS last re-
quest he was allowed to ride his ia
vorite horse to the execution. At
this place he turned his horse
quickly, jumped wall and moat and
ESCAPED. The horses feet on strik-
/ ing tie wall made these marks. The
view of Nuremberg from the castle is
very extensive, and combining the
queer gabled roofs with their red
tiles with the undulating green of the
fields beyond a charming scene is
spread out
We were shown the location of the
churches ST. Lawrence, St. Sebalds
and Frauenkirche, the Raath's house
and the home of Durer. Having an
idea Of the relative location of these
buildings, we proceeded to visit
them. Time has been very kind to
the figures of the virgin and saints
which fill so many inches and arches
so many doors and windows on the
exterior of ST. Lawrence. After
arousing echo after echo by the
brass knocker we were admitted to
the church. The softened light fell
in many colors from the ancient
painted glass, through the Gothic
arches and on the works of Krafts
and Vischer. The large rose win
dow in the front is exquisite in form
and color and full worthy of its eel
ebrity. At the left of the altar
stands the stone pyx, by Adam
Kraft This beautiful piece of carv-
ing extends sixty-6ve feet in height,
and then the end gracefully curves.
Under its elaborate gothic arches
are figures of apostles and saints and
below, supporting the whole, are the
stooping figures of Adam Kraft and
his two sons whose entire time for
seven years was given to this piece
of work. 1t was finished in 1900.
Around the sides of the church are
many carved chairs occupied by the
various bourgemasters when Nurem-
berg was independent. From this
church we went to St. Sebald's. The
object of supreme interest here is the
tomb of the saint. This is an ex-
quisite work in bronze, the result of
thirteen years faithful work by Peter
Vischer The apostles, prophets and
saints, figures about ten inches high,
are perfect in every expression and
line of drapery. The whole tomb is
crowded by a miniature chapel.