Eleven Weeks in Europe; and what may be seen in that time

Front matter

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Preface

I have had serious doubts about publishing this book, — first, because the objects seen and described have been seen and described fifty times before by other travellers ; — secondly, because the opinions ventured in it on art and other matters, are often only first impressions, and may turn out superficial and misleading-. For these reasons, after I had prepared the MSS. from my journals and letters, for publication, I laid it aside. But on the other hand the case stands thus. Every new pair of eyes sees something new, even on an old road. I myself like to read new books of travels, though I have read ever so many before. Each traveller sees the old thing in his own new way ; always provided that he does not copy his remarks from Murray's Hand-Books, — a trick I have studied to avoid. Again, every man has friends and acquaintances who are glad to know how those world-renowned objects — Paintings, Cathe drals, Alps — affected his mind ; and why not gratify them and himself* And as to the opinions being superficial, hasty, and perchance crude ; we may bethink ourselves that all know ledge has to take this form first, and that such venturesome opinions are, as Milton says,,' Knowledge in the making.' Therefore I take my MSS. down and print it, hoping that

PREFACE.

. this apology may appease the critics, with their — ' adfer aliquid novi.' But besides, and more especially, I wish to tell those who may still be ignorant of it, how much may be seen now in Europe, in a comparatively short time, and at small expense. I spent eleven weeks in Europe, as follows : — Four weeks in England. Two weeks in France. Three weeks in Switzerland. One week on the Rhine. One week in Belgium. In England, I saw Chester and its antiquities, Eaton Hall, North Wales, with the Menai and Britannia Tubular Bridges, Caernavon Castle, Conway Castle, Snowdon. and the fine scenery about Llanberris, Capelcarig, and Llanrst. I saw Windermere, Rydal Water, Grasmere, Elter Water, and the scenery around Ambleside and Grasmere, in Cumberland. I visited Warwick Castle, Kenilworth Castle, Windsor Castle.

I saw the Cathedrals of Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's, Salisbury, Canterbury, Chester, and York. I visited Oxford and saw its Colleges. I saw the pictures in the National Gallery, Dulwich College, Hampton Court Gallery, the British Institution, and in many of the private galleries and collections in London and its vicinity. I saw the principal sights of London, — as the Tower, the Parks, British Museum, the Thames, &c. &c. I saw Stonehenge, Old Sarum, and the Shakspeare Cliff at Dover, beside other less important objects of interest. In France, the objects seen were Havre and Rouen, with the curious and venerable churches and buildings in the latter

PREFACE.

. IX place, and the many curiosities of Paris and its vicinity. Among these may be mentioned Notre Dame, and the churches of the Madeleine, St. Roch, St. Germain de Pres, St. Etienne, St. Sulpice, &c. ; Pere la Chaise, the Pantheon, Palace and Museums of the Louvre, Palace and Gardens of the Tuilleries, Palaces of Versailles and St. Cloud ; Water works and Gardens of Versailles, the Jardin des Plantes, Pantheon, Gobelins, Arc de L'Etoile, Bois de Bologne, Champs Elysees, Palais Royale, &c. &c. In Switzerland, I walked more than two hundred miles on foot among the finest Alpine scenery in the Bernese Oberland and around Mont Blanc, during which time I ascended the Rhigi, the Furca, the Maienwand, the Grimsel, the Reichen bach, the Scheideck, the Wengern Alp, the Gemmi, the Col de Balme, the Montanvert, and the Flegere.

Saw the Falls of the Rhine at Schaffhausen, Falls of the Aar at Handeck, Falls of Reichenbach ; lakes Zurich, Zug, Lu cerne, Brienz, Thun, and Leman ; towns of Zurich, Zug, Lucerne, Sallenches, Interlachen, Geneva, Freiburg, Berne, Soleure, and Basel. On the Rhine and its vicinity, I saw Freiburg in Baden, Heidelburg and its castle, Frankfort-on-the-Maine, and the fine scenery between Mayence and Cologne, with the cities of Cologne and Bonn. In Belgium, I saw the towns of Brussels, Mechlin, Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges, with the fine paintings of Rubens and Vandyke, the splendid churches and buildings, the carved pulpits, and the Mediæval antiquities. On the continent I saw and examined, besidelhe churches in France, the following churches and cathedrals : — Stras- X

PREFACE.

. burg, Freiburg in Baden, Zurich, Geneva, Berne, Basel, Frankfort, Bonn, Cologne, Coblentz, Brussels, Aix-la- Chapelle, Mechlin, Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges. The expenses of this trip (including state rooms in packet to Europe and in steamship to America) were six hundred dollars only. This includes every thing for four months, from the day I lest Boston till I landed there again. There is nothing to excite the imagination in this state ment, but it may be useful, and lead others to have the great improvement and enjoyment of a European tour, who perhaps now think it demands more of time or of means than they can spare. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Chapter I. The Ocean

Embark at Boston. The Ship ' Plymouth Rock.' Life at Sea. Calisthenics. Whales and Icebergs. Conversation by Telegraph. A Topsail Breeze. Water in its Effect on the Intellect. It makes every thing Definite. The Captain baited. ' Plymouth Rock Pilgrim .Association.' Present position of the Peace Question. Coast of Ireland. Arrival at Liverpool . . . . 1-28

Chapter II. England

Liverpool. An English Inn. Visit to Chester. Cathedral. Curious Streets. Town Walls. English courtesy. Eaton Hall and Park. St. John's Church, Chester. Trip to North Wales. Menai Bridge, and Britannia Tubular Bridge. Caernavon Castle. Llanberris and Capelcarig. ' Conway and Conway Castle. Excursion to the Lakes of Cumberland. Windermere, Ambleside, Eydal. Knabscar. Morning walk to Grasmere. Cars to Liverpool. To Coventry. Warwick Castle and Kenilworth Castle. Mrs. Chapman's, London 29-56 CONTENTS. XII

Chapter III. London

Methods of Sight-seeing. Things to be seen in London. Picture Galleries of London. The roar of the Streets. Westminster Abbey on Sunday. Its Monuments. National Gallery. The great historical Paintings and their value. Hampton Court. National Gallery again. Bridgewater Gallery. Its Gems. The Three Bridgewater Rafaelles. Mr. Samuel Rogers and his Collections. Pictures in the British Institution. Pearly gray air of England. Dulwich Museum. Its Guidos and Murillos. ' Jacob's Dream ' by Rembrandt. Results of these studies. The variety in unity of great Pictures. Rail to Salisbury. Salisbury Cathedral. Its Beauty. Ride to Stonehenge. 57-91

Chapter IV Paris

Havre. Politeness of the Passport Officer. Rouen by Rail. First difficulties. Rouen Cathedral and old Buildings. Commissionaires. Iron Spire of the Cathedral. Reminiscences of Joan of Arc. Paris. Meurice's. Beauty of Paris. Garden of the Tuilleries. Walks in Paris and entertainments. Expiatory Chapel. Palais Luxembourg. Modern French Pictures. Palais Royale. Champs Elysees. Bals-Mabilles and Public Concerts. 92-110

Chapter V. Paris And The Peace Convention

Meeting of the Convention and its Organization. Previous Arrangements. Victor Hugo, Abbe Deguerry and Athanase Coquerel. Mr. Cobden. Emile de Girardin. Garden of Plants. Pantheon. Views of Paris. Notre Dame. Visit to Versailles. Collation in the Tennis CONTENTS. XIII Court. Grand Water Works of Versailles. Illuminated Cascades of St. Cloud. Route to Strasburg. Centennial Celebration of Goethe's Birth-day. Goethe's Life and Writings. The Diligence. Strasburg Minster. 111-135

Chapter VI. The Black Forest And Switzerland

Rail to Freyburg. The Freyburg Minster. The Schlossberge. Voiture to Schaffhausen. The Black Forest. Falls of the Rhine. Canton Zurich. First sight of the Alps. Zurich. Hotel Baur. Sunday Morning. 'Zwingle's Church. Walk to the Uetliberg. Zug. Ascent of Rhigi. Thunder Storm on the Summit. Clear Sunrise. Descent to Kussnacht. Sail on the Lake to Lucerne. The Bay of Uri. Walk by Night up the Valley of the Reuss. Sublime Scenery along the St. Gothard Route 136-160

Chapter VII. Switzerland

BERNESE OBERLAND. The Furca Pass. Glacier of the Rhone. Climb the Meyenwand. The Grimsel. Falls at Handeck. Baths of Reichenbach. English, French, and German Travellers. Americans. Over the Scheideck to Grindelwald. Wellhorn and Wetterhorn. Summer Avalanches. Echo Boy. Valley of Grindelwald. Wengern Alp. The Jungfrau. The Valley of Lauterbrunnen. Its exquisite Beauty. The Trees. Goitre. . . • 161-179

Chapter VIII. Switzerland

MONT BLANC. The Day of Rest. Lutheran Church at Unterseen. Large Trees. Walk up the Valley of the Kander to Kandersteg. Mount Niessen. French Traveller. Mental Solitude of the Mountains. Pass of the Gemmi. View CONTENTS. XIV from the top. Extraordinary descent to Leukerbad. Our departure from Leukerbad. Sion and its Ruins. Martigny. Cross the Col de Balme to Chamounix. Mont Blanc. Ascend to the Mer de Glace. The Flegere 180-204

Chapter IX. Chamounix To Frankfort

Road to Geneva. Savoy. Geneva. View of the Mountains and Lake from the Hotel de Bergues. Calvin's Church. Lake Leman. Castle of Chillon. Vevay. Rousseau. Freiburg in Switzerland. Its Picturesque Situation. Suspension Bridges. Berne. View from the Platform and from the Enge. Road to Soleure. Basle. Cathedral. De Wette. Freiburg in Baden, again. Heidelberg. The Castle, ' the finest thing in Europe.' Frankfort-on-the-Maine. Dannecker's Ariadne. Cathedral. House of Goethe. Steudel Museum. . 205-232

Chapter X. The Rhine And Belgium

The Rhine. Bingen. Chapel of St. Roque. Vineyards. Castle of Rheinstein. Byron. Coblentz and Ehrenbreitstein. Bridge of Boats. Bonn and its Beauties. Drachenfels. Tomb of Niebuhr. Cologne. The Great Cathedral. Shrine of the Three Kings. The old Churches of Cologne. Aix-la-Chapelle. Charlemagne. Gaming House. To Brussels by Rail. Its Buildings. Mechlin. Importunity of Guides. Carved Pulpits. Carved Confessionals. Pictures by Rubens. . 233-259

Chapter XI. Belgium Continued

Antwerp. The Beautiful Cathedral. The Assumption of the Virgin. View from the Spire. The Museum. CONTENTS. XV Paintings by Rubens. The Crucifixion. Adoration of the Magi. Sunday in Antwerp. The Catholic Church es. Their Worship. Vandyke. His nobleness of Na ture. The Flemish Sermon by Candlelight in the Cathedral. Chimes. Genius of Rubens. Ghent. Its Historic Associations. Church of St. Bavon. Pictures. Belfry. Beggars and Commissionaires. Iron in Archi tecture. Bruges. Churches. Hemling's Pictures. Bel fry of Bruges. Carved Work. To Ostend. Steamer to Dover 260-291