Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-05-22
WITH LONGFELLOW IN
NUREMBERG.
nv E11zABErE A. srIsBY.


n group of American boys ana girls
.,ould be promised visit to- foreign
Ito in company with the poet Longfeliow.
,-or,d il not be delight? Since his ac-
...I presence is denied us, let us take his
lam on Nuremberg, as the golden cord
:, the fairy tale, and, by holding it fast,
srd our way Through these streets so
broad and stately, these obscure and dis
80, lanes, He begins with the castle.
MEDIEVAL castles are such splendid things
nth which to begin. Besides, here is
really the beginning OF Nuremberg itself.
A solitary watch-tower was erected
srst. its foundation hewn from rock,
which rose sheer out OF the plain. 1t
,ooks souare to you, doesn't it? And you
xonder why it is called the five-cornered
tower. But circle it, and on one side you
.snv an angular support, which forms the
Hfth corner. Who built this tower no
one really knows, but it is certain that it
was built as early as the middle of the
tenth century. That is an ancient date
tor us to think about, isn't it, Five hun
dred wears before Columbus reached these
shores.
Yet, to-day, if you will, you may climb
the winding staircase, and, in the dim
light. see that most dreadful instrument
Of torture, the Iron Maiden. This dust
covered image may not look like an in
strument of torture to you at all, but let
the custodian touch the spring which
opens the doors, revealing the great iron
spikes within, and you will understand.
This punishment was reserved for politi-
cal offenders. 1t does not take much i'm
sginstion to bring the scene before US. It
began with long night Of dread passed
in the presence Of the Iron Maiden. When
the gray light of morning came the pris-
oner was forced to touch those brazen lips
with his own. Whereupon the image
opened; strong hands thrust him in upon
the spikes and closed the doors upon him.
When life was extinct his body was low
cred into pit beneath.
plateau of the rock, are placed the differ
emit buildings which compose the castle.
These are the imperial palace, the chapel,
the baliff's house, the residence Of the
Burggraus, the imperial stable and other
buildings. In the midst Of this group is
the courtyard, where ''stands the mighty
linden planted by Queen Cunigunde's
hand. This brings up different picture.
St. Henry, Queen Cunigunde's husband,
had ridden one day too near the edge Of
precipice. To save himself he seized and
held the branches OF tree. So it was as
Thanksgiving that the good queen
planted this tree. "Mighty" it is no
longer, for lightning stripped it of its
branches few years ago and left its tall
trunk support for clustering vines.
You will not want to leave the court
yard without examining the print OF
horses hoofs in the stone wall which en-
circles it. This revives another of the
legends of which Nuremberg is so full.
The knight Eppeiein, who had robbed
Nuremberg of treasure, had been confined
IN the five-cornered tower. Passing
through the courtyard on the day Of his
execution, he saw his favorite horse,
which was being led away. He begged to
be allowed to take leave OF the noble ami
NAL, and, out of pity, his request was
granted. After patting the horses neck a
lew moments, the knight whispered some
thing in the steed's ear, sprang upon his
back, and put him to the jump, over the
parapit and across the moat, disappearing
into the woods. Is that true2 Well
there are the marks in the stone.
The celebrated well is in building at
the right of the entrance to the court
yard. 1t was built by prisoners, a part of
whose punishment was that they should
not see the light OF day. From the prison,
under the rathhaus, two long passages
lead to the well near the bottom. Here is
where the prisoners passed to and fro. By
the light of candles lowered into it, you
may judge for yourself il it is really 335
ieet deep. OF this you may be sure: 1t
VIII take six seconds before you hear the
the splash of the water which you let fall
from glass.
The watch-tower was solitary no longer,
you see, since it had the castle to keep it
company. A great moat shut them in to-
gether. But watch-tower and castle
could not remain alone for long; there
vas need OF smiths for the imperial