After Waterloo: Reminiscences of European Travel 1815-1819 Part 26

Cy-git M---- ah! qu'il est bien Pour son repos et pour le mien!

Among the other striking buildings in the old town is the _Hofburg_ or Imperial Palace, a very extensive quadrangular building, with a large court in its centre. A Guard mounts here every day at eleven o'clock. It was in one of the saloons of this palace that the celebrated Congress of Vienna was held; a Congress whose labours will be long and severely felt by Europe and duly appreciated by posterity, who will feel any other sentiment but that of grat.i.tude for the arrangements entered into there. The _Hofburg_ was built by Leopold VII in 1200. This building, from its being extremely irregular and from its having received additions at intervals in the different styles of architecture, has been aptly enough considered as the type of the Austrian monarchy, and of its growth from a Markgraviate to an Empire; in _this_, by the continued acquisition of foreign territories differing from each other in manners and hi speech; in _that_, by the continued addition of various specimens of architecture and style of building in its augmentation.

VIENNA, Aug. 8th.

I am very well content with my abode at the _Weisser Wolf_, tho' it is not a first-rate hotel. They are very civil people, and I have an excellent and s.p.a.cious room for two florins _Wiener Wharung_ per diem. Lodgings are the only things that are dear in Vienna, every other article is, however, cheaper than in any other city I have yet been in. All kinds of Hungarian wine may be had at the most reasonable prices. I generally breakfast at a neighbouring _Cafe_ in the _Fleischmarkt_ for the sake of reading the _Allgemeine Zeitung_ which is taken in there, and which is the only journal having a shade of liberality which is permitted in the Austrian dominions.

From the hours of twelve to three, dinners _a la carte_ are served at the _Weisser Wolf_. For two and half florins _W.W._, I get an excellent dinner with a bottle of Offener wine. The wine of Offen resembles much that of Bordeaux in its quality and flavor. The tariff however of the dinners and wines varies daily a few kreutzers, in consequence of the eternal fluctuation of the _W.W._, so that every morning a fresh tariff is affixed to the wainscot of the saloon where the dinners are served. Supper, served likewise _a la carte_, is at its full tide between the hours of eight and ten o'clock; and as Vienna is renowned for the celebrity of its beefsteaks and cutlets, called here _Rostbraten_, these and a salad seem to be the favourite dish for supper. My mornings I have hitherto pa.s.sed in lounging about the _Karnthner Ga.s.se, St Stephen's Platz, Kohlmarkt_, etc. For an hour before dinner the fas.h.i.+onable promenade is on the rampart in front of the palace of Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen; in the evening on the _Prater_, in a carriage, on horseback, or on foot. The _Prater_ is of immense extent and offers a great variety of amus.e.m.e.nts and sights. I generally return home at night pretty well fatigued from my rambles.

There is another great inconvenience at Vienna, resulting from the fluctuation of the current money, and this is that a stranger, dwelling at an inn, is sure to be disturbed five or six times in the morning, sometimes as early as five or six o'clock, by Jews who rap at his door to enquire if he wants to exchange gold and silver against currency or _vice versa_. I used to lose all patience at being so disturbed in the morning, and was obliged in self-defence to put an affiche on the door of my room to this effect: "_Man kauft und verkauft hier nichts; kein Wechsler darf hereintreten_." "Here there is no buying and selling; no money changer is allowed to come in," and I hereby recommend to all strangers not to treat with these Jews, but on their arrival, or at any time they think fit, to go to a banking establishment in this city, where every day after eleven o'clock you can exchange your gold and silver for paper at the just rate of exchange, as published at the Bourse, paying only a very slight premium, and on leaving Vienna to go to the same establishment to change your superfluous _Wiener Wahrung_ for _Convenzions Munze_ or gold and silver money. For when the Jews tell you the rate of exchange is so and so, you conclude probably your bargain with them, and on enquiring at the Bourse you find that the Jew has made a percentage of six or eight per cent, out of you. _Louis d'or_ are the best foreign coin to bring into the Austrian Dominions. Next to them in utility are the Dutch ducats, or _Geharnischte Manner_ as they are termed, from the figure of the man in armour upon them.

All other corns suffer a loss in proportion. The bankers in Vienna pay the foreign bill of exchange in _Convenzions Munze_, which you must afterwards change for _Wiener Wahrung_, the only current money in Vienna and Austria.

But what makes it additionally troublesome is that here in Vienna there are particular payments, which must absolutely be paid in gold or silver or _Convenzions Munze_, and _not Wiener Wahrung_; for instance the franking of foreign letters at the post office, where they do not take the _Wiener Wahrung_. In vain you may intreat them to take the _Wiener Wahrung_ at any rate they please; no! you must go elsewhere and buy from the first person you can meet with as much gold and silver as is required for the franking of the letters; so bigotted are they in the Austrian dominions to the letter of the law! This happened to me: I wanted to frank three letters for England and I went to the post office with _Wiener Wahrung_ paper, not being aware of this regulation, and I was obliged to return to my Hotel, to lay hold of a Jew, and to buy from him as much gold and silver as was requisite for the franking of the letters.

At the _Wechselbank_ or Bank of Exchange I have before mentioned, the crowd that attends daily is immense; but the business is carried on without hurry or confusion. You hand in your paper or your gold and silver coin, the clerk who receives it gives you an order on paper for the amount specified, which paper you take into another room and therein receive the amount. This establishment, however, remains open only two hours every day, between eleven and one I believe; so if you are too late for this interval of time, you must apply to the brokers, Christian or Israelite.

VIENNA, August 11th.

We left the old town by the _Burg-thor,_ and crossing the Esplanade, directed our course to the _Rennweg,_ one of the suburbs, in order to view the majestic edifice of St Charles, which is equal in the beauty of its architecture to many of the finest churches in Rome. Its facade and cupola render it one of the most striking buildings belonging to Vienna. We next visited the _Manege_ and the Palace called the palace of the Hungarian n.o.ble Guard. They are both beautiful edifices. The faubourgs of Vienna are built in the modern style and their buildings, both public and private, excellent in their way and in the best state. The streets of the faubourgs are broad but not paved. The most celebrated of these faubourgs are _Maria Hulf_, _Leopold-stadt_, _Landstra.s.se_, the _Rennweg_, the _Wuhringer Ga.s.se_; and I am persuaded that if the old town were united to the faubourg by means of streets and squares and the esplanade filled up with buildings, Vienna would perhaps be the handsomest city in Europe and the fourth in size, for the best buildings and palaces are in the faubourgs, viz., the Military College, the Polytechnic School, St Charles' Church, the Porcelain fabric, the Palaces of Esterhazy, Kaunitz, Stahremberg, Schwarzenberg, Palfy, and the beautiful Palace and ground of Belvedere in which last is a n.o.ble collection of pictures open to the public. At the Polytechnic school one of the princ.i.p.al professors is a friend of Mr F------'s, and he explained to us the nature of the establishment and the course of studies pursued. The apparatus for every branch of science is on the grandest scale. After dinner we repaired to the _Prater_, crossing a branch of the Danube which here forms several islands. The _Prater_ requires and deserves particular mention. Part of it is something in the style of the _Champs Elysees_ at Paris, and it is fully equal to it in the variety of amus.e.m.e.nts and enjoyments to be met with there; but it is far larger and more beautiful on account of its landscape and the diversified manner in which the grounds are laid out. The _Prater_, then, is an immense park, laid out on an island of considerable extent on the Danube. The nearest faubourg to it is the _Leopoldstadt_, which is also the most fas.h.i.+onable one, and a bridge conducts you from that faubourg direct into the _Prater_. The _Prater_ presents a mixture of garden, meadow, upland and forest; the lofty trees arranged in avenues or in clumps give a delightful protecting shade.

On the road destined for the carriages there is every afternoon a most brilliant display of carriages. Another avenue is destined for equestrians, and two avenues, one on each side of these two, for pedestrians. There are besides winding footpaths, that conduct you all over this vast extent of ground, and circular gra.s.s plots surrounded by trees where the pedestrian may repose and eat and drink if he will. Here are _restaurants_ in plenty, _cafes_, Panoramas, exhibitions of wild beasts, swings, tennis courts, places for running at the ring, do for burlesque dramatic performances, _farceurs_, jugglers, De Bach's Equestrian Amphitheatre in the style of Franconi, _Salles de Danse_, baths, billiard rooms, gaming tables, and even houses appropriated to gallantry. In fact, the _Prater_ is quite the Paradise of the bourgeoisie of Vienna, who are fond of the pleasures of the table and take every opportunity of making dinner and supper parties. The bourgeois of Vienna are far more sensual than spiritual and not at all disposed to self-denial.

Excellent hams and sausages are to be had here; and the Viennese who dines and sups heartily at his own house never fails, during his evening promenade, to take a tolerable good portion of ham or sausage, with a proportion of Offen wine or Maylander Beer, by way of staying his stomach during the tedious interval between dinner and supper. I need scarce add that smoking is universal, as indeed it is all over Germany, for I scarcely ever see a German without a pipe either in his mouth or fastened to his coat and a bag or pouch of tobacco either in his pocket or attached to his b.u.t.ton hole. In the _Prater_ dances often take place in the open air between the grisettes of Vienna, who are in general handsome and well made, and who dress well, and their lovers and admirers. The _Prater_ was first opened to the public by the Emperor Joseph II. The _Au-garten_ is another place of recreation and amus.e.m.e.nt, but on a smaller and much more tranquil and sober scale, than the _Prater_. None of the lower cla.s.ses think of coming here, tho' it is open to every body decently dressed: there is not that profuse eating and drinking going forward. It is more properly speaking a promenade, and forms a garden with alleys of trees where music is often performed and there is a superb saloon where refreshments may be had. The _Au-garten_ is frequented chiefly by the _n.o.blesse_ and _Haute Bourgeoisie_. In the morning likewise it is a fas.h.i.+onable resort to drink the mineral waters. It adjoins the _Prater_, being on the same island. It was the favourite lounge of Joseph II, who opened it to the public by affixing this inscription on one of the gates:

Allen Menschen gewidmete Erl.u.s.tigung von ihrem Schatzer

"Place of recreation open to all Men by their esteemer."

VIENNA, Aug. 13th.

There are a great number of theatres at Vienna. Two are situated in the old town, viz., the _Hof-theater_ and the _Burg-theater_. The _Hof-theater_ is only open when the Court are at Vienna, and they are now at Baden, ten leagues distant. The _Burg-theater_ is open all the year round, and may be considered as the national theatre. It is much frequented by the bourgeoisie and inhabitants of the old town, who do not chuse to take the trouble to go to the _Wieden-theater_, which is situated in the faubourgs, and which is more of a cla.s.sical and fas.h.i.+onable theatre than the other, inasmuch as it is more elegantly and cla.s.sically built, better fitted up, and has a far better company of comedians. At the _Burgtheater_ I saw Kotzebue's _Edelsinn und Armuth_ performed. The Wieden theatre which is, as I have said, in the faubourgs, is the handsomest theatre perhaps in Europe for its size. It is not large, but it is fitted up with so much taste and you see and hear so well; every ornament is so chaste and there is nothing at all tawdry or superfluous. It is, I really think, a model of what every theatre ought to be. There is a good deal of bronze about it which gives it a cla.s.sical appearance, and the boxes are supported by Caryatides in bronze. There is a peculiarity in all the theatres at Vienna, which is, that in the _parterre_ you must sit in the place the number of which is marked on your ticket. These places are called _Gesperrte Sitze,_ and each seat resembles an armchair. When not occupied, the seat is folded up and locked to the back of the chair, until the person who holds the ticket corresponding to its number comes to take it; so that no other but the person holding the ticket corresponding to the number can take it, and you are thus never likely to be shoved out of your place, as you are at most of the theatres in Europe. There are men stationed at the doors who follow you into the _parterre_ to unlock and let down a seat for you, and to them you give your ticket with a slight gratification, which is however quite optional; your ticket you previously pay for at the door.

VIENNA, Augt. 20th.

I have been to see Schonbrunn, the usual residence of the young Napoleon; but he is now at Baden with the Imperial family, where his mother, who is lately arrived from Italy, is also on a visit. The young Napoleon is said to be a remarkable fine boy, and a great favorite with his grandfather the Emperor. Many are the anecdotes related of him. I shall mention one. He had heard so often talk of his father, that shortly after the arrival of his mother, he wished to see his father also and asked his attendants repeatedly and not in a very patient tone: _Wo ist denn mein Vater?_[124]

This was told to his grandfather the Emperor; and he gave directions that the child should be brought to him, the very next time he should put the question. He then said to him: _Du mochtestwissen wo dein Vater ist? Er ist in Verhaft. Man hat es mit ihm gut gemeint; weil er aber unruhig war, so hat man ihn in Verhaft gestellt, und Dich wird man auch verhaften, wenn Du unruhig bist._[125]

So much for this anecdote; but I did not hear what was the answer of the young prince. The young Napoleon is, it appears, a great favorite of the soldiers, who quite adore him, and he will sometimes go into the kitchen to get bread and meat to give to the soldiers on Guard at the Palace. A singular event happened lately to Maria Louisa. During her stay at Schnbrunn, her _chatouille,_ with several things of value in it, _bijouterie,_ etc., was stolen from her. She caused enquiries to be made, and researches to be set on foot. n.o.body has been able to find out who took it; but it was put back in the precise place from whence it was taken, and not a single article of the _bijouterie_ or things of value was missing. It is supposed this theft was made for political purposes, in order to discover the nature of her epistolary correspondence, if any existed. Had it been taken by a vulgar thief, it is not probable that the articles of value would have been restored. Such is the unhappy condition of that Princess to be always an object of suspicion and espionnage.

_Journey to Prague_.

I left Vienna on the 28th August in a _Landkutsche_ and arrived at Prague on the first of September.

These _Landkutsche_ are on the same plan and footing with the _vetture_ in Italy, and travel in the same manner, with this difference, however; that the _Landkutscher_ do not usually, as the _vetturini_ do, undertake to provide for the supper and bed of their pa.s.sengers. In a word, you are not _spesato;_ and in Germany there is not the least necessity for it, for there is no such thing as extortion on the part of the German innkeepers, who are by far the most respectable of that profession. Besides, in most places, everything is _tariffed,_ and where it is not, the landlord never makes an unreasonable demand, or attempts to make foreigners pay more than natives; whereas in Italy if you are not _spesato_ there are no bounds to the rapacity of the innkeepers, witness mine host of Terracina. Both Italy and Germany present the greatest convenience for travellers, as the _Landkutsche_ or _vetture_ are continually pa.s.sing from town to town. There is however this difference between them, that the Italian _vetturini_ will abate their price, if their carriage is full excepting one place, and that they must start, whereas the German _Landkutscher_ never abate their price.

I paid for my journey from Vienna to Prague thirty-five florins _Wiener Wahrung,_ and we made the journey in five days. Our first day's journey brought us to Hollabrunn, having stoppd to dinner at Stockeran. The road is excellent and the several towns and villages we past thro' clean and well built. The landscape was either a plain, or gently undulating and extremely well cultivated.

Bohemia resembles Moravia, being an exceedingly rich corn country, generally open; not many trees about the country near the road side, except at the _Chateau_ and farm houses. The language is a dialect of the Sclavonic, mixed with some German; but at the inns there is always one or two servants who speak German. In Bohemia a traveller not speaking German, and who has no interpreter with him, would find himself greatly embarra.s.sed. The Bohemians call themselves in their own language _Cherschky_, and the Hungarians call themselves _Magyar_.

[117] Ta.s.so, _Gerusalemme liberata_, canto XV, ottave 31, 32:

Un uom della Liguria avra ardimento All' incognito corao esporsi in prima...

Tu spiegherai, Colombo, a un nuovo polo Lontane si le fortunate antenne...--ED.

[118] Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, XL, 31, 1.--ED.

[119] See reference to Eustace p. 131.

[120] Ariosto, _Orlando Furioso_, XXVIII, 38, 7.--ED.

[121] Boileau, _Satires_, XI, v. 117.

[122] The drama, _Der Wold bei Hermannstadt,_ is the work of Johanna Fraenul von Weissenthurn (1773-1847), a celebrated Viennese actress and auth.o.r.ess. An opera was written on the same text by W. Westmeyer, --ED.

[123] Because I am an Englishman--You are an Englishman? you are certainly a North-German; you speak very correct German.--Gentlemen, I tell you I am an Englishman; many English study and speak the German language and if you had held a long conversation with me, you would soon have perceived from my faults in speaking, that I am not a German.--But you have answered our questions so correctly.--Why not, the same questions have been put to me so often that I have all the necessary answers by heart like a catechism.

[124] Where is my father?

[125] "You wish to know where your father is? He is under arrest; people were well disposed to him; but he is placed under arrest, because he was unruly, and if you are unruly you will be placed under arrest likewise."

CHAPTER XVII

SEPTEMBER 1818-MARCH 1819

The splendid city of Prague--The German expression, "To give the basket"--Journey from Prague to Dresden--Journey from Dresden to Berlin--A description of Berlin--The Prussian Army--Theatricals--Peasants talk about Napoleon--Prussians and French should be allies--Absurd policy of the English Tories--Journey from Berlin to Dresden--A description of Dresden--The battle of Dresden in 1813--Clubs at Dresden--Theatricals-- German beds--Saxon scholars--The picture gallery--Tobacco an ally of Legitimacy--Saxon women--Meissen--Unjust policy of Europe towards the King of Saxony.

PRAGUE, 4 Sept.

Prague is a far more striking and splendid city than Vienna, without its faubourgs. The streets are broader; and it has a more cheerful and less confined appearance than the old town of Vienna. The position of Prague too is very romantic and picturesque, part of it lying on a mountain and part on a plain; and it stands on the confluent of two rivers, the Mulda and the Braun. The upper part of the city, called Oberburg, stands on a height called Ratschin, and on this height stands a most magnificent palace and other stately buildings. There is a beautiful panoramic view from this part of Prague. In this part of the city too is the cathedral of St Wenzel or Wenceslaus, who was its founder. His tomb and that of St John Nepomucene, a favorite saint of the Bohemians, is in this church. The Cathedral is of extreme solidity, but little ornamented, having been plundered by the Swedes in 1648. The canopy over the shrine of St John Nepomucene has a profusion of votive offerings appended to it. The lower part of Prague is divided into two parts by the Mulda. The bridge across the Mulda is one of the finest in Europe. It has twenty-four arches, its length is 1700 feet and its breadth 35. Among several statues on this bridge is a very remarkable one of Jesus Christ, made of bronze gilt, which cost a large sum of money to its founder, a Jew! There is a Latin inscription on it which explains the paradox. There stood on the same spot a wooden statue of Christ in the XVI century. One day an opulent Jew, on pa.s.sing by, made some scoffing or contemptuous remark on it. He was overheard by some of the people, accused of blasphemy and condemned to die; but on expressing great contrition and offering to pay a fine to any amount, he was pardoned, on the condition of his promising to erect a bronze statue gilt of Jesus Christ on the same spot, at his own expense, with an inscription explaining the reason of its construction; which promise he punctually performed.

Prague abounds in Jews. Two-thirds at least of its population are of that persuasion. In the lower town the most striking edifices are the palace of the Wallenstein family, descendants of the famous Wallenstein, so distinguished in the Thirty Years war. Annexed to this Palace is a s.p.a.cious garden, which is open to the public as a promenade. It is well laid out.

There is a large aviary. This Palace covers a vast extent of ground. The Colloredo family, who are descended from Wenceslaus, have a superb Palace in this city; and there is a stable belonging to it, partly in marble and of rich architecture, capable of containing thirty-six horses. No traveller who comes to Prague should omit visiting these two Palaces of Wallenstein and Colloredo. On the bridge over the Mulda before mentioned, is the statue in bronze of St John Nepomucene, on the spot from whence he was thrown into the river by his brother saint, King Wenceslaus, for refusing to divulge the gallantries of his (Wenceslaus') wife, to whom he was confessor. A favorite promenade on Sundays is on the _Farber Insel_ or Dyers island, which is a small island on the Mulda. Here the young men of the town come to dance with the _grisettes_ and milliner girls of Prague, who are renowned for their beauty and complaisance.

The Jewish burying ground is a curiosity for a person who has never visited the Oriental countries. The tombstones are stowed thick together. Everybody recollects the anecdote of the ingenious method adopted by Joseph II for squeezing a large sum of money from the Jews of Prague, by giving out that he intended to claim this cemetery, in order to build therein a Palace. The Jews who, like all the Orientals, have the most profound veneration for the spot where their ancestors are buried, presented a large sum of money to the Emperor, to induce him to renounce his design.

The _Stadt-Haus_ (Hotel de Ville) is a fine building; and the _Marktplatz_ (market square) is very s.p.a.cious, and contributes much to the beauty of the town. In the centre of it stands an ancient fountain of a dodecagonal form.

The basin is of red marble, and near it stands a large stone column, with a statue of the Virgin, bronze gilt, on its summit. A well supplied market, or rather fair, is carried on here every day in the week. The Theatre is a fine building and is of immense size. I witnessd the representation of a burlesque tragedy called _Die Belagerung von Ypsilon_ (the siege of Ypsilon), but I could not at all comprehend the cream of the jest. Madame Catalani, who is here, sang at this theatre one night. The theatre was completely filled and the price of admission to the boxes and _parterre_ a ducat. The street adjoining to the theatre was crowded by people endeavoring to catch the sweet sounds. Immense hommage has been paid to Catalani by the authorities here.

The b.a.l.l.s of the _bourgeoisie_ of Prague are splendid and well attended.

The _bourgeoisie_ is very opulent in this city. There are but few residents _n.o.blesse_. The expences at the inns here are rather greater than those at Vienna, wine being a foreign commodity and beer the national beverage. My daily expences here for lodging, dinner, supper and breakfast amounted to four florins _Convenzions Munze_, about nine franks nearly, French money.