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when feudal flags floated over it。 And so on; slowly; with long stops at many stations; to give opportunity; I suppose; for the honest passengers to take in supplies of beer and sausages; to Nuremberg。
A CITY LIVING ON THE PAST
Nuremberg; or Nurnberg; was built; I believe; about the beginning of time。 At least; in an old black…letter history of the city which I have seen; illustrated with powerful wood…cuts; the first representation is that of the creation of the world; which is immediately followed by another of Nuremberg。 No one who visits it is likely to dispute its antiquity。 〃 Nobody ever goes to Nuremberg but Americans;〃 said a cynical British officer at Chamouny; 〃but they always go there。 I never saw an American who had n't been or was not going to Nuremberg。〃 Well; I suppose they wish to see the oldest…looking; and; next to a true Briton on his travels; the oddest thing on the Continent。 The city lives in the past still; and on its memories; keeping its old walls and moat entire; and nearly fourscore wall…towers; in stern array。 But grass grows in the moat; fruit trees thrive there; and vines clamber on the walls。 One wanders about in the queer streets with the feeling of being transported back to the Middle Ages; but it is difficult to reproduce the impression on paper。 Who can describe the narrow and intricate ways; the odd houses with many little gables; great roofs breaking out from eaves to ridgepole; with dozens of dormer…windows; hanging balconies of stone; carved and figure…beset; ornamented and frescoed fronts; the archways; leading into queer courts and alleys; and out again into broad streets; the towers and fantastic steeples; and the many old bridges; with obelisks and memorials of triumphal entries of conquerors and princes?
The city; as I said; lives upon the memory of what it has been; and trades upon relics of its former fame。 What it would have been without Albrecht Durer; and Adam Kraft the stone…mason; and Peter Vischer the bronze…worker; and Viet Stoss who carved in wood; and Hans Sachs the shoemaker and poet…minstrel; it is difficult to say。 Their statues are set up in the streets; their works still live in the churches and city buildings;pictures; and groups in stone and wood; and their statues; in all sorts of carving; are reproduced; big and little; in all the shop…windows; for sale。 So; literally; the city is full of the memory of them; and the business of the city; aside from its manufactory of endless; curious toys; seems to consist in reproducing them and their immortal works to sell to strangers。
Other cities project new things; and grow with a modern impetus: Nuremberg lives in the past; and traffics on its ancient reputation。 Of course; we went to see the houses where these old worthies lived; and the works of art they have left behind them;things seen and described by everybody。 The stone carving about the church portals and on side buttresses is inexpressibly quaint and naive。 The subjects are sacred; and with the sacred is mingled the comic; here as at Augsburg; where over one portal of the cathedral; with saints and angels; monkeys climb and gibber。 A favorite subject is that of our Lord praying in the Garden; while the apostles; who could not watch one hour; are sleeping in various attitudes of stony comicality。 All the stone…cutters seem to have tried their chisels on this group; and there are dozens of them。 The wise and foolish virgins also stand at the church doors in time…stained stone;the one with a perked…up air of conscious virtue; and the other with a penitent dejection that seems to merit better treatment。 Over the great portal of St。 Lawrencea magnificent structure; with lofty twin spires and glorious rosewindow is carved 〃The Last Judgment。〃 Underneath; the dead are climbing out of their stone coffins; above sits the Judge; with the attending angels。 On the right hand go away the stiff; prim saints; in flowing robes; and with palms and harps; up steps into heaven; through a narrow door which St。 Peter opens for them; while on the left depart the wicked; with wry faces and distorted forms; down into the stone flames; towards which the Devil is dragging them by their stony hair。
The interior of the Church of St。 Lawrence is richer than any other I remember; with its magnificent pillars of dark red stone; rising and foliating out to form the roof; its splendid windows of stained glass; glowing with sacred story; a high gallery of stone entirely round the choir; and beautiful statuary on every column。 Here; too; is the famous Sacrament House of honest old Adam Kraft; the most exquisite thing I ever saw in stone。 The color is light gray; and it rises beside one of the dark; massive pillars; sixty…four feet; growing to a point; which then strikes the arch of the roof; and there curls up like a vine to avoid it。 The base is supported by the kneeling figures of Adam Kraft and two fellow…workmen; who labored on it for four years。 Above is the Last Supper; Christ blessing little children; and other beautiful tableaux in stone。 The Gothic spire grows up and around these; now and then throwing out graceful tendrils; like a vine; and seeming to be rather a living plant than inanimate stone。 The faithful artist evidently had this feeling for it; for; as it grew under his hands; he found that it would strike the roof; or he must sacrifice something of its graceful proportion。 So his loving and daring genius suggested the happy design of letting it grow to its curving; graceful completeness。
He who travels by a German railway needs patience and a full haversack。 Time is of no value。 The rate of speed of the trains is so slow; that one sometimes has a desire to get out and walk; and the stoppages at the stations seem eternal; but then we must remember that it is a long distance to the bottom of a great mug of beer。 We left Lindau on one of the usual trains at half…past five in the morning; and reached Augsburg at one o'clock in the afternoon: the distance cannot be more than a hundred miles。 That is quicker than by diligence; and one has leisure to see the country as he jogs along。 There is nothing more sedate than a German train in motion; nothing can stand so dead still as a German train at a station。 But there are express trains。
We were on one from Augsburg to Nuremberg; and I think must have run twenty miles an hour。 The fare on the express trains is one fifth higher than on the others。 The cars are all comfortable; and the officials; who wear a good deal of uniform; are much more civil and obliging than officials in a country where they do not wear uniforms。 So; not swiftly; but safely and in good…humor; we rode to the capital of Bavaria。
OUTSIDE ASPECTS OF MUNICH
I saw yesterday; on the 31st of August; in the English Garden; dead leaves whirling down to the ground; a too evident sign that the summer weather is going。 Indeed; it has been sour; chilly weather for a week now; raining a little every day; and with a very autumn feeling in the air。 The nightly concerts in the beer…gardens must have shivering listeners; if the bands do not; as many of them do; play within doors。 The line of droschke drivers; in front