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diff --git a/43614-8.txt b/43614-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1a3d39c..0000000 --- a/43614-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,12588 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Valleys of Tirol, by R. H. Busk - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Valleys of Tirol - Their traditions and customs and how to visit them - -Author: R. H. Busk - -Release Date: August 31, 2013 [EBook #43614] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE VALLEYS OF TIROL *** - - - - -Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project -Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously -made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - - THE - VALLEYS OF TIROL - - THEIR TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS - AND HOW TO VISIT THEM - - - BY - MISS R. H. BUSK - - AUTHOR OF 'PATRAÑAS' 'SAGAS FROM THE FAR EAST' - 'FOLK-LORE OF ROME' ETC. - - WITH FRONTISPIECE AND THREE MAPS - - - - LONDON - LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. - 1874 - - All rights reserved - - - - - - - -PREFACE. - - -There are none who know Tirol but are forward to express regret -that so picturesque and so primitive a country should be as yet, -comparatively with other tracks of travel, so little opened up to -the dilettante explorer. - -It is quite true, on the other hand, that just in proportion as a -country becomes better known, it loses, little by little, its merit -of being primitive and even picturesque. Intercourse with the world -beyond the mountains naturally sweeps away the idiosyncracies of the -mountaineers; and though the trail of progress which the civilized -tourist leaves behind him cannot absolutely obliterate the actual -configuration of the country, yet its original characteristics -must inevitably be modified by the changes which his visits almost -insensibly occasion. The new traditions which he brings with him of -vast manufacturing enterprise and rapid commercial success cannot but -replace in the minds of the people the old traditions of the fire-side -and the Filò, with their dreams of treasure-granting dwarfs and the -Bergsegen dependent on prayer. The uniform erections of a monster Hotel -Company, 'convenient to the Railway Station,' supersede the frescoed -or timbered hostelry perched on high to receive the wayfarer at his -weariest. The giant mill-chimneys, which sooner or later spring up from -seed unwittingly scattered by the way-side, not only mar the landscape -with their intrinsic deformity, but actually strip the mountains -of their natural covering, and convert wooded slopes into grey and -barren wastes; [1] just as the shriek of the whistle overpowers the -Jödel-call, and the barrel-organ supersedes the zitther and the guitar. - - - -Such considerations naturally make one shrink from the responsibility -of taking a part (how insignificant soever) in directing the migration -of tourists into such a country as Tirol. I have heard a Tirolese, -while at the same time mourning that the attractions of his country -were so often passed over, express this feeling very strongly, and -allege it as a reason why he did not give the result of his local -observations to the press; and I listened to his apprehensions with -sympathy. But then these changes must be. The attempt to delay them -is idle; nor would individual abstention from participating in the -necessary movement of events have any sensible effect in stemming -the even course of inevitable development. Circumstances oblige us -continually to co-operate in bringing about results which we might -personally deprecate. - - - 'In whatsoe'er we perpetrate - We do but row; we're steered by fate.' - - -And after all, why should we deprecate the result? We all admire -the simple mind and chubby face of childhood; yet who (except the -sentimental father in the French ballad, 'Reste toujours petit!') would -wish to see his son in petticoats and leading-strings all his days. The -morning mists which lend their precious charm of mystery to the sunrise -landscape must be dispelled as day advances, or day would be of little -use to man. - -The day cannot be all morning; man's life cannot be all infancy; -and we have no right so much as to wish--even though wishes avail -nothing--that the minds of others should be involved in absurd -illusions to which we should scorn to be thought a prey ourselves. - -Nature has richly endowed Tirol with beauty and healthfulness; and they -must be dull indeed who, coming in search of these qualities, do not -find them enhanced a hundredfold by the clothing of poetry with which -the people have superindued them. Who, in penetrating its mountain -solitudes, would not thank the guide who peoples them for him with -mysterious beings of transcendent power; who interprets for him, in -the nondescript echoes of evening, the utterances of a world unknown; -and in the voices of the storm and of the breeze the expression of -an avenging power or the whisperings of an almighty tenderness. - -But then--if this is found to be something more than poetry, if -the allegory which delights our fancy turns out to be a grotesque -blunder in the system of the peasant who narrates it,--it cannot be -fair to wish that he should continue subject to fallacious fancies, -in order that we may be entertained by their recital. - -It is one thing for a man who has settled the grounds of his belief -(or his unbelief) to his best satisfaction in any rational way, to -say, 'I take this beautiful allegory into my repertory; it elevates -my moral perceptions and illustrates my higher reaches of thought;' -but it is quite another thing if one reasons thus with himself, -'My belief is so and so, because a certain supernatural visitation -proves it;' when actually the said supernatural visitation never -took place at all, and was nothing but an allegory, or still less, -a mere freak of fancy in its beginning. - -Perhaps if the vote could be taken, and if desires availed anything, -the general consensus of thinking people would go in favour of -the desire that there had been no myths, no legends. But the vote -would involve the consequence that we should have antecedently to -be possessed of a complete innate knowledge of the forces of being, -corresponding to the correct criteria, which we flatter ourselves do -indwell us of the principles of beauty and of harmony. If there are -any who are sanguine enough to believe that science will one of these -days give us a certain knowledge of how everything came about, it is -beyond dispute that for long ages past mankind has been profoundly -puzzled about the question, and it cannot be an uninteresting study -to trace its gropings round and round it. - -Perfect precision of ideas again would involve perfect exactness of -expression. No one can fail to regret the inadequacies and vagaries -of language which so often disguise instead of expressing thought, -and lead to the most terrible disputes just where men seek to be most -definite. If we could dedicate one articulate expression to every -possible idea, we should no longer be continually called to litigate -on the meanings of creeds and documents, and even verbal statements. - -But when we had attained all this, we should have surrendered all -the occupation of conjecture and all the charms of mystery; we should -have parted with all poetry and all jeux d'esprit. If knowledge was -so positive and language so precise that misunderstanding had no -existence, then neither could we indulge in metaphor nor égayer la -matière with any play on words. In fact, there would be nothing left -to say at all! - -Perhaps the price could not be too high; but in the meantime we -have to deal with circumstances as they are. We cannot suppress -mythology, or make it non-existent by ignoring it. It exists, and -we may as well see what we can make of it, either as a study or a -recreation. Conjectures and fancies surround us like thistles and -roses; and as brains won't stand the wear of being ceaselessly carded -with the thistles of conjecture, we may take refuge in the alternative -of amusing ourselves on a holiday tour with plucking the roses which -old world fancy has planted--and planted nowhere more prolifically -than in Tirol. - - - -In speaking of Tirol as comparatively little opened up, I have not -overlooked the publications of pioneers who have gone before. The -pages of Inglis, though both interesting and appreciative, are -unhappily almost forgotten, and they only treat quite incidentally -of the people's traditions. But as it is the most salient points of -any matter which must always arrest attention first, it has been -chiefly the mountains of Tirol to which attention has hitherto -been drawn. Besides the universally useful 'Murray' and others, -very efficient guidance to them has of late years been afforded in -the pages of 'Ball's Central Alps,' in some of the contributions to -'Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers;' in the various works of Messrs. Gilbert -and Churchill; and now Miss A. B. Edwards has shown what even ladies -may do among its Untrodden Peaks. The aspects of its scenery and -character, for which it is my object on the other hand to claim -attention, lie hidden among its Valleys, Trodden and Untrodden. And -down in its Valleys it is that its traditions dwell. [2] - -If the names of the Valleys of Tirol do not at present awaken in -our mind stirring memories such as cling to other European routes -whither our steps are invited, ours is the fault, in that we have -overlooked their history. The past has scattered liberally among -them characteristic landmarks dating from every age, and far beyond -the reach of dates. Every stage even of the geological formation -of the country--which may almost boast of being in its courage and -its probity, as it does boast of being in the shape in which it -is fashioned, the heart of Europe--is sung of in popular Sage as -the result of some poetically conceived agency; humdrum physical -forces transformed by the wand of imagination into personal beings; -now bountiful, now retributive; now loving; now terrible; but nearly -always rational and just. - -To the use of those who care to find such gleams of poetry thrown -athwart Nature's work the following pages are dedicated. The traditions -they record do not claim to have been all gathered at first hand -from the stocks on which they were grown or grafted. A life, or -several lives, would hardly have sufficed for the work. In Germany, -unlike Italy, myths have called into being a whole race of collectors, -and Tirol has an abundant share of them among her offspring. Not only -have able and diligent sons devoted themselves professionally to the -preservation of her traditions, but every valley nurtures appreciative -minds to whom it is a delight to store them in silence, and who -willingly discuss such lore with the traveller who has a taste for it. - -That a foreigner should attempt to add another to these very full, -if not exhaustive collections, would seem an impertinent labour of -supererogation. My work, therefore, has been to collate and arrange -those traditions which have been given me, or which I have found -ready heaped up; to select from the exuberant mass those which, -for one reason or another, appeared to possess the most considerable -interest; and to localise them in such a way as to facilitate their -study both by myself and others along the wayside; not neglecting, -however, any opportunity that has come in my way of conversing about -them with the people themselves, and so meeting them again, living, -as it were, in their respective homes. This task, as far as I know, -has not been performed by any native writer. [3] - -The names of the collectors I have followed are, to all who know the -country, the best possible guarantee of the authenticity of what they -advance; and I subjoin here a list of the chief works I have either -studied myself or referred to, through the medium of kind helpers in -Tirol, so as not to weary the reader as well as myself with references -in every chapter:-- - - - Von Alpenburg: Mythen und Sagen Tirols. - Brandis: Ehrenkränzel Tirols. - H. J. von Collin: Kaiser Max auf der Martinswand: ein Gedicht. - Das Drama des Mittelalters in Tirol. A. Pickler. - Hormayr: Taschenbuch für die Vaterländische Geschichte. - Meyer: Sagenkränzlein aus Tirol. - Nork: Die Mythologie der Volkssagen und Volksmärchen. - Die Oswaldlegende und ihre Beziehung auf Deutscher Mythologie. - Oswald v. Wolkenstein: Gedichte. Reprint, with introduction - by Weber. - Perini: I Castelli del Tirolo. - Der Pilger durch Tirol; geschichtliche und topographische - Beschreibung der Wallfahrtsorte u. Gnadenbilder in Tirol - u. Vorarlberg. - A. Pickler: Frühlieder aus Tirol. - Scherer: Geographie und Geschichte von Tirol. - Simrock: Legenden. - Schneller: Märchen und Sagen aus Wälsch-Tirol. - Stafler: Das Deutsche Tirol und Vorarlberg. - Die Sage von Kaiser Max auf der Martinswand. - J. Thaler: Geschichte Tirols von der Urzeit. - Der Untersberg bei Salzburg, dessen geheimnissvolle Sagen der - Vorzeit, nebst Beschreibung dieses Wunderberges. - Vonbun: Sagen Vorarlbergs. - Weber: Das Land Tirol. Drei Bänder. - Zingerle: König Laurin, oder der Rosengarten in Tirol. Die Sagen - von Margaretha der Maultasche. Sagen, Märchen u. Gebräuche aus - Tirol. Der berühmte Landwirth Andreas Hofer. - - -I hope my little maps will convey a sufficient notion of the divisions -of Tirol, the position of its valleys and of the routes through them -tracked in the following pages. I have been desirous to crowd them -as little as possible, and to indicate as far as may be, by the size -and direction of the words, the direction and the relative importance -of the valleys. - -Of its four divisions the present volume is concerned with the first -(Vorarlberg), the fourth (Wälsch-Tirol), and with the greater part -of the valleys of the second (Nord or Deutsch-Tirol.) In the remoter -recesses of them all some strange and peculiar dialects linger, -which perhaps hold a mine in store for the philologist. Yet, though -the belief was expressed more than thirty years ago [4] that they -might serve as a key to the Etruscan language, I believe no one has -since been at the pains to pursue this most interesting research. In -the hope of inducing some one to enter this field of enquiry, I will -subjoin a list of some few expressions which do not carry on their face -a striking resemblance to either of the main languages of the country, -leaving to the better-informed to make out whence they come. The two -main languages (and these will suffice the ordinary traveller for -all practical purposes), are German in Vorarlberg and North Tirol, -Italian in Wälsch-Tirol, mixed with occasional patches of German; and -in South-Tirol with a considerable preponderance of these patches. A -tendency to bring about the absorption of the Italian-speaking valleys -into Italy has been much stimulated in modern times, and in the -various troubled epochs of the last five-and-twenty years Garibaldian -attacks have been made upon the frontier line. The population was found -stedfast in its loyalty to Austria, however, and all these attempts -were repulsed by the native sharp-shooters, with little assistance -from the regular troops. An active club and newspaper propagandism is -still going on, promoted by those who would obliterate Austria from -the map of Europe. For them, there exists only German-Tirol and the -Trentino. And the Trentino is now frequently spoken of as a province -bordering on, instead of as in reality, a division of, Tirol. - -Although German is generally spoken throughout Vorarlberg, there -is a mixture of Italian expressions in the language of the people, -which does not occur at all in North-Tirol: as - - - fazanedle, for a handkerchief (Ital. fazzoletto.) - gaude, gladness (Ital. gaudio.) - guttera, a bottle (Ital. gutto a cruet.) - gespusa, a bride (Ital. sposa). - gouter, a counterpane (Ital. coltre). - schapel, the hat (peculiar to local costume), (Ital. cappello, - a hat). - - -The k in many German words is here written with ch; and no doubt -such names as the Walgau, Walserthal, &c., commemorate periods of -Venetian rule. - -Now for some of the more 'outlandish' words:-- - - - baschga' (the final n, en, rn, &c. of the German form of the - infinitive is usually clipped by the Vorarlbergers, even in German - words, just as the Italians constantly clip the final letters - of their infinitive, as anda' and andar' for andare, to walk, - &c.) to overcome. - batta', to serve. - pütze' or buetza', to sew or to piece. - häss, clothing. - res, speech. - tobel, a ravine. - feel, a girl; spudel, an active girl; schmel, a smiling girl. - hattel, a goat; mütl, a kid. - Atti, [5] father, and datti, 'daddy.' - frei, pleasant. - zoana, a wattled basket. - schlutta and schoope, a smock-frock. - täibe, anger. - kîba', to strive. - rêra', to weep. [6] - musper, merry. - tribiliera', to constrain. - waedle, swift. - raetig werden, to deliberate. - Tripstrüll, = Utopia. - wech, spruce, also vain. - laegla, a little vessel. - hengest, a friendly gathering of men. [7] - koga, cursed, also corrupted. - fegga, a wing. - krom, a gift. - blaetz, a patch. - grind, a brute's head, a jolterhead. - bratza, a paw, an ugly hand. - briegga', to pucker up the face ready for crying. - deihja, a shepherd's or cattle-herd's hut. [8] - also dieja, which is generally reserved for a hut formed by taking - advantage of a natural hole, leaving only a roof to be supplied. - garreg, prominent. (I think that gareggiante in Italian is - sometimes used in a similar sense.) - - -Other words in Vorarlberg dialect are very like English, as:-- - - - Witsch, a witch. - Pfülle, a pillow. - rôt, wrath. - gompa', to jump. - gülla, a gulley. - also datti and schmel, mentioned already. - Aftermötig (after-Monday) is a local name for Tuesday. - - -In Wälsch-Tirol, they have - - - carega, a chair. - bagherle, a little carriage, a car. - troz, a mountain path. - Malga, [9] equivalent to Alp, a mountain pasture. - zufolo, [10] a pipe. - And Turlulù (infra, p. 432) is nearly identical in form and sound - with a word expounded in Etrus. Researches, p. 299. - Of 'Salvan' and 'Gannes,' I have already spoken. [11] - - -But all this is, I am aware, but a mere turning over of the surface; -my only wish is that some one of stronger capacity will dig deeper. Of -many dialects, too, I have had no opportunity of knowing anything at -all. Here are, however, a few suggestive or strange words from North -and South Tirol:-- - -Pill, which occurs in various localities [12] of both those provinces -to designate a place built on a little hill or knoll, is identical -with an Etruscan word to which Mr. Isaac Taylor gives a similar -significance. [13] I do not overlook Weber's observation that 'Pill -is obviously a corruption of Büchel (the German for a knoll), through -Bühel and Bühl;' but, which proceeds from which is often a knotty point -in questions of derivation, and Weber did not know of the Etruscan -'pil.' - -Ziller and celer I have already alluded to, [14] though of course -it may be said that the Tirolean river had its name from an already -romanised Etruscan word, and does not necessarily involve direct -contact with the Etruscan vocabulary. - - - Grau-wutzl is a name in the Zillerthal for the Devil. - Disel, for disease of any kind. - Gigl, a sheep. - Kiess, a heifer. - Triel, a lip. - Bueg, a leg. - knospen stands in South-Tirol for wooden shoes, and - fokazie for cakes used at Eastertide. (Focaccia is used for 'cake' - in many parts of Italy, and 'dar pan per focaccia' is equivalent to - 'tit for tat' all over the Peninsula.) - - -It remains only to excuse myself for the spelling of the word Tirol. I -have no wish to incur the charge of 'pedantry' which has heretofore -been laid on me for so writing it. It seems to me that, in the absence -of any glaring mis-derivation, it is most natural to adopt a country's -own nomenclature; and in Tirol, or by Tirolean writers, I have never -seen the name spelt with a y. I have not been able to get nearer its -derivation than that the Castle above Meran, which gave it to the -whole principality, was called by the Romans, when they rebuilt it, -Teriolis. Why they called it so, or what it was called before, I have -not been able to learn. The English use of the definite article in -naming Tirol is more difficult to account for than the adoption of -the y, in which we seem to have been misled by the Germans. We do not -say 'the France' or 'the Italy;' even to accommodate ourselves to the -genius of the languages of those countries, therefore, that we should -have gone out of our way to say 'the Tyrol' when the genius of that -country's language does not require us so to call it, can have arisen -only from a piece of carelessness which there is no need to repeat. - - - - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - Page -CHAPTER I. - -VORARLBERG. - -Introductory remarks on the use of myths, legends, and traditions; -their imagery beyond imitation; have become a study; now a science; -Prof. M. Müller; Rev. G. W. Cox--Karl Blind on attractions -for the English in Germanic mythology; mythological persons of -Tirol--Mythological symbols in art; in poetry; Dante on popular -traditions; their record of thoughts and customs; Tullio Dandolo; -Depping; Tirolean peasants 1 - -Our introduction to Tirol--Excursions round Feldkirch; the -Katzenthurm; St. Fidelis; St. Eusebius--Rankweil--Fridolins- -kapelle--Valduna--S. Gerold--Route into Tirol by Lindau--Bregenz, -birthplace of Flatz--Legend of Charlemagne; of Ulrich and -Wendelgard--Ehreguota--Riedenberg school--the natural preserves -of Lustenau--Merboth, Diedo, and Ilga--Embs; its chronicles; Swiss -embroidery; Sulphur baths; Jews' synagogue--Lichtenstein; Vaduz; -Hot sulphur-baths of Pfäffers; Taminaschlund; Luziensteig 12 - -From Feldkirch to Innsbruck--The Pass of Frastanz; Shepherd lad's -heroism; the traitor's fate--S. Joder and the Devil--Bludenz--Montafon; -who gave it its arms--Prazalanz--The Tear-rill; Kirschwasser--Dalaas-- -Silberthal--Das Bruederhüsle--Engineering of the Arlberg pass-- -Stanzerthal--Hospice of St. Christof--Wiesburg--Ischgl; its 'skullery' ---Landeck--Legend of Schrofenstein--Sharpshooter's monument--Auf dem -Fern--Nassereit--Tschirgants Branch road to Füssen--Plansee--Lechthal ---Imst--Pitzthal--Growth of a modern legend--Heiterwang--Ehrenberger -Klauze Archenthal--Vierzehn Nothhelfer 24 - -A border adventure; our party; our plans; our route--Aarau--Rorschach; -its skeleton-Caryatidæ--Oberriet--Our luggage overpowers the station- -master--Our wild colt--Our disaster--Our walk--Our embroideress guide ---The Rhine ferry--The Rhætian Alps--Altenstadt--Schattenburg--British -missionaries to Tirol--Feldkirch, festa, costumes--Our luggage again ---Our new route--Our postilion--The Stase-saddle--The Devil's House ---The Voralberger-ghost 39 - - -CHAPTER II. - -NORTH TIROL--UNTERINNTHAL--(RIGHT INN-BANK). - -KUFSTEIN TO ROTTENBURG. - -Kufstein--Pienzenau's unlucky joke--Ainliffen--Rocsla Sandor; the -Hungarian lovers--National anthem--Thierberg--A modern pilgrim-- -Der Büsser--Public memorials of religion--Zell--Ottokapelle--Kundl ---S. Leonhard auf der Wiese; its sculptures--Henry II.'s vow--The -Auflänger-Bründl--Rattenberg--Rottenburg--St. Nothburga; her integrity, -charity, persecution, patience, piety, observance of Sunday; judgment -overtakes Ottilia: Nothburga's restoration; legend of her burial--Henry -VI. of Rottenburg and Friedrich mit der leeren Tasche--Character of -each--Henry's literary tastes; his mysterious fate--The fire spares -Nothburga's cell--Mining legend 53 - - -CHAPTER III. - -NORTH TIROL--UNTERINNTHAL--(RIGHT INN-BANK). - -THE ZILLERTHAL. - -The Zillerthal--Conveyances--Etruscan remnant--Thurnegg and -Tratzberg across the river--Strass--Corn or coin?--The two -churches of Schlitters--Castles of the Zillerthal--The peace of -Kropfsberg--'The only Fügen'--The patriot Riedl--Zell--Expulsion -of Lutherans--Hippach--Hainzenberg; ultra co-operative gold -mines--Mayrhof--Garnet mills--Mariä-Rastkapelle--Hulda--Tributary -valleys--Duxerthal--Hinter-Dux--Hardiness of the people--Legends of -the frozen wall--Dog's-throat valley--The Devil's path--The Zemmer -glacier--Schwarzensteingrund 79 - - -CHAPTER IV. - -NORTH TIROL--UNTERINNTHAL--(RIGHT INN-BANK). - -ZILLERTHAL CUSTOMS--THE WILDSCHÖNAU. - -Zillerthal customs--Games--Spirits play with gold skittles--Pedlar -of Starkenberg--Dances: Schnodahüpfl: Hosennagler--Cow-fights-- -Kirchtag--Primizen and Sekundizen--Carneval--Christnacht-- -Kloubabrod--Sternsingen--Gömacht--Weddings--Zutrinken--Customs -of other valleys--The cat, patron of courtship 92 - -Kundl again--Wiltschenau--Niederaich--Kundlburg--Oberau--Niederrau ---Thierberg--Silver-mines--Legends of dwarfs and Knappen--Moidl and -the gold-cave--Legend of the Landmark--Der Umgehende Schuster-- -Perchtl, Pilate's wife--Comparative mythologists--Wodin, Wilder -Jäger, Wilhelm Tell--Symbolism in tales of enchanted Princesses-- -Perahta, the daughter of Dagha--Brixlegg--Burgleckner--Claudia de' -Medici--Biener's dying challenge--The Bienerweible--Sandbichler, -the Bible-commentator 110 - - -CHAPTER V. - -NORTH TIROL--UNTERINNTHAL. - -LEFT INN-BANK. - -Jenbach--Wiesing--Thiergarten--Kramsach--Brandenberger Ache-- -Voldepp--The Mooserthal--The Mariathal--Rheinthalersee--Achenrain ---Mariathal, village and ruined Dominican convent--Georg von -Freundsberg--The Brandenbergerthal--Steinberg--Heimaththal, -Freiheitthal--The gold-herds of the Reiche Spitze--Die Kalte -Pein--Mariastein--The irremovable image--Jenbach--Wiesing--The -Thiergarten--The Achenthal--The Käsbachthal--The Blue Achensee-- -Skolastica--Pertisau--Buchau, Nature's imitation fortress-- -Tegernsee--The Achen-pass--The judgment of Achensee--Playing at -ball in St. Paul's cathedral--Legend of Wildenfeld--Eben--The -escape of the vampire--Stans--Joseph Arnold--Tirolean artists-- -The Stallenthal--St. Georgenberg--Unsere liebe Frau zur Linde-- -Viecht, Benedictine monastery, library, sculpture--Vomperthal-- -Sigmundslust--Sigismund the Monied--Terfens--Marialarch-- -Volandseck--Thierberg--S. Michael's--S. Martin's--The Gnadenwald ---Baumkirchen--Fritzens--External tokens of faith--The holy -family at home--Frost phantoms--Hall; Münzthurm; -Sandwirthszwanziger; salt-works; Speckbacher; Waldaufischer- -Kapelle; S. Saviour's; institutions of Hall--Johanniswürmchen; -Bauernkrieg--Excursions round Hall; the Salzberg; the -explorations of the 'Fromme Ritter;' grandeur of the salt-mines; -salt-works; visit of Hofer and Speckbacher; the Salzthal--Absam; -the dragons of Schloss Melans; Count Spaur's ride to Babylon; -combat with the toad--Max Müller on legends--The image on the -window-pane; the Gnadenmutter von Absam; Stainer the violin-maker ---Mils--Grünegg--Schneeberg--The Gnadenwald--The Glockenhof; the -Glockengiesser; his temptation, condemnation, and dying request-- -The Loreto-kirche--Heiligenkreuz--Taur--Thürl--The Kaisersäule-- -St. Romedius, St. Vigilius and the bear; the spectre priest--Rum, -landslip 125 - - -CHAPTER VI. - -NORTH TIROL--UNTERINNTHAL--(RIGHT INN-BANK). - -SCHWATZ. - -Schwatz, its situation; effigy of S. John Nepomuk; his example; the -village frescoes; a hunt for a breakfast; the lessons of traveller's -fare; market; church; its size disproportioned to the population; the -reason of this--Schwatz a Roman station; silver-mines; prosperity; -importance; influence of miners of Saxony; reformation; riots; -polemical disputes; decline; copper and iron works; other industries; -misfortunes. History of the parish church; peculiar construction; -the Knappenhochaltar; monuments; Hans Dreyling; altar-pieces; -Michaels-kapelle; its legend; churchyard; its reliquary and holy -oil; the Robler and the gossip's corpse; penance and vision of -the unmarried--Franciscan church--characteristics of the inns; -singular use of the beds; guitar playing--Blessed Sacrament visits the -sick--Freundsberg; the ruined castles of Tirol; Georg von Freundsberg; -his prowess, strength, success; devotion of his men; sung of as a hero; -his part in the siege of Rome, sudden death, and ruin of his house; -tower; chapel--Weird-woman; her story; her legends; Oswald Milser of -Seefeld; the bird-catcher of the Goaslahn; strange birds; chamois; -the curse of the swallow--Hospital; chapel--Tobacco; factory girls -at benediction--Pews in German churches 168 - - -CHAPTER VII. - -NORTH TIROL--UNTERINNTHAL--(RIGHT INN-BANK). - -EXCURSIONS FROM SCHWATZ. - -Falkenstein; exhausted mines; religious observances of miners; tokens -of their craft--Buch--Margareth--Galzein--Kugelmoos--The Schwaderalpe ---The Kellerspitze--Troi--Arzberg--Heiligenkreuzkapelle--Baierische- -Rumpel--Pill--The Weerthal, Schloss Rettenberg; its spectre warder-- -The Kolsassthal--Wattens--Walchen--Mols--The Navisthal--Lizumthal; the -Blue Lake--Volders--Voldererthal--Hanzenheim--Friedberg--Aschbach, why -it is in the parish of Mils--Hippolitus Guarinoni, page to St. Charles, -physician of the poor; religious zeal; church of St. Charles, -Servitenkloster, the Stein des Gehorsams; analogous legend--Rinn; -S. Anderle's martyrdom; the Judenstein; lettered lilies--Aversion to -Jews--Voldererbad--Ampass--Lans--The Patscherkofl--The Lansersee; -the poor proprietor and the unjust noble--Sistrans; legend of its -champion wrestler--Heiligenwasser 200 - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -NORTH TIROL--THE INNTHAL. - -INNSBRUCK. - -Our greeting; characteristics of the people; Innsbruck's treatment -of Kaiser Max; the OEstereichischer hof; our apartment; mountain -view; character of the town; its history--Wilten; the minster; myth -of Haymon the giant; his burial-place; parish church; Marienbild -unter den vier Säulen; relic of the thundering legion--First record -of Innsbruck; chosen for seat of government; for residence by -Friedl mit der leeren Tasche--Character of Tirolean rulers--the -Goldene-Dachl-Gebäude--Sigismund the Monied; his reception -of Christian I.; condition of Tirol in his time; his castles; -abdication--Maximilian; builds the Burg; magnificence of his reign; -legends of him; his decline--Charles Quint; cedes Tirol to Ferdinand -I.; his wise administration; quiets popular agitation; Charles -Quint's visits to Innsbruck; attacked by Maurice, Elector of Saxony; -carried into Carinthia in a litter; death of Maurice--Ferdinand -I., the Hof-Kirche; Maximilian's cenotaph; its bas-relief; -statues; Mirakel-Bild des H. Anton; Fürstenchor; abjuration of -Queen Christina--Introduction of Jesuits; results--The 'Fromme -Siechin'--Ferdinand II.; his peaceful tastes; romantic attachment; -Philippine Welser; ménage at Schloss Ambras; collections; curiosities; -portraits; Philippine's end 225 - - -CHAPTER IX. - -NORTH TIROL--THE INNTHAL. - -INNSBRUCK (continued). - -Wallenstein's vow--Theophrastus Paracelsus; his mysterious dealings ---The Tummelplatz--The Silberne Kapelle--Earthquake and dearth; -their lessons--Ferdinand's devotion to the Blessed Sacrament; -analogous legend of Rudolf of Hapsburg--Ferdinand's second marriage ---The Capuchin Church--Maximilian the Deutschmeister; introduces the -Servites--Paul Lederer--Maximilian's hermitage--S. Lorenzo of -Brindisi--Dreiheiligkeitskirche--Provisions against ravages of the -Thirty Years' War--The Siechenhaus--Leopold V.; dispensed from his -episcopal jurisdiction and vows; Marries Claudia de' Medici-- -Friedrich v. Tiefenbach--Festivities at Innsbruck--The Hofgarten-- -Kranach's Madonna, Mariähülfskirche built to receive it; translation -to the Pfarr-kirche under Ferdinand Karl--Ferdinand Karl--Regency of -Claudia de' Medici; administrative ability; Italian influences-- -Sigismund Franz--Claudia Felicita--Charles of Lotharingia--War of -succession; Bavarian inroad of 1703; the Pontlatzerbrücke; -Baierische-Rumpel--St. Annensäule--Joseph I.--Karl Philipp; builds -the Land-haus and gymnasium, restores the Pfarrkirche; stucco and -marble decorations; frescoes; preservation of Damian Asam-- -Strafarbeitshaus--Church of S. John Nepomuk; his popularity; -canonisation--Maria Theresa; her partiality for Innsbruck; example; -Prussian prisoners; marriage of Leopold; death of Francis I.; the -Triumphpforte, the Damenstift--Joseph II.--Archduchess Maria -Elizabeth--Pius VI. passes through Innsbruck--Leopold II.--Repeal -of Josephinischen measures--Francis II.--Outbreak of the French -revolution---Das Mädchen v. Spinges--The Auferstehungsfeier-- -Archduchess Maria Elizabeth--Gottesacker--Treaty of Pressburg-- -'The Year Nine'--Andreas Hofer--Peace of Schönbrunn--Speckbacher; -successes at Berg Isel; Hofer as Schützen-Kommandant; his -moderation, simplicity, subordination; his betrayal; last hours; -firmness; execution--Restoration of Austrian rule--Hofer's -monument--Tirolese loyalty in 1848--The Ferdinandeum; its -curiosities--Early editions of German authors--Paintings on cobweb ---The Schiess-stand--Policy of the Viennese Government, -constitutional opposition of Tirol--Population of Innsbruck 265 - - -CHAPTER X. - -NORTH TIROL--OBERINNTHAL. - -INNSBRUCK TO ZIRL AND SCHARNITZ--INNSBRUCK TO THE LISENS-FERNER. - -Excursions from Innsbruck--Mühlau; new church; Baronin Sternbach ---Judgment of Frau Hütt--Büchsenhausen--Weierburg--Mariä-Brunn-- -Hottingen; monuments in the Friedhof--Schloss Lichtenthurm--The -Höttingerbild; the student's Madonna; stalactites--Excursion to -Zirl--Grossen Herr-Gott Strasse--Kranebitten--The Schwefelloch-- -The Hundskapelle--The Zirlerchristen--Gross Solstein--The -Martinswand; danger of the Emperor Maximilian; Collin's ballad; -who led the Kaiser astray?--His importance in Europe; efforts to -rescue him; the Blessed Sacrament visits him; unknown deliverer ---Martinsbühl--Traditions of Kaiser Max--Zirl--Fragenstein; its -hidden treasure--Leiten--Reit--Seefeld--The Heilige Blutskapelle ---The Seekapelle--Scharnitz--Isarthal--Porta Klaudia--Dirstenöhl ---The beggar-woman's prayer; vision of the peasant of Dorf 310 - -Unter-Perfuss--Selrainthal--The Melach--Rothenbrunn--Fatscherthal ---The Hohe Villerspitz--Sonnenberg--Magdalenen-Bründl--Character -of the Selrainthalers--Ober-Perfuss; Peter Anich--Kematen--Völs; -the Blasienberg; S. Jodok--The Galwiese--The Schwarze-Kreuzkapelle; -Hölzl's vow--Ferneck--Berg Isel--Noise of the rifle practice--Count -v. Stachel--Natters and Mutters--Waidburg--The Nockspitze--Götzens ---Schloss Völlenberg; Oswald v. Wolkenstein--Birgitz--Axams--The -Sendersthal 329 - - -CHAPTER XI. - -WÄLSCH-TIROL. - -THE WÄLSCHEROLISCHE-ETSCHTHAL AND ITS TRIBUTARY VALLEYS. - -Val di Lagarina--Borghetto--Ala--Roveredo--Surrounding -castles--Dante at Lizzana--The Slavini di S. Marco--La Busa -del Barbaz; its myths--Serravalle--Schloss Junk--The Madonna -del Monte--Industries--Chapel of S. Columban--Trent, Festa of -St. Vigilius; comparison between Trent and Rome; the Domkirche; -its notabilia; Sta. Maria Maggiore; seat of the council; assenting -crucifix; centenary celebration; legend of the organ-builder--Church -of St. Peter; Chapel of S. Simonin; club; museum; Palazzi; Palazzo -Zambelli, Teufelspalast; its legend; General Gallas--The Madonna alle -Laste; view of Trent--Dos Trento--St. Ingenuin's garden; St. Albuin's -apples--Lavis--French spoliation--Restitution--Wälsch Michel 340 - -Tributary valleys--Val di Non; Annaunia--Rochetta Pass -Wälschmetz--Visiaun--Spaur Maggiore--Denno--Schloss Belasis--The -Seidenbaum--Tobel Wild-see--Cles; Tavola Clesiana; Roman remains; -the Schwarzen Felder--SS. Sisinus, Martyrius and Alexander--Val di -Sole--Livo--Magras; Val di Rabbi; San Bernardo--Malè--Charles Quint's -visit--Pellizano--Val di Pejo--Cogolo--Corno de' tre Signori--Val -Vermiglio--Tonale; the witches' sabbath there--Tregiovo--Cloz--U-Liebe -Frau auf dem Gampen--Fondo--Sanzeno--Legend of the three brothers: -mithraic bas-relief--The Tirolean Petrarch--St. Romediusthal; legend of -St. Romedius; angelic consecration; conversion of the false penitents; -extraordinary construction and arrangement of the building; romantic -situation; fifteen centuries of uninterrupted veneration--Castel Thun; -attachment of the people to the family; a Nonesade; aqueduct--Dombel; -its Etruscan key; its import 358 - -The Avisiothal--Val di Cembra; its inaccessibility--Altrei; -presentation of colours--Fleimserthal; Cavalese; its church a -museum of Tirolese Art; local parliament; legend of its site; -handsome new church--Fassathal--Moena--Analogous English and -French traditions--Marriage customs of the valley--The Feuriger -Verräther--Vigo--The Marmolata; its legends--St. Ulrich 374 - - -CHAPTER XII. - -WÄLSCH-TIROL. - -VAL SUGANA--GIUDICARIA--FOLKLORE. - -Val Sugana--Baselga--The Madonna di Pinè; legend of the Madonna di -Caravaggio--Pergine; miners; the Canoppa--The Schloss--Marriage -customs of the valley--Lake Caldonazzo--St. Hermes at -Calzeranica--Bosentino--Nossa signora del Feles--The sleeper -of Valle del Orco--Caldonazzo--Lafraun; legend of the disunited -brothers--Borgo, the Italian Meran--Franciscan convent; Castel -Telvana; dangers of a carneval procession; Count Welsburg's -vow--Gallant border defences--Stalactite caves of Costalta--Sette -Comuni--Castelalto--Strigno--Castelrotto--Cima d'Asta--Quarazza garnet -quarry--Ivano--Grigno; Legend of St. Udalric--Castel Tesino--Canal -San Bovo to Primiero--Tale of Virginia Loss; humble heroism--Le Tezze; -modern heroes 382 - -Judicarien; its divisions--Castel Madruzz; Cardinal Karl Madruzz; -his dispensation; its conditions--Abraham's Garden--Sta. Massenza; -Bishop's Summer Palace--Loreto-kapelle--The Rendenathal; St. Vigilius; -his zeal; early admission to the episcopate; missionary labours; -builds churches; overthrows idols; his stoning; his burial; -the rock cloven for his body to pass; the Acqua della Vela; the -bread of Mortaso--S. Zulian; his legend; his penitence--Caresolo; -its frescoes; another memorial of Charles Quint; his estimation of -Jews--New churches--Legends of Condino and Campiglio--Riva on the -Garda-see; its churches; its olive branches--The Altissimo di Nago; -view from S. Giacomo; optical illusion--Brentonico--The Ponte delle -Streghe--Mori; tobacco cultivation 400 - -Character of Wälsch-Tirol folklore--Orco-Sagen; his transformations in -many lands; transliterations of his name in Tirol--The Salvan and -Gannes; perhaps Etruscan genii--Salvanel; Bedelmon; Salvadegh--The -Beatrik, identified with Dietrich von Bern--The Angane--What -came of marrying an Angana--The focarelli of Lunigiana--The -Filò--Froberte--Donna Berta dal nas longh--The discriminating -Salvan--The Angana's ring; tales of the Three Wishes and the -Faithful Beasts; legend of the Drei Feyen of Thal Vent--Legend -of St. Kümmerniss; her effigy in Cadore; the prevailing -minstrel--Turlulù--Remnants of Etruscan language--'Storielle -da rider'--The bear-hunters--The horrible snail--How to make a -church tower grow--Social customs perhaps derived from Etruscan; -similar to those of Lombardy and Lunigians--All Souls' Day; feast -of Sta. Lucia; Christmas; St. Anthony's Day; Carneval; Giovedi de' -Gnocchi; St. Urban--Popular sayings about thunder, crickets, brambles, -cockchafers, swallows, scorpions--Astronomical riddles 408 - - - - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - Kufstein Frontispiece. - - -MAPS. - - The Valleys of Tirol to face p. 12 - Unterinnthal and Neighbourhood of Innsbruck 53 - Wälsch-Tirol 341 - - - - - - - - THE - VALLEYS OF TIROL - THEIR TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS. - - -CHAPTER I. - -VORARLBERG. - - - . . . . . Everywhere - Fable and Truth have shed, in rivalry, - Each her peculiar influence. Fable came, - And laughed and sang, arraying Truth in flowers, - Like a young child her grandam. Fable came, - Earth, sea, and sky reflecting, as she flew, - A thousand, thousand colours not their own.--Rogers. - - -'Traditions, myths, legends! what is the use of recording and -propagating the follies and superstitions of a bygone period, which -it is the boast of our modern enlightenment to have cast to the winds?' - -Such is the hasty exclamation which allusion to these fantastic matters -very frequently elicits. With many they find no favour because they -seem to yield no profit; nay, rather to set up a hindrance in the -way of progress and culture. - -Yet, on the other hand, in spite of their seeming foolishness, -they have worked themselves into favour with very various classes of -readers and students. There is an audacity in their imagery which no -mere sensation-writer could attempt without falling Phaeton-like from -his height; and they plunge us so hardily into a world of their own, -so preposterous and so unlike ours, while all the time describing it -in a language we can understand without effort, that no one who seeks -occasional relief from modern monotony but must experience refreshment -in the weird excursions their jaunty will-o'the-wisp dance leads -him. But more than this; their sportive fancy has not only charmed -the dilettante; they have revealed that they hold inherent in them -mysteries which have extorted the study of deep and able thinkers, -one of whom [15] insisted, now some years ago, that 'by this time the -study of popular tales has become a recognized branch of the studies -of mankind;' while important and erudite treatises from his own pen and -that of others [16] have elevated it further from a study to a science. - -All who love poetry and art, as well as all who are interested in -the study of languages or races, all who have any care concerning -the stirrings of the human mind in its search after the supernatural -and the infinite, must confess to standing largely in debt, in the -absence of more positive records of the earliest phases of thought, -to these various mythologies. - -Karl Blind, in a recent paper on 'German Mythology,' [17] draws -attention to some interesting considerations why the Germanic -traditions, which we chiefly meet with in Tirol, should have a -fascination for us in this country, in the points of contact they -present with our language and customs. Not content with reckoning that -'in the words of the Rev. Isaac Taylor we have obtruded on our notice -the names of the deities who were worshipped by the Germanic races' -on every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of our lives, -as we all know, he would even find the origin of 'Saturday' in the -name of a god "Sætere" hidden, (a malicious deity whose name is but -an alias for Loki,) of whom, it is recorded, that once at a great -banquet he so insulted all the heavenly rulers that they chained -him, Prometheus-like, to a rock, and made a serpent trickle down its -venom upon his face. His faithful wife Sigyn held a cup over him to -prevent the venom reaching his face, but whenever she turned away to -empty the cup his convulsive pains were such that the earth shook and -trembled.... Few people now-a-days, when pronouncing the simple word -"Saturday," think or know of this weird and pathetic myth. [18]... When -we go to Athens we easily think of the Greek goddess Athene, when -we go to Rome we are reminded of Romulus its mythic founder. But -when we go to Dewerstone in Devonshire, to Dewsbury in Yorkshire, -to Tewesley in Surrey, to Great Tew in Oxfordshire, to Tewen in -Herefordshire--have a great many of us even an inkling that these are -places once sacred to Tiu, the Saxon Mars? When we got to Wednesbury, -to Wanborough, to Woodnesborough, to Wembury, to Wanstrow, to Wanslike, -to Woden Hill, we visit localities where the Great Spirit Wodan was -once worshipped. So also we meet with the name of the God of Thunder -in Thudersfield, Thundersleigh, Thursleigh, Thurscross, Thursby, -and Thurso. The German Venus Freia is traceable in Fridaythorpe and -Frathorpe, in Fraisthorpe and Freasley. Her son was Baldur, also called -Phol or Pol, the sweet god of peace and light; his name comes out at -Balderby, Balderton, Polbrook, Polstead and Polsden. Sætere is probably -hidden in Satterleigh and Satterthwaite; Ostara or Eostre, the Easter -goddess of Spring, appears in two Essex parishes, Good Easter and -High Easter, in Easterford, Easterlake and Eastermear. Again Hel, the -gloomy mistress of the underworld, has given her name to Hellifield, -Hellathyrne, Helwith, Healeys and Helagh--all places in Yorkshire, -where people seem to have had a particular fancy for that dark and -grimy deity. Then we have Asgardby and Aysgarth, places reminding us -of Asgard, the celestial garden or castle of the Æsir--the Germanic -Olympus. And these instances might be multiplied by the hundred, so -full is England to this day of the vestiges of Germanic mythology. Far -more important is the fact that in this country, just as in Germany, -we find current folk-lore; and quaint customs and superstitious beliefs -affecting the daily life, which are remnants of the ancient creed. A -rime apparently so bereft of sense as - - - Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home! - Thy house is on fire! - Thy children at home! - - -can be proved to refer to a belief of our forefathers in the coming -downfall of the universe by a great conflagration. The ladybird -has its name from having been sacred to our Lady Freia. The words -addressed to the insect were once an incantation--an appeal to the -goddess for the protection of the soul of the unborn, over whom in -her heavenly abode she was supposed to keep watch and ward, and whom -she is asked to shield from the fire that consumes the world.... If we -ever wean men from the crude notions that haunt them, and yet promote -the enjoyment of fancies which serve as embellishing garlands for -the rude realities of life, we cannot do better than promote a fuller -scientific knowledge of that circle of ideas in which those moved who -moulded our very speech. We feel delight in the conceptions of the -Greek Olympus. Painters and poets still go back to that old fountain -of fancy. Why should we not seek for similar delight in studying the -figures of the Germanic Pantheon, and the rich folk-lore connected -with them? Why should that powerful Bible of the Norse religion, -which contains such a wealth of striking ideas and descriptions in -language the most picturesque, not be as much perused as the Iliad, -the Odyssey, or the Æneid? Is it too much to say that many even of -those who know of the Koran, of the precepts of Kou-fu-tsi and of -Buddha, of the Zendavesta and the Vedas, have but the dimmest notion -of that grand Germanic Scripture?... - -'Can it be said that there is a lack of poetical conception in -the figure of Wodan or Odin, the hoary ruler of the winds and the -clouds, who, clad in a flowing mantle, careers through the sky on a -milk-white horse, from whose nostrils fire issues, and who is followed -at night by a retinue of heroic warriors whom he leads into the golden -shield-adorned Walhalla? Is there a want of artistic delineation in -Freia--an Aphrodite and Venus combined, who changes darkness into -light wherever she appears--the goddess with the streaming golden -locks and siren voice, who hovers in her sun-white robe between -heaven and earth, making flowers sprout along her path and planting -irresistible longings in the hearts of men? Do we not see in bold and -well-marked outline the figure of the red-bearded, steel-handed Thor, -who rolls along the sky in his goat-drawn car, and who smites the -mountain giants with his magic hammer? Are these mere spectres without -distinct contour?... are they not, even in their uncouth passions, -the representatives of a primitive race, in which the pulse throbs with -youthful freshness? Or need I allude to that fantastic theory of minor -deities, of fairies and wood-women, and elfin and pixies and cobolds, -that have been evolved out of all the forces of Nature by the Teutonic -mind, and before whose bustling crowd even Hellenic imagination pales? - -'Then what a dramatic power has the Germanic mythology! The gods of -classic antiquity have been compared to so many statues ranged along -a stately edifice ... in the Germanic view all is active struggle, -dramatic contest, with a deep dark background of inevitable fate that -controls alike gods and men.' - -Such are the Beings whom we meet wandering all over Tirol; transformed -often into new personalities, invested with new attributes and -supplemented with many a mysterious companion, the offspring of an -imagination informed by another order of thought, but all of them -more living, and more readily to be met with, than in any part of -wonder-loving Germany itself. - -Apart from their mythological value, how large is the debt we owe to -legends and traditions in building up our very civilization. Their -influence on art is apparent, from the earliest sculptured stones -unearthed in India or Etruria to the latest breathing of symbolism -in the very reproductions of our own day. In poetry, no less a master -than Dante lamented that their influence was waning at the very period -ascribed a few years ago as the date of their taking rise. Extolling -the simpler pursuits and pleasures of his people at a more primitive -date than his own, 'One by the crib kept watch,' he says, 'studious -to still the infant plaint with words which erst the parents' -minds diverted; another, the flaxen maze upon the distaff twirling, -recounted to her household, tales of Troy, Fiesole, and Rome.' [19] -Their work is patent in his own undying pages, and in those of all -true poets before and since. - -Besides all this, have they not preserved to us, as in a registering -mirror, the manners and habits of thought of the ages preceding -ours? Have they not served to record as well as to mould the noblest -aspirations of those who have gone before? 'What are they,' asks an -elegant Italian writer of the present day, [20] treating, however, -only of the traditions of the earliest epoch of Christianity, 'but -narratives woven beside the chimney, under the tent, during the halt -of the caravan, embodying as in a lively picture the popular customs -of the apostolic ages, the interior life of the rising (nascente) -Christian society? In them we have a delightful opportunity of -seeing stereotyped the great transformation and the rich source of -ideas and sentiments which the new belief opened up, to illuminate -the common people in their huts no less than the patricians in -their palaces. Those even who do not please to believe the facts -they expose are afforded a genuine view of the habits of life, the -manner of speaking and behaving--all that expresses and paints the -erudition of those men and of those times. Thus, it may be affirmed, -they comment beautifully on the Gospels, and in the midst of fables -is grafted a great abundance of truth. - -'If we would investigate the cause of their multiplication, and of the -favour with which they were received from the earliest times, we shall -find it to consist chiefly in the need and love of the marvellous -which governed the new society, notwithstanding the severity of -its dogmas. Neophytes snatched from the superstitions of paganism -would not have been able all at once to suppress every inclination -for poetical fables. They needed another food according to their -fancy. And indeed were they not great marvels (though of another -order from those to which they were accustomed) which were narrated -to them? The aggregate mass was, however, increased by the way in -which they lived and the scarcity of communication; every uncertain -rumour was thus readily dressed up in the form of a wonderful fact. - -'Again, dogmatic and historical teaching continued long to be oral; -so that when an apostle, or the apostle of an apostle, arrived in -any city and chained the interest of the faithful with a narration -of the acts of Jesus he had himself witnessed or received from the -personal narrative of witnesses, his words ran along from mouth to -mouth, and each repeater added something, suggested by his faith -or by his heart. In this way his teaching constituted itself into a -legend, which in the end was no longer the narrative of one, but the -expression of the faith of all. - -'Thus whoever looks at legends only as isolated productions of -a period most worthy of study, without attending to the influence -they exercised on later epochs, must even so hold them in account as -literary monuments of great moment.' - -Nor is this the case only with the earliest legends. The popular mind -in all ages has evinced a necessity for filling up all blanks in the -histories of its heroes. The probable, and even the merely possible, -is idealized; what might have been is reckoned to have happened; the -logical deductions as to what a favourite saint or cobbold ought to -have done, according to certain fixed principles of action previously -ascribed to his nature, are taken to be the very acts he did perform; -and thus, even those traditions which are the most transparently -human in their origin, have served to show reflected in action the -virtues and perfections which it is the boast of religion to inculcate. - -A Flemish writer on Spanish traditions similarly remarks, 'Peoples who -are cut off from the rest of the world by such boundaries as seas, -mountains, or wastes, by reason of the difficulty of communication -thus occasioned, are driven to concentrate their attention to local -events; and in their many idle hours they work up their myths and -tales into poems, which stand them in stead of books, and, in fact, -constitute a literature.' [21] - -Europe possesses in Tirol one little country at least in whose mountain -fastnesses a store of these treasures not only lies enshrined, but -where we may yet see it in request. Primitive and unsophisticated -tillers of the soil, accustomed to watch as a yearly miracle the -welling up of its fruits, and to depend for their hopes of subsistence -on the sun and rain in the hand of their Creator, its children -have not yet acquired the independence of thought and the habit of -referring all events to natural causes, which is generated by those -industries of production to which the human agent appears to be all in -all. Among them we have the opportunity of seeing these expositions -of the supernatural, at home as it were in their contemporary life, -supplying a representation of what has gone before, only to be -compared to the revelations of deep-cut strata to the geologist, -and the unearthing of buried cities to the student of history. It -is further satisfactory to find that, in spite of our repugnance to -superstition, this unreasoning realization of the supernatural has in -no way deteriorated the people. Their public virtues, seen in their -indomitable devotion to their country, have been conspicuous in all -ages, no less than their heroic labours in grappling with the obstacles -of soil and climate; while all who have visited them concur in bearing -testimony to their possession of sterling homely qualities, frugality, -morality, hospitality; and, for that which is of most importance to -the tourist, all who have been among them will bear witness to the -justice of the remark in the latest Guide-book, that, except just in -the more cultivated centres of Innsbruck, Brixen, and Botzen, you need -take no thought among the Tiroleans concerning the calls on your purse. - - - -My first acquaintance with Tirol was made at Feldkirch, where I had to -pay somewhat dearly for my love of the legendary and the primitive. Our -plan for the autumn was to join a party of friends from Italy at -Innsbruck, spend some months of long-promised enjoyment in exploring -Tirol, and return together to winter in Rome. The arrangements of -the journey had been left to me; and as I delight in getting beyond -railways and travelling in a conveyance whose pace and hours are more -under one's own control, I traced our road through France to Bâle, -and then by way of Zurich and Rorschach and Oberriet to Feldkirch -(which I knew to be a post-station) as a base of operations, for -leisurely threading our mountain way through Bludenz and Landeck and -the intervening valleys to Innsbruck. - -How our plan was thwarted [22] I will relate presently. I still -recommend this line of route to others less encumbered with luggage, as -leading through out-of-the-way and unfrequented places. The projected -railway between Feldkirch and Innsbruck is now completed as far as -Bludenz; and Feldkirch is reached direct by the new junction with -the Rorschach-Chur railway at Buchsstation. [23] - -Feldkirch affords excursions, accessible for all, to the -Margarethenkapf and the St. Veitskapf, from either of which a glorious -view is to be enjoyed. The latter commands the stern gorges through -which the Ill makes its final struggles before losing its identity -in the Rhine--struggles which are often terrific and devastating, -for every few years it carries down a whole torrent of pebbles for -many days together. The former overlooks the more smiling tracts we -traversed in our forced march, locally called the Ardetzen, hemmed in -by noble mountain peaks. Then its fortifications, intended at one time -to make it a strong border town against Switzerland, have left some -few picturesque remains, and in particular the so-called Katzenthurm, -named from certain clumsy weapons styled 'cat's head guns,' which -once defended it, and which were ultimately melted down to make a -chime of peaceful bells. And then it has two or three churches to -which peculiar legends attach. Not the least curious of these is -that of St. Fidelis, a local saint, whose cultus sprang up as late -as the year 1622, when he was laid in wait for and assassinated -by certain fanatical reprobates, whose consciences his earnest -preaching had disturbed. He was declared a martyr, and canonized -at Rome in 1746. The sword with which he was put to death, the bier -on which his body was carried back into the town, and other things -belonging to him, are venerated as relics. About eight miles outside -the town another saint is venerated with a precisely similar history, -but dating from the year 844. This is St. Eusebius, one of a band of -Scotch missionaries, who founded a monastery there called Victorsberg, -the oldest foundation in all Vorarlberg. St. Eusebius, returning -from a pilgrimage one day, lay down to sleep in this neighbourhood, -being overtaken by the darkness of night. Heathen peasants, who had -resisted his attempts at converting them, going out early in the -morning to mow, found him lying on the ground, and one of them cut -off his head with his scythe. To their astonishment the decapitated -body rose to its feet, and, taking up the head in its hands, walked -straight to the door of the monastery, where the brethren took it -in and laid it to rest in the churchyard. A little further (reached -most conveniently by a by-path off the road near Altenstadt, mentioned -below,) is Rankweil. In the church on Our Lady's Mount (Frauenberg) is -a little chapel on the north side, where a reddish stone is preserved -(Der rothe Stein in der Fridolinskapelle), of which the following story -is told. St. Fridolin was a Scotch missionary in the seventh century, -and among other religious houses had founded one at Müsigen. Two -noblemen of this neighbourhood (brothers) held him in great respect, -and before dying, one of them, Ursus by name, endowed the convent -with all his worldly goods. Sandolf, the other, who did not carry -his admiration of the saint to so great a length as to renounce -his brother's rich inheritance, disputed the possession, and it was -decided that Fridolin must give it up unless he could produce the -testimony of the donor. Fridolin went in faith to Glarus, where Ursus -had been buried two years before. At his call the dead man rose to -his feet, and pushing the grave-stone aside, walked, hand-in-hand, -with his friend back to Rankweil, where he not only substantiated -Fridolin's statements, but so effectually frightened his brother that -he immediately added to the gift all his own possessions also. But -the story says that when the judgment requiring him to produce the -testimony of the dead was first given, Fridolin went to pray in the -chapel of Rankweil, and there a shining being appeared to him, and -told him to go to Glarus and call Ursus; and as he spoke Fridolin's -knees sank into the 'red stone,' making the marks now seen. [24] - -The reason given why this hill is called Our Lady's Mound is, that on -it once stood a fortress called Schönberg. Schönberg having been burnt -down, its owner, the knight of Hörnlingen, set about rebuilding it; -but whatever work his workmen did in the day-time, was destroyed by -invisible hands during the night. A pious old workman, too, used to -hear a mysterious voice saying that instead of a fortress they should -build a sanctuary in honour of the mother of God. The knight yielded to -the commands of the voice, and the church was built out of the ruins -of his castle. In this church, too, is preserved a singular antique -cross, studded with coloured glass gems, which the people venerate -because it was brought down to them by the mountain stream. It is -obviously of very ancient workmanship, and an inscription records -that it was repaired in 1347. - -Winding round the mountain path which from Rankweil runs behind -Feldkirch to Satteins, the convent of Valduna is reached; and -the origin of this sanctuary is ascribed to a legend, of which -counterparts crop up in various places, of a hermit who passed half -a life within a hollow tree, [25] and acquired the lasting veneration -of the neighbouring people. - -Another mountain sanctuary which received its veneration from -the memory of a tree-hermit, is S. Gerold, situated on a little -elevation below the Hoch Gerach, about seven miles on the east side of -Feldkirch. It dates from the tenth century. Count Otho, Lord of Sax in -the Rhinethal, was out hunting, when the bear to which he was giving -chase sought refuge at the foot of an old oak tree, whither his dogs -durst not follow it. Living as a hermit within this oak tree Count Otho -found his long lost father, S. Gerold, who years before had forsaken -his throne and found there a life of contemplation in the wild. [26] -The tomb of the saint and his two sons is to be seen in the church, -and some curious frescoes with the story of his adventures. - -Another way to be recommended for entering Vorarlberg is by crossing -Lake Constance from Rorschach to Lindau, a very pleasant trajet of -about two hours in the tolerably well-appointed, but not very swift -lake-steamers. Lindau itself is a charming old place, formed out of -three islands on the edge of the lake; but as it is outside the border -of Tirol, I will only note in favour of the honesty of its inhabitants, -that I saw a tree laden with remarkably fine ripe pears overhanging a -wall in the principal street, and no street-boy raised a hand to them. - -The first town in Tirol by this route is Bregenz, which reckons as -the capital of Vorarlberg. It may be reached by boat in less than -half an hour. It is well situated at the foot of the Gebhartsberg, -which affords a most delightful, and in Tirol widely celebrated, -view over Lake Constance and the Appenzel mountains and the rapid -Rhine between; and here, at either the Post Hotel or the Black Eagle, -there is no lack of carriages for reaching Feldkirch. Bregenz deserves -to be remembered as the birth-place of one of the best modern painters -of the Munich-Roman school, Flatz, who I believe, spends much of his -time there. - -Among the objects of interest in Bregenz are the Capuchin Convent, -situated on a wooded peak of the Gebhardsberg, founded in 1636; -on another peak, S. Gebhard auf dem Pfannenberge, called after -a bishop of Constance, who preached the Christian faith in the -neighbourhood, and was martyred. Bregenz has an ancient history and -high lineage. Its lords, who were powerful throughout the Middle -Ages, were of sufficiently high estate at the time of Charlemagne -that he should take Hildegard, the daughter of one of them, to be his -wife, and there is a highly poetical popular tale about her. Taland -(a favourite name in Vorarlberg) was a suitor who had, with jealous -eye, seen her given to the powerful Emperor, and in the bitterness -of his rejected affection, so calumniated her to Charlemagne, that -he repudiated her and married Desiderata, the Lombard princess. [27] -Hildegard accepted her trial with angelic resignation, and devoted -her life to tending pilgrims at Rome. Meantime Taland, stricken -with blindness, came to Rome in penitential pilgrimage, where he -fell under the charitable care of Hildegard. Hildegard's saintly -handling restored his sight--not only that of his bodily eyes, but -also his moral perception of truth and falsehood. In reparation for -the evil he had done, he now led her back to Charlemagne, confessed -all, and she was once more restored to favour and honour. Bregenz -has also another analogous and equally beautiful legend. One of -its later counts, Ulrich V., was supposed by his people to have -died in war in Hungary, about the year 916. Wendelgard, his wife, -devoted her widowhood to the cloistral life, but took the veil under -the condition that she should every year hold a popular festival -and distribution of alms in memory of her husband. On the fourth -anniversary, as she was distributing her bounty, a pilgrim came -forward who allowed himself the liberty of kissing the hand which -bestowed the dole. Wendelgard's indignation was changed into delight -when she recognized that the audaciously gallant pilgrim was no other -than her own lord, who, having succeeded in delivering himself from -captivity, had elected to make himself thus known to her. Salomo, -Bishop of Constance, dispensed her from her vow, and Ulrich passed -the remainder of his life at Bregenz by her side. Another celebrated -worthy of Bregenz, whose name must not be passed over, is 'Ehreguota' -or 'Ehre Guta,' a name still dear to every peasant of Vorarlberg, -and which has perpetuated itself in the appellation of Hergotha, -a favourite Christian name there to the present day. She was a poor -beggar-woman really named Guta, whose sagacity and courage delivered -her country people from an attack of the Appenzell folk, to which they -had nearly succumbed in the year 1408; it was the 'honour' paid her by -her patriotic friends that added the byname of 'Ehre,' and made them -erect a monument to her. One of the variants of the story makes her, -instead of a beggar-woman, the beautiful young bride of Count Wilhelm -of Montfort-Bregenz; some have further sought to identify her with -the goddess Epona. - -Pursuing the journey southwards towards Feldkirch, every step is full -of natural beauty and legendary interest. At first leaving Bregenz -you have to part company with Lake Constance, and leave in the right -hand distance the ruins of Castle Fussach. On the left is Riedenberg, -which, if not great architecturally, is interesting as a highly -useful institution, under the fostering care of the present Empress of -Austria, for the education of girls belonging to families of a superior -class with restricted means. From Fussach the road runs parallel to -the Rhine; there is a shorter road by Dornbirn, but less interesting, -which joins it again at Götzis, near Hohenembs. The two roads separate -before Fussach at Wolfurth, where there is an interesting chapel, -the bourne of a pilgrimage worth making if only for the view over -the lake. The country between S. John Höchst and Lustenau is much -frequented in autumn for the sake of the shooting afforded by the wild -birds which haunt its secluded recesses on the banks of the Rhine at -that season. At Lustenau there is a ferry over the Rhine. - -The favourite saints of this part of the country are Merboth, Diedo, -and Ilga--two brothers and a sister of a noble family, hermit-apostles -and martyrs of the eleventh century. Ilga established her hermit-cell -in the Schwarzenberg, just over Dornbirn, where not only all dainty -food, but even water, was wanting. The people of Dornbirn also wanted -water; and though she had not asked the boon for herself, she asked it -for her people, and obtained from the hard rock, a miraculous spring -of sparkling water which even the winter cold could not freeze. Ilga -used to fetch this water for her own use, and carry it up the mountain -paths in her apron. One day she spilt some of it on the rock near -her cell on her arrival, and see! as it touched the rock, the rock -responded to the appeal, and from out there flowed a corresponding -stream, which has never ceased to flow to this day. - -The most important and interesting spot between Bregenz and Feldkirch, -is Embs or Hohenembs, with its grand situation, its picturesque -buildings and its two ruined castles, which though distinguished as -Alt and Neu Hohenembs, do not display at first sight any very great -disparity of age; both repay a visit, but the view from Alt Hohenembs -is the finer. The virtues and bravery of the lords of Hohenembs -have been duly chronicled. James Von Embs served by the side of the -chevalier Bayard in the battle of Ravenna, and having at the first -onset received his death wound, raised himself up again to pour out -his last breath in crying to his men, 'The King of France has been -our fair ally, let us serve him bravely this day!' His grandson, -who was curiously enough christened James Hannibal, was the first -Count of Embs, and his descendants often figure in records of the -wars of the Austrian Empire, particularly in those connected with -the famous Schmalkaldischer Krieg, and are now merged in the family -of Count Harrach. - -The 'Swiss embroidery' industry here crosses the Rhine, and, in -the female gatherings which it occasions, as in the 'Filo' of the -south, many local chronicles and legends are, or at least have been, -perpetuated. - -In the parish church, I have been told by a traveller, that the -cardinal's hat of S. Charles Borromeo is preserved, though why it -should be so I cannot tell; and I think I have myself had it shown -me both at Milan and, if I mistake not, also at the church in Rome -whence he had his 'title.' - -The ascent to Neu Hohenembs has sufficient difficulty and danger for -the unpractised pedestrian to give it special interest, which the -roaring of the waterfall tends to excite. A little way beyond it the -water was formerly turned to the purpose of an Italian pescheria (or -fish-preserve for the use of the castle), which is not now very well -preserved. Further up still are the ruins of Alt Hohenembs. There are -also prettily situated sulphur baths a little way out of the town, -much frequented from June to September by the country people. It -is curious that the Jews, who have never hitherto settled in large -numbers in any part of Tirol, have here a synagogue; and I am told -that it serves for nearly a hundred families scattered over the -surrounding country, though there are not a dozen even at Innsbruck. - -All I have met with of interest between this and Feldkirch, I have -mentioned under the head of excursions from Feldkirch. - -Stretching along the bank of the Rhine to the south of Feldkirch, is -the little principality of Lichtenstein or Liechtenstein, a territory -of some three square miles and a half in extent, which yet gives its -possessor--lately by marriage made a member of English society--certain -seignorial rights. The chief industry of the people is the Swiss -embroidery. Vaduz, its chief town, is situated in its centre, and above -it, in the midst of a thick wood, is the somewhat imposing and well -kept up castle of Lichtenstein. Further south, overhanging the Rhine, -is Schloss Gutenberg, and beyond, a remarkable warm sulphur spring, -which runs only in summer, at a temperature of 98° to 100° Fahrenheit; -it is crowded by Swiss and Tiroleans from June to September, though -unknown to the rest of the world. [28] It was discovered in the -year 1240 by a chamois-hunter, and was soon after taken in charge -by a colony of Benedictine monks, established close by at Pfäffers, -who continued to entertain those who visited it until it was taken -possession of by the Communal Council of Chur, and the monastery -turned into a poor-house. The country round it is exceedingly wild and -romantic, and there is a celebrated ravine called the Tamina-Schlund, -of so-called immeasurable depth, where at certain hours of a sunny -day a wonderful play of light is to be observed. Pfäffers is just -outside the boundary of Tirol; the actual boundary line is formed by -the Rhætian Alps, which are traversed by a pass called Luziensteig, -after St. Lucius, 'first Christian king of Britain,' who, tradition -says, preached the gospel to Lichtenstein. [29] The road from Feldkirch -to Innsbruck first runs along the Illthal, which between Feldkirch -and Bludenz is also called the Wallgau, and merges at Bludenz into -the Walserthal on the left or north side. On the right or south side -are the Montafonthal, Klosterthal, and Silberthal. - -Soon after leaving Feldkirch the mountains narrow upon the road, -which crosses the Ill at Felsenau, forming what is called the gorge -of the Ill, near Frastanz. Round this terrible pass linger memories -of one of the direst struggles for independence the Tiroleans ever -waged. In 1499 the Swiss hosts were shown the inlet, through the -mountains that so well protect Tirol, by a treacherous peasant -whom their gold had bought. [30] A little shepherd lad seeing them -advance, in his burning desire to save his country, blew such a call -to arms upon his horn that he never desisted till he had blown all -the breath out of his little body. The subsequent battle was fierce -and determined; and when it slackened from loss of men, the women -rushed in and fought with the bravest. So earnestly was the cause of -those who fell felt to be the cause of all, that even to the present -time the souls of those who were slain that day are remembered in -the prayers said as the procession nears the spot when blessing -the fields on Rogation-Wednesday. On the heights above Valduna -are the striking ruins of a convent of Poor Clares, one of those -abandoned at the fiat of Joseph II. It was founded on occasion of -a hermit declaring he had often seen a beautiful angel sitting and -singing enchantingly on the peak. Below is a tiny lake, which lends -an additional charm to the tranquil beauty of the spot. The patron -saint of the Walserthal is St. Joder or Theodul (local renderings of -Theodoric), and his legend is most fantastic. St. Joder went to Rome -to see the Pope; the Pope, in commendation of his zeal, gave him a -fine bell for his church. Homewards went St. Joder with his bell, -but when he came to the mountains it was more than he could manage, -to drag the bell after him. What did he then do? He bethought him -that he had, by his prayers and exorcisms, conjured the devil out -of the valley where he had preached the faith, so why should not -prayer and exorcism conjure him to carry the bell for the service of -his faithful flock? If St. Joder's faith did not remove mountains it -removed the obstacles they presented, and many a bit of rude carving -in mountain chapels throughout the Walserthal shows a youthful saint, -in rich episcopal vestments, leading by a chain, like a showman his -bear, the arch enemy of souls, crouched and sweating under the weight -of the bell whose holy tones are to sound his own ban. [31] - -Bludenz retains some picturesque remnants of its old buildings. It -belonged to the Counts of Sonnenberg, and hence it is said that it -is often called by that name; but it is perhaps more probable that -the height above Bludenz was called Sonnenberg, in contrast with -Schattenberg, above Feldkirch, and that its lords derived their name -from it. The story of the fidelity of Bludenz to Friedrich mit der -leeren Tasche, I have narrated in another place. [32] - -The valley of Montafon has for its arms the cross keys of St. Peter, -in memory of a traditionary but anachronistic journey of Pope John -XXIII. to the Council of Constance, in 1414. [33] In memory of the -same journey a joy-peal is rung on every Wednesday throughout the year. - -A little way south of Bludenz, down the Montafon valley, is a -chapel on a little height called S. Anton, covering the spot where -tradition says was once a mighty city called Prazalanz, destroyed by an -avalanche. Near here is a tiny stream, of which the peasants tell the -following story:--They say up the mountain lives a beautiful maiden, -set to guard a treasure, and she can only be released when some one -will thrice kiss a loathsome toad, [34] which has its place on the -cover of the treasury, and the maiden feels assured no one will ever -make the venture. She weeps evermore, and they call this streamlet the -'Trächnabächle'--the Tear-rill. - -The valley of Montafon is further celebrated for its production -of kirschwasser. - -Opposite Dalaas is a striking peak, attaining an elevation of some -5,000 feet, called the Christberg. On the opposite side to Dalaas is -a chapel of St. Agatha; in the days of the silver mining of Tirol, in -the fifteenth century, silver was found in this neighbourhood. On one -occasion a landslip imprisoned a number of miners in their workings. In -terror at their threatened death, they vowed that if help reached -them in time, they would build a chapel on the spot to commemorate -their deliverance. Help did reach them, and they kept their vow. The -chapel is built into the living rock where this occurred, and a grey -mark on the rock is pointed out as a supernatural token which cannot -be effaced, to remind the people of the deliverance that took place -there. It is reached from Dalaas by a terribly steep and rugged path, -running over the Christberg, near the summit of which may be found, -by those whom its hardships do not deter, another chapel, or wayside -shrine, consisting of an image of the Blessed Virgin under a canopy, -with an alcoved seat beneath it for the votary to rest in, called -'Das Bruederhüsle,' and this is the reason of its name:--The wife -of a Count Tanberg gave birth to a dead child; in the fulness of -their faith, the parents mourned that to the soul of their little -one Christian baptism had been denied, more than the loss of their -offspring. In pursuance of a custom then in vogue in parts of Tirol, -if not elsewhere, the Count sent the body of the infant to be laid on -the altar of St. Joseph, in the parish church, in the hope that at the -intercession of the fosterfather of the Saviour it might revive for -a sufficient interval to receive the sacrament of admission into the -Christian family. The servant, however, instead of carrying his burden -to the church at Schruns (in Montafonthal), finding himself weary by -the time he had climbed up the Christberg, dug a grave, and buried -it instead. The next year there was another infant, also born dead; -this time the Count determined to carry it himself to the church, -and by the time he had toiled to the same spot he too was weary, -and sat down to rest. As he sat he heard a little voice crying from -under the ground, 'ätti, nüm mi' ô met!' [35] The Count turned up the -soil, and found the body of his last year's infant. Full of joy he -carried both brothers to the altar of St. Joseph, at Schruns; here, -continues the legend, his prayer went up before the divine throne; -both infants gave signs of life before devout witnesses; baptism could -be validly administered, and they, laid to rest in holy ground. [36] - -After Dalaas the road assumes a character of real grandeur, both as an -engineering work and as a study of nature. The size of the telegraph -poles alone (something like fourteen inches in diameter) gives an idea -of the sort of storms the road is built to resist; so do the veritable -fortifications, erected here and there, to protect it from avalanches. - -The summit (6,218 ft.) of the Arlberg, whence the province has its -name--and which in turn is named from Schloss Arlen, the ruins of which -are to be observed from the road--is marked by a gigantic crucifix, -overhanging the road. An inscription cut in the rock records that -it was opened for traffic (after three hard years of labour) on -St. James's day, 1787; but a considerable stretch of the road now -used was made along a safer and more sheltered pass in 1822-4, when -a remarkable viaduct called the Franzensbrücke was built. Two posts, -striped with the local colours, near the crucifix above-named, mark -the boundary of Vorarlberg and Oberinnthal. As we pass them we should -take leave of Vorarlberg; but it may be convenient to mention in this -place some few of the more salient of the many points of interest on -the onward road to Innsbruck. - -The opening of the Stanzerthal, indeed, on which the road is carried, -seems to belong of right to Vorarlberg, for its first post-halt -of S. Christof came into existence through the agency of a poor -foundling boy of that province, who was so moved by the sufferings -of travellers at his date (1386), that he devoted his life to their -service, and by begging collected money to found the nucleus of -the hospice and brotherhood of S. Christof, which lasted till the -time of Joseph II. The pass at its highest part is free from snow -only from the beginning of July to September, and in the depth -of winter it accumulates to a height of twenty feet. The church -contains considerable remains of the date of its founder, Heinrich -das Findelkind; of this date, or not much later, must be the gigantic -statue of S. Christopher, patron of wayfarers. - -The Stanzerthal, without being less grand, presents a much more smiling -prospect than that traversed during the later part of the journey -through Vorarlberg. The waters of the Rosanna and the Trisanna flow -by the way; the mountains stretch away in the distance, in every hue -of brilliant colouring; the whole landscape is studded with villages -clustering round their church steeples, while Indian-corn-fields, -fruit-gardens in which the barberry holds no insignificant place, -and vast patches of a deep-tinted wild flora, fill up the picture. - -At Schloss Wiesburg is the opening into the Patznaunthal, the chief -village of which is Ischgl, where the custom I have heard of in other -parts of Tirol, and also in Brittany, prevails, of preserving the -skulls of the dead in an open vault in the churchyard, with their -names painted on them. Nearly opposite it, off the left side of the -road lies Grüns or Grins, so called because it affords a bright green -patch amid the grey of the rocks. It was a more important place in -mediæval times, for the road then ran beside it; the bridge with its -pointed arches dates from the year 1639. Margareta Maultasch, with -whose place in Tirolese history we must make acquaintance further on, -had a house here which still contains some curious mural paintings. - -Landeck [37] is an important thriving little town, with the Inn flowing -through its midst. It has two fine remains of ancient castles: Schloss -Landeck, now used partly as a hospice; and Schloss Schrofenstein, -of difficult access, haunted by a knight, who gave too ready ear -to the calumnies of a rejected suitor of his wife, and must wander -round its precincts wringing his fettered hands and crying 'Woe!' On -the slope of the hill crowned by Schloss Landeck stands the parish -church. Its first foundation dates from the fifteenth century, when -a Landecker named Henry and his wife Eva, having lost their two -children in a forest, on vowing a church in honour of the Blessed -Virgin, met a bear and a wolf each carrying one of the children -tenderly on its back. It has a double-bulbed tower of much later -date, and it was restored with considerable care a few years back; -but many important parts remain in their original condition, including -some early sculpture. In the churchyard are two important monuments, -one dating from the fifteenth century, of Oswald Y. Schrofenstein; -the other, a little gothic chapel, consecrated on August 22, 1870, -in memory of the Landeck contingent of the Tirolean sharpshooters, -who assisted in defending the borders of Wälsch-Tirol in 1866. [38] -About two or three miles from Landeck there is a celebrated waterfall, -at a spot called Letz. - -Imst was formerly celebrated for its breed of canary-birds, which -its townsmen used to carry all over Europe. The church contains a -votive tablet, put up by some of them on occasion of being saved from -shipwreck in the Mediterranean. It has a good old inn, once a knightly -palace. From Imst the Pitzthal branches southwards; but concerning -it I have not space to enlarge, as the more interesting excursion -to Füssen, on the Bavarian frontier, must not be passed over. The -pleasantest way of making this excursion is to engage a carriage for -the whole distance at Imst, but a diligence or 'Eilwagen,' running -daily between Innsbruck and Füssen, may be met at Nassereit, some -three miles along the Gunglthal. At Nassereit I will pause a moment -to mention a circumstance, bearing on the question of the formation -of legends, which seemed to take considerable hold on the people, -and was narrated to me with a manifest impression of belief in the -supernatural. There was a pilgrimage from a place called Biberwier -to a shrine of the Virgin, at Dormiz, on August 10, 1869. It was -to gain the indulgence of the Vatican Council, and the priest of -Biberwier in exhorting his people to treat it entirely as a matter of -penance, and not as a party of pleasure, had made use of a figure of -speech bidding them not to trust themselves to the bark of worldly -pleasure, for, he assured them, it had many holes in it, and would -swamp them instead of bearing them on to the joys of heaven. Four -of the men, however, persisted in disregarding his warning, and in -combining a trip to the Fernsee, one of two romantically situated -mountain lakes overlooked by the ancient castle of Sigmundsburg, on -a promontory running into it and with its Wirthshaus 'auf dem Fern' -forming a favourite though difficult pleasure-excursion. The weather -was treacherous; the boat was swamped in the squall which ensued, -and all four men were drowned. From Nassereit also is generally made -the ascent of the Tschirgants, the peak which has constantly formed -a remarkable feature in the landscape all the way from Arlberg. - -The road to Füssen passes by Sigmundsburg, Fernsee and Biberwier -mentioned in the preceding narrative also the beautiful Blendsee and -Mittersee (accessible only to the pedestrian) or rather the by-paths -leading to them. Leermoos is the next place passed,--a straggling, -inconsiderable hamlet, but affording a pleasing incident in the -landscape, when, after passing it, the steep road winds back upon it -and reveals it again far far below you. It is, however, quite possible -to put up for a night with the accommodation afforded by the Post inn, -and by this means one of the most justly celebrated natural beauties -may be enjoyed, in the sunset effects produced by the lighting up of -the Zugspitzwand. - -Next is Lähn, whose situation disposes one to believe the tradition -that it has its name from the avalanches (Lawinen, locally contracted -into Lähne) by which the valley is frequently visited, and chiefly -from a terrible one, in the fifteenth century, which destroyed the -village, till then called Mitterwald. A carrier who had been wont to -pass that way, struck with compassion at the desolation of the place, -aided in providing the surviving inhabitants to rebuild their chapel, -and tradition fables of him that they were aided by an angel. The -road opens out once more as we approach Heiterwang; there is also a -post-road hence to Ammergau; here, a small party may put up at the -Rossl, for the sake of visiting the Plansee, the second largest lake -of Tirol, on the right (east) of the road; on the left is the opening -of the Lechthal, a difficult excursion even to the most practised -pedestrian. For those who study convenience the Plansee may be better -visited from Reutte. - -After Heiterwang the rocks close in again on the road as we pass -through the Ehrenberger Klause, celebrated again and again through -the pages of Tirolese history, from the very earliest times, for -heroic defences; its castle is an important and beautiful ruin; -and so the road proceeds to Reutte, Füssen, and the much visited -Lustschloss of Schwangau; but as these are in Bavaria I must not -occupy my Tirolese pages with them, but mention only the Mangtritt, -the boundary pass, where a cross stands out boldly against the sky, -in memory of S. Magnus, the apostle of these valleys. The devil, -furious at the success of the saint with his conversion of the heathen -inhabitants, sent a tribe of wild and evil men, says one version of -the legend, a formidable dragon according to another, to exterminate -him; he was thus driven to the narrow glen where the fine post-road -now runs between the rocks beside the roaring Lech. Nothing daunted, -the saint sprang across to the opposite rock whither his adversaries, -who had no guardian angels' wings to 'bear them up', durst not -pursue him; it is a curious fact for the comparative mythologist -that the same pass bears also the name of Jusulte (Saltus Julii) -and the tradition that Julius Cæsar performed a similar feat here on -horseback. Near it is a poor little inn, called 'the White House,' -where local vintages may be tasted. - -Reutte has two inns; the Post and Krone, and from it more excursions -may be made than I have space to chronicle. That to Breitenwang is -an easy one; a house here is pointed out as having been built on the -spot where stood a poor hut which gave shelter in his last moments -to Lothair II. 'the Saxon' overtaken by death on his return journey -from the war in Italy, 1137; what remained of the old materials -having been conscientiously worked into the building, down to the -most insignificant spar; a tablet records the event. The church, -a Benedictine foundation of the twelfth century, was rebuilt in the -seventeenth, and contains many specimens of what Tirolese artists -can do in sculpture, wood-carving, and painting. A quaint chapel in -the churchyard has a representation in stucco of the 'Dance of Death.' - -The country between this and the Plansee is called the Achenthal, -fortunately distinguished by local mispronounciation as the Archenthal -from the better known (though not deservingly so) Achenthal, which -we shall visit later. The Ache or Arche affords several water-falls, -the most important of them, the Stuibfall, is nearly a hundred feet -in height, and on a bright evening a beautiful 'iris' may be seen -enthroned in its foam. - -At the easternmost extremity of the Plansee, to be reached either by -pleasure boat or mountain path, near the little border custom-house, -the Kaiser-brunnen flows into the lake, so called because its cool -waters once afforded a refreshing drink to Ludwig of Brandenberg, -when out hunting: a crucifix marks the spot. There is also a chapel -erected at the end of the 17th century, in consequence of some local -vow, containing a picture of the 'Vierzehn Nothhelfer;' and as the -so-called 'Fourteen Helpers in Need' are a favourite devotion all over -North-Tirol I may as well mention their legend here at our first time -of meeting them. The story is that on the feast of the Invention of the -Cross, 1445, a shepherd-boy named Hermann, serving the Cistercian monks -of Langheim (some thirty miles south of Mayence) was keeping sheep -on a farm belonging to them in Frankenthal not far from Würtzburg, -when he heard a child's voice crying to him out of the long grass; he -turned round and saw a beautiful infant with two tapers burning before -it, who disappeared as he approached. On the vigil of S. Peter in the -following year Hermann saw the same vision repeated, only this time the -beautiful infant was surrounded by a court of fourteen other children, -who told him they were the 'Vierzehn Nothelfer,' and that he was to -build a chapel to them. The monks refused to believe Hermann's story, -but the popular mind connected it with a devotion which was already -widespread, and by the year 1448 the mysteriously ordered chapel -was raised, and speedily became a place of pilgrimage. This chapel -has been constantly maintained and enlarged and has now grown into a -considerable church; and the devotion to the 'Fourteen Helpers in Need' -spread over the surrounding country with the usual rapid spread of a -popular devotion. [39] The chief remaining points of interest in the -further journey to Innsbruck, taking it up where we diverged from it -at Nassereit, are mentioned later in my excursions for Innsbruck. - -Before closing my chapter on Vorarlberg I must put on record, as -a warning to those who may choose to thread its pleasant valleys, -a laughable incident which cut short my first attempt to penetrate -into Tirol by its means. Our line of route I have already named. [40] -Our start was in the most genial of August weather; our party not -only harmonious, but humorously inclined; all our stages were full of -interest and pleasure, and their memory glances at me reproachfully -as I pass them over in rigid obedience to the duty of adhering to my -programme. But no, I must devote a word of gratitude to the friendly -Swiss people, and their kindly hospitable manners on all occasions. The -pretty bathing establishments on the lakes, where the little girls -go in on their way to school, and swim about as elegantly as if the -water were their natural element; the wonderful roofs of Aarau; -its late-flowering pomegranates; and the clear delicious water, -tumbling along its narrow bed down the centre of all the streets, -where we stop to taste of the crystal brook, using the hollow of our -hands, pilgrim fashion, and the kind people more than once come out -of their houses to offer us glasses and chairs! - -I must bestow, too, another line of record on the charming village -of Rorschach, the little colony of Catholics in the midst of a -Protestant canton. Its delicious situation on the Boden-see; our -row over the lake by moonlight, where we are nearly run down by one -of the steamers perpetually crossing it in all directions, while our -old boatman pours out and loses himself in the mazes of his legendary -lore; the strange effect of interlacing moonbeams, interspersed by -golden rays from the sanct lamps with Turner-like effect, seen through -the open grated door of the church; the grotesque draped skeletons -supporting the roof of one of the chapels, Caryatid fashion and the -rustic procession on the early morning of the Assumption. - -So far all had gone passing well; my first misgiving arose when -I saw the factotum of the Oberriet station eye our luggage, the -provision of four English winterers in Rome, and a look of embarrassed -astonishment dilate his stolid German countenance. It was evident that -when he engaged himself as ticket-clerk, porter, 'and everyting,' -he never contemplated such a pile of boxes being ever deposited at -his station. We left him wrapt in his earnest gaze, and walked on -to see what help we could get in the village. It was a collection -of a half-dozen cottages, picturesque in their utter uncivilization, -clustered round an inn of some pretensions. The host had apparently -heard of the depth of English purses, and was delighted to make his -premières armes in testing their capacity. Of course there was 'no -arguing with the master of' the only horses to whose assistance we -had to look for carrying us beyond the mountains, which now somehow -struck us as much more plainly marked on the map than we had noticed -before. His price had to be ours, and his statement of the distance, -about double the reality, had to be accepted also. His stud was soon -displayed before us. Three rather tired greys were brought in from -the field, and made fast (or rather loose) with ropes to a waggon, -on which our formidable Gepäck was piled, and took their start with -funeral solemnity. An hour later a parcel of boys had succeeded in -capturing a wild colt destined to assist his venerable parent in -transporting ourselves in a 'shay,' of the Gilpin type, and to which -we managed to hang on with some difficulty, the wild-looking driver -good-naturedly volunteering to run by the side. - -Off we started with the inevitable thunder of German whip-cracking -and German imprecations on the cattle, sufficient for the first -twenty paces to astonish the colt into propriety. No sooner had we -reached the village boundary, however, than he seemed to guess for the -first time that he had been entrapped into bondage. With refreshing -juvenile buoyancy he instantly determined to show us his indomitable -spirit. Resisting all efforts of his companion in harness to proceed, -he suddenly made such desperate assault and battery with his hind -legs, that one or two of the ropes were quickly snapped, the Jehu -sent sprawling in the ditch on one side, and the travelling bags on -the other; so that, but for the staid demeanour of the old mare, -we should probably in two minutes more have been 'nowhere.' Hans -was on his feet again in an instant, like the balanced mannikins of -a bull-fight, and to knot the ropes and make a fresh start required -only a minute more; but another and another exhibition of the colt's -pranks decided us to trust to our own powers of locomotion. - -A bare-footed, short-petticoated wench, who astonished us by proving -that her rough hands could earn her livelihood at delicate 'Swiss' -embroidery, and still more by details of the small remuneration that -contented her, volunteered to pilot us through the woods where we -had quite lost our way; and finding our luggage van waiting on the -banks of the Rhine for the return of the ferry, we crossed with it -and walked by its side for the rest of the distance. - -Our road lay right across the Ardetzen, a basin of pasture enclosed by -a magnificent circuit of mountains,--behind us the distant eminences -of Appenzell, before us the great Rhætian Alps, and at their base -a number of smiling villages each with its green spire scarcely -detaching from the verdant slopes behind. The undertaking, pleasant -and bright at first, grew weary and anxious as the sun descended, -and the mountains of Appenzell began to throw their long shadow over -the lowland we were traversing, and yet the end was not reached. At -last the strains of an organ burst upon our ears, lights from latticed -windows diapered our path, and a train of worshippers poured past us -to join in the melodies of the Church, sufficiently large to argue that -our stopping-place was attained. We cast about to find the Gasthof zur -Post to which we were bound, but all in vain, there was no rest for us. - -Here indeed, Feldkirch fuit, but here it was no more. In the year 909, -the Counts of Montfort built themselves a castle on the neighbouring -height of Schattenburg, (so called because the higher eminences around -shade it from the sun till late in the morning,) and lured away the -people from this pristine Feldkirch to settle themselves round the -foot of their fortress. Some of the original inhabitants still clung -to the old place, and its old Church of St. Peter, that very church -whose earlier foundations, some say, were laid by monks from Britain, -S. Columban and St. Gall, who, when the people were oppressed by their -Frankish masters, came and lived among them, and by their preaching -and their prayers rekindled the light of religion, working out at the -same time their political relief; the former subsequently made his way, -shedding blessings as he went, on to Italy, where he died at the age -of ninety, in 615; the latter founded, and ended his days at the age -of ninety-five, in the famous monastery which has given his name to -the neighbouring Swiss Canton. - -The descendants of this remnant have kept up the original settlement -to this day with the name of Altenstadt, while the first built street -of the present thriving town of Feldkirch still retains its appellation -of the Neustadt. - -It seemed a long stretch ere we again came upon an inhabited spot, -but this time there was no mistake. All around were the signs of a -prosperous centre, the causeways correctly laid out, new buildings -rising on every side, and--I am fain to add--the church dark and -closed; in place of the train of worshippers of unsophisticated -Altenstadt, one solitary figure in mourning weeds was kneeling in -the moonlight at a desk such as we often see placed under a cross -against the outer wall of churches in Germany. - -Before five next morning I was awakened by the pealing organ and -hearty voices of the Feldkirch peasants at Mass in the church just -opposite my window. I dressed hastily, and descended to take my place -among them. It was a village festival and Mass succeeded Mass at each -of the gaily decorated altars, and before them assembled groups in -quaint costumes from far and near. [41] As each half hour struck, a -bell sounded, and a relic was brought round to the high altar rails, -all the women in the church going up first, and then all the men, -to venerate it. - -Our first care of the day was to engage our carriage for Innsbruck. We -were at the Post hotel, and had the best chance there; for besides its -own conveyances, there were those of the post-office, which generally -in Germany afford great convenience. Not one was there, however, that -would undertake our luggage over the mountain roads. The post-master -and his men all declared that at every winding of the passes there -would be too great risk of overturning the vehicle. It was in vain -we argued that the same amount had often accompanied us over higher -mountains in Italy; it was clear they were not prepared for it. There -was a service for heavy goods by which it could be sent; there was no -other way, and they did not advise that. They could not ensure any due -care being taken of it, or that it should reach within three or four -weeks. Four or five hours spent in weighing, measuring, arranging, -and arguing, advanced our cause not a whit; there was no plan to be -adopted but to return by Oberriet to Rorschach, cross lake Constance -to Lindau, and make our way round by Augsburg, Munich, and Rosenheim! - -It was with great reluctance we relinquished the cherished project. Our -now hated luggage deposited in a waggon, as the day before, we mounted -our rather more presentable, and certainly better horsed vehicle, -in no cheerful mood, for, besides the disappointment, there was the -mortification which always attaches to a failed project and retraced -steps. - -'The Herrschaften are not in such bright spirits as the sun -to-day!' exclaimed our driver, when, finally tired of cracking his -whip and shouting to his horses, he found we still sat silent and -crest-fallen. He wore the jauntiest costume to be found in Europe, -after that of his Hungarian confrère, a short postilion jacket, -bound and trimmed with yellow lace, a horn slung across his breast -by a bright yellow cord, and a hat shining like looking-glass cocked -on one side of his head, while his face expressed everything that is -pleasant and jovial. - -'How can one be anything but out of spirits when one is crossed by -such a stupid set as the people of your town? Why, there is no part -of Europe in which they will even believe it possible!' - -'Well, you see they don't understand much, about here,' he replied, -with an air of superiority, for he was a travelled postilion, as he -took care to let us know. 'In Italy they manage better; they tie the -luggage on behind, or underneath, where it is safe enough. Here they -have only one idea--to stick it on the top, and in that way a carriage -may be easily upset at a sharp turn. You cannot drive any new idea -into these fellows; it is like an echo between their own mountains, -whatever is once there, goes on and on and on.' I showed him the -map, and traced before him the difference in the length of the route -we should have taken and that we had now to pursue. I don't think -he had ever understood a map before, for he seemed vastly pleased -at the compliment paid to his intelligence. 'Ah!' he exclaimed, -'if we could always go as the crow flies, how quickly we should get -to our journey's end; or if we had the Stase-Sattel, as they used to -have--wasn't that fine!' - -'The Stase-Sattel,' I replied, 'what is that?' - -'What! don't you know about the Stase-Sattel--at that place, Bludenz, -there,' and he pointed to it on the map, 'where you were telling me -you wanted to have gone, there used to live an old woman named Stase, -and folk said she was a witch. She had a wonderful saddle, on to which -she used to set herself when she wanted anything, and it used to fly -with her ever so high, and quicker than a bird. One day the reapers -were in a field cooking their mess, and they had forgotten to bring -any salt--and hupf! quick! before the pot had begun to boil she had -flown off on her saddle to the salt-mines at Hall, beyond Innsbruck, -and back with salt enough to pickle an ox. Another time there was -a farmer who had been kind to her, whose crops were failing for the -drought. She no sooner heard of his distress than up she flew in her -saddle and swept all the clouds together with her broom till there -was enough to make a good rainfall. Another time, a boy who had been -sent with a message by his master to the next village had wasted all -the day in playing and drinking with her; towards dusk he bethought -himself that the gates would be shut and the dogs let loose, so that -it was a chance if he reached the house alive. But she told him not -to mind, and taking him up on her saddle, she carried him up through -the air and set him down at home before the sun was an inch lower.' - -'And what became of her?' I inquired. - -'Became of her! why, she went the way of all such folk. They go on -for a time, but God's hand overtakes them at the last. One day she -was on one of her wild errands, and it was a Fest-tag to boot. Her -course took her exactly over a church spire, and just as she passed, -the Wandlung bell [42] tolled. The sacred sound tormented her so that -she lost her seat and fell headlong to the ground. When they came out -of church they found her lying a shapeless mass upon the stone step -of the churchyard cross. Her enchanted saddle was long kept in the -Castle of Landeck--maybe it is there yet; and even now when we want -to tell one to go quickly on an errand, we say, "Fly on the saddle -of Dame Stase."' - -'You have had many such folk about here,' I observed seriously, -with the view of drawing him out. - -'Well, yes, they tell many such tales,' he answered; 'and if they're -not true, they at least serve to keep alive the faith that God is -over us all, and that the evil one has no more power than just -what He allows. There's another story they tell, just showing -that,' he continued. 'Many years ago there was a peasant (and he -lived near Bludenz too) who had a great desire to have a fine large -farm-house. He worked hard, and put his savings by prudently; but it -wouldn't do, he never could get enough. One day, in an evil hour, he -let his great desire get the better of him, and he called the devil -in dreiteufelsnamen [43] to his assistance. It was not, you see, -a deliberate wickedness--it was all in a moment, like. But the devil -came, and didn't give him time to reflect. "I know what you want," he -said; "you shall have your house and your barns and your hen-house, -and all complete, this very night, without costing you a penny; -but when you have enjoyed it long enough, your old worn-out carcass -shall belong to me." The good peasant hesitated; and the devil, -finding it necessary to add another bait, ran on: "And what is more, -I'll go so far as to say that if every stone is not complete by the -first cock-crow, I'll strike out even this condition, and you shall -have it out and out." The peasant was dazzled with the prospect, -and could not bring himself all at once to refuse the accomplishment -of his darling hope. The devil shook him by the hand as a way of -clenching the bargain, and disappeared. - -'The peasant went home more alarmed than rejoiced, and full of fear -above all that his wife should inquire the meaning of all the hammering -and blustering and running hither and thither which was to be heard -going on in the homestead, for she was a pious God-fearing woman. - -'He remained dumb to all her inquiries, hour after hour through the -night; but at last, towards morning, his courage failed him, and he -told her all. She, like a good wife, gave back no word of reproach, -but cast about to find a remedy. First she considered that he had done -the thing thoughtlessly and rashly, and then she ascertained that at -last he had given no actual consent. Finally, deciding matters were -not as bad as might be, she got up, and bid him leave the issue to her. - -'First she knelt down and commended herself and her undertaking to -God and His holy saints; then in the small hours, when the devil's -work was nearly finished, she took her lamp and spread out the wick -so that it should give its greatest glare, and poured fresh oil upon -it, and went out with a basket of grain to feed the hens. The cock, -seeing the bright light and the good wife with her basket of food, -never doubted but that it was morning, and springing up, he flapped -his wings, and crowed with all his might. At that very moment the -devil himself was coming by with the last roof-stone. [44] At the -sound of the premature cock-crow he was so much astonished that he -didn't know which way to turn, and sank into the ground bearing the -stone still in his hand. - -'The house belonged to the peasant by every right, but no stone could -ever be made to stay on the vacant space. This inconvenience was -the penance he had to endure for the desperate game he had played, -and he took it cheerfully, and when the rain came in he used to kiss -his good wife in gratitude for the more terrible chastisement from -which she had saved him.' - -The jaunty postilion whipped the horses on as he thus brought his story -to a close, or rather cracked his whip in the air till the mountains -resounded with it, for he had slackened speed while telling his tale, -and the day was wearing on. - -'We must take care and not be late for the train,' he observed. 'The -Herrschaften have had enough of the inn of Oberriet, and don't want -to have to spend a night there, and we have no Vorarlberger-geist to -speed us now-a-days.' - -'Who was he?' I inquired eagerly. - -'I suppose you know that all this country round about here is called -the Vorarlberg, and in olden time there was a spirit that used to -wander about helping travellers all along its roads. When they were -benighted, it used to go before them with a light; when they were in -difficulties, it used to procure them aid; if one lost his way, it -used to direct him aright; till one day a poor priest came by who had -been to administer a distant parishioner. His way had lain now over -bog, now over torrent-beds. In the roughness of the way the priest's -horse had cast a shoe. A long stretch of road lay yet before him, -but no forge was near. Suddenly the Vorarlberger-geist came out of -a cleft in the rock, silently set to work and shod the horse, and -passed on its way as usual with a sigh. - -'"Vergeltsgott!" [45] cried the priest after it. - -'"God be praised!" exclaimed the spirit. "Now am I at last set -free. These hundred years have I served mankind thus, and till now -no man has performed this act of gratitude, the condition of my -release." And since this time it has never been seen again.' - -We had now once more reached the banks of the Rhine. The driver of -the luggage van held the ferry in expectation of us, and with its -team it was already stowed on board. Our horses were next embarked, -and then ourselves, as we sat, perched on the carriage. A couple -of rough donkeys, a patriarchal goat, and half-a-dozen wild-looking -half-clothed peasants, made up a freight which seemed to tax the powers -of the crazy barge to the utmost; and as the three brawny ferrymen -pulled it dexterously along the guide rope, the waters of the here -broad and rapid river rose some inches through the chinks. All went -well, however, and in another half-hour we were again astonishing -the factotum of the Oberriet station with a vision of the 'Gepäck' -which had puzzled him so immensely the day before. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -NORTH-TIROL--UNTERINNTHAL (RIGHT-INN BANK). - -KUFSTEIN TO ROTTENBURG. - - - ... 'Peasant of the Alps, - Thy humble virtues, hospitable home, - And spirit patient, pious, proud, and free; - Thy self-respect, grafted on innocent thoughts; - Thy days of health, thy nights of sleep, thy toil - By danger dignified, yet guiltless; hopes - Of cheerful old age, and then a quiet grave - With cross and garland over its green turf, - And thy grandchildren's love for epitaph, - This do I see!...' - - Byron (Manfred). - - -When, after our forced détour, we next penetrated into Tirol, it -was by the way of Kufstein. Ruffled as we had been in the meantime -by Bavarian 'Rohheit,' we were glad to find ourselves again in the -hands of the gentle Tirolese. - -Kufstein, however, is not gentle in appearance. Its vast fortress -seems to shed a stifling gloom over the whole place; it looks so -hard and selfish and tyrannical, that you long to get away from its -influence. Noble hearts from honest Hungary have pined away within its -cold strong grasp; and many a time, as my sketch-book has been turned -over by Magyar friends, the page which depicted its outline--for it -wears a grand and gallant form, such as the pencil cannot resist--has -raised a deep sigh over the 'trauriges Andenken' it served to call -up. [46] - -When Margaretha Maultasch ceded the country she found herself unable -to govern, to Austria at the earnest request of her people, in 1363, -it was stipulated that Kufstein, Kitzbühel, and Rattenberg, which had -been added to it by her marriage with Louis of Bradenburg, should -revert to Bavaria. These three dependencies were recovered by the -Emperor Maximilian in 1504, the two latter accepting his allegiance -gladly, the former holding out stoutly against him. The story of -the reduction of this stronghold is almost a stain on his otherwise -prudent and prosperous reign. - -Pienzenau, its commander, who was in the Bavarian interest, had -particularly excited his ire by setting his men to sweep away with -brooms the traces of the small damage which had been effected by -his cannon, placed at too great a distance to do more than graze the -massive walls. Philip von Recenau, Regent of Innsbruck, meantime cast -two enormous field-pieces, which received the names of Weckauf and -Purlepaus. These entirely turned the tide of affairs. Chronicles of -the time do not mention their calibre, but declare that their missiles -not only pierced the 'fourteen feet-thick wall' through and through, -but entered a foot and a half into the living rock. Pienzenau's -heart misgave him when he saw the work of these destructive engines, -and hastened to send in his submission to the Emperor; but it was -too late. 'So he is in a hurry to throw away his brooms at last, -is he?' cried Maximilian. 'But he should have done it before. He has -allowed the wall of this noble castle to be so disgracefully shattered, -that he can make no amends but by giving up his own carcass to the -same fate.' - -No entreaty could move the Emperor from carrying out this chastisement, -and some five-and-twenty of the principal men who had held out against -him were condemned to be beheaded on the spot. When eleven had fallen -before the headsman's sword, Erich, Duke of Brunswick, sickening at -the scene of blood, pleaded so earnestly with the Emperor, that he -obtained the pardon of the rest. The eleven were buried by the pious -country-people in a common grave; and who will may yet tread the ground -where their remains rest in a little chapel built over their grave -at Ainliff (dialectic for eleven), on the other side of the river Inn. - -Its situation near the frontier has made it the scene of other sieges, -of which none is more endeared to Tiroleans than that of 1809, when -the patriot Speckbacher distinguished himself by many a dauntless deed. - -If Kufstein has long had a truce to these stirring memories, many -a fantastic story has floated out of it concerning the prisoners -harboured there, even of late years. The Hungarian patriot brigand, -Rocsla Sandor (Andrew Roshla), who won by his unscrupulous daring quite -a legendary place in popular story, was long confined here. He was -finally tried and condemned (but I think not executed) at Szeghedin, -in July 1870; 454 other persons were included in the same trial, -of whom 234 under homicidal charges; 100 homicides were laid to his -charge alone, but there is no doubt that his services to the popular -cause, at the same time that they condoned some of his excesses, in -the popular judgment may have disposed the authorities to exaggerate -the charges against him. The whole story is fantastic, and even in -Kufstein, where he was almost an alien, there was admiration and -sympathy underlying the shudder with which the people spoke of him. A -much more interesting and no less romantic narrative, was told me of a -Hungarian political prisoner, who formed the solitary instance of an -escape from the stony walls of the fortress. His lady-love--and she -was a lady by birth--with the heroic instincts of a Hungarian maiden, -having with infinite difficulty made out where he was confined, -followed him hither in peasant disguise, and with invincible -perseverance succeeded, first in engaging herself as servant to the -governor and then in conveying every day to her lover, in his soup, -a hank of hemp. With this he twisted a rope and got safely away; -and this occurred not more than six or seven years ago. - -St. Louis's day fell while we were at Kufstein--the name-day of the -King of Bavaria; and being the border town, the polite Tiroleans -make a complimentary fête of it. There was a grand musical Mass, -which the officers from the Bavarian frontier attended, and a modest -banquet was offered them after it. The peasants put on their holiday -attire--passable enough as far as the men are concerned, but consisting -mainly on the women's behalf in an ugly black cloth square-waisted -dress, and a black felt broad-brimmed hat, with large gold tassels -lying on the brim. After Mass the Bavarian national hymn was sung to -the familiar strains of our own. - -All seemed gay and glad without. I returned to the primitive rambling -inn; everyone was gone to take his or her part in the Kufstein idea -of a holiday. There were three entrances, and three staircases; -I took a wrong one, and in trying to retrace my steps passed a room -through the half-open door of which I heard a sound of moaning, which -arrested me. I could not find it in my heart to pass on. I pushed -the door gently aside, and discovered a grey-haired old man lying -comfortlessly on the bed in a state of torpor. I laid him back in a -posture in which he could breathe more freely, opened his collar and -gave him air, and with the aid of one or two simple means soon brought -him back to consciousness. The room was barely furnished; his luggage -was a small bundle tied in a handkerchief, his clothes betokened that -he belonged to the respectable of the lower class. I was too desirous -to converse with a genuine Tirolean peasant to refuse his invitation -to sit down by his side. I had soon learnt his tale, which he seemed -not a little pleased to find had an interest for a foreigner. - -His lot had been marked by severe trials. In early youth he had been -called to lose his parents; in later life, the dear wife who had -for a season clothed his home again with brightness and hope. In old -age he had had a heavier trial still. His only child, the son whom -he had reared in the hope that he would have been the staff of his -declining years, whom he had brought up in innocence in childhood, -and shielded from knowledge of evil in early youth, had gone from him, -and he knew not where to find him. The boy had always had a fancy for -a roving adventurous life, but it had been his hope to have kept him -always near him, free from the contamination of great cities. - -I asked if it was not the custom in these parts for young men to go -abroad and seek employment where it was more highly paid, and come -back and settle on their earnings. But he shook his head proudly. It -was so in Switzerland, it was so in some few valleys of Tirol, and the -poor Engadeiners supplied all the cities of Europe with confectioners; -but his son had no need to tramp the world in search of fortune. But -what had made him most anxious was, that the night before his son -left some wild young men had passed through the village. They were -bold and uproarious, and his fear was that his boy might have been -tempted to join them. He did not know exactly what their game was, -but he had an idea they were gathering recruits to join the lawless -Garibaldian bands in their attempts upon the Roman frontier. With -their designs he was confident his son had no sympathy. If he had -stopped to consider them, he would have shrunk from them with horror; -and it was his dread that his spirited love of danger and excitement -had carried him into a vortex from which he might by-and-by be longing -to extricate himself in vain. It was to pray that the lad might be -guided aright that he made this pilgrimage up the Thierberg--no easy -journey for one of his years. He had come across hill and valley from -a village of which I forget the name, but situated near Sterzing. - -'But Sterzing itself is a place of pilgrimage,' I said, glad to turn to -account my scanty knowledge of the sacred places of the country. 'Why -did you come all this way?' - -'Indeed is Sterzing,' he replied, 'a place of benedictions. It is the -spot where Sterzing, our first hermit, lived, and left his name to our -town. But this is the spot for those who need penance. There, in that -place,' and as I followed the direction of his hand I saw through the -low lattice window the lofty elevation of the Thierberg like a phantom -tower, enveloped in mist, standing out against the clear sky beyond, -and wondered how his palsied limbs had carried him up the steep. 'In -that place, in olden time, lived a true penitent. Once it was a lordly -castle, and he to whom it belonged was a rich and honoured knight; -but on one occasion he forgot his knightly honour, and with false -vows led astray an unthinking maiden of the village. Soon, however, -the conviction of his sin came back to him clear as the sun's light, -and without an hour's hesitation he put it from him. To the girl he -made the best amends he could by first leading her to repentance, -then procuring her admission to a neighbouring convent. But for -him, from that day the lordly castle became as a hermit's cell, -the sound of mirth and revelry and of friendly voices was hushed -for ever. The memory of his own name even he would have wiped out, -and would have men call him only, as they do to the present day, -'der Büsser'--the Penitent. And so many has his example brought to -this shrine in a spirit of compunction, that the Church has endowed -it with the indulgence of the Portiuncula.' - -What a picture of Tirolese faith it was! Instead of setting in motion -the detective police, or the telegraph-wire, or the second column -of the 'Times,' this old man had come many miles in the opposite -direction from that his child was supposed to have taken, to bring -his burden and lay it before a shrine he believed to have been made -dear to heaven by tears of penance in another age, and there commend -his petition to God that He might bring it to pass, accepting the -suffering as a merited chastisement in a spirit of sincere penitence! - -He was feeling better, and I rose to go. He pressed my hand in -acknowledgment of my sympathy, and I assured him of it. It was not a -case for more substantial charity; I had gathered from his recital -that he had no lack of worldly means. I only strove at parting to -kindle a ray of hope. I said after all it might not be so bad as he -imagined; his boy had been well brought up, and might perhaps be -trusted to keep out of the way of evil. It was thoughtless of him -not to seek his father's blessing and consent to his choice of an -adventurous career, but it might be he had feared his opposition, -and that he had no unworthy reason for concealing his plans. There -was at least as much reason to hope as to despond, and he must look -forward to his coming back, true to the instincts of his mountain home, -wiser than he had set out. - -His pale blue eye glistened, and he gasped like one who had seen a -vision. 'Ay! just so! Just so it appeared to me when I was on the -Thierberg this morning! And now, in case my weak old heart did not -see it clearly enough, God, in His mercy, has sent you to expound -the thing more plainly to me. Now I know that I am heard.' - -Poor old man! I shuddered lest the hope so strongly entertained -should prove delusive in the end. I may never know the result; but -I felt that at all events as he was one who took all things at God's -hands, nothing could, in one sense, come amiss; and for the present, -at least, I saw that he went down to his house comforted. - -I strolled along the street, and, possessed with the type of the -Tirolean peasant, as I received it from this old man, I conceived a -feeling of deeper curiosity for all whom I met by the way. I thought -of them as of men for whom an unseen world is a reality; who estimate -prayer and sacraments and the intercession of saints above steam-power -and electricity. At home one meets with one such now and then, but to -be transported into a whole country of them was like waking up from -a long sleep to find oneself in the age of St. Francis and St. Dominic. - -Whatever faults the Tirolese may have to answer for, they will not -arise from religion being put out of sight. No village but has its -hillside path marked with 'the Way of the Cross;' no bridge but carries -the statue of S. John Nepomucene, the martyr of the Confessional; no -fountain but bears the image of the local saint, a model of virtue -to the place; no lone path unmarked by its way-side chapel, or its -crucifix shielded from the weather by a rustic roof; no house but has -its outer walls covered with memories of holy things; no room without -its sacred prints and its holywater stoup. The churches are full of -little rude pictures, recording scenes in which all the pleasanter -events of life are gratefully ascribed to answers to prayer, while many -who cannot afford this more elaborate tribute hang up a tablet with the -words Hat geholfen ('He has helped me'), or more simply still, 'aus -Dankbarkeit.' Longfellow has written something very true and pretty, -which I do not remember well enough to quote; but most will call to -mind the verses about leaving landmarks, which a weary brother seeing, -may take heart again; and it is incalculable how these good people -may stir up one another to hope and endurance by such testimonies -of their trust in a Providence. Sometimes, again, the little tablets -record that such an one has undertaken a journey. 'N. N. reiset nach -N., pray for him;' and we, who have come so far so easily, smile at -the short distance which is thought worthy of this importance. The -Gott segne meine Reise--'May God bless my journey'--seems to come as -naturally to them, however, as 'grace before meat' with us. But most -of all, their care is displayed in regard to the dear departed. The -spot where an accident deprived one of his life is sacred to all. 'The -honourable peasant N. N. was run over here by a heavy waggon;'--'Here -was N. N. carried away by the waters of the stream;' with the unfailing -adjunct, 'may he rest in peace, let us pray for him;' or sometimes, -as if there were no need to address the recommendation to his own -neighbours, 'Stranger! pray for him.' - - - -The straggling village on the opposite bank of the Inn is called -Zell, though appearing part of Kufstein. It affords the best points -for viewing the gloomy old fortress, and itself possesses one or two -chapels of some interest. At Kiefersfelden, at a short distance on -the Bavarian border, is the so-called Ottokapelle, a Gothic chapel -marking the spot where Prince Otho quitted his native soil when called -to take possession of the throne of Greece. - -Kundl, about an hour from Kufstein, the third station, by rail, [47] -though wretchedly provided with accommodation, is the place to stop at -to visit the curious and isolated church of S. Leonhard auf der Wiese -(in the meadow), and it is well worthy of a visit. In the year 1004 -a life-sized stone image of St. Leonard was brought by the stream -to this spot; 'floating,' the wonder-loving people said, but it may -well be believed that some rapid swollen torrent had carried the image -away in its wild course from some chapel on a higher level. The people -not knowing whence it came, reckoned its advent a miracle, and set it -up in the highway, that all who passed might know of it. It was not -long before a no less illustrious wayfarer than the Emperor Henry -II. came that way, and seeing the uncovered image set up on high, -stopped to inquire its history. When he had heard it, he vowed that -if his arms were prosperous in Italy he would on his return build -the saint an honourable church. Success indeed attended him in the -campaign, and he was crowned Emperor at Pavia, but St. Leonard and his -vow were alike forgotten. The year 1012 brought him again into Italy -through Tirol, and passing the spot where he had registered his vow -before, his horse, foaming and stamping, refused to pass the image -or carry him further. The circumstance reminded him of his promise, -and he at once set to work to carry it out worthily. The church was -completed within a few years, but an unhappy accident signalized its -completion. A young man who had undertaken to place the ornament on the -summit was seized with vertigo in the moment of completing his exploit, -and losing his balance was dashed lifeless on to the ground below. [48] -His remains were gathered up tenderly by the neighbours, and his -skull laid as an offering at the foot of the crucifix on the high -altar, where it yet remains. An inscription to the following effect -is preserved in the church: 'A.D. 1019 Præsens ecclesia Sti. Leonhardi -a sancto Henrico Imperatore exstructa, et anno 1020 a summo Pontifice -Benedicto VIII. consecrata est,' though there would not seem to be any -other record of the Pope having made the journey. S. Kunigunda, consort -of Henry II., bore a great affection to the spot, and often visited it. - -The image of St. Leonard now in the church bears the date of 1481, -and there is no record of the time when it was substituted for the -original. [49] The interior has suffered a great deal during the -whitewash period; but some of the original carvings are remarkable, -particularly the grotesque creatures displayed on the main columns. On -one a doubled-bodied lion is trampling on two dragons; on another a -youth stands holding the prophetic roll of the book of revelation, -and a hideous symbolical figure, with something of the form of a bear, -cowers before him, showing a certain resemblance to the sculptures -in the chapel-porch of Castle Tirol. Round the high altar are ten -pilasters, each setting forth the figure of a saint, and all various. A -great deal of the old work was destroyed, however, when it was rebuilt, -about the year 1500. - -Between St. Leonhard and Ratfield runs the Auflängerbründl--so called -from the Angerberg, celebrated as itself a very charming excursion -from Kundl--a watercourse directed by the side of the road through -the charity of the townspeople of Rattenberg and Ratfeld, in the year -1424, with the view that no wayfarer might faint by the way for want -of a drink of pure and refreshing water. - -Rattenberg is a little town of some importance on account of the copper -works in the neighbourhood, but not much frequented by visitors, -though it has three passable inns. It is curious that the castle -of Rottenburg near Rothholz, though so like in name, has a different -derivation, the latter arising from the red earth of the neighbourhood, -and the former from an old word Rat, meaning 'richness,' and in old -documents it is found spelt Rat in berc (riches in the mountain). This -was the favoured locality of the holy Nothburga's earthly career. - -St. Nothburga is eminently characteristic of her country. She was -the poorest of village maidens, and yet attained the highest and most -lasting veneration of her people by the simple force of virtue. She -was born in 1280. The child of pious parents, she drank in their -good instructions with an instinctive aptitude. Their lessons of -pure and Christian manners seemed as it were to crystallize and -model themselves in her conduct; she grew up a living picture of -holy counsels. She was scarcely seventeen when the lord of Castle -Rottenburg, hearing of her perfect life, desired to have her in his -household. Her parents, knowing she could have no better protectors, -when they were no more, than their honoured knight Henry of Rottenburg -and his good wife Gutta, gladly accepted the proposal. [50] In her new -sphere Nothburga showed how well grounded was her virtue. It readily -adapted itself to her altered position, and she became as faithful -and devoted to her employers as she had been loving and obedient -to her parents. In time she was advanced to the highest position -of trust in the castle, and the greatest delight of her heart was -fulfilled when she was nominated to superintend the distribution of -alms to the poor. Her prudence enabled her to distinguish between -real and feigned need, and while she delighted in ministering to the -one, she was firm in resisting the appeals of the other. Her general -uprightness won for her the respect of all with whom she had to do, -and she was the general favourite of all classes. - -Such bright days could not last; the enemy of God's saints looked on -with envy, and desired to 'sift' her 'as wheat.' The knight's son, -Henry VI., in progress of time brought home his bride, Ottilia by -name; and according to local custom, the older Knight Henry ceded -his authority to the young castellan, living himself in comparative -retirement. Ottilia was young and thoughtless, and haughty to boot, -and it was not without a feeling of bitter resentment that she saw -both her husband and his parents looked to Nothburga to supply her -deficiencies in the management of the household. She resolved to -get rid of the faithful servant, and her fury against her was only -increased in proportion as she realized that the perfect uprightness -of her conduct rendered it impossible to discover any pretext for -dismissing her. - -For Nothburga it was a life of daily silent martyrdom. There were a -thousand mortifications in her mistress's power to inflict, and she -lost no opportunity of annoying her, but never once succeeded in -ruffling the gentleness of her spirit. 'My life has been too easy -hitherto,' she would say in the stillness of her own heart; 'now I -am honoured at last by admission to the way of the Cross.' There -was no brightness, no praise, no subsequent hope of distinction, -to be derived from her patience; they were stabs in the dark, seen -by no human eye, which made her bleed day by day. Yet she would not -complain, much less seek to change her service. She said it would have -been ungrateful to her first benefactors and employers to leave them, -so long as she could spend herself for them, and ungrateful to God -to shirk the trial He had lovingly sent her. - -A crucial test of her fidelity, however, was at hand. The day came -when Knight Henry and Gutta his wife were called to their long rest, -and with them the chief protection of Nothburga departed. She was -now almost at Ottilia's mercy. One of the first consequences of this -change was that she was deprived of her favourite office of relieving -the poor; and not only their customary alms were stopped, but their -dole of food also; and as a final provocation, she was required to -feed the pigs with the broken meat which she had been accustomed to -husband for the necessitous. - -The good girl's heart bled to see the needy whom she had been wont -to relieve turned hungry away. The only means that occurred to her -of remedying the evil in some measure, was to deny herself her own -food and distribute it among them. Restricting her own diet to bread -and water, she saved a little basketful, which she would take down -every evening when work was done to the foot of the Leuchtenburg, -where the poorest of the castle dependents lived; and the blessing -which multiplied the loaves in the wilderness made her scanty savings -suffice to feed all who had come to beg of her. - -That Nothburga contrived to feed the poor of a whole district, -in spite of her orders to the contrary, of course became in time a -ground of complaint for Ottilia. She had now a plausible reason for -stirring up the Knight Henry against her. He had always defended her, -out of regard for his parents' memory; but coming one evening past -the Leuchtenburg, at Ottilia's instigation, he met Nothburga with -her little burden, and asked her what she carried. - -Here the adversary of the saints had prepared for her a great trial, -says the legend. She, in her innocence, told fairly and honestly -the import of her errand; but to the Knight's eyes, who had meantime -untied her apron, the contents appeared, the legend says, to be wood -shavings; and further, putting the wine-flask to his lips, it seemed -to him to contain soap-suds. To her charitable intention he had made -no objection, but at this, which appeared to him a studied affront, -he was furious. He would listen to no explanation, but, returning -at once to the castle, he gave Ottilia free and full leave to deal -with the offending handmaiden as she pleased. Ottilia readily put the -permission into effect by directing the castle guard to forbid her, -on her return, ever again to pass the threshold of the castle. - -This blow told with terrible effect on the poor girl. During her -service at the castle both her parents had died; she had now no home -to resort to. Putting her trust in God, however, she retraced her -steps alone through the darkness, and found shelter in a cottage of -one of her clients. Her path was watched by the angels, who marked -the track with fair seeds; and even to this day the hill-side which -her feet so often pressed on her holy errand is said to be marked -with a peculiar growth of flowers. - -The next day she applied to a peasant of Eben to engage her as a -field labourer. The peasant was exceedingly doubtful of her capacity -for the work after the comparatively delicate nature of her previous -mode of life. Her hardy perseverance and determination, aided by the -grace of God, on which she implicitly relied, overcame all obstacles, -and old Valentine soon found that her presence brought a blessing -on all his substance. She had been with him about a year, when one -day, being Saturday, he was very anxious to gather in the remainder -of his harvest before an apprehended storm, and desired Nothburga, -with the other reapers, to continue their labours after the hour of -eve, when the holy rest was reckoned to have commenced. Nothburga, -usually so obedient to his wishes, had the courage to refuse to -infringe the commandment of religion; and to manifest that the will -of God was on her side, showed him her sickle resting from labour, -suspended in the air. Valentine, convinced by the prodigy, yielded -to her representations, and her piety was more and more honoured by -all the neighbours. - -Soon after this, Ottilia, in the midst of her health and strength, -was stricken with a dangerous illness. In presence of the fear of -death she remembered her harsh treatment of Nothburga, and sent -for her to make amends for the past. As the good girl reached her -bed-side she was just under the influence of a frightful attack of -fevered remorse. Her long golden hair waved in untended masses over -the pillow, like the flames of purgatory; her eyes glared like wheels -of fire. Unconscious of what was passing round her, and filled only -with her distempered fancies, she cried piteously: 'Drive away those -horrid beasts! don't let them come near me! And why do you let those -pale-faced creatures pursue me with their hollow glances? If I did -deny them food, I cannot help it now! Oh! keep those horrid swine -off me! If I did give them the portion of the poor, it is no reason -you should let them defile me and trample on me!' - -Nothburga was melted with compassion, and her glance of sympathy -seemed to chase away the horrid vision. Come to herself, and calm -again, Otillia recognized her and begged her pardon, which we may well -believe she readily accorded; and shortly after, having reconciled -herself to God with true compunction, she fell asleep in peace. [51] - -Henry proposed to Nothburga to come and resume her old post in the -castle, and moreover to add to it that of superintending the nurture -of his only boy. Nothburga gladly accepted his offer, but, in her -strict integrity, insisted on accepting no remission from the three -years' service under which she had bound herself to Valentine. This -concluded, she was received back with open arms at Castle Rottenburg, -whither she took with her one of Valentine's daughters to instruct -in household duties, that she might be meet to succeed her when her -time should come. - -Days of peace on earth are not for the saints. Her fight was fought -out. The privations she had undergone in sparing her food for the poor, -and her subsequent exposure in the field, brought on an illness, under -which she shortly after sank. In conformity with her express desire, -her body was laid on a bier, to which two young oxen were yoked, -and left to follow their own course. The willing beasts tramped -straight away over hill and dale and water-course till they came to -the village of Eben, then consisting of but a couple of huts of the -poor tillers of the soil, and Valentine's homestead; now, a thriving -village, its two inns crowded every holiday with peasants, who make -their excursions coincide with a visit of devotion to the peasant -maiden's shrine. A small field-chapel of St. Ruprecht was then the only -place of devotion, but here next morning the body of the holy maiden -was found carefully laid at the foot of the altar, and here it was -reverently buried, and for centuries it has been honoured by all the -country round. [52] In 1434 the Emperor Maximilian, and Christopher, -Prince-Bishop of Brixen, built a church over the spot, of which -the ancient chapel served as the quire. In 1718 Gaspar Ignatius, -Count of Künigl, the then Prince-Bishop, had the remains exhumed, -and carried them with pomp to the neighbouring town of Schwatz, where -they were left while the church was restored, and an open sarcophagus -prepared for them to remain exposed for the veneration of the faithful, -which was completed in 1738. In 1838 a centenary festival was observed -with great rejoicing, and on March 27, 1862, the cycle of Nothburga's -honour was completed in her solemn canonization at Rome. - -The lords of Rottenburg had had possession of this territory, and had -been the most powerful family of Tirol, ever since the eighth century; -one branch extending its sway over the valleys surrounding the Inn, -and another branch commanding the country bordering the Etsch; -Leuchtenburg and Fleims being the chief fortress-seats of these -latter. Their vast power greatly harassed the rulers of Tirol. In -every conflict between the native or Austrian princes and the Dukes of -Bavaria their influence would always turn the scale, and they often -seem to have exercised it simply to show their power. Their family -pride grew so high, that it became a proverb among the people. It was -observed that just during the period of the holy Nothburga's sojourn -in the castle the halo of her humble spirit seemed to exercise a charm -over their ruling passion. That was no sooner brought to a close than -it once more burst forth, and with intenser energy, and by the end -of a century more so blinded them that they ventured on an attempt -to seize the supreme power over the land. Friedrich mit der leeren -Tasche was not a prince to lose his rights without a worthy struggle; -and then ensued one which was a noteworthy instance of the protection -which royalty often afforded to the poor against the oppressions of a -selfish aristocracy in the Middle Ages. Friedrich was the idol of the -people: in his youth his hardy temperament had made him the companion -not only of the mountain huntsman, but even of the mountain hewer of -wood. Called to rule over the country, he always stood out manfully for -the liberties of the peasant and the burghers of the little struggling -communities of Tirol. The lords and knights who found their power -thereby restricted were glad to follow the standard of Henry VI., -Count of Rottenburg, in his rebellions. Forgetting all patriotism in -his struggle for power, Henry called to his aid the Duke of Bavaria, -who readily answered his appeal, reckoning that as soon as, by aiding -Henry, he had driven Friedrich out, he would shortly after be able -to secure the prize for himself. - -The Bavarian troops, ever rough and lawless, now began laying waste the -country in ruthless fashion. A Bavarian bishop, moved to compassion by -the sufferings of the poor people, though not of his own flock, pleaded -so earnestly with the Duke, that he made peace with Friedrich, who was -able to inflict due chastisement on Henry, for, powerful as he was, -he was no match for him as a leader. He fell prisoner into Friedrich's -hands, who magnanimously gave him his liberty; but, according to the -laws of the time, his lands and fiefs were forfeit. Though the spirit -of the high-minded noble was unbroken, the darling aim of his race -which had devolved upon him for execution was defeated; his occupation -gone, and his hopes quenched, he wandered about, the last of his race, -not caring even to establish himself in any of the fiefs which he held -under the Duke of Bavaria, and which consequently yet remained to him. - -The history of Henry VI. of Rottenburg has a peculiarly gloomy and -fantastic character. Ambitious to a fault, it was one cause of his -ill success that he exercised himself in the nobler pursuits of -life rather than in the career of arms. Letters of his which are -still preserved show that he owed the ascendancy he exercised over -his neighbours quite as much to his strength of character and grasp -of mind as to his title and riches. No complaint is brought against -him in chronicles of the time of niggardliness towards the Church, -or of want of uprightness or patience as a judge; he is spoken of as -if he had learned to make himself respected as well as feared. But -he lived apart in a lofty sphere of his own, seldom mixing in social -intercourse, while his refined tastes prevented his becoming an adept -in the art of war. Friedrich, on the other hand, who was a hero in -the field by his bravery, was also the favourite of the people through -his frank and ready-spoken sympathy. Henry had perhaps, on the whole, -the finer--certainly the more cultivated--character, but Friedrich was -more the man of the time; and it was this doom of succumbing to one to -whom he felt himself superior which pressed most heavily on the last -of the Rottenburgers. What became of him was never known; consequently -many wild stories became current to account for his end: that he never -laid his proud head low at the call of death, but yet wanders on round -the precincts where he once ruled; that his untamable ambition made -him a prey to the Power of Evil, who carried him off, body and soul, -to the reward of the proud; that, shunning all sympathy and refusing -all assistance, he died, untended and unknown, in a spot far from -the habitations of men. It would appear most probable, however, that -his death, like his life, was a contrast with the habits of his age: -it is thought that, unable to bear his humiliation, he fell by his -own hand within a twelvemonth of his defeat. - -The deliverance from this powerful vassal, and the falling in of his -domains, tended greatly to strengthen and consolidate Friederich's -rule over Tirol, and ultimately to render the government of the -country more stable, and more beneficial to the people. - -Not long after Henry VI.'s disappearance a mysterious fire broke out -in the old castle on two separate occasions, laying the greater part -of it in ruins. But on each occasion it was noticed that the devouring -element, at the height of its fury, spared the little room which was -honoured as that in which the holy Nothburga had dwelt. - -A gentler story about this neighbourhood is of a boy tending sheep -upon the neighbouring height, who found among some ruins a beautiful -bird's-nest. What was his surprise, on examining his treasure, to -find it full of broken shells which the fledglings had cast off and -left behind them, but shells of a most singular kind. Still greater -was his astonishment when, on showing them at home, his parents -told him they were no shells, but pieces of precious ore. The affair -caused the peasants to search in the neighbourhood, and led to the -discovery of one of those veins of metal the working of which brought -so great prosperity to Tirol in the fifteenth century, and which are -not yet extinct. Their discovery was always by accident, and often -by occasion of some curious incident, while the fact that such finds -were to be hit upon acted as a strong stimulant to the imagination -of a romantic and wonder-loving people, giving belief to all sorts -of fables to tell how the treasure was originally deposited, and how -subsequently it was preserved and guarded. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -NORTH TIROL--UNTERINNTHAL (RIGHT INN-BANK). - -THE ZILLERTHAL. - - - 'I may venture to say that among the nations of Europe, and I have - more or less seen them all, I do not know any one in which there - is so large a measure of real piety as among the Tyroleans.... I - do not recollect to have once heard in the country an expression - savouring of scepticism.'--Inglis. - - -The Zillerthal claims to bear the palm over all the Valleys of Tirol -for natural beauty--a claim against which the other valleys may, -I think, find something to say. - -There is an organised service of carriages (the road is only good -for an einspanner--one-horse vehicle) into the Zillerthal, at both -Brixlegg and Jenbach, taking between four and five hours to reach -Zell, an hour and a-half more to Mayrhofen. Its greatest ornaments are -the castles of Kropfsberg, Lichtwer, and Matzen; the Reiterkogel and -the Gerlos mountains, forming the present boundary against Salzburg; -and the Ziller, with its rapid current which gave it its name (from -celer), [53] its tributary streams might very well have received the -same appellation, for their celerity is often so impetuous that great -damage is done to the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. - -Before starting for the Zillerthal I may mention two castles which may -also be seen from Jenbach, though like it they belong in strictness -to the chapter on the Left Inn-bank. One is Thurnegg by name, which -was restored as a hunting-seat by Archduke Ferdinand; and at the -instance of his second wife, the pious Anna Katharina of Mantua, he -added a chapel, in order that his hunting-parties might always have -the opportunity of hearing Mass before setting out for their sport. - -Another is Tratzberg, which derived its name from its defiant -character. It is situated within an easy walk of Jenbach. Permission -to visit it is readily given, for it counts as a show-place. It may -be taken on the way to S. Georgenberg and Viecht, but it occupies too -much time, and quite merits the separate excursion by its collections -and its views. Frederick sold it in 1470 to Christian Tänzel, -a rich mining proprietor of the neighbourhood, who purchased with -it the right to bear the title of Knight of Tratzberg. No expense -was spared in its decoration, and its paintings and marbles made it -the wonder of the country round. In 1573 it passed into the hands -of the Fuggers, and at the present day belongs to Count Enzenberg, -who makes it an occasional residence. A story is told of it which is -in striking contrast to that mentioned of Thurnegg. One of the knights -of the castle in ancient time had a reputation for caring more for the -pleasures of the chase than for the observances of religion. Though he -could get up at an early hour enough at the call of his Jäger's horn, -the chapel bell vainly wooed him to Mass. - -In vain morning by morning his guardian angel directed the sacred -sound upon his ear; the knight only rolled himself up more warmly -in the coverlet, and said, 'No need to stir yet, the dogs are not -brought round till five o'clock.' - -'Ding--dong--dang! Come--to--Mass! Ding--dong--dang!' sang the bells. - -'No, I can't,' yawned the knight, and covered his ear with the -bed-clothes. - -The bell was silent, and the knight knew that the pious people who -had to work hard all day for their living, and yet spared half an -hour to ask God's blessing on their labours, were gone into the chapel. - -He fancied he saw the venerable old chaplain bowing before the altar, -and smiting his breast; he saw the faithful rise from their knees while -the glad tidings of the Gospel were announced, and they proclaimed -their faith in them in the Creed; he heard them fall on their knees -again while the sacred elements were offered on the altar and the -solemn words of the consecration pronounced; he saw little Johann, -the farrier's son, bow his head reverently on the steps, and then sound -the threefold bell which told of the most solemn moment of the sacred -mysteries; and the chapel bell took up the note, and announced the -joyful news to those whom illness or necessity forced to remain away. - -Then hark! what was that? The rocks under the foundation of the castle -rattled together, and all the stones of its massive walls chattered -like the teeth of an old woman stricken with fear. The three hundred -and sixty-five windows of the edifice rattled in their casements, -but above them all sounded the piercing sound of the knight's cry -of anguish. The affrighted people rushed into the knight's chamber; -and what was their horror when, still sunk in the soft couch where -he was wont to take his ease, there he lay dead, while his throat -displayed the print of three black and burning claws. The lesson they -drew was that the knight, having received from his guardian angel the -impulse to repair his sloth by at least then rising to pay the homage -which the bell enjoined, had rejected even this last good counsel, -thereby filling up the measure of his faults. For years after marks -were shown upon the wall as having been sprinkled by his blood! - -The first little town that reckons in the Zillerthal is Strass, -a very unpretending place, and then Schlitters. - -At Schlitters they have a story of a butcher who, going to Strass to -buy an ox, had scarcely crossed the Zill and got a little way from -home, than he saw lying by the way-side a heap of the finest wheat. Not -liking to appropriate property which might have a legitimate owner, -he contented himself with putting a few grains in his pocket, and a -few into his sack, as a specimen. As he went by the way his pockets -and his sack began to get heavier and heavier, till it seemed as if -the weight would burst them through. Astonished at the circumstance he -put in his hand, and found them all full of shining gold. As soon as he -had recovered his composure, he set off at the top of his speed, and, -heeding neither hill or dale, regained the spot where he had first -seen the wheat. But it was no more to be seen. If he had had faith -to commend himself to God on his first surprise, say the peasants, -and made the holy sign of redemption, the whole treasure would have -been his. - -There is another tradition at Schlitters of a more peculiar -character. It is confidently affirmed that the village once boasted -two churches, though but a very small one would supply the needs of -the inhabitants. Hormayr has sifted the matter to the bottom, and -explains it in this way. There lived in the neighbourhood two knights, -one belonging to the Rottenburger, and the other to the Freundsberger -family. Now the latter had a position of greater importance, but the -former possessed a full share of family haughtiness, and would not -yield precedence to any one. In order not to be placed on a footing -of inferiority, or even of equality, with his rival, he built a second -church, which he might attend without being brought into contact with -him. No expense was spared, and the church was solidly built enough; -but no blessing seemed to come on the edifice so built, no pains -could ever keep it in repair, and at last, after crumbling into ruin, -every stone of it disappeared. - -Kropfsberg is a fine ruin, belonging to Count Enzenberg, seen a -little above Strass, on a commanding height between the high road -and the Inn. It is endeared to the memory of the Tiroleans by having -been the spot where, on St. Michael's Day, 1416, their favourite -Friedrich mit der leeren Tasche was reconciled with his brother Ernst -der Eiserne, who, after the Council of Constance had pronounced its -ban on Frederick, had thought to possess himself of his dominions. - -The largest town of the Zillerthal is Fügen, a short distance below -Schlitters, and the people are so proud of it, that they have a saying -ever in their mouths, 'There is but one Vienna and one Fügen in the -world!' It doubtless owes its comparative liveliness and prosperity -to its château being kept up and often inhabited by its owners (the -Countess of Dönhof and her family). This is also a great ornament to -the place, having been originally built in the fifteenth century by the -lords of Fieger, though unhappily the period of its rebuilding (1733) -was not one very propitious to its style. The sculpture in the church -by the native artist, Nissl, is much more meritorious. The church of -Ried, a little further along the valley, is adorned with several very -creditable pictures by native artists. It is the native place of one -of the bravest of the defenders of throne and country, so celebrated -in local annals of the early part of the century, Sebastian Riedl. He -was only thirty-nine at his death in 1821. Once, on an occasion of -his fulfilling a mission to General Blucher, he received from him a -present of a hussar's jacket, which he wore at the battle of Katzbach, -and it is still shown with pride by his compatriots. - -The Zillerthal was the only part of Tirol where Lutheranism ever -obtained any hold over the people. The population was very thin and -scattered, consequently they were out of the way of the regular -means of instruction in their own faith; and it often happened, -when their dwellings and lands were devastated by inundations, that -they were driven to seek a livelihood by carrying gloves, bags, -and other articles made of chamois leather, also of the horns of -goats and cattle, into the neighbouring states of Germany. Hence -they often came back imbued with the new doctrines, and bringing -books with them, which may have spread them further. This went on, -though without attracting much attention, till the year 1830, when -they demanded permission to erect a church of their own. The Stände -of Tirol were unanimous, however, to resist any infringement of the -unity of belief which had so long been preserved in the country. The -Emperor confirmed their decision, and gave the schismatics the option -of being reconciled with the Church, or of following their opinions -in other localities of the empire where Lutheran communities already -existed. A considerable number chose the latter alternative, and peace -was restored to the Zillerthal. Every facility was given them by the -government for making the move advantageously, and the inhabitants, -who had been long provoked by the scorn and ridicule with which the -exiles had treated their time-honoured observances, held a rejoicing -at the deliverance. - -At the farther end of the valley is Zell, which though smaller in -population than Fügen, has come to be considered its chief town. Its -principal inn, for there are several--zum Post--if I recollect -right, claims to be not merely a Gasthaus, but a Gasthof. The -Brauhaus, however, with less pretension, is a charming resort of -the old-fashioned style, under the paternal management of Franz -Eigner, whose daughters sing their local melodies with great zest and -taste. The church, dedicated to St. Vitus, is modern, having been built -in 1771-82; but its slender green steeple is not inelegant. It contains -some meritorious frescoes by Zeiler. The town contains some most -picturesque buildings, as the Presbytery, grandiloquently styled the -Dechanthof, one or two educational establishments, several well-to-do -private houses, and the town-hall, once a flourishing brewery, which -failed--I can hardly guess how, for the chief industry of the place -is supplying the neighbourhood with beer. - -A mile beyond Zell is Hainzenberg, where the process of gold-washing on -a small scale may be studied, said to be carried on by the owner, the -Bishop of Brizen, on a sort of ultra-co-operative principle, as a means -of support to the people of the place, without profit to himself. There -is also a rather fine waterfall in the neighbourhood, and an inn where -luncheon may be had. The most interesting circumstance, perhaps, in -connexion with Zell is the Kirchweih-fest, which is very celebrated -in all the country round. I was not fortunate enough to be in the -neighbourhood at the right time of year to witness it. On the other -side of the Hainzenberg, where the mountain climber can take his start -for the Gerlozalp, is a little sanctuary called Mariä-rastkapelle, -and behind it runs a sparkling brook. Of the chapel the following -singular account is given:--In olden time there stood near the stream -a patriarchal oak sacred to Hulda; [54] after the introduction of -Christianity the tree was hewn down, and as they felled it they heard -Hulda cry out from within. The people wanted to build up a chapel on -the spot in honour of the Blessed Virgin, and began to collect the -materials. No sooner had the labourers left their work, however, -than there appeared an army of ravens, who, setting themselves -vigorously to the task, carried every stone and every balk of wood -to a neighbouring spot. This happened day after day, till at last -the people took it as a sign that the soil profaned by the worship -of Hulda was not pleasing to heaven, and so they raised their chapel -on the place pointed out by the ravens, where it now stands. - -After Mayrhof, the next village (with three inns), in the neighbourhood -of which garnets are found and mills for working them abound, the -Zillerthal spreads out into numerous branches of great picturesqueness, -but adapted only to the hardy pedestrian, as the Floitenthal, -the Sondergrundthal, the Hundskehlthal (Dog's-throat valley), the -Stillupethal, with its Teufelsteg, a bridge spanning a giddy ravine, -and its dashing series of waterfalls. The whole closed in by the Zemmer -range and its glaciers, the boundary against South-Tirol, said to -contain some of the finest scenery and best hunting-grounds in the -country. It has been also called the 'el Dorado' of the botanist -and the mineralogist. The most important of these by-valleys is -the Duxerthal, by non-Tiroleans generally written Tuxerthal, a very -high-lying tract of country, and consequently one of the coldest and -wildest districts of Tirol. Nevertheless, its enclosed and secluded -retreat retains a saying perhaps many thousand years old, that once -it was a bright and fertile spot yielding the richest pastures, and -that then the population grew so wanton in their abundance that they -wasted their substance. Then there came upon them from above an icy -blast, before which their children and their young cattle sank down -and died; and the herbage was, as it were, bound up, and the earth was -hardened, so that it only brought forth scarce and stunted herbs, and -the mountain which bounded their pleasant valley itself turned to ice, -and is called to this day die gefrorene Wand, the frozen wall. The -scattered population of this remote valley numbered so few souls, -that they depended on neighbouring villages for their ecclesiastical -care, and during winter when shut in by the snow within their natural -fastnesses, were cut off from all spiritual ministration, so that -the bodies of those who died were preserved in a large chest, of -which the remains are yet shown, until the spring made their removal -to Mattrey possible. In the middle of the seventeenth century they -numbered 645 souls, and have now increased to about 1,400; about the -year 1686 they built a church of their own, which is now served by -two or three priests. For the first couple of miles the valley sides -are so steep, that the only level ground between them is the bed of -an oft-times torrential stream, but yet they are covered almost to -the very top with a certain kind of verdure; further on it widens -out into the district of Hinterdux, which is a comparatively pleasant -cheerful spot, with some of the small cattle (which are reared here -as better adapted to the gradients on which they have to find their -food,) browsing about, and sundry goats and sheep, quite at home on -the steeps. But scarce a tree or shrub is to be seen--just a few firs, -and here and there a solitary mountain pine; and in the coldest season -the greatest suffering is experienced from want of wood to burn. The -only resource is grubbing up the roots remaining from that earlier -happier time, which but for this proof might have been deemed fabulous. - -The hardships which the inhabitants of this valley cheerfully undergo -ought to serve as a lesson of diligence indeed. The whole grass-bearing -soil is divided among them. The more prosperous have a cow or more of -their own, by the produce of which they live; others take in cows from -Innsbruck and Hall to graze. The butter they make becomes an article of -merchandise, the transport of which over the mountain paths provides -a hard and precarious livelihood for a yet poorer class; the pay is -about a halfpenny per lb. per day, and to make the wage eke out a -man will carry a hundred and a woman fifty to seventy pounds through -all weathers and over dangerous paths, sleeping by night on the hard -ground, the chance of a bundle of hay in winter being a luxury; and -one of their snow-covered peaks is with a certain irony named the -Federbett. They make some six or seven cwt. of cheese in the year, -but this is kept entirely for home consumption. - -The care of these cattle involves a labour which only the strongest -constitution could stand--a continual climbing of mountains in the -cold, often in the dark, during great part of the year allowing -scarcely four or five hours for sleep. Nor is this their only -industry. They contrive also to grow barley and flax; this never -ripens, yet they make from it a kind of yarn, which finds a ready sale -in Innsbruck; they weave from it too a coarse linen, which helps to -clothe them, together with the home-spun wool of their sheep. Also, by -an incredible exercise of patience, they manage to heap up and support -a sufficient quantity of earth round the rough and stony soil of their -valley to set potatoes, carrots, and other roots. Notwithstanding -all these hardships, they are generally a healthy race, remarkable -for their endurance, frugality, and love of home. Neither does their -hard life make them neglect the improvement of the mind; nowhere are -schools more regularly attended, although the little children have -many of them an hour or two's walk through the snow. The church is -equally frequented; so that if the great cold be sent, as the legend -teaches, as a chastisement, [55] the people seem to have had grace -given them to turn it to good account. - -The Zemgrund, Zamsergrund, and the Schwarzensteingrund, are other -pedestrian excursions much recommended from Mayrhof, but all equally -require the aid of local guides, and have less to repay toil than -those already described. - -Travellers who merely pass through Tirol by rail may catch a sight -of the mountains which hem in the Duxerthal, just after passing the -station of Steinach, on their left hand, when facing the south. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -NORTH TIROL--UNTERINNTHAL (RIGHT INN-BANK). - -(ZILLERTHAL CUSTOMS.--THE WILDSCHÖNAU.) - - - Deep secret springs lie buried in man's heart, - Which Nature's varied aspect works at will; - Whether bright hues or shadows she impart, - Or fragrant odours from her breath distil, - Or the clear air with sounds melodious fill; - She speaks a language with instruction fraught, - And Art from Nature steals her mimic skill, - Whose birds, whose rills, whose sighing winds first taught - That sound can charm the soul, and rouse each noble thought. - - Lady Charlotte Bury. - - -We had parted from the Zillerthal, and had once more taken our places -in the railway carriage at Jenbach for a short stage to reach Kundl, -[56] as a base of operations for visiting the Wildschönau, as well as -the country on the other side of the Inn. The entry was effected with -the haste usual at small stations, where the advent of a traveller, -much more of a party of tourists, is an exceptional event. The -adjustment of our bags and rugs was greatly facilitated by the -assistance of the only occupant of the compartment into which we -were thrust; and when we had settled down and expressed our thanks -for his urbanity, I observed that he eyed us with an amused but not -unpleasant scrutiny. At last his curiosity overcame his reticence. 'I -have frequent occasion to travel this way to Munich and Vienna,' -he said, 'and I do not remember ever to have fallen in with any -strangers starting from Jenbach.' - -The conversation so opened soon revealed that our new friend, though -spending most of his time in the Bavarian and Austrian capitals, -nevertheless retained all a mountaineer's fondness for the Tirolese -land, which had given him birth some seventy years before. He was -greatly interested in our exploration of the Zillerthal, but much -annoyed that we were leaving instead of entering it; had it been the -other way, he said, he would have afforded us an acquaintance with -local customs such as, he was sure, no other part of Europe could -outvie. I assured him I had been disappointed at not coming across -them during our brief visit, but fully hoped on some future occasion -to have better success. He warmly recommended me not to omit the -attempt, and for my encouragement cited a local adage testifying to -the attractions of the valley-- - - - Wer da kommt in's Zillerthal - Der kommt gewiss zum Zweitenmal. [57] - - -He was interesting us much in his vividly-coloured sketches of peasant -life, when the train came to a stand; the guard shouted 'Kundl,' and -we were forced to part. He gave us an address in Munich, however, -where we were afterwards fortunate enough to find him; and he then -gave me some precious particulars, which I was not slow to garner. - -He seemed to know the people well, having lived much among them in -his younger days, and claimed for them--perhaps with some little -partiality--the character of being industrious, temperate, moral, and -straightforward, even above the other dwellers in Tirol; and no less, -of being physically the finest race. Their pure bracing mountain air, -the severe struggle which nature wages with them in their cultivation -of the fruits of the soil, and the hardy athletic pursuits with which -they vary their round of agricultural labour, tend to maintain and -ever invigorate this original stock of healthfulness. Their athletic -games are indeed an institution to which they owe much, and which they -keep up with a devotion only second to that with which they cultivate -their religious observances. Every national and social festival is -celebrated with these games. The favourite is the scheibenschiessen, -or shooting at a mark, for accuracy in which they are celebrated in -common with the inhabitants of all other districts of the country, -but are beaten by none; their stutze (short-barrelled rifle) they -regard more in the light of a friend and companion than a weapon, -and dignify it with the household name of the bread-winner. Wrestling -is another favourite sport; to be the champion wrestler of the hamlet -is a distinction which no inhabitant of the Zillerthal would barter -for gold. The best 'Haggler,' 'Mairraffer,' and 'Roblar'--three -denominations of wrestlers--are regarded somewhat in the light of a -superior order of persons, and command universal respect. In wilder -times, it is true, this ran into abuse; and some who had attained -excellence in an art so dangerous when misapplied betook themselves -to a life of violence and freebooting; but this has entirely passed -away now, and anything like a highway robbery is unheard of. The most -chivalrous rules guard the decorum of the game, which every bystander -feels it a point of honour to maintain; the use even of the stossring, -a stout metal ring for the little finger, by which a telling and -sometimes disfiguring blow may be given by a dexterous hand, is -discouraged. It is still worn, however, and prized more than as a -mere ornament--as a challenge of the wearer's power to wield it if he -choose, or if provoked to show his prowess. Running in races--which, -I know not why, they call springen--obtains favour at some seasons -of the year. At bowls and skittles, too, they are famous hands; and -in their passion for the games have originated a number of fantastic -stories of how the fairies and wild men of the woods indulge in them -too. Many a herdsman, on his long and solitary watch upon the distant -heights, gives to the noises of nature which he has heard, but could -not account for, an origin which lives in the imagination of those to -whom he recounts it on his return home; and his fancies are recorded -as actual events. But that the spirits play at skittles, and with gold -and silver balls, is further confirmed by peasants who have lost their -way in mists and snow-storms, and whose troubled dreams have made -pleasant stories. One of these, travelling with his pedlar's pack, -sought refuge from the night air in the ruined castle of Starkenberg, -the proud stronghold of a feudal family, second only in importance -to the Rottenburgers, and equally brought low by Friedrich mit der -leeren Tasche. The pedlar was a bold wrestler, and felt no fear of -the airy haunters of ruined castles. He made a pillow of his pack, -and laid him down to sleep as cosily as if at home, in the long dank -grass; nevertheless, when the clock of the distant village church--to -whose striking he had been listening hour by hour with joy, as an -earnest that by the morning light he would know how to follow its -guiding to the inhabited locality it denoted--sang out the hour of -midnight, twelve figures in ancient armour stalked into the hall, -and set themselves to play at bowls, for which they were served with -skulls. The pedlar was a famous player, and nothing daunted, took -up a skull, and set himself to play against them, and beat them all; -then there was a shout of joy, such as mortal ears had never heard, -and the twelve spirits declared they were released. Scarcely had they -disappeared, when ten more spirits, whom the pedlar concluded like -the last to be retainers of the mighty Starkenberger of old, entered -by different doors, which they carefully locked behind them, and then -bringing our hero the keys, begged him to open the doors each with the -right one. The pedlar was a shrewd fellow; and though doors, keys, -and spirits were each alike of their kind, his observation had been -so accurate that he opened each with the right key without hesitation, -whereupon the ten spirits declared themselves released too. Then came -in the Evil One, furious with the pedlar, who was setting free all his -captives, and swore he would have him in their stead. But the pedlar -demanded fair play, and offered to stake his freedom on a game with -his Arch-Impiety. The pedlar won, and the demon withdrew in ignominy; -but the released spirits came round their deliverer, and loaded him -with as much gold and valuable spoil as he could carry. - -This story seemed to me to belong to a class not unfrequently met with, -but yet differing from the ordinary run of legends on this subject, -inasmuch as the spirits, who were generally believed to be bound -to earth in penance, were released by no act of Christian virtue, -and without any appeal to faith; and I could not help asking my old -friend if he did not think this very active clever pedlar might have -been one of those who according to his own version had indulged in -freebooting tendencies, and that having with a true Zillerthaler's -tendencies pined to return to his native valley, he had invented the -tale to account for his accession of fortune, and the nature of his -possessions. I think my friend was a little piqued at my unmasking -his hero, but he allowed it was not an improbable solution for the -origin of some similar tales. - -Prizes, he went on to tell me, are often set up for excellence in these -games, which are cherished as marks of honour, without any reference to -their intrinsic value. And so jealously is every distinction guarded, -that a youth may not wear a feather or the sprig of rosemary, bestowed -by a beloved hand, in his jaunty hat, unless he is capable of proving -his right to it by his pluck and muscular development. - -Dancing is another favourite recreation, and is pursued with a zest -which makes it a healthful and useful exercise too. The Schnodahüpfl -and the Hosennagler are as dear to the Zillerthaler as the Bolera -to the Andalusian or the Jota to the Aragonese; like the Spanish -Seguidillas, too, the Zillerthalers accompany their dance with -sprightly songs, which are often directed to inciting each other not -to flag. - -Another amusement, in which they have a certain similarity with -Spaniards, is cow-fighting. But it is not a mere sport, and cruelty -is as much avoided as possible, for the beasts are made to fight -only with each other, and only their natural weapons--each other's -horns--are brought against them. The victorious cow is not only -the glory and darling of her owner, who loads her with garlands and -caresses; but the fight serves to ascertain the hardy capacity of -the animals as leaders of the herd, an office which is no sinecure, -when they have to make their way to and from steep pastures difficult -of access. [58] Ram and goat fights are also held in the same way, -and with the same object. - -The chief occasions for exercising these pastimes are the village -festivals, the Kirchtag, or anniversary of the Church consecration, -the Carnival season, weddings and baptisms, and the opening of the -season for the Scheibenschiessen; also the days of pilgrimages to -various popular shrines; and the Primizen and Sekundizen--the first -Mass of their pastors, and its fiftieth anniversary--general festivals -all over Tirol. - -A season of great enjoyment is the Carnival, which with them begins -at the Epiphany. Their great delight then is to go out in the dusk of -evening, when work is over, disguised in various fantastic dresses, -and making their way round from house to house, set the inmates -guessing who they can be. As they are very clever in arranging all -the accessories of their assumed character, changing their voice and -mien, each visit is the occasion of the most laughable mistakes. In -the towns, the Carnival procession is generally got up with no little -taste and artistic skill. The arch-buffoon goes on ahead, a loud -and merry jingle of bells announcing his advent at every movement of -the horse he bestrides, collects the people out of every house. Then -follow, also mounted, a train of maskers, Turks, soldiers, gipsies, -pirates; and if there happen to be among them anyone representing a -judge or authority of any sort, he is always placed at the head of -the tribe. In the evening, their perambulations over, they assemble in -the inn, where the acknowledged wag of the locality reads a humorous -diatribe, which touches on all the follies and events, that can be -anyhow made to wear a ridiculous aspect, of the past year. - -Christmas--here called Christnacht as well as Weihnacht--is observed -(as all over the country, but especially here) by dispensing the -Kloubabrod, a kind of dough cake, stuffed with sliced pears, almonds, -nuts, and preserved fruits. The making of this is a particular item in -the education of a Zillerthaler maiden, who has a special interest in -it, inasmuch as the one she prepares for the household must have the -first cut in it made by her betrothed, who at the same time gives her -some little token of his affection in return. Speaking of Christmas -customs reminded my informant of an olden custom in Brixen, that the -Bishop should make presents of fish to his retainers. This fish was -brought from the Garda-see, and the Graf of Tirol and the Prince-bishop -of Trent were wont to let it pass toll-free through their dominions. A -curious letter is extant, written by Bishop Rötel, 'an sambstag nach -Stæ. Barbaræ, 1444,' courteously enforcing this privilege. - -The Sternsingen is a favourite way of keeping the Epiphany in -many parts of the country. Three youths, one of them with his face -blackened, and all dressed to represent the three kings, go about -singing from homestead to homestead; and in some places there is -a Herod ready to greet them from the window with riming answers to -their verses, of which the following is a specimen: it is the address -of the first king-- - - - König Kaspar bin ich gennant - Komm daher aus Morgenland - Komm daher in grosser Eil - Vierzehn Tag, fünftausend Meil. - Melchores tritt du herein. [59] - - -Melchior, thus appealed to, stands forward and sings his lay; and -then Balthazar; and then the three join in a chorus, in which certain -hints are given that as they come from so far some refreshment would -be acceptable; upon which the friendly peasant-wife calls them in, -and regales them with cakes she has prepared ready for the purpose, and -sends them on their mountain-way rejoicing. Possibly some such custom -may have given rise to the institution of our 'Twelfth-cake.' In the -OEtzthal they go about with the greeting, 'Gelobt sei Jesus Christus -zur Gömacht.' [60] Another Tirolean custom connected with Epiphany -was the blessing of the stalls of the cattle on the eve, in memory -of the stable in which the Wise Men found the Holy Family. - -Their wedding fêtes seem to be among the most curious of all their -customs. My friend gave me a detailed account of one, between two -families of the better class of peasants, which he had attended some -years back; and he believed they were little changed since. It is -regarded as an occasion of great importance; and as soon as the banns -had been asked in church, the bridegroom went round with a chosen -friend styled a Hochzeitsbitter, to invite friends and relations to -the marriage. The night before the wedding (for which throughout Tirol -a Thursday is chosen, except in the Iselthal, where a preference for -Monday prevails), there was a great dance at the house of the bride, -who from the moment the banns have been asked is popularly called the -Kanzel-Braut. 'Rather, I should say,' he pursued, 'it was in the barn; -for though a large cottage, there was no room that would contain the -numbers of merry couples who flocked in, and even the barn was so -crowded, that the dancers could but make their way with difficulty, -and were continually tumbling over one another; but it was a merry -night, for all were in their local costume, and the pine-wood torches -shed a strange and festive glare over them. The next morning all were -assembled betimes. It was a bitterly cold day, but the snow-storm was -eagerly hailed, as it is reckoned a token that the newly-wedded pair -will be rich; we met first at the bride's house for what they called -the Morgensuppe, a rough sort of hearty breakfast of roast meat, -white bread, and sausages; and while the elder guests were discussing -it, many were hard at work again dancing, and the young girls of the -village were dressing up the bride--one of the adornments de rigueur -being a knot of streamers of scarlet leather trimmed with gold lace, -and blue arm-bands and hat-ribbons; these streamers are thought by the -simple people to be a cure for goitres, and are frequently bound round -them with that idea. At ten o'clock the first church bell rang, when -all the guests hastily assembled round the table, and drank the health -of the happy pair in a bowl from which they had first drank. Then they -ranged themselves into a procession, and marched towards the church, -the musicians leading the way. The nearest friends of the bridal pair -were styled "train-bearers," and formed a sort of guard of honour -round the bride, walking bare-headed, their hats, tastily wreathed -with flowers, in their hands. The priest of the village walked by -the bride on one side, her parents on the other. She wore a wreath of -rosemary--a plant greatly prized here, as among the people of Spain -and Italy, and considered typical of the Blessed Virgin's purity--in -her hair; her holiday dress was confined by a girdle, and she held -her rosary in her hand. The bridegroom was almost as showily dressed, -and wore a crown of silver wire; beside him walked another priest, -and behind them came the host of the village inn, a worthy who holds a -kind of patriarchal position in our villages. He is always one of the -most important men of the place, generally owns the largest holding -of land, and drives one or two little trades besides attending to the -welfare of his guests. But more than this, he is for the most part -a man of upright character and pleasant disposition, and is often -called to act as adviser and umpire in rural complications. - -'The procession was closed by the friends and neighbours, walking -two and two, husband and wife together; and the church bells rang -merrily through the valley as it passed along. - -'The ceremonial in the church was accompanied with the best music -the locality could afford, the best singers from the neighbouring -choirs lending their voices. To add to the solemnity of the occasion, -lighted tapers were held by the bridal party at the Elevation; and it -was amusing to observe how the young people shunned a candle that did -not burn brightly, as that is held to be an omen of not getting married -within the year. At the close of the function, the priest handed round -to them the Johannissegen, a cup of spiced wine mixed with water, -which he had previously blessed, probably so called in memory of the -miracle at the wedding-feast recorded in the Gospel of that Apostle. - -'The band then struck up its most jocund air, and full of mirth the -gladsome party wended their way to the inn. After a light repast -and a short dance, and a blithesome Trutzlied, they passed on, -according to custom, to the next, and so on to all the inns within -a radius of a few miles. This absorbed about three or four hours; -and then came the real wedding banquet, which was a very solid and -long affair--in fact, I think fresh dishes were being brought in -one after another for three or four hours more. Even in this there -was a memory of the Gospel narrative, for in token of their joy they -keep for the occasion a fatted calf, the whole of which is served up -joint by joint, not omitting the head; this was preceded by soup, -and followed by a second course of sweet dumplings, with fruit and -the inevitable pickled cabbage, which on this day is dignified with -the title of Ehrenkraut. After this came a pause; and the musicians, -who had been playing their loudest hitherto, held in too. The "best -man" rose, and went through the formula of asking the guests whether -they were content with what had been set before them, which of course -was drowned in a tumult of applause. In a form, which serves from -generation to generation with slight change, he then went on to remark -that the good gifts of meat and drink of which they had partaken came -from the hand of God, and called forth the gratitude of the receiver, -adding, "Let us thank Him for them, and still more in that He has -made us reasonable beings, gifting us with faith, and not brutes or -unbelievers. If we turn to Him in this spirit, He will abide with us -as with them of Cana in Galilee. Therefore, let all anger and malice -and evil speaking be put away from us, who have just been standing -before the most holy Sacrament, and let us be united in the bonds of -brotherly love, that His Blood may not have been poured out for us in -vain. And to you, dear friends, who have this day been united with -the grace-giving benediction of the Church, I commend this union of -heart and soul most of all, that the new family thus founded in our -midst may help to build up the living edifice of a people praising -and serving God, and that you walk in His way, and bring up children -to serve Him as our forefathers have ever done." There was a good -deal more in the same strain; and this exhortation to holy living, -from one of themselves, is just a type of the intimate way in which -religion enters into the life of the people. His concluding wish for -the well-being of the newly married was followed by a loud "Our Father" -and "Hail Mary" from the assembled throng. - -'After this came a great number more dishes of edibles, but this time -of a lighter kind; among them liver and poultry, but chiefly fruits and -sweets; and among these many confections of curious devices, mostly -with some symbolical meaning. When these were nearly despatched, -wine and brandy were brought out by the host; and by this name you -must understand the master of the inn; for, true to the paternal -character of which I have already spoken, it is always his business -to cater for and preside over bridal banquets. At the same time the -guests produced their presents, which go by the name of Waisat, and -all were set down in a circumstantial catalogue. They are generally -meted out with an open hand, and are a great help to the young people -in beginning their housekeeping. - -'The musicians, who only got hasty snatches of the good things -passing round, now began yet livelier strains, and the party broke -up that the younger members might give themselves to their favourite -pastime, dancing; and well enough they looked, the lads in brilliant -red double-breasted waistcoats, their short black leather breeches held -up with embroidered belts, and their well-formed high-pointed hats with -jaunty brim, going through the intricate evolutions, each beating the -time heartily, first on his thighs and then on his feet--schuhplatteln -they call it--and followed through the mazy figures by his diandl -(damsel), in daintily fitting satin bodice, and short but ample skirt. - -'The older people still lingered over the table, and looked on at -the dance, which they follow with great interest; but there is -not a great deal of drinking, and it is seldom enough, even in -the midst of an occasion for such exceptional good cheer, that -any excess is committed. A taste for brandy--the poor brandy of -their own manufacture--is however, I confess, a weakness of the -Zillerthalers. The necessity for occasionally having recourse to -stimulants results from the severity of the climate during part of -the year, and the frequently long exposure to the mountain air which -their calling requires of them. At the same time, anything like a -confirmed drunkard is scarcely known among them. Its manufacture -affords to many an occupation; and its use to all, of both sexes, is -a national habit. They make it out of barley, juniper, and numbers of -other berries (which they wander collecting over all the neighbouring -alps), as well as rye, potatoes, and other roots--in fact, almost -anything. Every commercial bargain, every operation in the field, every -neighbourly discussion, every declaration of affection even, is made -under its afflatus. An offer of a glass of the cordial will often make -up a long-harboured quarrel, a refusal to share one is taken to be a -studied affront; in fact, this zutrinken, as they call it, comes into -every act and relation of life. In the moderate bounds within which -they keep its use, it is undeniably a great boon to them; and many a -time it has been the saving of life in the mountains to the shepherd -and the milk-maid, the snow-bound labourer or retarded pedlar.' - -I was curious to know what customs the other valley had to replace -those of the Ziller. My friend informed me they were very similar, only -the Zillerthalers were celebrated for their attachment to and punctual -observance of them. He had once attended a wedding in the Grödnerthal -which was very similar to the one he had already described, yet had -some distinct peculiarities. Though a little out of place, I may as -well bring in his account of it here. There, the betrothal is called -der Handschlag (lit. the hand-clasp), and it is always performed on -a Saturday. The fathers of the bride and bridegroom and other nearest -relations are always present as witnesses; and if the bride does not -cry at the projected parting, it is said she will have many tears -to shed during her married life. The first time the banns are asked -it is not considered 'the thing' for the betrothed to be present, -and they usually go to church on that occasion in some neighbouring -village; on the second Sunday they are expected to appear in state, -the bridegroom wearing his holiday clothes and a nosegay in his hat -or on his right breast. The bride always wears the local costume, a -broadish brimmed green hat, a scarlet boddice and full black skirt, -though this is now only worn on such occasions; on the day of the -wedding, to this is added a broad black satin ribbon round her head, -and round her waist a leather girdle with a number of useful articles -in plated copper hanging from it. On each side are arranged red and -green streamers with very great nicety, and no change of fashion is -suffered in their position; she is expected to wear a grave mien and -modest deportment; this is particularly enjoined. The guests are also -expected to don the popular costume; the girls green, the married -women black hats. On the way to the church the bridegroom's father -and his nearest neighbour came forward, and with many ceremonies asked -the bride of her friends, and she went crying coyly with them. After -the church ceremony, which concludes as in Zillerthal with the cup -of S. Johannessegen, the bridesmaids hand in a basket decked with -knots of ribbon, containing offerings for the priests and servers, -and a wreath, which is fastened round the priest's arm who leads the -bride out of church. The visit to the neighbouring inn follows; but -at the wedding feast guests come in in masquerading dresses bringing -all manner of comical presents. The dance here lasts till midnight, -when the happy pair are led home by their friends to an accompaniment -of music, for which they have a special melody. The next day again -there are games, and the newly married go in procession with their -friends to bear home the trousseau and wedding gifts, among which is -always a bed and bedding. On their way back beggars are allowed to bar -the way at intervals, who must be bought off with alms. On the Sunday -following the bride is expected again to appear at church in the local -costume, and in the afternoon all the guests of the wedding day again -gather in the inn to present their final offering of good wishes and -blessings. Girls who are fond of cats, they say, are sure to marry -early; perhaps an evidence that household virtues are appreciated -in them by the men; but of men, the contrary is predicated, showing -that the other sex is expected to display hardihood in the various -mountaineering and other out-door occupations. [61] - - - -Kundl, whither we were bound before being tempted to make this -digression, gives entrance to the Wildschönau according to modern -orthography, the Witschnau, or Wiltschnau, according to local and -more correct pronunciation (sometimes corrupted into Mitschnau), -as the name is derived from wiltschen, to flow, and au, water, the -particular water in this case being the Kundler-Ache, which here -flows into the Inn. It is a little valley improving in beauty as you -pursue it eastwards, not more than seven leagues in length, and seldom -visited, for its roads are really only fit for pedestrians; hence its -secluded inhabitants have acquired a character for being suspicious of -strangers, though proverbially hospitable to one another. One of its -points of greatest interest is the church of St. Leonhard, described -in the last chapter. Overhanging the road leading from it to Kundl, -stand the remains of the castle of Niederaich, now converted into -a farm stable, and its moat serving as a conduit of water for the -cattle. At the time it was built by Ambrose Blank in the sixteenth -century, the silver mines then in work made this a most flourishing -locality. At that time, too, there stood overlooking the town the -Kundlburg, of which still slighter traces remain, the residence -of the Kummerspruggers, who, in the various wars, always supported -the house of Bavaria. The chief industry of Kundl at present is the -construction of the boats which navigate the Inn, and carry the rich -produce of the Tirolean pastures to Vienna. Oberau is situated on -a commanding plateau, and its unpretending inn 'auf dem Keller,' -offers a good resting-place. The church was burnt down in 1719, -and the present one, remarkable for its size if for nothing else, -was completed just a hundred years ago. It is, however, remarkable -also for its altar-piece--the Blessed Virgin between S. Barbara and -S. Margaret--by a local artist, and far above what might be expected -in so sequestered a situation. At a distance of three or four miles, -Niederau is reached, passing first a sulphur spring, esteemed by the -peasants of the neighbourhood. The openest and most smiling--most -friendly, to use the German expression--part of the valley is between -Auffach and Kelchsau, where is situated Kobach, near which may be seen -lateral shafts of the old mines extending to a distance of many hundred -feet. From Kelchsau a foot-path leads in an hour more to Hörbrunn, -where there is a brisk little establishment of glass-works, whose -productions go all over Tirol. Then westwards over the Plaknerjoch -to Altbach, passing Thierberg (not the same as that mentioned near -Kufstein), once the chief seat of the silver-works, its only remaining -attraction being the beautiful view to be obtained from its heights -over the banks of the Inn, and the whole extent of country between -it and Bavaria. From Altbach it is an hour more back to Brixlegg. - -The memory of the former metallic wealth of the valley is preserved in -numerous tales of sudden riches overtaking the people in all manner of -different ways, as in the specimens already given. Here is a similar -one belonging to this spot. A peasant going out with his waggon found -one day in the way a heap of fine white wheat. Shocked that God's -precious gift should be trodden under foot, he stopped his team and -gathered up the grain, of which there was more than enough to fill all -his pockets; when he arrived at his destination, he found them full -of glittering pieces of money. The origin of the story doubtless may -be traced to some lucky take of ore which the finder was able to sell -at the market town; and the price which he brought home was spoken -of as the actual article discovered. Another relic of the mining -works may perhaps be found in the following instance of another class -of stories, though some very like it doubtless refer to an earlier -belief in hobgoblins closely allied to our own Robin Goodfellow. I -think a large number date from occasions when the Knappen or miners, -who formed a tribe apart, may have come to the aid of the country -people when in difficulty. - -The Unterhausberg family was once powerful in Wiltschnau. When -their mighty house was building, the great foundation-stone was so -ponderous that it defied all the efforts of the builders to put it -in its place. At last they sat down to dinner; then there suddenly -came out of the mountain side a number of Wiltschnau dwarfs, who, -without any effort, lowered the great stone into its appointed place; -the men offered them the best portion of their dinner, but they refused -any reward. The dwarfs were not always so urbane, however, and there -are many stories of their tricks: lying down in the pathways in the -dark to make the people tumble over them; then hiding behind a tree, -and with loud laughter mocking the disaster; [62] throwing handfuls -of pebbles and ashes at the peasant girls as they passed; getting -into the store-room, and mixing together the potatoes, carrots, grain, -and flour, which the housewife had carefully assorted and arranged. It -was particularly on women that their tricks were played off; and this -to such an extent that it became the custom, even now prevailing, -never to send women to the Hochalm with the herds, though they go -out into other equally remote mountain districts without fear, for -their Kasa (the hut for shelter at night, here so called, in other -parts Sennhütte,) was sure to be beset with the dwarfs, and their -milk-pails overturned. All these feats may, I think, be ascribed in -their origin to the Knappen. - -The neighbourhood of Thierberg has a story which I think also has its -source in mining memories. 'On the way between Altbach and Thierbach -you pass two houses bearing the name of "beim Thaler." In olden time -there lived here a peasant of moderate means, who owned several head -of cattle; Moidl, the maid, whose duty it was to take them out to -pasture on the sunny hill-side, always looked out anxiously for the -first tokens of spring; for she loved better to watch the cows and -goats browsing the fresh grass, or venturously climbing the heights, -to sitting in the chimney-corner dozing over the spinning-wheel. One -day as she was at her favourite occupation, she heard a noise behind -her, and turning round saw a door open in the mountain side, and -two or three little men with long beards peeping out. Within, all -was dazzling with gold like the brightest sunshine. The walls were -covered with plates of gold, placed one over the other like scales, -and knobs of gold like pine-apples studded the vault. The little men -beckoned to Moidl to come in, but she, like a modest maiden, ran home -to her father; when he returned with her, however, to the spot, the -door was no more to be found.' I think it may very well be imagined -that Moidl came unawares upon the opening of a lateral shaft, and -listened to the accounts which the Knappen may have amused themselves -with giving her of the riches of their diggings; while she may very -naturally have been afraid to explore these. The disappearance of -the mysterious opening is but the ordinary refrain of marvellous tales. - -The Witschnauers cannot be accused of any dreamy longings after the -recurrence of such prosperous times. They are among the most diligent -tillers of the land to be found anywhere; the plough is carried over -places where the uneven gradients make the guiding of horses or oxen a -too great expenditure of time; in such places they do not disdain to -harness themselves to the plough, and even the women take their turn -in relieving them. Of one husbandman of olden time it is narrated -that he was even too eager in his thrift, and carried his furrow a -little way on to his neighbour's land year by year, so that by the -time he came to die he had appropriated a good strip of land not his -own. His penance was, that after death he should continually tread up -and down the stolen soil, dragging after him a red-hot ploughshare, -in performing which his wail was often overhead-- - - - O weh! wie is der Pflug so heiss - Und niemand mir zu helfen weiss! [63] - - -until one of his successors in the farm, being a particularly -honourable man, removed the boundary-stone back to its original -position. He had no sooner done so than he had the satisfaction of -hearing the spectre cry-- - - - Erlöst, Gott sei Dank, bin ich jetzt - Der Markstein ist auch rechtgesetzt. [64] - - -Another class of legends has also a home in this locality. It is -told that a peasant from Oberau was going home from Thierbach, one -Epiphany Eve. It was a cold night; his feet crunched the crisp snow -at every step; the air was clear, and the stars shone brightly. The -peasant's head, however, was not so clear as the sky, for he came from -the tavern, where he had been spending a merry evening with his boon -companions. Thus it happened that instead of walking straight on, he -gave one backward step for every three forward, like the Umgehende -Schuster; [65] and thus he went staggering about till he came to -the Rastbank, which is even yet sought as a point where to rest and -overlook the view. It struck twelve as he seated himself on the bench; -then suddenly behind him he heard a sound of many voices, which came -on nearer and nearer, and then the Berchtl in her white clothing, her -broken ploughshare in her hand, and all her train of little people -[66] swept clattering and chattering close past him. The least was -the last, and it wore a long shirt which got in the way of its little -bare feet, and kept tripping it up. The peasant had sense enough -left to feel compassion, so he took his garter off and bound it for -a girdle round the infant, and then set it again on its way. When -the Berchtl saw what he had done, she turned back and thanked him, -and told him that in return for his compassion his children should -never come to want. This story, I think there is little doubt, may be -genuine; your Wiltschenauer is as fond of brandy as your Zillerthaler, -and under its influence the peasant may very likely have passed a -troubled night on the Rastbank. What more likely to cross his fancy -on the Epiphany Eve than the thought of a visit from the Berchtl -and her children (they always appear in Tirol at that season, and -in rags and tatters [67]); his own temperament being compassionate, -that he should help the stumbling little one, and that the Berchtl -should give him promise of reward was all that might be expected from -certain premises. But what are those premises? Who was the Berchtl? If -you ask a Tirolean peasant the question, he will probably tell you -that the Perchtl (as he will call her) is Pontius Pilate's wife, -[68] to whom redemption was given by reason of her intervention in -favour of the Man of Sorrows, but that it is her penance to wander -over the earth till the last day as a restless spirit; and that as -the Epiphany was the season of favour to the Gentiles, among whose -first-fruits she was, it is at that season she is most often seen, -and in her most favourable mood. It must be confessed that some of his -stories of her will betray a certain amount of inconsistency, for he -will represent her carrying off children, wounding belated passengers, -and performing many acts inconsistent with the character of a penitent -soul, and more in accordance with that of the more ancient 'Lamia.' - -If you address your question to Grimm, or Wolf, Simrock, Kuhn, -Schwartz, or Mannhardt, or any who have made comparative mythology -their study, he will tell you that the stories about her (and probably -all the other marvellous tales of the people also) are to be traced -back to the earliest mythological traditions of a primeval glimmering -of religion spread abroad over the whole world; and to the poetical -forms of expression of a primitive population describing the wonderful -but constantly repeated operations of nature. [69] That the wilder -Jäger was originally the god Wodin, the hunter of unerring aim, that -his impetuous course typifies the journey of the sun-god through the -heavens, [70] his mighty arm represents his powerful rays; and in -even so late a tale as 'that of William Tell, he will see the last -reflections of the sun-god, whether we call him Indra, or Apollo, -or Ulysses.' [71] He will tell you that all 'the countless legends of -princesses kept in dark prisons and invariably delivered by a young -bright knight can all be traced back to mythological traditions -about the spring being released from the bonds of winter; the sun -being rescued from the darkness of night; the dawn being brought -back from the far west; the waters being set free from the prison of -clouds.' [72] And of the Berchtl herself, he will tell you that she -is Perahta (the bright), daughter of Dagha (the day), whose name has -successively been transformed into Perchtl and Bertha; brightness -or whiteness has made her to be considered the goddess of winter; -who particularly visited the earth for twelve winter nights, and -spoilt all the flax of those idle maidens who left any unspun on the -last day of the year; [73] who carries in her hand a broken plough in -token that the ground is hardened against tillage; whose brightness -has also made her to be reckoned the all-producing earth-mother, -with golden hair like the waving corn; the Hertha of the Swabian; -the Jörtha of Scandinavian; [74] the Berecynthia of the Phrygian; -[75] and to other nations known as Cybele, Rhea, Isis, Diana. [76] - -Such ideas were too deeply rooted in the minds of the people to be -easily superseded; as my friend, the Feldkirch postilion, said, -they went on and on like the echoes of their own mountains. 'The -missionaries were not afraid of the old heathen gods; ... their kindly -feeling towards the traditions, customs, and prejudices of their -converts must have been beneficial; ... they allowed them the use -of the name Allfadir, whom they had invoked in the prayers of their -childhood, when praying to Him who is "our Father in heaven."' And -as with the greater, so with the less, the mighty powers they had -personified and treated as heroes and examples lived on in their -imagination, and their glorious deeds came to be ascribed to the new -athletes of a brighter faith. Then, 'although originally popular tales -were reproductions of more ancient legends, yet after a time a general -taste was created for marvellous stories, and new ones were invented in -large numbers. Even in these purely imaginative productions, analogies -may be discovered with more genuine tales, because they were made after -the original patterns, and in many cases were mere variations on an -ancient air.' [77] More than this, there came the actual accession of -marvels derived from the acts inspired by the new faith; but it cannot -be denied that the two became strangely blended in the popular mind. - - - -Brixlegg presents some appearance of thriving, through the smelting and -wire-drawing works for the copper ore brought from the neighbourhood -of Schwatz. It also enjoys some celebrity as the birthplace of the -Tirolean historian Burgleckner, whose family had been respected here -for generations; and it is very possible to put up for the night -at the Herrenhaus. It is not much above a mile hence to Rattenberg, -of which I have already spoken. - -Rattenberg was, in 1651, the scene of a tragic event, sad as the -denouement of many a fiction. The high-spirited consort of Archduke -Leopold V., Claudia de' Medici, who, at his death, governed the -country so well, and by her sagacity kept her dominions at peace, -while the rest of Germany was immersed in the horrors of the Thirty -Years' War, yet did not altogether escape the charge of occasional -harshness in collecting the revenues which she knew so well how -to administer. Her chancellor, Wilhelm Biener, a trusty and devoted -servant and counsellor, drew on himself considerable odium for his zeal -in these matters. On one occasion he got into a serious controversy -with Crosini, Bishop of Brixen, concerning the payment of certain -taxes from which the prelate claimed exemption, and in the course of -it wrote him a letter couched in such very unguarded terms, that the -bishop, unused to be so dealt with, could not forbear exclaiming, 'The -man deserves to lose the fingers that could write such an intemperate -effusion!' The exclamation was not thought of again till years after. - -Claudia died in 1648, and then the hatred against Biener, which -was also in some measure a hatred of races, for Claudia had many -southerners at her court, broke forth without hindrance. He was -accused [78] of appropriating the State money he had been so earnest in -collecting, and though tried by two Italian judges, he was ultimately -condemned, in 1651, to lose his head. Biener sent a statement of his -case to the Archduke Ferdinand Karl; and the young prince, believing -the honesty of his mother's faithful adviser, immediately ordered a -reprieve. The worst enemy and prime accuser of the fallen favourite -was Schmaus, President of the Council, this time a German, and he -contrived by detaining the messenger to make him arrive just too late -in Rattenberg, then still a strong fortress, where he lay confined, -and where the sentence was to be carried out. - -Biener had all along steadfastly maintained his innocence; and stepping -on to the scaffold, he had again repeated the assertion, adding, 'So -truly as I am innocent, I summon my accuser before the Judgment-seat -above before another year is out.' [79] When the executioner stooped -to lift up the head before the people, he found lying by its side -three fingers of his right hand, without having had any knowledge -that he had struck them off, though he might have done so by the -unhappy man having raised his hand in the way of the sword in the -last struggle. The people, however, saw in it the fulfillment of the -words of the bishop, as well as a ghastly challenge accompanying his -dying message to President Schmaus. Nor did they forget to note that -the latter died of a terrible malady some months before the close of -the year. Biener's wife lost her senses when she knew the terrible -circumstances of his death; the consolations of her director and of -her son, who lived to his ninetieth year in the Francescan convent at -Innsbruck, were alike powerless to calm her. She escaped in the night, -and wandered out into the mountains no one knows whither. But the -people say she lives on to be a witness of her husband's innocence, -and may be met on lonely ways proclaiming it, but never harming -any. Only, when anyone is to die in Büchsenhausen, [80] where her -married life passed so pleasantly, the 'Bienerweible' will appear -and warn them. It is a remarkable instance of the easy way in which -one myth passes into another, that though this event happened but a -little over two hundred years ago, the Bienerweible and the Berchtl -are already confounded in the popular mind. [81] - -Another name prized in Tirolese annals, which must not be forgotten in -connexion with Rattenberg, is Alois Sandbichler, the Bible commentator, -who was born there in 1751. He passed a brilliant career as Professor -in the University of Salzburg, but died at the age of eighty in his -native village. - -The neighbourhood of Brixlegg is very pretty, and the views from the -bridge by no means to be overlooked. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -NORTH TIROL--UNTERINNTHAL. - -(LEFT INN-BANK.) - - - The hilles, where dwelled holy saintes, - I reverence and adore - Not for themselfe but for the saincts - Which han been dead of yore. - And now they been to heaven forewent, - Their good is with them goe; - Their sample onely to us lent, - That als we mought doe soe.--Spenser. - - -We have hitherto been occupied almost exclusively with the right bank -of the Inn. We will now return to Jenbach, as a starting-point for -the beauties of the left bank. - -Near the station of Jenbach is a 'Restauration,' which bears the -singular title of 'zum Tolerantz.' In the town, which is at some -little distance on the Käsbach stream, the 'Post' affords very decent -accommodation; The dining-room of the more primitive 'Brau' is a neat -building in the Swiss style, and commands a prospect which might more -than compensate for even worse fare than it affords. Jenbach had its -name from being situated on the further side of the Inn from that -on which the old post-road had been carried. There are extensive -iron-foundries and breweries, which give the place a busy aspect, -and an air of prosperity. - -The excursions from Jenbach are countless. Between the stations -of Brixlegg and Jenbach lie only Münster and Wiesing, with nothing -remarkable, except that the church of Wiesing, having been struck by -lightning in 1782, was rebuilt with stones taken from the neighbouring -Pulverthurm, built by the Emperor Maximilian, in 1504, but destroyed -by lightning at the same time as the church. Count Tannenberg's park -(Thiergarten), near here, is a most curious enclosure of natural -rock, aided by masonry, and stocked with deer, fish, and fowl. Then -Kramsach, and in the woods near it the Hilariusbergl, once inhabited -by two hermits, and still held sacred: also the strangely wild -Rettengschöss and its marbles; and several remarkable Alpine peaks, -particularly the Zireinalpe and its little lake, bearing a memory of -Seirens in its traditions as well as in its name. Here another river -Ache runs into the Inn, distinguished from that on the opposite side, -as the Brandenberger Ache. At its debouche stands Voldepp, whence the -Mariathal and the Mooserthal may be visited, and 'the neighbourhood is -rich in marbles used in the churches of Innsbruck.' [82] The Mooserthal -is remarkable for three small lakes, which can be formed and let off -at pleasure; they are the property of the Barons of Lichtenthurm, who -fatten carp in them. The lowest of the three, the Rheinthalersee, -has the prettiest surroundings. Weber says they are all fed by -subterranean currents from the mountains. Ball ('Central Alps') -treats them as overflowings of the Inn. - -The most flourishing town of the Mariathal is Achenrain, where there -are extensive brass-works. Mass is said for the out-lying operatives -in the Castle-chapel of Lichtenthurm. The village of Mariathal is -very snugly situated, almost hidden by its woods from the road. Its -chief feature is the deserted convent of Dominicanesses founded in -the thirteenth century by Ulrich and Konrad v. Freundsberg; their -descendant, Georg v. Freundsberg, celebrated in the Thirty Years' -War, whom we learn more about when we come to Schwatz, also endowed -the nuns liberally, bidding them pray for him; his effigy may still -be seen in the church of Mariathal; and the convent, even in its -present condition, is a favourite pilgrimage. Hence a rocky defile -of wild and varied beauty, and many miles in length, leads into -the Brandenbergerthal, which reaches to the Bavarian frontier. Its -highest point is the Steinberg, to be recognized in the distance by its -pyramidal form, which is situated within what the Germans graphically -term a cauldron (Gebirgskessel) of mountains, and is shut off from -all communication with the outer world by the snow during the winter -months. The Brandenbergers have been famous for their patriotism and -defence of their independence during all the various conflicts with -Bavaria, and they love to call their native soil the Heimaththal and -the Freiheitthal. The only tale of the supernatural I have met with -as connected with this locality is the following; it has a certain -wild grasp, but its moral is not easy to trace; it is analogous, -however, to many traditions of other places. - -'One of the Jochs surrounding the Brandenbergerthal was celebrated for -its rich grasses; on its "alm" [83] the cattle often found pasturage -even late in the winter. The Senner [84] here watching his flocks was -visited one Christmas Eve by an old man in thick winter clothing, -with a mighty pine-staff in his hand; he begged the Senner on the -coming night to heat his hut as hot as ever he could, assuring him he -would have no cause to regret his compliance. The Senner thought it -was a strange adventure, but congratulated himself that it might be -the means of propitiating the goblins, of whose pranks in the winter -nights he was not without his fears. So he heaped log upon log all -day, till the hut was so hot he could hardly bear it. Then he crept -under a bench in the corner where a little chink gave a breath from -the outer air, and waited to see what would come to pass. Towards -midnight he heard steps approaching nearer and nearer, and then there -was a sound of heavy boots stamping off the snow. Immediately after, -seven men stepped into the room in silence. Their boots and clothes -were all frozen as hard as if they had been carved out of ice, and -their very presence served to cool down the air of the hut to such -an extent that the Senner was now obliged to rub his hands. When -they had stood a considerable space round the fire without uttering -a word, they all seven left the hut as silently and solemnly as they -had entered it. The Senner now crawled out of his hiding-place, and -a loud cry of joy burst spontaneously from his lips, for his hat, -which he had left on the table, was full of bright shining golden -zwanzigers. These seven, the legend goes on to say, 'were never seen -but this once. They were the seven Goldherds of the Reiche Spitze (on -the Salzburg frontier); for up there there are exhaustless treasures, -but whatever a mortal takes of them during life, he must suffer the -Cold Torment and keep watch over it after death; and of such there -have been seven in the course of the world's ages.' - -With regard to 'the Cold Torment,' [85] they have the following legend -in the neighbourhood of Innsbruck:--There was once a peasant who -had been very unlucky, and got so deep in debt that he saw no way of -extricating himself. Unable to bear the sight of his starving family, -he wandered out into the forest, until at last he met a strange-looking -man in the old Frankish costume, who came up to him and said, 'You -are poor indeed, and know no means of help.' 'Most true,' replied -the peasant; 'of money and good counsel I can use more than you can -have to bestow.' 'I will help you,' said the strange-looking man; -'I will give you as much money as you can use while you live, and -all you have to do for it will be to bear the Cold Torment for me -after you die; nothing but that, only just to feel rather too cold, -and all that time hence--what does it matter?' The peasant retraced -his steps, and as he drew near home his children came out to meet him -with their pinafores full of gold, and all about the house there were -heaps of gold, more than he could use; and he lived a merry life till -the time came for him to die. Then he remembered what was before him; -so he called his wife to him, and got her to make him a whole suit of -the thickest rough woollen cloth, and stockings, hood, and gloves of -the same. In the night, before they had buried him, his boys saw him, -just as the De profundis bell rang, get up from the bed in all this -warm clothing, and shut the gate behind him, and go out into the -forest to deliver the spirit which had enriched him. [86] - -To the north-east of this valley, and still on the left bank of the -Inn, is the favourite pilgrimage of Maria-Stein. I have not learnt -its origin, but there is a tradition that, in 1587, Baron Schurff, to -whom the neighbouring Castle of Stein then belonged, being desirous -to take the precious likeness of the Blessed Virgin honoured there -to his Bavarian dwelling, thrice attempted the removal, and on each -occasion it was found by the next morning restored to its original -sanctuary, which is in a chapel at the top of a high tower. The castle -was a dependency of the Freundsbergers of Schwatz, till the family -died out. It was subsequently bestowed by the Archduke Sigismund -on one of his supporters, to whom he gave also the title of Baron -Schurff. Afterwards it came into possession of Count Paris von Klotz, -who gave it to form a presbytery and school for which it is still -used. Among its treasures was a Slave codex of Homilies of the early -fathers; Count Klotz had a reprint made from it at Vienna. A little -lake (Maria Steinersee) at no great distance affords excellent fish -called Nasen, whence the neighbouring dale is called Nasenthal; and -from several points there are most enjoyable views of the höhe Salve -and the little towns of Wörgl, Kirchbühel, and Häring across the river. - - - -Jenbach affords also numerous mountain walks through the Achenthal: -a favourite one is over the Mauriz Alp, to Maurach, which has many -points of interest to the geologist. For those who are not fond of -pedestrianism, there is a splendid drive along the road--one of the -old highways to Bavaria and the north of Europe. An accident is of very -rare occurrence; but some parts of it are rather frightful. For those -whose nerves are proof against the fears suggested here and there, -there is immense enjoyment to be found, as it winds its way along -the romantic woody Käsbachthal, round--indeed through--the wild and -overhanging rocks, or, supported on piles, runs close along the edge -of the intensely blue Achen lake, under the over-arching Spiel-joch, -steep as a wall. The first place to halt at is Skolastica, where there -is a pretty, much-frequented swimming-school; and whence even ladies -have ascended the Unnutzjoch over the Kögl. It is often crowded in the -season, as also are all the little towns round the lake--Achenthal, -Pertisau, Buchau. Several excellent varieties of fish, which are the -property of the Monastery of Viecht, and the pleasure-fares across -the waters, afford means of subsistence to a little population of -boatmen, who have made their nests on the rocks wherever there is -a foot of level ground. Pertisau, however, is on a green smiling -spot, and is a relief to the majestic wildness of the rest of the -surrounding scenery. A very extraordinary effect may be observed at -a short distance out from Buchau. The mountain outline on the right -hand appears to be that of a regular fortress, with all professional -accessories, bidding defiance to the neighbourhood: it is only as -the boat approaches quite near, that you see it is only one of those -tours de force with which nature often surprises us; as, for example, -in the portrait of Louis XVI. in the outline of the Traunstein, -seen from Baura. - -From the village of Achenthal the road runs, through the Bavarian -frontier, to the well-known baths and Bavarian royal Lustschloss--until -1803 a Benedictine monastery--of Tegernsee, through Pass-Achen, -celebrated in the patriotic struggles of 1809. - -The Achensee is the largest and one of the most beautiful lakes of -Tirol. It is fed partly by mountain streams, and partly by subterranean -springs. The people tell a warning tale of its first rising. They say -that in olden times there was a stately and prosperous town on what -is now the bed of the lake; but the inhabitants in their prosperity -forgot God so far, that the young lads played at skittles along the -aisles of the church, even while the sacred office was being sung, -and the Word of God preached. A day came; it was a great feast, but -they drove their profane sport as usual, and no one said them nay; -[87] and so a great flood rose up through the floor; rose above their -heads; above the church roof; above the church steeple; and they say -that even now, on a bright calm day, you may see the gilt ball of the -steeple shining under the waters, and in the still moonshine you may -hear the bell ring out the midnight hour. There are many other tales -of such swift and righteous judgments lingering in Tirol. - -The lower eastern ridge of the Harlesanger or Hornanger Alpe, is, on -account of its stern and barren character, called the Wildenfeld. This -is how it received its name. Ages ago, it was a very paradise -of beauty and fruitfulness. All the choicest Alpine grasses grew -there in abundance; but with these riches and plenty the pride of -the Senners and milkers waxed great too; and as a token of their -reckless wastefulness, it is recorded that they used rich cheeses -for paving-stones and skittles. One ancient Senner, like another Lot, -raised his feeble but indignant voice against them, but they heeded -him not. One day, as he mused over the sins of his people, a bright -bird, with a plumage such as he had never seen before, fluttered -round him, warbling, 'Righteous man, get thee hence! righteous man, -get thee hence!' The old man saw the finger of God, and immediately -followed the guiding flight of the bird to a place of safety, while -a great peak from the Harlesanger fell over the too prosperous Joch, -buried its impious inhabitants, and spread desolation all around. There -is now a pilgrimage chapel. - -Another excursion, which must not be omitted, from Jenbach, is that -to Eben, which lies a little off the high road, at some elevation, -but in the midst of a delightful table-land (hence its name) of -most fruitful character. As the burial-place of St. Nothburga, it is -still a spot of great resort. Unhappily, not all those buried here -were so holy as the peasant saint. A tradition is preserved of one -wicked above others, though he seemed all fair to the outward eye, -and the Church consequently admitted him to lie in holy ground. But he -felt the Eye of One above upon him, and he could not rest; and in his -struggles to withdraw himself from that all-searching gaze, he bored -and bored on through the consecrated earth, till he had worked his way -out into the common soil beyond. A horse-shoe, deeply graven in the -'Friedhof' boundary, and which no one has ever been able to wall up, -marks the spot by which he passed; and the people call it the 'Escape -of the Vampire.' [88] - -The unpretending village of Stans, situated in the midst of a very -forest of fruit-trees, at no great distance from Jenbach, is the -birth-place of Joseph Arnold, one of the religious artists, of whom -Tirol has produced so many. Without winning, of some it may be said -without meriting perhaps, much fame for themselves in the world, -without attaining the honour of founding a school, they have laboured -painstakingly and successfully to adorn their village temples, and keep -alive the faith and devotion of their countrymen. Almost where-ever -you go in Tirol you find praiseworthy copies of paintings, whose -titles are connected with the celebrated shrines of Italy, modestly -reproduced by them, or some fervent attempt at an original rendering -of a sacred subject, by men who never aspired that their names should -reach beyond the echoes of their own beloved mountains. The prior of -Viecht, Eberhard Zobel, discovered the merits of Joseph Arnold and drew -him from obscurity, or rather from one degree of obscurity to another -less profound, had him instructed according to the best means within -his attainment, and gave him occupation in the monastery. His homely -aspirations made him content with the sphere to which he was native, -and he never went far from it. The altarpiece in the church of Stans, -representing St. Lawrence and St. Ulric, is his work and his gift. - -From Stans there is a path through the grand scenery of the -Stallenthal, leading to the shrine of St. Georgenberg. For a time -the pretty villages of the Innthal are lost to sight, and you pass -a country known only to the wild game, the hunter, and the pilgrim; -the bare rocky precipices relieved only here and there with woods, -while the Stallen torrents run noisily below. Who could pass through -such a neighbourhood and not think of the crowds of pilgrims who, -through ages past, have approached the sacred spot in a spirit of faith -and submission, bearing their sins and their sorrows, the burden of -their afflictions, moral and physical, and have gone down to their -homes comforted? - -A wonderful shrine it is: a rock which might seem marked out 'from -the beginning' to be a shrine; shut out by Nature from earthly -communication; piercing the very sky. You stand beneath it and long -for an eagle's wings to bear you aloft: there seems no other means -of access. Then a weary winding path is shown you, up which, with -many sloping returns upon your former level, and crossing the roaring -stream at a giddy height, you at last reach an Absatzbrücke--a bridge -or viaduct--over the chasm, uniting the height you have been climbing, -with the cliff of S. George. It is a long bridge, and only made of -wood; and you fancy it trembles beneath your anxious tread, as you -span the seemingly unfathomable abyss. A modest cross, which you cannot -fail to observe at its head, records the marvellous preservation of a -girl of twenty-one, named Monica Ragel, a farm-servant, who one fine -morning in April 1831, in her zeal to gather the fairest flowers for -the wreath she was weaving for the Madonna's altar, attempted to climb -the treacherous steep, and losing her footing slipped down the cliff, -a distance of one hundred and forty feet. The neighbours crowded -to the spot, with all the haste the dangerous footing would admit, -and though they had no hope of finding her alive. She was so far -uninjured, however, that she was able to resume work within the week. - -The buildings found perched at this height cannot fail to convey a -striking impression; and this still more do the earnest penitents, -who may nearly always be found kneeling within. First, you come upon -the little chapel of the 'Schmerzhaften Mutter,' with a little garden -of graves of those who have longed to lie in death as they dwelt in -life--near the shrine; among them is that of the Benedictine Magnus -Dagn, whose knowledge of music is referred to in the following simple -epitaph, 'Magnus nomine, major arte, maximus virtute.' Opposite it is -the principal church, containing in one of its chapels one of those -most strange of relics, which here and there have come down to us with -their legends from 'the ages of faith.' In the year 1310, when Rupert -I. was the fourteenth abbot of St. Georgenberg, a priest of the order -[89] was saying Mass in this very chapel. Just at the moment of the -consecration of the chalice a doubt started in his mind, whether -it were possible that at his unworthy bidding so great a mystery -should be accomplished as the fulfillment of the high announcement, -'This is My Blood.' In this condition of mind he concluded the words -of consecration; and behold, immediately, in place of the white wine -mingled with water in the chalice, he saw it fill with red blood, -overflowing upon the corporal; some portion of this was preserved -in a vial, set into a reliquary on the altar. Round the church are -the remains of the original monastery, in which the monks of Veicht -generally leave some of their number to minister both to the spiritual -and corporal needs of pilgrims. - -It seems difficult to fix a date for the origin of this pilgrimage, -one of the most ancient of Tirol. There is a record that in 992 -a chapel was consecrated here to our Lady of Sorrows, by Albuin, -Bishop of Brizen; but it was long before this [90] that Rathold, a -young nobleman of Aiblingen in Bavaria, 'having learnt the hollowness -of the joys his position promised him, made up his mind to forsake -all, and live in the wilderness to God alone.' He wandered on, -shunning the smooth and verdant plains of his native lands, and the -smiling fruitful amenities of the Innthal, till at last he found -himself surrounded by wild solitudes in the valley of the Stallen; -plunging into its depths, his eye alighted on the almost inaccessible -Lampsenjock. Then choosing for his dwelling a peak, on which a few -limes had found a ledge and sown themselves, he cut a little cave -for his shelter in the rock beneath them, and there he lived and -prayed. But after a time a desire came over him to visit the shrines -of the mightiest saints; so he took up his pilgrim staff once more, -and sped over the mountains and over the plains, till he had knelt at -the limine Apostolorum, and pressed his lips upon the soil, fragrant -with the martyr's blood. Nor was his zeal yet satisfied. There was -another Apostle the fame of whose shrine was great; and 'a year and a -day' brought our pilgrim to S. Iago de Compostella. Then, having thus -graduated in the school of the saints, he came back to his solitude -under the lime-trees on the rock, to practise the lessons of Divine -contemplation he had thus imbibed in the perfume of the holy places. - -He did not come back alone. From the great storehouse of Rome he -had brought a treasure of sacred art--a picture of the Madonna, for -which his own hands wrought a little sanctuary. From far and near -pious people came to venerate the sacred image; and 'Unsere liebe -Frau zur Linde,' was the watch-word, at the sound of which the sick -and the oppressed revived with hope. - -One day, it chanced that a young noble, whom ardent love of the chase -had led into this secluded valley, turned aside from following the wild -chamois, to inquire what strange power fascinated the peasants into -attempting yon steep ascent. Curious himself to see the wonder-working -shrine, he scaled the peak, and found to his astonishment, in the -modest guardian of the picture, the elder brother who long ago had -'chosen the better part.' In token of his joy at the meeting, he made -a vow to build on the spot a chapel, as well as a place of shelter -for the weary pilgrim. His undertaking was no sooner known than all -the people of the neighbouring valleys, nobles and peasants, applied -to have their part in the work. Thus supported, it was begun in right -earnest; but the workmen had no sooner got it fairly in hand than all -the blessing, which for so long had been poured out on the spot, seemed -suddenly to be quenched. Nothing would succeed, and every attempt -was baffled; and one thing, which was more particularly remarked, -was that the men were continually having accidents, and wounding -themselves with their tools. More strange still, every day two white -doves flew down from above, and carefully picking out every chip -and shaving on which blood had fallen, gathered them in their beaks -and flew away. Finding that no progress could be made with the work, -and that this manoeuvre of the doves continued day by day, the pious -Reinhold resolved to follow them; and when he at last succeeded in -finding their hiding-place, there lay before him, neatly fashioned -out of the chips which the doves had carried away, a tiny chapel of -perfectly symmetrical form. [91] The hermit saw in the affair the -guiding hand of God, demanding of him the sacrifice of seven years' -attachment to his cell; and cheerfully yielding obedience to the token, -requested his brother that the chapel should be erected on the spot -thus pointed out. Theobald willingly complied, and dedicated it to -the patron of chivalry, St. George. The fame of Reinhold's piety, and -of his wonderful chapel, was bruited far and near; and now, not all -who came to visit him went back to their homes. Many youths of high -degree, fired by the example of the hermit sprung out of their order, -applied to join him in his life of austerity; and soon a whole colony -had established itself, Camaldolese-fashion, in little huts round -his. There seems to have been no lack of zealous followers to sustain -the odour of sanctity of St. Georgenberg; early in the twelfth century, -the Bishop of Brixen put them under the rule of S. Benedict, to whose -monks Tirol, and especially Unterinnthal, already owed so great a debt -of gratitude, for keeping alive the faith. His followers endowed it -with much of the surrounding land, which the brothers, by hard manual -labour, brought into cultivation. They were overtaken by many heavy -trials in the course of centuries: at one time it was a fire, driven -by the fierce winds, which ravaged their homestead; at another time, -avalanches annihilated the traces of their industry. At last, the -spirit of prudence prevailing on their earlier energetic hardiness, -it was resolved to remove the monastery to Viecht, where the brothers -already had a nucleus in a little hospital for the sick among them, -and where also was the depôt for their cattle-dealing--a Viehzuchthof, -[92] whence by corruption it derived its name. - -The execution of this idea was commenced in 1705. The abbot, Celestin -Böhmen, a native of Vienna, had formerly held a grade of officer in -the Austrian artillery. Nothing could exceed the zeal with which -he took the matter in hand; and plans were laid out for raising -the building on the most extensive and costly scale. So grand an -edifice required large funds; and these were not slow to flow in, -for St. Georgenberg was beloved by all the country round. When he -saw the vast sums in his hand, however, the old spirit of the world, -and its covetousness, crept over him again, and a morning came when, -to the astonishment of the brotherhood, the abbot was nowhere to be -found--nor the gold! The progress of the work was effectually arrested -for the moment; but zeal overcame even the obstacle presented by -this loss, and by 1750 Abbot Lambert had brought to completion the -present edifice, in late Renaissance style, which, though imposing -and substantial, forms but one wing of Celestin Böhmen's plan. - -If the spirit of the world came over Abbot Celestin in the cloister, -the spirit of the cloister came back upon him in the world; and it -was not many years before he came back, full of shame and contrition, -making open confession of his fault, and placing himself entirely in -the hands of his former subjects. Though at this time the monks were -yet in the midst of their anxieties for the means for carrying on the -work, they suffered themselves to be ruled by a spirit of Christian -charity, and refused to give him up to the rigour of the law; and he -ended his days with edifying piety at Anras, in the Pusterthal. - -A great festival was kept at Viecht, in 1845, in memory of the -consecration, which was attended by sixty thousand persons, from -Bavaria as well as Tirol. - -The library contains an interesting collection of MSS. and early -printed books in many languages, and is particularly rich in works -illustrative of Tirolean history. In the church are some of Nissl -the elder's wood-carvings, which are always worth attention. The -confessionals are adorned with figures of celebrated penitents, -by his hand; and other noteworthy works will be found in a series of -nine tableaux, showing forth the Passion; also the crucifix over the -high altar, and four life-sized carvings. In all these he was assisted -by his pupils, Franz Thaler, of Jenbach, who afterwards came to have -the charge of the Vienna cabinet of antiquities, and Antony Hüber, the -most successful of his school. Perhaps the finest specimen of all is a -dead Christ, under the altar, remarkable for the anatomical knowledge -displayed. Like many another mountain sanctuary isolated and exposed -to the wind, this monastery has more than once been ravaged by fire; -in 1868 it was in great part burnt down, and the church-building zeal -of Tirol is still being exercised with great energy and open-handedness -in building it up again. A festival was held there in October 1870, -when five bells from the foundry of Grassmayr of Wilten were set up -to command the echoes of the neighbourhood; great pains are now being -taken to make the building fireproof. - - - -Close opposite Viecht lies Schwatz; [93] a number of straggling houses, -called 'die lange Gasse,' on the Viecht side belong to it also; between -them there is a bridge, which we will not cross now, but continue a -little further along the left bank; this, though less rich in smiling -pastures than the right, has many points of interest. The next village -to Viecht is Vomp, situated at the entrance of the Vomperthal, the -sternest and most barren in scenery or settlements of any valley -of Tirol, and characterized by a hardy pedestrian as 'frightfully -solitary, and difficult of access: even the boldest Jägers,' he adds, -'seldom pursue their game into it.' The village church of Vomp once -possessed a priceless work of Albert Dürer, an 'Ancona,' showing forth -in its various compartments the history of the Passion; but it was -destroyed in 1809, when the French, under Deroi, set fire to the church -in revenge for the havoc the Tirolean sharp-shooters had committed -among their ranks. Joseph Arnold (in 1814) did his best to repair the -loss, by painting another altar-piece, in which we see a less painful -than the usual treatment of the martyrdom of St. Sebastian: the artist -has chosen the moment at which the young warrior is being bound to -the tree where he is to suffer so bravely. Above the village stands -the once splendid castle of Sigmundslust, one of the hunting-seats -of Sigismund the Monied (der Münzreiche), [94] now the villa of a -private family of Innsbruck, Riccabona by name. Vomp is also the -birth-place of Joseph Hell, the wood-carver. - -Crossing the Vomperbach, and the fertile plain it waters, you -reach Terfens, which earned some renown in the wars of 'the year -nine.' Outside the village is a little pilgrimage chapel, called -Maria-Larch, honoured in memory of a mysterious image of the blessed -Virgin, found under a larch fir on the spot, similar to the legend -of that at Waldrast. [95] - -Passing the ruin of Volandseck, the still inhabited castle of Thierberg -(the third of the name we have passed since we entered Tirol) and -the village of S. Michael, you come to S. Martin, the parish church -of which owes its endowment to a hermit of modern times. There was in -the village a convent, deserted, because partly destroyed by fire. In -1638, George Thaler, of Kitzbühel, a man of some means and position, -came to live here a life of sanctity: he devoted six hours a-day to -prayer, six to sleep, and the rest to manual labour. He maintained a -chaplain, and an old servant who waited on him for fifty years. At his -death, he left all he possessed to supply the spiritual needs of the -hamlet. After leaving S. Martin's, the scenery grows more pleasing: -you enter the Gnadenwald, so called, because its first inhabitants -were servants of the earlier princes of Tirol, who pensioned them off -with holdings of the surrounding territory. It occupies the lowland -bordering the river, which here widens a little, and affords in its -recesses a number of the most romantic strolls. Embowered on its -border, near the river, stands the village of Baumkirchen, with its -outlying offshoot of Fritzens now surpassing it in importance, as it -has been chosen for the railway-station. The advance of the iron road -has not stamped out the native love for putting prominently forward the -external symbols of religion. I one day saw a countryman alight here -from the railway, who had been but to Innsbruck to purchase a large -and handsome metal cross, to be set up in some prominent point of the -village and it was considered a sufficiently important occasion for -several neighbours to go out to meet him on his return with it. Again, -on the newer houses, probably called into existence by the increased -traffic, the old custom of adorning the exterior with frescoes of -sacred subjects is well kept up. This is indeed the case on many other -parts of the line; but at Fritzens, I was particularly struck with -one of unusual merit, both in its execution and its adaptation to the -domestic scene it was to sanctify. I would call the attention of any -traveller, who has time to stop at Fritzens to see it: the treatment -suggests that I should give it the title of 'the Holy Family at home,' -so completely has the artist realized the lowly life of the earthly -parents of the Saviour, and may it not be a comfort to the peasant -artizan to see before his eyes the very picture of his daily toil -sanctified in its exercise by the hands of Him he so specially reveres? - -An analogous incident, which I observed on another occasion, comes -back to my memory: it happened, I think, one day at Jenbach. The -train stopped to set down a Sister of Charity, who had come to nurse -some sick person in the village. The ticket-collector, who was also -pointsman, was so much occupied with his deferential bowing to her -as he took her ticket, that he had to rush to his points 'like mad,' -or his reverent feelings might have had serious consequences for the -train! So religious indeed is your whole entourage while in Tirol, -that I have remarked when travelling through just this part in the -winter season, that the very masses of frozen water, arrested by -the frost as they rush down the railway cuttings and embankments, -assumed in the half-light such forms as Doré might give to prostrate -spectres doing penance. The foot-path on to Hall leads through a -continuance of the same diversified and well-wooded scenery we have -been traversing hitherto; but if time presses, it is well to take the -railway for this stage, and make Hall or Innsbruck a starting-point -for visiting the intervening places. - -Hall is the busiest and most business-like place we have come to yet, -and the first whose smoky atmosphere reminds us of home. There is not -much to choose between its two inns the 'Schwarzer Bär' and the -'Schwarzer Adler.' The industry and the smoke of Hall arises from the -salt-works, from which Weber also derives its name (from halos, salt; -though why it should have been derived from the Greek he does not -explain). The first effect which strikes you on arriving, after the -smokiness, is the sky-line of its bizarrely-picturesque steeples, -among the most bizarre of which is the Münzthurm (the mint-tower), -first raised to turn into money the over-flowing silver stores of -Sigismund the Monied; and last used to coin the Sandwirthszwänziger, -the pieces of honest old Hofer's brief but triumphant dictatorship. The -town has in course of time suffered severely from various calamities: -fire, war, pestilence, inundation, and, on one occasion, in 1670, -even from earthquake; the church tower was so severely shaken, that the -watchman on its parapet was thrown to the ground; the people fled from -their houses into the fields, where the Jesuit fathers stood addressing -them, in preparation for their last end, which seemed imminent. Loss -of life was, however, small; nevertheless, the Offices of the Church -were for a long time held in the open air. Notwithstanding all these -reverses, the trade in salt, and the advantageous municipal rights -granted them in earlier times, have always enabled the people to -recover and maintain their prosperity. In the various wars, they have -borne their part with signal honour. One of their greatest feats, -perhaps, occurred on May 29, 1809. Speckbacher had led his men to a -gallant attack on the Bavarians at Volders, blowing up the bridge -behind him, and then marched to the relief of Hall; the Bavarians -were in possession of the town and bridge, and as they had several -pieces of artillery, it was not easy for the patriots to carry it; -nevertheless, as their ammunition was failing, and Speckbacher having -refused to agree to a truce, because he saw the advantage accruing to -him through this deficiency, they destroyed the Hall bridge, as they -thought, and retreated homewards under cover of the night. Speckbacher -discovered their flight early in the morning, and lost no time in -addressing his men on the importance of at once taking possession of -their native town: the men were as usual at one with him, and not -one shrank from the perilous enterprise of regaining the left bank -by such means as the tottering remains of the bridge afforded! - -Joseph Speckbacher, who shares with Andreas Hofer the glories of -'the year nine,' was a native of Rinn, a village on the opposite -bank; but he is honoured with a grave in the Pfarrkirche, at Hall, -bearing the following inscription, with the date of his death, 1820: - - - Im Kampfe wild, doch menschlich; - In Frieden still und den Gesetzen treu; - War er als Krieger, Unterthan und Mensch, - Der Ehre wie der Liebe werth. [96] - - -Another object of interest, in the same churchyard, is a wooden -crucifix, carved by Joseph Stocker in 1691; as well as the monuments of -the Fiegers, and other high families of the middle ages. In the church -itself is a 'Salvator Mundi' of Albert Dürer, on panel; the altarpiece -of the high altar is by Erasmus Quillinus, a pupil of Rubens. One of -the chapels, the Waldaufische Kapelle, was built in 1493-5, by one -Florian von Waldauf, to whom an eventful history attaches. He was a -peasant boy, whom his father's severity drove away from home: for a -long time he maintained himself by tending herds; after that he went -for a soldier in the Imperial army, where his talents brought him under -the special notice of the Emperor Frederick, and his son Maximilian I., -who took him into their councils and companionship. Maximilian made -him knight of Waldenstein, and gifted him with lands and revenues. His -love of adventure took him into many countries. On one journey, being -in a storm at sea, the memory of his early wilfulness overcame him, -and he vowed that if he came safe to land, he would build a chapel in -his Tirolean home. He subsequently fixed on the Pfarrkirche of Hall, -as that in which to fulfil his vow, being the parish church of the -castle of Rettenberg which Maximilian had bestowed on him, and enriched -it with a wondrous store of relics, which he had collected in his -journeyings. Above 40,000 pilgrims flocked from every part of Tirol, -to assist at the consecration; and a goodly sight it must have been, -when singing and bearing the relics aloft, they streamed down the -mountain side and across the river, the last of the procession not -having yet left the gates of Castle Rettenberg, while the foremost -had already reached the chapel. - -There are other churches in Hall; where that of S. Saviour now stands -was once a group of crazy cottages; but one day, in the year 1406, -in one of them a poor man lay dying, and the priest bore him the -holy Viaticum, which knows no distinction between the palace and the -hovel: the furniture was as rickety as the tenements themselves; the -only table, on which the priest had deposited the sacred vessels, -propped against the wall for support, gave way by some accident, -and the Santissimo was thrown upon the floor. Johann von Kripp, a -wealthy burgher, hearing of what had befallen, bought the cottages, -and in reparation for the desecration, built a church on the spot, -with the dedication, zum Erlöser. - -The town is well provided with educational and charitable institutions; -the latter comprising a mad-house worth seeing, under Professor -Kaplan, and a deaf and dumb school. The Franciscan monastery is, -I think, the only unsuppressed religious house. In the Rathhaus is -preserved a quaint old picture, representing the Emperor Sigismund, -in hunting costume, coming to ask the assistance of the men of Hall -against a conspiracy he had discovered in Innsbruck, assistance which -loyal Hall was not slow to supply. Its situation made it a place of -some importance to the defences of the country; and the regulations -for calling the inhabitants under arms were very complete, so that -this service was promptly rendered. - -An amusing story is told in evidence of the ready gallantry of the men -of Hall. There was a time when Hall was at feud with the neighbouring -village of Taur: the watchman, stationed on the tower by night-time, -rang the alarm, and announced that the enemy was advancing with -lanterns in their hands; at the call to arms, every man jumped from -his bed, and seized his weapon, eager to display his prowess against -the foe. Prudent Salzmair [97] Zott, anxious to spare the shedding -of neighbours' blood, hastily donned a shirt of mail over his more -penetrable night-gear, and proposed to ride out alone with a flag -of truce, to know what meant the unseasonable attack. The warlike -burghers with difficulty yielded to his representations, and not -having the consolations of the fragrant weed wherewith to wile away -their time, set to sharpening their swords and axes, and outvieing -each other with many a fierce boast during his absence. - -Meantime, Salzmair Zott proceeded on his way without meeting the ghost -of a foe, or one ray from their lanterns, till he came to Taur itself, -where everything lay buried in peaceful silence. Only as he came back -he discovered what had given rise to the alarm: it was midsummer-tide, -and a swarm of little worms of St. John [98] was soaring and fluttering -over the fields like a troop provided with lanterns. So with a hearty -laugh he despatched the townsmen, ready for the fight, back to their -beds. And even now this humorous imitation of the Bauernkrieg [99] -is a by-word for Quixotic enterprises. - -Of all the numerous excursions round Hall, the strangest and -most interesting is that to Salzberg, the source of the salt, the -crystallizing of which and despatching it all over Tirol, to Engadein -and to Austria, forms the staple industry of Hall. It is a journey -of about three hours, though not much over eight miles, but rugged -and steep, and in some parts rather frightful, particularly in the -returning descent, for the Salzberg lies 6,300 feet above the sea: -but there is a road for an einspanner all the way; entrance is readily -obtained, and the gratuities for guide, lighting up, and boat over -the subterranean salt lake, exceedingly moderate. There are records -extant which shew that there were salt-works in operation in the -neighbourhood of Hall early in the eighth century, but these would -appear to have been fed by a salt spring which flowed at the foot -of the mountain. In the year 1275, however, Niklas von Rohrbach, -who seems to be always styled der fromme Ritter (the pious knight), -frequently when on his hunting expeditions in the Hallthal, observed -how the cattle and wild game loved to lick certain cliffs of the -valley; this led him to test the flavour, and finding it rich in salt, -he followed up the track till he came to the Salzberg itself, where he -prudently conjectured there was an endless supply to be obtained. [100] -Ever since this time the salt has been worked pretty much in the same -way, namely, by hewing, later by blasting, vast chambers in the rock, -which are then filled with water and closed up: at the end of some -ten or twelve months, when the water is supposed to be thoroughly -impregnated, it is run off through a series of conduits to Hall, -where it is evaporated, a hundred pounds of brine yielding about a -third the weight of salt. A considerable number of these chambers, -an acre or two in extent, have been excavated in the course of time, -and you are told that it would take more than a week to walk through -all the passages connecting them. 'Cars filled with rubbish pass you as -you thread them,' says an observant writer, 'with frightful rapidity; -you step aside into a niche, and the young miners seated in the front -look like gnomes directing infernal chariots. The crystallizations -in some of these chambers lighted up by the torches of a party of -visitors have a magical effect, and recall the gilded fret-work of -some Moorish palaces. There is a tradition that Hofer and Speckbacher, -who never, before their illustrious campaigns, had wandered so far as -these few miles from their respective homes, took advantage of the lull -succeeding their first triumph at Berg Isel, to come over and visit the -strange labyrinths of the Salzberg. It is hardly possible to exaggerate -the effect which such a scene might produce on minds so imaginative, -and at the same time so unsophisticated. It is not difficult to believe -that they regarded such a journey like a visit to the abode of the -departed great, or that in presence of the oppressive grandeurs of -nature they should have matured their spirit for the defence of their -country which was to confound the strategy of practised generals. - -Returning through the dark forests of pine and the steep cliffs of -the Hallthal, otherwise called the Salzthal, you are arrested by the -hamlet of Absam, which in your hurry to push forward you overlooked -in the morning. Before reaching it you observe to the east, on an -eminence rising out of the plain, Schloss Melans, now serving as a -villa to a family of Innsbruck. The peasants have a curious story -to account for the rudely sculptured dragons which adorn some of the -eave-boards of their houses, though no singular mode of ornamentation, -and by others accounted for differently. [101] They say that in olden -time there was a wonderful old hen which laid her first egg when seven -years old, and when the egg was hatched a dragon crept out of it, -[102] which made itself a home in the neighbouring moor, and the -people in memory of the prodigy carved its likeness on their houses. - -In Absam itself once lived a noble family of the name of Spaur, -which had a toad for a bearing on their shield, accounted for in -the following way:--'A certain Count Spaur had committed a crime -by which he had incurred the penalty of death; his kinsmen having -put every means in motion to get the sentence remitted, his pardon -was at last accorded them on the condition that he should ride to -Babylon the Accursed, and bring home with him a monstrous toad which -infested the tower. So the knight rode forth to Babylon the Accursed, -and when he drew near the tower the monstrous toad came out and seized -the bridle of the knight's horse; the knight, nothing daunted at the -horrid apparition, lifted his good sword and hewed the monster to -the ground, bringing the corpse back with him as a trophy.' - -What audacious tales! Could anyone out of a dream put such ideas -together? No writer of fiction, none but one who believed them possible -of accomplishment! 'Who can tell what gives to these simple old stories -their irresistible witchery?' says Max Müller. 'There is no plot to -excite our curiosity, no gorgeous description to dazzle our eyes, -no anatomy of human passion to rivet our attention. They are short -and quaint, full of downright absurdities and sorry jokes. We know -from the beginning how they will end. And yet we sit and read and -almost cry, and we certainly chuckle, and are very sorry when - - - Snip, snip, snout, - This tale's told out. - - -Do they remind us of a distant home--of a happy childhood? Do they -recall fantastic dreams long vanished from our horizon, hopes that -have set never to rise again?... Nor is it dreamland altogether. There -is a kind of real life in these tales--life such as a child believes -in--a life where good is always rewarded; wrong always punished; where -everyone, not excepting the devil, gets his due; where all is possible -that we truly want, and nothing seems so wonderful that it might -not happen to-morrow. We may smile at those dreams of inexhaustible -possibility, but in one sense the child's world is a real world too.' - - - -A singular event, or curious popular fancy, obtained for Absam -the honour of becoming a place of pilgrimage at the end of the last -century. It was on January 17, 1797; a peasant's daughter was looking -idly out of window along the way her father would come home from -the field; suddenly, in the firelight playing on one of the panes, -she discerned a well-defined image of the Blessed Virgin, 'as plain -as ever she had seen a painting.' Of course the neighbours flocked -in to see the sight, and from them the news of the wonderful image -spread through all the country round; at last it made so much noise, -that the Dean of Innsbruck resolved to investigate the matter. A -commission was appointed for this object, among their number being -two professors of chemistry, and the painter, Joseph Schöpf. Their -verdict was that the image had originally been painted on the glass; -that the colours, faded by time, had been restored to the extent then -apparent by the action of the particular atmosphere to which they had -been exposed. The people could not appreciate their arguments, nor -realize that any natural means could have produced so extraordinary -a result. For them, it was a miraculous image still, and accordingly -they put their faith in it as such; nor was their faith without -its fruit. It was a season of terrible trouble, a pestilence was -raging both among men and beasts; General Joubert had penetrated as -far into the interior as Sterzing; everyone felt the impotence of -'the arm of flesh' in presence of such dire calamities. The image -on the peasant's humble window-pane seemed to have come as a token -of heavenly favour; nothing would satisfy them but that it should be -placed on one of the altars of the church, and the 'Gnadenmutter [103] -von Absam' drew all the fearful and sorrowing to put their trust in -Heaven alone. Suddenly after this the enemy withdrew his troops, the -pestilence ceased its havoc, and more firmly than ever the villagers -believed in the supernatural nature of the image on the window-pane. - -Absam has another claim to eminence in its famous violin-maker, Jacob -Stainer, born in 1649. He learnt his art in Venice and Cremona, and -carried it to such perfection, that his instruments fetched as high -prices as those made in Cremona itself. Archduke Ferdinand Karl, -Landesfürst of Tirol, attached him to his court. Stainer was so -particular about the wood he used, that he always went over to the -Gletscher forest clearings to select it, being guided in the choice by -the sound it returned when he struck it with a hammer. Towards the end -of his life the excitement of the love of his calling overpowered his -strength of mind, and the treatment of insanity not being then brought -to perfection at Absam, one has yet to go through the melancholy -exhibition of the stout oaken bench to which he had to be strapped -or chained when violent. [104] - -Mils affords the object of another pleasant excursion from Hall, -reached through the North, or so called Mils, gate, in an easy -half-hour; around it are the old castles of Grünegg and Schneeburg, -the former a hunting-seat of Ferdinand II., now in ruins; the latter -well-preserved by the present noble family of the name. Those who have -a mind to enjoy a longer walk, may hence also find a way into the -peaceful shady haunts of the Gnadenwald. Some two hundred years ago -there lived about half way between Hall and Mils a bell-founder, who -enjoyed the reputation of being a very worthy upright man, as well as -one given to unfeigned hospitality; so that not only the weather-bound -traveller, but every wayfarer who loved an hour's pleasant chat, -knocked, as he passed by, at the door of the Glockenhof. Among all the -visitors who thus sat at his board, none were so jovial as a party of -wild fellows, whose business he was never well able to make out. They -always brought their own meat and drink with them, and it was always of -the best; and money seemed to them a matter of no account, so abundant -was it. At last he ventured one day to inquire whence they acquired -their seemingly boundless wealth. 'Nothing easier, and you may be as -rich as we, if you will!' was the answer; and then they detailed their -exploits, which proved them knights of the road. Opportunity makes the -thief. The proverb was realized to the letter; the Glockengiesser had -been honest hitherto, because he had never been tempted before; now -the glittering prize was exposed to him, he knew not how to resist. His -character for hospitality made the Glockenhof serve as a very trap. The -facility increased his greed, and his cellars were filled with spoil -and with the skeletons of the spoiled. Travellers thus disappeared -so frequently that consternation was raised again and again, but -who could ever suspect the worthy hearty Glockengiesser! Though -the new trade throve so well, there was one quality necessary to -its success in which the Glockengiesser was wanting, and that was -caution. Just as if there had been nothing to hide, he let a party -of sewing-women come one day from the village to set his household -goods in order; and when they retired to rest at night, one of them, -who could not sleep in a strange house, heard the master and his gang -counting their money in the cellar. Astonished, she crept nearer, -and over-heard their talk. 'We should not have killed that fellow,' -said one; 'he wasn't worth powder and shot.' 'Pooh!' replied another, -'you can't expect to have good luck out of every murder. Why, how often -a cattle-dealer kills a beast and doesn't turn a penny out of it.' The -seamstress did not want to hear any more; she laid her charge at the -town-hall of Hall next morning; the officers of justice arrested the -bell-founder and his associates, and ample proofs of their guilt were -found on the premises. Sentenced to death, in the solitude of his cell, -he yielded to the full force of the reproaches of his conscience; -he made no defence, but hailed his execution as a satisfaction of -which his penitent soul acknowledged the justice. However, he craved -two favours before his end; the one, to be allowed to go home and -found a bell for the lieb' Frau Kirche in Mils; the second, that this -bell might be sounded for the first time at his execution, which by -local custom must be on a Friday evening at nine o'clock. [105] Both -requests were granted, and his bell continued to serve the church of -Mils till the fire of August 1791. - -Another walk from Hall is the Loreto-Kirche, intended as an exact -copy of 'the Holy House,' by Archduke Ferdinand and his wife, the -pious Anna Katharina of Gonzaga, who endowed it with a foundation -for perpetual Masses for the repose of the souls of the reigning -House of Austria; it was at one time a much visited pilgrimage, so -that though it had three chaplains attached to it, monks from Hall -had often to be sent for to supplement their ministrations. Ferdinand -and Anna often made the pilgrimage on foot from Innsbruck, saying the -'stations' as they went, at certain little chapels which marked them -by the way, and of which remains are still standing. It would be an -interesting spot to trace out: I regret that we neglected to do so, -and I do not know whether it is now well kept up. - -Starting again by the North gate of Hall, and taking the way which -runs in the opposite direction from that leading to Mils, you come, -after half an hour's walk through the pleasant meadows, to Heiligen -Kreuz; its name was originally Gumpass, but it had its present name -from the circumstance of a cross having been carried down stream by the -Inn, and recovered from its waters by some peasants from this place, -by whom it was set up here. So great is the popular veneration for -any even apparent act of homage of Nature to 'Nature's God,' that -great crowds congregated to see the cross which had been brought -to them by the river; and it was found necessary in the seventeenth -century to erect the spot into a distinct parish. Heiligen Kreuz is -much resorted to for its sulphur baths, also by people from Hall as -a pleasing change from their smoky town, on holidays. - -Striking out towards the mountains, another half-hour brings you -to Taur, a charming little village, standing in the shelter of the -Taureralpe. Almost close above it is the Thürl, a peak covered to -a considerable height with rich pasture; at its summit, a height of -6,546 ft., is a wooden pyramid recording that it was climbed by the -Emperor Francis I., and called the Kaisersäule. There are many legends -of S. Romedius connected with Taur, one of which is worth citing, in -illustration of the confidence of the age which conceived or adapted -it, in the efficacy of faith and obedience. S. Romedius was a rich -Bavarian, who in the fourth century owned considerable property in -the Innthal, including Taur. On his return from a pilgrimage to Rome, -he put himself at the disposal of S. Vigilius, the apostle of South -Tirol, who despatched him to the conversion of the Nonsthal, where -he lived and died in the odour of sanctity. He was not unmindful of -his own Taur, but frequently visited it to pour out his spiritual -benedictions. He was once there on such a visit, when he received -a call from S. Vigilius. Regardless of his age and infirmities, -he immediately prepared for the journey over the mountains to -Trent. His nag, old and worn out like his master, he had left to -graze on the pastures at the foot of the Taureralpe, so he called -his disciple David, and bid him bring him in and saddle him. Great -was the consternation of the disciple on making the discovery that -the horse had been devoured by a bear. Saddened and cast down, he -came to his master with the news. Nothing daunted, S. Romedius bid -him go back and saddle the bear in its stead. The neophyte durst not -gainsay his master, but went out trusting in his word; the bear meekly -submitted to the bidding of the holy man, who bestrode him, and rode -on this singular mount into Trent. It is only a fitting sequel that -the legend adds, that at his approach all the bells of Trent rang -out a gladsome peal of welcome, without being moved by human hands. - -The lords of Taur gave the name to the place by setting up their -castle on the ruins of an old Roman tower (turris; altromanisch, -tour). S. Romedius is not the only hero from among them; the chronicles -of their race are full of the most romantic achievements; perhaps not -the least of these was the construction of the fortress, the rambling -ruins of which still attest its former greatness. Overhanging the bank -of the Wildbach is the chapel of S. Romedius, inhabited by a hermit -as lately as the seventeenth century, though the country-people are -apt to confuse him with S. Romedius himself! [106] One dark night, -as he was watching in prayer, he heard the sound of tapping against -his cell window. Used to the exercise of hospitality, he immediately -opened to the presumed wayfarer: great was his astonishment to see -standing before him the spirit of the lately deceased parish priest, -who had been his very good friend. 'Have compassion on me, Frater -Joshue!' he exclaimed; 'for when in the flesh I forgot to say three -Masses, for which the stipend had been duly provided and received by -me, and now my penance is fearful;' as he spoke he laid his hand upon -a wooden tile of the hermit's lowly porch, who afterwards found that -the impression of his burning hand was branded into the wood. 'Now do -you, my friend, say these Masses in my stead; pray and fast for me, -and help me through this dreadful pain.' The hermit promised all he -wished, and kept his promise; and when a year and a day had passed, -the spirit tapped again at the window, and told him he had gained his -release. The tile, with the brand-mark on it, may be seen hanging in -the chapel, with an inscription under it attesting the above facts, -and bearing date 7th February, 1660. [107] - -At a very short distance further is another interesting little -village, Rum by name. It is situated close under the mountains, the -soil of which is very friable. A terrible landslip occurred in 1770; -the noise was heard as far as Innsbruck, where it was attributed to -an earthquake. Whole fields were covered with the débris, some of -which were said to be carried to a distance of a mile and a half; -the village just escaped destruction, only an outlying smithy, which -was buried, showed how near the danger had come. If time presses, -this excursion may be combined with the last, and the Loreto-Kirche -taken on the way back to Hall. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -NORTH TIROL--UNTERINNTHAL (RIGHT INN-BANK). - -SCHWATZ. - - - The world is full of poetry unwrit; - Dew-woven nets that virgin hearts enthrall, - Darts of glad thought through infant brains that flit, - Hope and pursuit, loved bounds and fancies free-- - Poor were our earth of these bereft.... - - Aubrey de Vere. - - -It is time now to return to speak of Schwatz, of which we caught a -glimpse across the river as we left Viecht; [108] and it is one of -the most interesting towns, and centres of excursions, in Tirol. It -was a morning of bright promise which first brought us there by the -early hour of 8.15. To achieve this we had had to rise betimes; it -was near the end of August, when the mid-day sun is overpowering; -yet the early mornings were very cool, and the brisk breezes came -charged with a memory of snow from the beautiful chains of mountains -whose base we were hugging. The railway station, as if it dared not -with its modern innovation invade the rural retreat of primitive -institutions, was at a considerable distance from the village, and -we had a walk of some fifteen or twenty minutes before we came within -reach of even a chance of breakfast. - -My own strong desire to be brought quite within the influence of -Tirolean traditions perhaps deadened my sensations of hunger and -weariness, but it was not so with all of our party; and it was with -some dismay we began to apprehend that the research of the primitive -is not to be made without some serious sacrifice of 'le comfortable.' - -Our walk across the fields at last brought us to the rapid smiling -river; and crowning the bridge, stood as usual S. John Nepomuk, his -patient martyr's face gazing on the effigy of the crucified Saviour -he is always portrayed as bearing so lovingly, seeming so sweetly -all-enduring, that no light feeling of discontent could pass him -unrestrained. Still the call for breakfast is an urgent one with -the early traveller, and there seemed small chance of appeasing -it. Near the station indeed had stood a deserted building, with -the word 'Restauration' just traceable on its mouldy walls, but we -had felt no inclination to try our luck within them; and though we -had now reached the village, we seemed no nearer a more appetising -supply. No one had got out of the train besides ourselves; not a soul -appeared by the way. A large house stood prominently on our right, -which for a moment raised our hopes, but its too close proximity -to a little church forbad us to expect it to be a hostelry, and a -scout of our party brought the intelligence that it was a hospital; -another building further on, on the left, gave promise again, because -painted all over with frescoes, which might be the mode in Schwatz -of displaying a hotel-sign; but no, it proved to be a forge, and like -the lintels marked by Morgiana's chalk, all the houses of Schwatz--as -indeed most of the houses of Tirol--were found to be covered with -sacred frescoes. At last a veritable inn appeared, and right glad -we were to enter its lowly portal and find rest, even though the air -was scented by the mouldering furniture and neighbouring cattle-shed; -though the stiff upright worm-eaten chairs made a discordant grating -on the tiled floor, and a mildewed canvas, intended to keep out flies, -completed the gloom which the smallness of the single window began. - -A repeated knocking at last brought a buxom maid out of the -cow-shed, who seemed not a little amazed at our apparition. 'Had -she any coffee! coffee, at that time of day--of course not!' True, -the unpunctuality of the train, the delivery of superfluous luggage -to the care of the station-master, and our lingering by the way, had -brought us to past nine o'clock--an unprecedented hour for breakfast -in Schwatz. 'Couldn't we be content with wine? in a couple of hours -meat would be ready, as the carters came in to dine then.' Meat -and coffee at the same repast, and either at that hour, were ideas -she could not at first take in. Nevertheless, when we detailed our -needs, astonishment gave way to compassion, and she consented to -drop her incongruous propositions, and to make us happy in our own -way. Accordingly, she was soon busied in lighting a fire, running -to fetch coffee and rolls--though she did not, as happened to me in -Spain, ask us to advance the money for the commission--and very soon -appeared with a tray full of tumblers and queer old crockery. The -black beverage she at last provided consisted of a decoction of -nothing nearer coffee than roasted corn, figs, [109] or acorns; and -the rolls had the strangest resemblance to leather; but the milk and -eggs were fine samples of dairy produce, for which Schwatz is famous, -and these and the luscious fruit made up for the rest. - -I remember that the poet-author of one of the most charming books -of travel, in one of the most charming countries of Europe, [110] -deprecates the habit travel-writers have of speaking too much about -their fare; and in one sense his remarks are very just. Where this -is done without purpose or art, it becomes a bore; but 'love itself -can't live on flowers;' and as, however humiliating the fact, it -is decreed that the only absolutely necessary business of man's -life is the catering for his daily bread, it becomes interesting -to the observant to study the various means by which this decree -is complied with by different races, in different localities. It is -especially noteworthy that it is just in countries made supercilious -by their culture that these matters of a lower order engross the most -attention, and just those who consider themselves the most civilized -who are the most dependent on what have been termed mere 'creature -comforts.' These poor country folks, whom the educated traveller -often passes by as unworthy of notice in their benighted ignorance -and superstition--while they would not forego their salutation of the -sacred symbol by the way-side, which marks their intimate appreciation -of truths of the highest order--put us to shame, by their indifference -to sublunary indulgences. We had come to Tirol to study their ways, -and I hope we took our lesson on this occasion, well. We were not -feasted with a sumptuous repast, such as might be found in any of the -monster hotels, now so contrived, that you may pass through all the -larger towns of Europe with such similarity to home-life everywhere, -that you might as well never have left your fireside; but we were -presented with an experience of the struggle with want; of that -hardy face-to-face meeting with the great original law of labour, -which our modern artificial life puts so completely out of sight, -that it grows to regard it as an antiquated fable, and which can only -be met amid such scenes. - -The matutinal peasants were packing up their wares--which when spread -out had made a picturesque market of the main street--by the time we -again sallied forth, and we were nearly losing what is always one of -the prettiest sights in a foreign town. At the end rose the parish -church, with a stateliness for which the smallness of the village -had not prepared us; but Schwatz has a sad and eventful history to -account for the disparity. - -Schwatz was once a flourishing Roman station, and even now remains are -dug out which attest its ancient prosperity; but it had fallen away to -the condition of a neglected Häusergruppe by the fourteenth century, -when suddenly came the discovery of silver veins in the surrounding -heights. A lively bull, [111] one day tearing up the soil with his -horns in a frolic, laid bare a shining vein of ore. The name of -Gertraud Kandlerin, the farm-servant who had charge of the herd to -which he belonged, and brought the joyful tidings home to Schwatz, -has been jealously preserved. From that moment Schwatz grew in -importance and prosperity; and at one time there was a population of -thirty thousand miners employed in the immediate neighbourhood. The -Fuggers and Hochstetters of Augsburg were induced to come and employ -their vast resources in working the riches of the mountains; and -native families of note, laying aside the pursuit of arms, joined in -the productive industry. Among these were the Fiegers, one of whom -was the counsellor and intimate friend of the Emperor Maximilian, -who followed his remains to their last resting-place, at Schwatz, -when he died in ripe old age, leaving fifty-seven children and -grandchildren, and money enough to enrich them all. His son Hanns -married a daughter of the Bavarian house of Pienzenau; and when he -brought her home, tradition says it was in a carriage drawn by four -thousand horses. Many names, famous in the subsequent history of the -country, such as the Tänzls, Jöchls, Tannenbergs, and Sternbachs, were -thus first raised to importance. This outpouring of riches stimulated -the people throughout the country to search for mineral treasures, and -everywhere the miners of Schwatz were in request as the most expert, -both at excavating and engineering. Nor this only within the limits -of Tirol; they had acquired such a reputation by the middle of the -sixteenth century, that many distant undertakings were committed to -them too. They were continually applied to, to direct mining operations -in the wars against the Turks in Hungary. Their countermines performed -an effective part in driving them from before Vienna in 1529; and -again, in 1739, they assisted in destroying the fortifications of -Belgrade. Clement VII. called them to search the mountains of the -Papal State in 1542; and the Dukes of Florence and Piedmont also had -recourse to their assistance about the same time. In the same way, -many knotty disputes about mining rights were sent from all parts to -be decided by the experience of Schwatz; and its abundance attracted -to it every kind of merchandise, and every new invention. One of the -earliest printing-presses was in this way set up here. - -But a similarity of pursuit had established a community of interest -between the miners of Schwatz and their brethren of Saxony; and when -the Reformation broke out, its doctrines spread by this means among the -miners of Schwatz, and led at one time to a complete revolution among -them. Twice they banded together, and marched to attack the capital, -with somewhat communistic demands. Ferdinand I., and Sebastian, -Bishop of Brixen, went out to meet them on each occasion at Hall, and -on each occasion succeeded in allaying the strife by their moderate -discourse. Within the town of Schwatz, however, the innovators carried -matters with a high hand, and at one time obtained possession of half -the parish church, where they set up a Lutheran pulpit. Driven out of -this by the rest of the population, they met in a neighbouring wood, -where Joham Strauss and Christof Söll, both unfrocked monks, used to -hold forth to them. - -A Franciscan, Christof von München, now came to Schwatz, to strengthen -the faith of the Catholics, and the controversy waged high between the -partisans of both sides; so high, that one day two excited disputants -carried their quarrels so far before a crowd of admiring supporters, -that at last the Lutheran exclaimed, 'If Preacher Söll does not -teach the true doctrine, may Satan take me up into the Steinjoch at -Stans!' and as he spoke, so, says the story, it befell: the astonished -people saw him carried through the air and disappear from sight! The -credit of the Lutherans fell very sensibly on the instant, and still -more some days after, when the adventurous victim came back lame and -bruised, and himself but too well convinced of his error. - -Nevertheless the strife was not cured. Somewhat later, there was -an inroad of Anabaptists, under whose auspices another insurrection -arose, and for the time the flourishing mining works were brought to -a stand-still. At last the Government was obliged to interfere. The -most noisy and perverse were made to leave the country, and the -Jesuits from Hall were sent over to hold a mission, and rekindle -the Catholic teaching. Peace and order were restored: four thousand -persons were brought back to the frequentation of the sacraments; but -the Bergsegen, [112] add the traditions, which had been the occasion -of so much disunion, was never recovered. From that time forth -the mining treasures of Schwatz began to fail; and after a long and -steadily continued diminution of produce, silver ceased altogether to -be found. Copper, and the best iron of Tirol, are still got out, and -their working constitutes one of the chief industries of the place; -the copper produced is particularly fit for wire-drawing, for which -there is an establishment here. Another industry of Schwatz is a -government cigar manufactory, [113] which employs between four and -five hundred hands, chiefly women and children, who get very poorly -paid--ten or twelve francs a-week, working from five in the morning -till six in the evening, with two hours' interval in the middle of -the day. There are pottery works, which also employ many hands; and -many of the women occupy themselves in knitting woollen clothing for -the miners. The pastures of the neighbourhood are likewise a source of -rich in-comings to the town; but with all these industries together, -Schwatz is far below the level of its early prosperity. Instead of -its former crowded buildings, it now consists almost entirely of one -street; and instead of being the cynosure of foreigners from all parts, -is so little visited, that the people came to the windows to look at -the unusual sight of a party of strangers as we passed by. In place -of its early printing-press, its literary requirements are supplied by -one little humble shop, where twine, toys, and traps, form the staple, -and stationery and a small number of books are sold over and above; -and where, because we spent a couple of francs, the master thereof -seemed to think he had driven for that one day a roaring trade. - -Other misfortunes, besides the declension of its 'Bergsegen,' have -broken over Schwatz. In 1611 it was visited by the plague, in 1670 by -an earthquake; but its worst disaster was in the campaign of 1809, when -the Bavarians, under the Duke of Dantzic, and the French, under Deroi, -determined to strike terror into the hearts of the country-people by -burning down the town. The most incredible cruelties are reported to -have been perpetrated on this occasion, many being such as one cannot -bear to repeat; so determined was their fury, that when the still -air refused to fan the flames, they again and again set fire to the -place at different points; and the people were shot down when they -attempted to put out the conflagration. General Wiede was quartered -in the palace of Count Tannenberg, a blind old man, with four blind -children; his misfortunes, and the laws of hospitality, might have -protected him at least from participation in the general calamity; -but no, not even the hall where the hospitable board was spread in -confidence for the unscrupulous guest, was spared. Once and again, -as the inimical hordes poured into, or were driven out of, Tirol, -Schwatz had to bear the brunt of their devastations, so that there -is little left to show what Schwatz was. The stately parish church, -however, suffered less than might have been expected: in the height of -the conflagration, when all was noise and excitement, a young Bavarian -officer, over whom sweet home lessons of piety exercised a stronger -charm than the wild instincts of the military career which were -effecting such havoc around, collected a handful of trusty followers, -and, unobserved by the general herd, succeeded in rescuing it before -great damage had been done. - -The building was commenced about 1470, [114] and consecrated in -1502. What remains of the original work is in the best style of -the period; the west front is particularly noteworthy. The plan of -the building is very remarkable, consisting of a double nave, each -having its aisles, choir, and high-altar; this peculiar construction -originated in the importance of the Knappen, or miners, at the time it -was designed, and their contribution to the building fund entitling -them to this distinct division of the church between them and the -towns-people; one of the high-altars still goes by the name of the -Knappenhochaltar. The roof, like those of most churches of Tirol and -Bavaria, is of copper, and is said to consist of fifteen thousand tiles -of that metal--an offering from the neighbouring mines. The emblem -of two crossed pick-axes frequently introduced, further denotes the -connexion of the mining trade with the building. Whitewash and stucco -have done a good deal to hide its original beauties, but some fine -monuments remain. One in brass, to Hanns Dreyling the metal-founder, -date 1578, near the side ('south') door, should not be overlooked: -the design embodies a Renaissance use of Ionic columns and entablature -in connexion with mediæval symbols. Below, are seen Hanns Dreyling -himself in the dress of his craft, his three wives, and his three sons -habited as knights (showing the rise of his fortunes), all under the -protection of S. John the Baptist. Above, is portrayed the vision of -the Apocalypse, God the Father seated on His Throne, surrounded by -a rainbow, with the Book of Seven Seals, and the Lamb; at His Feet -the four Evangelists; around, the four-and-twenty elders, with their -harps, some wearing their crowns, and some stretching them out as -a humble offering before the Throne; in front kneels the Apostolic -Seer himself, gazing, and with his right hand pointing, upwards, -yet smiting his breast with the left hand, and weeping that no one -was found worthy to open the seals of the book. Below the epitaph, -the monument bears the following lines: - - - Mir gab Alexander Colin den Possen - Hanns Löffler hat mich gegossen. - - -Alexander Colin, of Malines, and Hans Löffler, were, like Hans -Dreyling, Schmelzherrn of eminence, and connected with him by marriage, -thus they naturally devoted their best talent to honour their friend -and master. We learnt to appreciate it better when we came to see -their works at Innsbruck. The nine altar-pieces are mostly by Tirolean -painters. The Assumption, on one high-altar, is by Schöpf; the Last -Supper on the other--the Knappenhochaltar--by Bauer of Augsburg. - -The 'north' side door opens on to a narrow strip of grass, across -which is a Michaels-kapelle, as the chapel we so often find in -German churchyards--and where the people love to gather, and pray for -their loved and lost--is here called. It is a most beautiful little -specimen of middle-pointed, with high-pitched roof and traceried -window. A picturesque stone-arched covered exterior staircase, the -banister cornice of which represents a narrow water-trough, with -efts chasing each other in and out of it, leads to the upper chapel, -which was in some little confusion at the time of our visit, as it -was under restoration; two or three artists were in the lower chapel, -painting the images of the saints in the fresh colours the people -love. After some searching, I found out a figure of a dead Christ, -which I was curious to see; because, before coming to Schwatz, I had -been told there was one which had been dearly prized for centuries -by the people; that once on a time there had come night by night a -large toad, and had stood before the image, resting on its hinder -feet, the two front ones joined as if in token of prayer; and no -one durst disturb it, because they said it must be a suffering soul -which they saw under its form. I spoke to one of the artists about -it, to see if this was the right image, and if the legend was still -acknowledged. He answered as one who had little sympathy with the -mysteries he was employed to delineate; he evidently cared nothing -for legends, though willing to paint them for money. It was the -first time I had met with this sort of spirit in the neighbourhood, -and was not surprised to learn he was not of Tirol, but from Munich. - -A door opposite the last named opens into the churchyard, filled -with the usual black and gold cast-iron crosses, and the usual -sprinkling of some of a brighter colour; each with its stoup of -holy water and weihwedel, [115] and its simple epitaph, 'Hier ruhet -in Frieden....' Besides the large crucifix, which always stands in -the centre promising redemption to the faithful departed, is a stout -round pillar of large rough stones, surmounted by a lantern cap with -five sharp points, each face glazed, and a lamp within before some -relic, always kept alight, for the people think [116] that the holy -souls come and anoint their burning wounds with the oil which piously -feeds a churchyard lamp. Twinkling fitfully amid the evening shadows, -over the graves, and over the human skulls and bones, of which there -happened fortuitously to be a heap waiting re-sepulture after some -late arrangement of the burying-ground, it disposed one to listen to -the strange tales which are told of it. There was once a Robler of -Schwatz, well-limbed, deep-chested, full of confidence and energy, -who had won the right to wear the champion feather [117] against the -whole neighbourhood. But not content to be the darling of his home, -and the pride of his valley, he must needs prove himself the best -against all comers. In fear of the shame of a reverse after all his -boasts, he resolved to ensure himself against one, by having recourse -to an act, originally designed probably as a test of possessing, -but commonly believed by the people to be a means of winning, -invincible strength of nerve, and which is described in the following -narrative. Opportunity was not lacking. Death is ever busy, and one -day laid low an old gossip, who was duly buried with all honour by her -children and children's children to the third generation. Now was the -time for our brave Robler. That first night that she rested in the -'field of peace,' he rose in the dead of the night--a dark starless -night, just as it was when we stood there--and the lamp of the shrine -resting its calm pale rays upon the graves. The great clock struck out -twelve, with a rattling of its cumbersome machinery, which sounded like -skeletons walking by in procession; our Robler quailed not, however, -but approached the new grave, scattered the earth from over it with his -spade, raised up the coffin, opened it, took out the corpse, dressed -himself in its shroud, and lifted the ghastly burden on to his strong -shoulders. Never had burden felt so heavy; it seemed to him as though -he bore the Freundsberg on his back; though sinking and quailing, -he bore it three times round the whole circuit of the enclosure, -laid it back in the coffin, and lowered the coffin into the grave; -triumphantly he showered the earth over it, and took quite a pleasure -in shaping the hillock smoothly and well. Then suddenly, to his horror, -with a click like the gripe of a skeleton, he heard the clapper of the -old clock raised to mark the completion of the hour within which his -task, to be effectual, must be accomplished. Meantime, it had come on -to rain violently, and the big drops pattered on the stones, like dead -men tramping all around him; it happened to fall heavily round us, -and the simile was so striking, I could not forbear a grim smile. It -seemed to him as if he never could dash through their midst in time; -still he made the attempt boldly, and actually succeeded in swinging -himself over the churchyard wall before the hammer had fallen, -and, what was most important, still bearing round his shoulders -the shroud of the dead. Nevertheless his heart was full of anxiety -with the thought that he had disturbed the peace of the departed; -it seemed to him as if the old gossip had run after him to claim her -own, and with her burning hand had seized the fluttering garment, and -torn a piece out of it, just as he cleared the wall. For days after, -the sexton saw the piece, torn and burnt, fluttering over her grave, -but never could make out how it got there. The Robler, however, was -now proof against every attack; no one could wear a feather in his -presence, for he was sure to overcome him, and make him renounce the -prize. What did he gain, however, by his uncannily-earned prowess? A -little temporary renown and honour, and the fear of his kind; but all -through the rest of his life, at the Wandlung [118] of the Holy Mass, -the pure white wafer, as the priest raised it aloft, seemed black to -his eyes, and when he came to die, there was no father-confessor near -to whisper absolution and peace. - -A most singular legend, also attached to this spot, dates from the time -when the Jesuit Fathers held their missions after the expulsion of the -Lutherans. With the fervour of new conversion, the people ascribed to -their word the most wonderful powers; and their simple unwavering faith -seems to have been a loan of that which removes mountains. Among those -whom a spirit of penance moved to come and make a general confession -of their past lives was a lady no longer young, of blameless character, -but unmarried. The fathers, as I have already implied, enjoyed the most -unbounded confidence of the people; and the most unusual penance was -accepted in the simplest way. To this person the penance enjoined was, -that she should for three nights watch through the hour of midnight -in the church, and then come and give an account of what she had -seen. Being apparently a person of a strong mind, she was satisfied -with the assurance of the father that no harm would happen to her, -and she fulfilled her task bravely. "When she came to narrate what had -passed, she said that each night the church had been traversed by a -countless train of men, women, and children, of every age and degree, -dressed in a manner unlike anything she had seen or read of in the -past; the features of all quite unknown to her, and yet exhibiting -a certain likeness, which might lead her to believe they might be of -her own family, and all wearing an expression indescribably sad; she -was all anxiety to know what she could do for their relief, for she -felt sure it was to move her to this that they had been revealed to -her. The father told her, however, this was not at all the object of -the vision: that the train of people she had seen was an appearance -of the generations of unborn souls, who might have lived to the -eternal honour and praise of God if she had not preferred her ease -and freedom and independence to the trammels of the married state; -'for,' said he, 'your choice of condition was based on this, not on -the higher love of God, and the desire of greater perfection. Now, -therefore, reflect what profit your past life has borne to the glory -of God, and strive to make it glorify Him in some way in the future.' - -The Franciscan church was built about the same time as the other, -and has some remains of the beautiful architecture of its date. Over -the credence table is a remarkable and very early painting on panel, -of the genealogy of our Lord. Within the precincts of the monastery -are some early frescoes, which I did not see; but they ought not to -be overlooked. One subject, said to be very boldly and strikingly -handled, is the commission to the Apostles to go out and preach the -Gospel to the nations. - -The day was wearing on, and we had our night's lodging to provide; the -inn where we had breakfasted did not invite our confidence, despite -of the pretty Kranach's Madonna which smiled over the parlour, and -the good-natured maid who deemed it her business to wait behind our -chairs while we sipped our coffee; so we walked down the long street, -and tried our luck at one and another. There were plenty of them: and -they were easily recognized now we knew their token, for each has a -forbidden-fruit-tree painted on the wall with some subject out of the -New Testament surmounting it, to show the triumph of the Gospel over -the Fall; while the good gifts of Providence, which mine host within -is so ready to dispense, are typified by festoons of grape-vines, -surrounding the picture. Those which let out horses have also a team -cut out in a thin plate of copper, and painted proper, as heralds say, -fixed at right angles to the doorpost. Nevertheless, the interiors -were not inviting, and at more than one the bedding was all on the -roof, airing; and the solitary maid, left in charge of the house -while all the rest of the household were in the fields harvesting, -declared the impossibility of getting so many beds as we wanted ready -by the evening. Dinner at the Post having somehow indisposed us for it, -we at last put up at the Krone, which was very much like a counterpart -of our first experience. Nothing could exceed the pleasant willingness -of the people of the house; but both their accommodation and their -cleanliness was limited; and besides a repulsive look, there was -an unaccountable odour, about the beds, which made sleeping in them -impossible. My astonishment may be imagined, when on proceeding to -examine whether there were any articles of bedding that would do to -roll oneself up in on the floor, I found that the smell proceeded -from layers of apples between the mattresses, which it seems to be -the habit thus to preserve for winter use! - -The rooms were large and rambling, and filled with cumbersome -furniture, some of which must, I think, have been made before the -great fire of 1809. As in all the other houses, a guitar hung on the -wall of the sitting-room; and after many coy refusals, the daughter -of the house consented to sing to it one or two melodies very modestly -and well. - -You do not sleep very soundly on the floor, and by six next morning -the tingling of the Blessed Sacrament bell sufficed to rouse me -in time to see how the Schwatzers honour 'das hochwürdigste Gut,' -[119] as it passed them on its way to the sick. Two little boys in red -cassocks went first, bearing red banners and holy-water; two followed -in red and yellow, bearing a canopy over the priest, and four men -carried lanterns on long poles. The rain of the previous night had -filled the road with puddles, but along the whole way the peasants -were on their knees. To all who are afflicted with long illnesses, -it is thus carried at least every month. - -The morning was bright and hot, but the ruined castle on the -neighbouring Freundsberg looked temptingly near; and we easily found -a rough but not difficult path, past a number of crazy cottages, -the inhabitants of which, however poor and hard worked, yet gave us -the cheerful Christian greeting, 'Gelobt sei Jesus Christus!' as -we passed. Near the summit the cottages cease; and after a short -stretch in the burning sun, you appreciate the shade afforded by -a tiny chapel, at the side of a crystal spring, welling up out of -the ground, its waters cleverly guided into a conduit, formed of a -hollowed tree, which supplies all the houses of the hill-side, and -perhaps accounts for their being so thickly clustered there. The last -wind of the ascent is the steepest and most slippery. The sun beat -down relentlessly, but seemed to give unfailing delight to myriads -of lizards, adders, and grasshoppers, who were darting and whirring -over the crumbling stones in the maddest way. Historians, poets, or -painters, have made some ruins so familiarly a part of the world's -life, and their grand memories of departed glories have been so often -recounted, that they seem stereotyped upon them. Time has shattered -and dismantled them, but has robbed them of nothing, for their glories -of all ages are concrete around them still. But poor Freundsberg! who -thinks of it? or of the thousand and one ruined castles which mark -the 'sky-line' of Tirol with melancholy beauty? Each has, however, -had its throb of hope and daring, and its day of triumph and mastery, -often noble, sometimes--not so often as elsewhere--base. Freundsberg -is no exception. For two hundred years before the Christian era -it was a fortress, we know: for how long before that we know not; -and then again, we know little of what befell it, till many hundred -years after, in the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries, -its lords were known as mighty men of war. It reached its highest -glory under Captain Georg, son of Ulrich and a Swabian heiress whose -vast dowry tended to raise the lustre of the house. - -Georg von Freundsberg entered the career of arms in early youth, -and rose to be a general at an age when other men are making their -premières armes. At four-and-twenty he was reckoned by Charles Quint -his most efficient leader. Over the Swiss, over the Venetians, wherever -he led, he was victorious. The victory at Pavia was in great measure -due to his prowess. His personal strength is recorded in fabulous -terms; his foresight in providing for his men, and his art of governing -and attaching them, were so remarkable, that they called him their -father, and he could do with them whatever he would. They recorded -his deeds in the terms in which men speak of a hero: they said that -the strongest man might stand up against him with all his energy, and -yet with the little finger of his left hand he could throw him down; -that no matter at what fiery pace a horse might be running away, if -he but stretched his hand across the path he brought it to a stand; -that in all the Emperor's stores there was no field-piece so heavy -but he could move it with ease with one hand. They sang of him: - - - Georg von Freundsberg, - von grosser Sterk, - ein theurer Held; - behielt das Feld - in Streit und Krieg. - den Feind niederslieg - in aller Schlacht. - er legt Got zu die Er und Macht.' [120] - - -The last line would show that to a certain extent he was not untrue -to the traditions of his country; nevertheless, his success in war, -and his love for the Emperor, carried him so far away from them, that -when the siege of Rome was propounded, he not only accepted a command -in the attack on the 'Eternal City,' but raised twelve thousand men in -his Swabian and Tirolean possessions to support the charge. None who -have pondered the havoc and the horrors of that wanton and sacrilegious -siege will care to extenuate the guilt of any participator in it. It -is the blot on Georg von Freundsberg's character, and it was likewise -his last feat. He died suddenly within the twelvemonth, aged only -fifty-two, leaving his affairs in inextricable confusion, and his -estate encumbered with debts incurred in raising the troops who were -to assist in the desolation of the 'Holy City.' - -His brothers--Ulrich, Bishop of Trent, and Thomas, who like himself -followed the military calling--earned a certain share of respect also; -but no subsequent member of the family was distinguished, and the -race came to an end in 1580. The castle fell into ruin; and as if a -curse rested on it, when it was used again, it was to afford cover -to the Bavarians in firing upon the people in 1809! I do not know by -what local tradition, but some motive of affection still renders the -chapel a place of pious resort; and a copy of Kranach's 'Mariähilf' -adorns the altar. The remaining tower affords a pleasing outline. - -I returned to the chapel by the brook, and sat down to sketch it, -though rather too closely placed under it to view it properly; there -is always an indefinable satisfaction in making use of these places -of pious rest, which brotherly charity has provided for the unknown -wayfarer. When, after a time, I looked up from my paper, I saw sitting -outside in the sun a strange old woman, the stealthy approach of whose -shoeless feet I had not noticed. I advised her to come in and rest; -and then I asked her how she came to walk unshod over the stones of -the path, which were sharp and loose, as well as burning hot, while -she carried a pair of stout shoes in her hand. 'That doesn't hurt,' -she replied indignantly; 'it's the shoes that hurt. When you put your -foot down you know where you put it, and you take hold of the ground; -but when you have those things on, you don't know where your foot -goes, and down you go yourself. That's what happened to me on this -very path, and see what came of it.' And she bared her right arm, and -showed that it had been broken, and badly set, and now was withered -and useless--she could do no more work to support herself. I asked -her how she lived, and she did not like the question, for begging, -it seems, is forbidden. But I said it was a very hard law, and then -she grew more confidential; and after a little more talk, her wild -weird style, and her strong desire to tell my fortune, showed me -she was one of those dangerous devotees who may be considered the -camp-followers of the Christian army, whose chance of ingratiating -themselves seems greatest where the faith is brightest, and who -there work all manner of mischief, overlaying simple belief with -pagan superstition; but at the same time, such an one is generally -a very mine for the comparative mythologist, and in this individual -instance not without some excuse in her misfortunes. For, besides the -unlucky disablement already named, she had lost not only her house, -home, and belongings, but all her relations also, in a fire. It is -not surprising if so much misery had unhinged her mind. Her best -means of occupation seemed to be, when good people gave her alms, -to go to a favourite shrine, and pray for them; and I fully believe, -from her manner, that she conscientiously fulfilled such commissions, -for I did not discover anything of the hypocrite about her. Only once, -when I had been explaining what a long way I had come on purpose to see -the shrines of her country, she amused me by answering, in the most -inflated style, that however far it might be, it could not be so far -as she had come--she came from beyond mountains and seas, far, far, -ever so far--till I looked at her again, and wondered if she were a -gipsy, and was appropriating to her personal experience some of the -traditional wanderings of her race. Presently she acknowledged that -her birth-place was Seefeld, which I knew to be at no great distance -from Innsbruck, perhaps ten miles from where we stood. Yet this tone -of exaggeration may have arisen from an incapacity to take in the -idea of a greater distance than she knew of previously, rather than -from any intention to deceive; and her 'seas' were of course lakes, -which when spoken of in the German plural have not even the gender -to distinguish them. - -When she had once mentioned Seefeld, she grew quite excited, and -told me no place I had come from could boast of such a marvellous -favour as God had manifested to her Seefeld. I asked her to tell me -about it. 'What! don't you know about Oswald Milser?' and I saw my -want of recognition consigned me to the regions of her profoundest -contempt. 'Don't you know about Oswald Milser, who by his pride -quenched all the benefit of his piety and his liberality to the -Church? who, when he went to make his Easter Communion one grüne -Donnerstag, [121] insisted that it should be given him in one of -the large Hosts, which the priest uses, and so distinguish him from -the people. And when the priest, afraid to offend the great man, -complied, how the weight bore him down, down into the earth;' and she -described a circle with her finger on the ground, and bowed herself -together to represent the action; 'and he clung to the altar steps, -but they gave way like wax; and he sank lower and lower, [122] till -he called to the priest to take the fearful Host back from him.' 'And -what became of him?' I asked. 'He went into the monastery of Stamms, -and lived a life of penance. But his lady was worse than he: when they -told her what had taken place, she swore she would not believe it; -"As well might you tell me," she said, and stamped her foot, "that -that withered stalk could produce a rose;" and even as she spoke, -three sweet roses burst forth from the dry branch, which had been dead -all the winter. Then the proud lady, refusing to yield to the prodigy, -rushed out of the house raving mad, and was never seen there again; -but by night you may yet hear her wailing over the mountains, for -there is no rest for her.' Her declamation and action accompanying -every detail was consummate. - -I asked her if she knew no such stories of the neighbourhood of -Schwatz. She thought for a moment, and then assuming her excited -manner once more, she pointed to a neighbouring eminence. 'There was -a bird-catcher,' she said, 'who used to go out on the Goaslahn there, -following his birds; but he was quite mad about his sport, and could -not let it alone, feast day or working day. One Sunday came, and he -could not wait to hear the holy Mass. "I'll go out for an hour or -two," he said; "there'll be time for that yet." So he went wandering -through the woods, following his sport, and the hours flew away as -fast as the birds; hour by hour the church bell rang, but he always -said to himself he should be in time to catch the Mass of the next -hour. The nine o'clock Mass was past, and the clock had warned him -that it was a quarter to ten, and he had little more than time to -reach the last Mass of the day. Just as he was hesitating to pack -up his tackle, a beautiful bird, such as he had never seen before, -with a gay red head, came hopping close to his decoy birds. It was -not to be resisted. The bird-catcher could not take his eye off the -bird. "Dong!" went the bell; hop! went the bird. Which should he -follow? The bird was so very near the lime now; there must be time to -secure him, and yet reach the church, at least before the Gospel. At -last, the final stroke of the bell sounded; and at the same instant -the beautiful bird hopped on to the snare. Who could throw away so fair -a chance? Then the glorious plumage must be carefully cleansed of the -bird-lime, which had assisted the capture, and the prize secured, and -carefully stowed away at home. It would be too late for Mass then; -and the bird-catcher felt the full reproach of the course he was -tempted to pursue, nevertheless he could not resist it. On he went, -homewards; now full of buoyant joy over his luck, now cast down with -shame and sorrow over his neglected duty. He had thus proceeded a -good part of his way, before he perceived that his burden was getting -heavier and heavier; at last he could hardly get along under it. So -he set it down, and began to examine into the cause. He found that -the strange bird had swelled out so big, that it was near bursting -the bars of its cage, while from its wings issued furious sulphurous -fumes. Then he saw how he had been deceived; that the delusive form -had been sent by the Evil One, to induce him to disobey the command -of the Church. Without hesitation he flung the cursed thing from him, -and watched it, by its trail of lurid flame, rolling down the side of -the Goaslahn. But never, from that day forward, did he again venture -to ply his trade on a holy day. - -'Such things had happened to others also,' she said. 'Hunters had -been similarly led astray after strange chamois; for the power of -evil had many a snare for the weak. Birds too, though we deemed -them so pretty and innocent, were, more often than we thought, the -instruments of malice.' And it struck me as she spoke, that there were -more crabbed stories of evil boding in her repertory than gentle and -holy ones. 'There is the swallow,' she instanced: 'why do swallows -always hover over nasty dirty marshy places? Don't you know that -when the Saviour was hanging on the Cross, and the earth trembled, -and the sun grew dark with horror, and all the beasts of the field -went and hid themselves for shame, only the frivolous [123] swallows -flitted about under the very shadow of the holy rood, and twittered -their love songs as on any ordinary day. Then the Saviour turned -His head and reproached the thoughtless birds; and mark my words, -never will you see a swallow perched upon anything green and fresh.' - -I was sorry to part from her and her legendary store; but I was -already due at the station, to meet friends by the train. She took -my alms with glee, and then pursued her upward way barefooted, to -make some promised orisons at the Freundsberg shrine. - -It was a glowing afternoon; and after crossing the unshaded bridge -and meadows, to and from the railway, I was glad to stop and rest -in a little church which stood open, near the river. It was a plain -whitewashed edifice, ornamented with more devotion than taste. When I -turned to come away, I found that the west wall was perforated with -a screen of open iron-work, on the other side of which was an airy -hospital ward. The patients could by this means beguile their weary -hours with thoughts congenial to them suggested by the Tabernacle and -the Crucifix. A curtain hung by the side, which could be drawn across -the screen at pleasure. There were not more than four or five patients -in the ward at the time, and in most instances decay of nature was the -cause of disease. There is not much illness at Schwatz; but admittance -to the simple accommodation of the hospital is easily conceded. Schwatz -formerly had two, but the larger was burnt down in 1809. The remaining -one seems amply sufficient for the needs of the place. - -There was 'Benediction' in the church in the evening, for it was, -I forget what, saint's day. The church was very full, and the people -said the Rosary in common before the Office began. A great number of -the girls from the tobacco factory came in as they left work, and the -singing was unusually sweet, which surprised me, as the Schwatzers are -noted for their nasal twang and drawling accent in speaking. I learnt -that there are several Italians from Wälsch-Tirol settled here, and -they lead the choir. It is edifying to see the work-people, after their -day's toil, coming into the church as if it was more familiar to them -even than home; but one does not get used to seeing the uncovered heads -of the women, though indeed with the rich and luxuriant braids of hair -with which Nature endows them, they might be deemed 'covered' enough. - -A more familiar sight to an English eye is the seat-filled area of -the German churches. Confessedly it is one of the home associations -which one least cares to see reproduced, but the pews of the German -churches are less objectionable than our own; they are lower, and -not so crowded, and ample space is always left for processions, -so they interfere far less with the architectural design. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -NORTH TIROL--UNTERINNTHAL (RIGHT INN-BANK). - -EXCURSIONS FROM SCHWATZ. - - - 'Partout où touche votre regard vous rencontrez au fond sous la - forme qui passe, un mystère qui demeure ... chacun des mystères - de ce monde est la figure, l'image de celui du monde supérieur; - de sorte que tout ce que nous pouvons connaître dans l'ordre - de la nature est la révélation même de l'ordre divin.'--Chevé, - Visions de l'Avenir. - - -Falkenstein, which may be reached by a short walk from Schwatz, -is worth visiting on account of the information it affords as to -the mode of working adopted in the old mines both of silver and -copper. This was the locality where the greatest quantity of silver -was got; it was particularly noted also for the abundance and beauty -of the malachite, found in great variety and richness of tints; the -turquoise was found also, but more rarely. The old shaft runs first -horizontally for some two miles, and then sinks in two shafts to a -depth of some two hundred and thirty fathoms. The engineering and -hydraulic works seem to have been very ingenious, but the description -of them does not come within the sphere of my present undertaking. It -does, however, to observe that over this, as over everything else in -Tirol, religion shed its halo. The miners had ejaculatory prayers, -which it was their custom to utter as they passed in and out of their -place of subterranean toil; and an appropriate petition for every -danger, whether from fire-damp, land-slips, defective machinery, -or other cause. Their greeting to each other, and to those they met -by the way, in place of the national 'Gelobt sei Jesus Christus,' -was 'Gott gebe euch Glück und Segen!' [124] For their particular -patron they selected the Prophet Daniel, whose preservation in the -rocky den of the lions, as they had seen it portrayed, seemed to -bear some analogy with their own condition. Of their liberality in -church-building I have already spoken; but many are the churches and -chapels that bear the token--a crossed chisel and hammer on a red -field--of their contribution to its expense. - -There are many other walks to be made from Schwatz. First there is -Buch, so called from the number of beech-trees in the neighbourhood, -which afford pleasant shade, and diversify the scenery, in which the -castle of Tratzberg across the Inn [125] also holds an important -part. Further on is Margareth, surrounded by rich pastures, which -are watered by the foaming Margarethenbach. Then to the south-east is -Galzein, with a number of dependent 'groups of houses,' particularly -Kugelmoos, the view from which sweeps the Inn from Kufstein to -Innsbruck. Beyond, again, but further south, is the Schwaderalpe, -whence the iron worked and taken in depôt at Schwatz is got; -and the Kellerspitze, with the little village of Troi, its twelve -houses perched as if by supernatural handiwork on the spur of a -rock, and once nearly as prolific as Falkenstein in its yield of -silver. The exhausted--deaf (taub) as it is expressively qualified -in German--borings of S. Anthony and S. Blaze are still sometimes -explored by pedestrians. - -Arzburg also is within an hour's walk. It was once rich in copper -ore, but is now comparatively little worked. Above it is the -Heiligenkreuzkapelle, about which it is told, that when, on occasion of -the baierische-Rumpel [126] in 1703, the bridge of Zirl was destroyed, -the cross which surmounted it being carried away by the current, -was here rescued and set up by the country-people, who still honour -it by frequent pilgrimages. - -Starting again from Schwatz by the high-road, which follows pretty -nearly the course of the Inn, you pass a succession of small towns, -each of which heads a valley, to which it gives its name, receiving -it first from the torrent which through each pours the aggregate of -the mountain streams into the river, all affording a foot-way through -the Duxerthal into the further extremity of the Zillerthal--Pill, -Weer, Kolsass, Wattens, and Volders. - -First, there is Pill, a frequent name in Tirol, and derived by Weber -from Bühl or Büchl, a knoll; it is the wildest and most enclosed of any -of these lateral valleys, and exposed to the ravages of the torrent, -which often in winter carries away both bridges and paths, and makes -its recesses inaccessible even to the hardy herdsmen. The following -story may serve to show how hardy they are:--Three sons of a peasant, -whose wealth consisted in his grazing rights over a certain tract of -the neighbouring slopes, were engaged one day in gathering herbage -along the steep bank for the kids of their father's flock. The steep -must have been difficult indeed on which they were afraid to trust -mountain kids to cater for themselves; and the youngest of the boys -was but six, the eldest only fifteen. The eldest lost his balance, -and was precipitated into the roaring torrent, just then swollen -to unusual proportions; he managed to cling fast behind one of the -rocky projections which mark its bed, but his strength was utterly -unable to bear him out of the stream. The second brother, aged ten, -without hesitating, embraced the risk of almost certain death, let -himself down the side of the precipice by clinging to the scanty roots -which garnished its almost perpendicular side. Arrived at the bottom, -he sprang with the lightness of a chamois across the foaming waters -on to the rock where the boy was now slackening his exhausted hold, -and succeeded in dragging him up on to the surface; but even there -there seemed no chance of help, far out of sound as they were of all -human ears. But the youngest, meantime, with a thoughtfulness beyond -his years, had made his way home alone, and apprised the father, -who readily found the means of rescuing his offspring. - -The break into the Weerthal is at some little distance from the high -road; its church, situated on a little high-level plain, is surrounded -with fir-trees. A little lake is pointed out, of which a similar -legend is told to 'the judgment of Achensee,' which is indeed one not -infrequently met with; it is said that it covers a spot where stood a -mighty castle, once submerged for the haughtiness of its inhabitants, -and the waters placed there that no one might again build on the -site for ever. The greatest ornament of the valley is the rambling -ruin of Schloss Rettenberg, on its woody height, once a fortress -of the Rottenburgers; afterwards it passed to Florian Waldauf, -whose history I have already given when speaking of Hall. [127] -It was bought by the commune in 1810, and the present church built -up out of the materials it afforded, the former church having been -burnt down that year. The old site and its remains are looked upon -by the people as haunted by a steward of the castle and his wife, -who in the days of its prosperity dealt hardly with the widow and the -orphan, and must now wander sighing and breathing death on all who -come within their baleful influence. A shepherd once fell asleep in -the noontide heat, while his sheep were browsing on the grass-grown -eminence. When he woke, they were no longer in sight; at last he found -them dead within the castle keep. 'Guard thy flock better,' shouted a -hoarse voice, 'for this enclosure is mine, and none who come hither -escape me.' None ventured within the precincts after this; but many -a time those who were bold enough to peep through a fissure in the -crazy walls reported that they had seen the hard-hearted steward as -a pale, weary, grey-bearded man, sit sighing on the crumbling stones. - -The Kolsassthal merges into the Weerthal and is hardly distinguished -from it, and affords a sort of counterpart, though on more broken -ground, to the Gnadenwald on the opposite side of the river. It is -from this abundance of shady woods that its name is derived, through -the old German kuol, cool, and sazz, a settlement. In the church, -the altar-piece of the Assumption is by Zoller. The church of Wattens -has an altar-piece by a more esteemed Tirolean artist, Schöpf; it -represents S. Laurence, to whom the church is dedicated. The many -forges busily at work making implements of agriculture, nails, &c., -keep you well aware of the thrift and industry of the place; its -prosperity is further supported by a paper manufactory, which has -always remained in the hands of the family which started it in 1559, -and supplies the greater part of Tirol. A self-taught villager, Joseph -Schwaighofer, enjoyed some reputation here a few years ago as a guitar -maker. The Wattenserthal, like the Kolsassthal, is also very woody, -and contains some little settlements of charcoal-burners; but it is -also diversified by a great many fertile glades, which are diligently -sought out for pasture. At Walchen, where a few shepherds' huts are -clustered at the confluence of two mountain streams, the valley is -broken into two branches--one, Möls, running nearly due south into -the Navisthal, by paths increasing in difficulty as you proceed; -the other, Lizumthal, by the south-east to Hinterdux, passing at the -Innerlahn the so-called 'Blue Lake,' of considerable depth. [128] - -Following the road again, Volders is reached at about a mile from -Wattens. As at the latter place, your ears are liberally greeted -with the sounds of the smithy. Volders has quite a celebrity for -its production of scythes; some ten or twelve thousand are said to -be exported annually. The Post Inn affords tolerable quarters for a -night or two while exploring the neighbourhood. - -The prolific pencil of Schöpf has provided the church with an -altar-piece of the Holy Family; though an ancient foundation, it does -not present any object of special interest. - -The Voldererthal runs beneath some peaks dear to Alpine climbers, the -Grafmarterspitz, the Glunggeser, the Kreuzjoch, and the Pfunerjoch. Its -entrance is commanded by the castles of Hanzenheim, sometimes called -Starkelberg, from having belonged to a family of that name, and used as -a hospital during the campaign of 1809; and Friedberg, which is still -inhabited, having been carefully restored by the present owner, Count -Albert von Cristalnigg. It was originally built in the ninth or tenth -century, as a tower to guard the bridge; it gave its name to a powerful -family, who are often mentioned in the history of Tirol. At the end of -the thirteenth and beginning of the fourteenth centuries, it was one -of the castles annexed by Friedrich mit der leeren Tasche. It contains -also the Voldererbad, a mineral spring, which is much visited, but more -conveniently reached by way of Windegg than through the valley itself. - -In the Voldererwald is a group of houses, Aschbach by name, which -belongs ecclesiastically to the parish of Mils, on the opposite side; -and the following story is given to account for the anomaly:--At the -time when the territory of Volders belonged parochially to Kolsass -(it must have been before the year 1630, as it was that year formed -into an independent parish), the neighbourhood was once ravaged by the -plague. A farmer of Aschbach being stricken by it, sent to beg the -spiritual assistance of the priest of Kolsass. The priest attended -to the summons; but when he reached the threshold of the infected -dwelling, and saw what a pitiable sight the sick man presented, his -fears got the better of his resolution, and he could not prevail on -himself to enter the room. Not to leave his penitent entirely without -comfort, however, he exhorted him to repentance, heard his confession, -and absolved him from where he stood; and then uncovering the sacred -Host, bid him gaze on it in a spirit of faith, and assured him he -should thereby receive all the benefit of actual Communion. The visit -thus completed, he hurried back to Kolsass in all speed. Meantime the -sick man, not satisfied with the office thus performed, sent for the -priest of Mils, who, supported by apostolic charity, approached him -without hesitation, and administered the sacred mysteries. Contrary to -all expectation, the farmer recovered, resumed his usual labours, and -in due course garnered his harvest. In due course also came round the -season for paying his tithe. With commendable punctuality the farmer -loaded his waggon with the sacred tribute, and started alacritously -on the way to Kolsass. Any one who watched him might have observed a -twinkle of his eye, which portended some unusual dénouement to the -yearly journey. As he approached Kolsass the twinkle kindled more -humorously, and the oxen felt the goad applied more vigorously. The -pastor of Kolsass turned out to see the waggon approaching at the -unusual pace, and was already counting the tempting sheaves of golden -corn. To his surprise, however, his frolicsome parishioner wheeled -round his team before he brought it to a stand, and then cried aloud, -'Gaze, Father! yes, gaze in faith on the goodly sight, and believe me, -your faith shall stand you in stead of the actual fruition!' With that -he drove his waggon at the same pace at which he had come, straight -off to the pastor of Mils, at whose worthy feet he laid the tithe. And -this act of 'poetical justice' was ratified by ecclesiastical authority -as a censure on the pusillanimity of the priest of Kolsass, by the -transfer of the tithing of Aschbach to the parish of Mils. I have met a -counterpart of this story both in England and in Spain; so true is it, -as Carlyle has prettily said, that though many traditions have but one -root they grow, like the banyan, into a whole overarching labyrinth. - -The stately Serviten-kloster outside Volders suggests another -adaptation of this metaphor. From the root of one saint's maxims -and example, what an 'over-arching labyrinth' of good works will -grow up and spread over and adorn the face of the earth, even in -the most distant parts. In the year 1590 there was born at Trent a -boy named Hyppolitus Guarinoni, who was destined to graft upon Tirol -the singular virtues of St. Charles Borromeo. Attached early to the -household of the saintly Archbishop of Milan, Guarinoni grew up to -embody in action his spirit of devotion and charity. By St. Charles's -advice and assistance he followed the study of medicine, and took -his degree in his twenty-fifth year. Shortly after, he was appointed -physician in ordinary to the then ruler of Tirol, Archduke Ferdinand -II. His fervent piety marked him as specially fit to be further -entrusted with the sanitary care of the convent founded some years -before by the Princesses Magdalen, Margaret, and Helena, Ferdinand's -sisters, at Hall, and called the Königliche Damenstift. [129] All -the time that was left free by these public engagements he spent by -the bedsides of the poor of the neighbourhood. The care of the soul -ever accompanied his care for their bodies, and many a wanderer owed -his reconciliation with heaven to his timely exhortations. Just about -this time the incursions of the new doctrines were making themselves -felt in this part of Tirol, and some localities, which from their -remoteness were out of the way of regular parochial ministrations, -were beginning to listen to them. Guarinoni discovered this in the -course of his charitable labours, for which no outlying Sennerhütte was -inaccessible. In 1628 he obtained special leave, though a layman, from -the Bishop of Brixen, to preach in localities which had no resident -pastor; he further published a little work which he used to distribute -among the people, designed to show them how many corporal infirmities -are induced by neglect of the whole-some maxims of religion. Besides -the restored unity of the faith in his country, two other monuments of -his piety remain: the Church of St. Charles by the bridge of Volders, -and the Sanctuary of Judenstein. In his moments of leisure it was -his favourite occupation to commit to writing for the instruction -of posterity the traditional details of the life of St. Nothburga, -and of the holy child Andreas of Rinn, which were at his date even -more rife in the mouths of the peasantry of the neighbourhood than -at present. He only died in 1654, having devoted himself to these -good works for nearly half a century. - -The church by which he endeavoured to bring under observation and -imitation the distinguishing qualities of St. Charles, was erected -on a spot famous in the Middle Ages as a bandit's den; the building -occupied thirty-four years, and was consecrated but a short time -before his death. Baron Karl von Fieger, from whom he bought the -site, a few years later added to it the Servite monastery, which, -though it exhibits all the vices of the architecture of its date, -yet bears tokens that its imperfections are not due to any stint -of means. Its three cupolas and other structural arrangements are -designed in commemoration of the Holy Trinity--a mystery which is -held in very special honour throughout Austria. In the decorations, -later benefactors have carried on Guarinoni's intention, the acts -of St. Charles being portrayed in the frescoes, completed in 1764, -by which Knoller has earned some celebrity in the world of art for -himself and for the church: they display his conversion from the -stiffer German style of his master, Paul Trogger, to the Italian -manner. That over the entrance conveys a tradition of St. Charles, -predicting to Guarinoni, while his page, that he would one day erect a -church in his honour; that of the larger cupola is an apotheosis of the -saint. The picture of the high-altar sets forth the saint ministering -to the plague-stricken; it is Knoller's boldest attempt at colouring. - -Near the entrance door may be observed a considerable piece of rock -built into the wall, entitled by the people 'Stein des Gehorsams,' -[130] its history being that at the time when the church was building -it was detached from the rock above by a landslip, and threatened -the workmen with destruction. Its course was arrested at the behest -of a pious monk, who was overseeing the works. [131] - -After passing the Servitenkloster a footpath may easily be found which -leads to Judenstein and Rinn, the seat of one of the much-contested -mediæval beliefs accusing the Jews of the sacrifice of Christian -children. It may be better, in describing this stem of this banyan, -to visit Rinn the further place first, and take Judenstein on our way -back. The country traversed is well wooded, and further diversified by -the bizarre outlines of the steeples of Hall seen across the river, -while the mighty Glunggeser-Spitz rises 7,500 feet above you. It -invites a visit for its amenity and its associations, though the -relics of the infant Saint 'Anderle' are no longer there. His father -died, it would seem, while he was a child in arms; his mother earned -her living in the fields, and while she was absent used to leave -her boy at Pentzenhof in charge of his godfather, Mayr. One day, -when he was about three years old--it was the 12th July 1462--she -was cutting corn, when suddenly she saw three drops of blood upon -her hand without any apparent means of accounting for the token, -one with which many superstitions were connected. [132] Her motherly -instincts were alarmed, and, without an instant's consideration, -she threw down her sickle and hurried home. A little field-chapel -to St. Isidor the husbandman, St. Nothburga, and St. Andrew of Rinn, -was subsequently built upon this spot. Arrived at Mayr's house, the -forebodings of her anxious heart were redoubled at not finding her -darling playing about as he was wont. The faithless godfather, taken -by surprise at her unexpected return, only stammered broken excuses in -answer to her reiterated inquiries. At last he exclaimed, thinking to -calm her frenzy, 'If he is not here, here is something better--a hat -full of golden pieces, which we will share between us.' He took down -his hat, but to his consternation instead of finding it heavy with its -golden contents, there was nothing in it but withered leaves! At this -sight he was overcome with fear and horror; his speech forsook him, -and his senses together, and he ended his days raving mad. - -The distracted mother, meantime, pursued her inquiries and -perquisitions; but all she could learn was that certain Jews, [133] -returning from their harvesting at Botzen, had over-tempted Mayr by -their offers and persuaded him to sell the child to them, but with -the assurance that he should come to no harm. Little reassured by -the announcement, she ran madly into the neighbouring birchwood, -whither she had learned they had bent their steps, and there came -upon the lifeless body of her treasure, hanging bloodless and mangled -from a tree. A large stone near bore traces of having been used as a -sacrificial stone, and the clothes, which had been rudely torn off, -lay scattered about; the many wounds of his tender form showed by -how cruel a martyrdom he had been called to share in the massacre of -the Innocents. - -His remains were tenderly gathered and laid to rest, and his memory -held in affection by all the neighbourhood; nevertheless, though -there were many signs of the supernatural connected with the event, -it did not receive all the veneration it might have been expected to -call forth. - -About ten years later a similar event occurred at Trent, and the -remains of the infant S. Simeon were treated with so great honour -that the people of Rinn were awakened to an appreciation of the -treasure they had suffered to lie in their churchyard almost -unheeded. [134] The Emperor Maximilian I. contemplated building -a church over the spot where the martyrdom occurred, hence call -Judenstein. His intentions were frustrated by the knavery of the -builder, and only a small chapel was built at this time; and though -on occasion of its consecration the relics of the child martyr were -carried thither in solemn procession, they were still for some time -after preserved at Rinn. It was Hippolitus Gruarinoni to whom the -honour is due of saving the spot from oblivion. The chisel of the -Tirolese sculptor Nissl has set forth in grotesque design a group -of Jews fulfilling their fearful deed. A portrait of Gruarinoni was -likewise hung up there. The relics were translated thither with due -solemnity in 1678. An afflux of pilgrims was immediately attracted, -and the numerous tablets which crowd the walls attest the estimation -in which it has been held. Then the people began to remember the -wonders that had surrounded it. The ghost of Godfather Mayr, which -for two centuries had been frequently met howling through the woods, -now seemed to have found its rest, for it was never more seen or -heard. And they recalled how a beautiful white lily, with strange -letters on its petals, had bloomed spontaneously on the holy infant's -grave; [135] that when a wilful boy, Pögler by name, snapped the stem -while they were still pondering what the unknown letters might mean, -he had his arm withered; and further that for generations after, -every Pögler had died an untimely or a violent death. How in like -manner, for seven consecutive winters, the birch-tree, on which the -innocent child's body was hung by his persecutors, put forth fresh -green sprouts as if in spring, and how when a thoughtless woodman one -day hewed it down for a common tree, it happened that he met with a -terrible accident on his homeward way, whereof he died. It may well -be imagined that where such legends prevailed Jews obtained little -favour; so that to the present day it is said there is but few Jew -families settled among them, though they are numerous and influential -in other parts of the Austrian dominion. [136] - - -Another memory yet of Hippolitus Guarinoni lingers in the -neighbourhood. By a path which branches off near Judenstein to the -left (going from Volders and following the stream), the Volderbad is -reached; a sulphur spring discovered and brought into notice by him, -and now much frequented in summer, perhaps as much for its pleasant -mountain breezes as for the medicinal properties of the waters. - -There is another interesting excursion which should be followed -before reaching Innsbruck, but it is more easily made from Hall than -from Volders, though still on the right bank of the Inn. The first -village on it is Ampass, a walk of about four miles from Hall through -the most charming scenery; it is so called simply as being situated -on a pass between the hills traversed on the road to Hall. Then you -pass the remains of the former seat of the house of Brandhausen; -and following the road cut by Maria Theresa through the Wippthal to -facilitate the commerce in wine and salt between Matrei and Hall, -you pass Altrans and Lans, having always the green heights of the -Patscherkofl smiling before you, an easy ascent for those who desire to -practise climbing, from Lans, where the Wilder Mann affords possible -quarters for a night. [137] A path branching off from the Mattrei -road leads hence to Sistrans, a village whose church boasts of having -been embellished by Claudia de' Medici. Its situation is delightful; -the green plain is strewed with fifteen towns and villages, including -Hall and Innsbruck, and behind these rise the great range of alps, -while on the immediate foreground is the tiny Lansersee which will -afford excellent Forellen for luncheon. The bed of this same Lansersee, -it is said, was once covered with a flourishing though not extensive -forest, its wood the only substance of a humble peasant, who had -received it from his fathers. A nobleman living near took a fancy to -the bit of forest ground, but instead of offering to purchase it, he -endeavoured to set up some obsolete claim in a court of law. The judge, -afraid to offend the powerful lord, decided in his favour. The poor -man heard the sentence with as much grief at the dishonour done to his -forefathers' honour as distress at his own ruin. 'There is no help for -me on earth, I know,' said the poor man. 'I have no money to make an -appeal. I may not contend in arms with one of noble blood. But surely -He who sitteth in heaven, and who avenged Naboth, will not suffer -this injustice. As for me, my needs are few; I refuse not to work; -the sweat of my brow will bring me bread enough; but the inheritance -of my fathers which I have preserved faithfully as I received it from -them, shall it pass to another?' and in the bitterness of his soul -he wept and fell asleep; but as he slept in peace a mighty roaring -sound disturbed the slumbers of the unjust noble; it seemed to him -in his dream as though the foundations of his castle were shattered -and the floods passing over them. When they awoke in the morning the -forest was no more to be seen--a clear calm lake mirrored the justice -of heaven, and registered its decree that the trees of the poor man -should never enrich the store of his unscrupulous neighbour. - -Sistrans was once famous for a champion wrestler who had long carried -off the palm from all the country round; but like him of Schwatz, he -was not content with his great natural strength; he was always afraid -a stronger than he might arise and conquer him in turn; and so he -determined to put himself beyond the reach of another's challenge. To -effect this he arranged with great seeming devotion to serve the -Mass on Christmas night; and while the priest's eye was averted, laid -a second wafer upon the one that he had had laid ready. The priest, -suspecting nothing, consecrated as usual; and then at the moment of the -Wandlung, when the priest was absorbed in the solemnity of his act, -as he approached to lift the chasuble he stealthily abstracted the -Host he had surreptitiously laid on the altar. The precious talisman -carefully concealed, he bound it on his arm the instant Mass was over; -and from that day forth no one could stand against him. And not only -this, but he had power too in a multitude of other ways. Had anyone -committed a theft, it needed but to consult our wrestler; if he began -saying certain words and walking solemnly along, immediately, step -by step, were he far or near, the thief, wherever he was, was bound -by secret and resistless impulse to tread as he trod, and bring back -the booty to the place whence he had taken it. Was anyone's cattle -stricken with sickness, it needed but to call our wrestler; a few -words solemnly pronounced, and the touch of his potent arm, sufficed -to restore the beast to perfect health. Moreover, no bird could escape -his snare, no fox or hare or chamois outrun him for swiftness. - -Thus all went well; he had played a bold stake, and had won his -game. But at last the time came for him to die. Weary of his struggles, -and even of his successes, our wrestler would fain have laid his -head to rest under the soft green turf of the field of peace, by -the wayside of those who pass in to pray, and lulled by the sound of -the holy bells. But in vain he lay in his bed; death came not. True, -there were all his symptoms in due force--the glazed eye and palsied -tongue and wringing agony; but for all that he could not die. At last, -the priest, astonished at what he saw, asked him if he had not on his -conscience some sin weighty above the wont, and so moved him to a sense -of penance that he confessed his impiety with tears of contrition; -and it was not till he had told all, and the priest had received -the sacred particle he had misused, that, shriven and blessed, his -soul could depart in peace. There is a spot outside Sistrans called -the Todsünden-marterle, but whether it has any connection with this -tradition, or whether it has one of its own, I have not been able -to learn. - -A couple of hours further is the pilgrimage chapel of Heiligenwasser, -which is much visited both by the pious and the valetudinarian. Its -history is that in 1606 two shepherd boys keeping their father's -herd upon the mountains lost two young kine. In vain they sought -them through the toilful path and beneath the burning sun; the -kine were nowhere to be found. At last in despair of any further -labour proving successful, they fell on their knees and prayed -with tears for help from above. Then a bright light fell upon them, -and the Gnadenmutter appeared beside them, and bid them be of good -cheer, for the cattle were gone home to their stall; moreover she -added, 'Drink, children, for the day is hot, and ye are weary with -wandering.' 'Drink!' exclaimed the famished children, 'where shall -we find water? there is no water near!' but even as they spoke the -Gnadenmutter was taken from their sight, but in the place where the -light surrounding her had shone there welled up a clear and bubbling -stream between the rocks, which has never ceased to flow since. The -boys went home, but had not the courage to tell how great a favour -had been bestowed on them; yet they never went by that way without -turning to give glory to God, and say a prayer beneath the holy spring. - -Fifty years passed. One of them was an infirm old man, and no longer -went abroad so far, the other was attended in his labours by the son -of a neighbour, a lad who had been dumb from his birth. When the -lad saw the herdsman kneel down by the spring and drink and pray, -he knelt and drank and prayed too; when lo! no sooner had the water -passed his lips than he found he had the power of speech like any -other. The narration of the one wonder led to that of the other. The -people readily believed, and before the year was out a chapel had -been raised upon the spot. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -NORTH TIROL--THE INNTHAL. - -INNSBRUCK. - - - Many centuries have been numbered, - Since in death the monarch slumbered - By the convent's sculptured portal, - Mingling with the common dust; - But his good deeds, through the ages - Living in historic pages, - Brighter grow and gleam immortal, - Unconsumed by moth or rust. - - Longfellow. - - -I shall not easily forget my first greeting at Innsbruck. We had come -many days' journey from the north to a rendezvous with friends who -had travelled many days' journey from the south; they were to arrive a -week earlier than we, and were accordingly to meet us at the station -and do the hosts' part. But it happened that the station was being -rebuilt, and the order of 'No admittance except on business' was -strictly enforced. The post-office was closed, being 'after hours,' -and though the man left in charge, with true Tirolean urbanity, -suffered us to come in and turn over the letters for ourselves, -we failed to find the one conveying the directions we sought. So -with no fixed advices to guide us, we wandered through the mountain -capital in search of a chance meeting. We had nearly given up this -attempt in its turn in despair of success, when 'Albina,' a little -white Roman lupetto dog, belonging to the friends of whom we were -in search, came bounding upon me. It was more than two years since -I had taken leave of her in the Eternal City, but her affectionate -sympathy was stronger than time or distance; and here, far from all -aid in the associations of home, and while the rest of her party -were yet a great way off--almost out of sight--she had spied me out, -and came to give her true and hearty greeting. - -It is a pleasant association with Innsbruck, a revelation of that -pure and lasting love which dog-nature seems to have been specially -created to convey; but it was not of Innsbruck. Innsbruck--Schpruck, -as the indigenous call it--though the chief, is the least Tirolean -town of Tirol. It apes the airs and vices of a capital, without having -the magnificence and convenience by which they are engendered. - -There is a page of Tirol's history blotted by a deed which Innsbruck -alone, of all Tirol, could have committed, and which it indeed -requires its long and otherwise uniformly high character for both -exceeding hospitality and exceeding loyalty to cancel. The subject -of it was its own Kaiser Max, whose prudence in governmental details -and gallantry in the field and in the chase had raised him in the -popular mind to the position of a hero. When he had come to them -before, in his youth, in his might, and in his imperial pomp, he -had been sung and fêted. The people had acclaimed him with joy, and -his deeds were a very household epic; while he in turn had extended -their borders by conquest, and their privileges by concessions. But -now he had come back to them, worn out with war and cares and age. He -felt that his end was near, and it was to Tirol, with which he had -always stood in bonds of so much love, that he turned to spend his few -declining years. But Innsbruck, when it saw him thus, seems to have -forgotten his prowess and his benefits, and to have remembered only -a pitiful squabble about payment of the score for the maintenance -of his household at his last visit. A ruler who had spent himself -in bettering the condition of his people might well, in the days -of his weariness and sadness of heart, have expected to meet with -more liberality at their hands; but from Innsbruck, where--little -obscure provincial town as it was--he had so often held his court, -which had been raised in importance and singularly enriched by royal -marriages and receptions and other costly ceremonies celebrated there -at his desire, and which by his example and instigation had become -the residence of many nobles who had learnt under his administration -to value peaceful study above the pursuit of war--from Innsbruck -he had most of all to expect. And yet on this occasion, as he lay -ailing and restless on his couch, the neighing and tramping of his -horses disturbed his fitful slumbers; and rising in the early dawn to -ascertain the cause, he beheld the team which had brought him from the -Diet at Augsburg, left out unfed and untended in the streets, because -the people said he should not run up another score with them. With a -moderation he would not perhaps have practised in his younger days, -he quietly went on his way, to die at Wels on the Trann. - -I have often pictured the pale sad face of the old Emperor as he turned -from that sight, and thought of the sickness of his heart as one of -history's most touching lessons of the world's inconstancy. Perhaps -it predisposed me against Innsbruck; perhaps I was inclined to -be a little unjust; but, at all events, it prepared me not to be -surprised if its people should prove more sophisticated than their -fellow-countrymen. It was quite what I expected, therefore, when I -was told that in the older inns of the class wherein one generally -finds a refreshing hospitality and primitiveness, the absence of -comfort was not compensated by corresponding simplicity of manners. - -In the Oesterreichischer Hof, one of those provincial pieces of -pretentiousness which those who travel to learn the characteristics of -a country should, under ordinary circumstances, avoid, we found the -pleasantness of its situation sufficient to make us forget all else; -and indeed, considered as a copy of a Vienna hotel, it is not a bad -attempt. There is a room which on Sundays is set apart for an English -service. On a subsequent visit we found a large new hotel (Europa), -rather near the railway station, preferable to it in some respects, -and there are many others besides. - -I have spoken of the pleasant situation, and our apartment was -situated so as fully to enjoy it; we had to ourselves a whole suite -of little rooms, with a separate corridor running along the back of -them, from the windows of which we could make acquaintance, under the -alternating play of sunshine, moonbeam, or lightning, with the range -of mountains which wall in Tirol. The Martinswand and Frauhütt, with -their romantic memories; the Seegruben-spitze and the Kreuz-spitze, -rugged and wild; the grand masses of the Brandjoch and the lesser -Solstein, and the greater Solstein already wearing a lace-like veil -of snow; while the quaint copper cupolaed towers of Innsbruck conceal -the Rumerjoch and the Kaisersäule; and in the front of the picture, -the roofs with their wooden tiles afford a view of the mysteries of -apple-drying, and a thousand other local arts of domestic economy. If -our furniture was not of the most elegant or abundant, it was all -the more in keeping with such wild surroundings. - -The character of the town itself partakes of the same mixture of quaint -picturesqueness with modern pretension which I have already observed in -that of the people and the hotel. The Neustadt, as the chief street is -called, remarkable for its width, tidiness, and good paving, is no less -so for its old arcades in one part, and the steep gables in another, -and the monuments of faith which adorn its centre line. At one end -it is closed in by the stern gaunt mountain, at the other by Maria -Theresa's triumphal arch. There are other streets again, straight, -modern, and uniform; the Museum Strasse, and the Karl Strasse, and the -Landhaus Gasse, [138] but you soon come to an end of them; and then -you find yourself in a suburb of most primitive quality; your progress -arrested, now by the advance of the iron road, now by the placid -gentle Sill, now by the proudly flowing Inn. The mediæval history of -Innsbruck is signalized by a number of fires which destroyed many of -its antiquities. To the first of these it owes the suggestion that the -town needed a water supply, acted upon by Meinhard II., and the monks -of Wilten, in the formation of the Kleine Sill, which continues still -as useful as ever; but other fires again and again laid it in ashes, -so that very little of really old work survives, though there are many -foundations of early date, the buildings of which have been again and -again rebuilt. The very oldest of these is the monastery of Wilten, -now a suburb a little way outside the Triumphpforte, originally the -seat of the suzerains who created the town. - -The history of its origin is one of the most remarkable myths of -the country, and is a very epitome of the history of the conflict of -Heathendom with Christendom. - -The Romans had found here a flourishing town even in their time, -and they made of it an important station, calling it Valdidena, -whence its present name; coins and other relics of their sojourn are -continually dug out of the soil. Tradition has it, however, that Etzel -(Attila) laid the city in ruins on his way back from the terrible -battle of Chalons. It continued, nevertheless, to be a convenient -and consequently frequented station of the intercourse between the -banks of the Po and the Rhine. When Dietrich von Bern (Theodoric of -Verona) announced his expedition against Chriemhilde's Garden of -Roses at Worms, one of the mightiest who responded to his appeal, -and who did him the most signal service in taking the Rose-garden, -was Heime, popularly called Haymon, a giant 'taller and more powerful -than Goliath.' Returning in Theodoric's victorious train, he came -through Tirol. As he approached Valdidena he found his passage barred -by another giant named Thyrsus, living near Zirl, who has left his name -to the little neighbouring hamlet of Tirschenbach. Thyrsus had heard -of Haymon's prowess, and as his own had been unchallenged hitherto, -he determined to provoke him to combat. Haymon was no less fierce -than himself, and scarcely waited for his challenge to rush to the -attack. But anyone who had looked on would have guessed from the first -moment on which side the advantage would fall. Thyrsus was indeed -terrible of aspect; higher in stature than Haymon, his shaggy hair -covered a determined brow; his hardy skin was bronzed by exposure to -weather and lying on the rocks; his sinews were developed by constant -use, and their power attested by the tree torn up by the roots which -he bore in his hand for a club; at each footfall the ground shook, -for he planted his feet with a sound of thunder, and his stride was -from hill to hill. But Haymon's every movement displayed him practised -in each art of attack and defence. Less fierce of expression than -Thyrsus, his eyes were ever on the watch to follow every moment -of his antagonist, and like a wall of adamant he stood receiving -all his thrusts with a studied patience, giving back none till his -attacker's strength was well-nigh exhausted. Then he fell upon him -and slew him. An effigy of the two giants yet adorns the wall of the -wayside chapel at Tirschendorf. - -Haymon was still in the prime of manhood, being about thirty-five, -and this was but one of his many successful combats. Nevertheless, -it was destined to be his last, for a Benedictine monk of Tegernsee -coming by while he was yet in the first flush of victory, succeeded so -well in reasoning with him on the worthlessness of all on which he had -hitherto set his heart, and on the superior attractions of a higher -life, that he then and there determined to give up his sanguinary -career, and henceforth devote his strength to the service of Christ. - -In pursuance of this design he determined to build with his own hands -a church and monastery on the site of the ruined town of Valdidena, -by the banks of the Sill. With his own hands he quarried the stone -and felled the timber; but in the meantime the Evil One in the form -of a huge dragon had taken possession of the place. Never did he let -himself be seen; but when he came to lay the foundation, Haymon found -every morning that whatever work he had done by day, the dragon had -destroyed by night. Then he saw that he must watch by night as well -as work by day, and by this means he discovered with what manner of -adversary he had to deal. The dragon lashed the ground with his tail in -fury, just as the wild wind stirs up the sea, and filled the air with -the smoke and sparks he breathed out of his mouth. Haymon saw that -with all his strength and science he could not overcome so terrible -an enemy; nevertheless, he did not lose heart, but commended himself -to God. Meantime, the streaks of morn began to appear over the sky, -and at sight of them the dragon turned and fled. Haymon perceived -his advantage, and pursued him; by-and-by the rocks bounding the -path contracted, and at last they came to the narrow opening of a -cave. As soon as the dragon had got his head in and could not turn, -Haymon raised his sword with a powerful swing, and calling on God -to aid his stroke, with one blow severed the monster's head from the -trunk. As a trophy of his feat, he cut out the creature's sting, which -was full two feet long, and subsequently hung it up in the Sanctuary, -and something to represent it is still shown in the church of Wilten. - -After this, the building went on apace; and when it was completed, -he took up a huge stone which had been left over from the foundation -of the building, and flung it with the whole power of his arm. It -sped over the plain for the space of nearly two miles, till it struck -against the hill of Ambras, and rolled thence down again upon the -plain, 'where it may yet be seen;' and with all the land between he -endowed the monastery. Then he called thither a colony of Benedictines -to inhabit it, and himself lived a life of penance as the lowest among -them for eighteen years; and here he died in the year 878. Another -benefit which he conferred on the neighbourhood was rebuilding the -bridge of Innsbruck. [139] Tradition says he was buried on the right -hand side of the high altar, and even preserves the following rough -lines as his epitaph:-- - - - Als Tag und Jahr verloffen war - Achthundert schon verstrichen - Zu siebzig acht hats auch schon g'macht - Da Heymons Tod verblichen. - Der tapfere Held hat sich erwählt - En Kloster aufzuführen - Gab alles hinein, gieng selbst auch drein, - Wollts doch nicht selbst regieren. - Hat löblich gelebt, nach Tugent gstrebt - Ein Spiegel war er allen; - Riss hin riss her, ist nicht mehr er, - Ins Grab ist er hier g'fallen. - - -Many fruitless searches have been made for his body; the last, in -the year 1644, undermined great part of the wall of the church, and -caused its fall. The popular belief in the existence of the giants -Haymon and Thyrsis has found a forcible expression nevertheless in -two huge wooden figures, placed at the entrance of the Minster Church. - -The parish church of Wilten has a more ancient and curious relic in -the Mutter Gottes unter den vier Säulen, [140] of which it is said, -that the Thundering Legion having been stationed at Valdidena about -the year 137, had this image with them; that on one occasion of being -ordered on a distant expedition they buried it under four trees, -and never had the opportunity of recovering it. That when Rathold von -Aiblingen made his pilgrimage to Rome, he brought back with him the -secret of its place of concealment, exhumed it, set it up on the altar -under a baldachino with four pillars, where it has never ceased to be -an object of special veneration. This received a notable encouragement -when Friedrich mit der leeren Tasche, wandering in secret through the -country with his trusty Hans von Müllinen after the ban of the empire -had been pronounced against him, knelt before this shrine, and prayed a -blessing on his unchanging devotion to it. The sequel made him believe -that his prayer was heard; and when he was once more established in his -possessions, he caused himself and his friend to be portrayed kneeling -at the shrine to seek protection under the fostering mantle of the -Virgin, and had the picture hung on the wall of the church opposite. - -The name of Innsbruck first occurs in a record of the year 1027, -on occasion of a concession granted to the chapel of S. Jakob in -der Au--S. James's in the Field--probably the spot on which the -stately Pfarrkirche now stands. Prior to this, the little settlement -of inhabitants, whom the commerce between Germany and Italy had -gathered round the Inn-bridge, could only satisfy the obligation of -the Sunday and Holy-day mass by attendance in the church of Wilten; -now, the faculty was granted to their own little chapel. - -Its situation made it a convenient entrepôt for many articles of -heavy merchandise, and, as years went by, a dwelling-place of various -merchants also. All this time it was a dependency of the monks of -Wilten. In 1180, Berthold II. von Andechs, acquired from them by -treaty certain rights over the prospering town. His successor, Otho -I., surrounded it with walls and fortifications, and built himself a -residence, on the entrance of which was chiselled the date of 1234, -and the inscription,-- - - - Dies Haus stehet in Gottes Hand - Ottoburg ist es genannt. - - -And on the same spot, in an old house overlooking the river Inn, -some remains of this foundation may be traced, to which the name of -Ottoburg still attaches. - -In 1239 it was treated to the privilege of being the only dépôt -for goods between the Ziller and the Melach; other concessions -followed, maintaining its ever-rising importance. In 1279 Bruno, -Bishop of Brixen, consecrated a second church, the Morizkapelle, in -the Ottoburg. But though both its temporal and spiritual lords appear -to have encouraged its growth by every means in their power, and though -there are records of occasional noble gatherings within its precincts, -it was not till after the cession of Tirol to Austria by Margaretha -Maultasch that the convenience of its central situation, and its water -communication by the Inn and Danube with other towns of the empire, -suggested its adoption as the seat of government of the country. - -The fidelity of the towns-people to Duke Rudolf IV. of Austria at -the time of a Bavarian invasion, elicited a further outpouring of -privileges from their ruler, putting beyond all dispute in a short -time the priority of Innsbruck over all the towns of Tirol. - -Friederich mit der leeren Tasche made it his residence, and his base of -operations for reducing the Rottenburgers and other powerful nobles, -who during the late unsettled condition of the government had set -at naught his power and oppressed the people. In this he received -the warmest support of the Innsbruckers, which he in turn repaid by -granting all their wishes. - -The singular loyalty of the Tirolese, and their good fortune in -having been generally blessed with upright and noble-minded rulers, -make their annals read like a continuous heroic romance. The deeds -of their princes have for centuries been household words in every -mountain home of Tirol. None have had a deeper place in their hearts -than the fortunes of Friedl, and never was any man more fortunate in -his misfortunes. Before they yet knew what manner of prince he was, -the ban of the empire had made him a penniless wanderer. Reduced to -a condition lower than their own, the peasants wherever he passed -gathered round him, and swore to stand by him, and concealed his -hiding-places with the closest fidelity. One night he came weary and -wayworn to Bludenz in Vorarlberg, seeking shelter before the impending -storm. The night-watch had the closest orders to beware of strangers, -for an incursion of the imperial army was expected, and every stranger -might be a spy; no entreaty of Friedl on his friend Hans could shake -his obedience to orders. When the Prince declared who he was, the man -said, 'Would it were Friedl indeed!' but added that he would not be -taken in by the pretence, however well devised. At last the outcast -obtained from him that he would send for an innkeeper to whom he was -known. Mine host at once recognised his sovereign, and received him -with joy. The Thorwächter trembled when he found what he had done, -but Frederick commended his steadfastness heartily, and invited him to -dine at his table next day. While he was here, the Emperor summoned the -burghers to give up his prisoner; but the Bludenzers sent answer that -'they had sworn fealty to Duke Frederick and the House of Austria, -and they would not break their oath.' This spirited reply would -probably have brought an army to their gates had Frederick remained -among them; but in order to save them from an attack, for which they -were little prepared, he took his departure,--by stealth, or they -would not have suffered him to depart, even for their own safety's -sake. At other times he would earn his day's food by manual labour -before he disclosed to his entertainers who he was, and then he would -only partake of the same frugal fare, and the same hard lodging, -as the peasants who received him. By these means he became deeply -endeared to the people, who thus knew he was one who felt for their -privations, and shared their feelings and opinions, and did not treat -them with supercilious contempt like one of the nobles. - -When by these wanderings Frederick had discovered how deeply the -people loved him, he arranged with the owner of the Rofnerhof in the -Oetztal a plan by which, on occasion of a great fair at Landeck, -always crowded by people from all the country round, he appeared -in the character of principal actor in a peasant-comedy, which set -forth the sufferings of a prince driven from his throne by cruel -enemies, wandering homeless among his people, then calling them to -arms, and leading them to victory. The excitement of the people at -the representation exceeded his highest expectations. Loud sobs and -cries accompanied his description of the Prince's woes; but when he -came to sing of the people following their prince's call to arms, -their ardour became quite irresistible. The enthusiasm was contagious; -Frederick could no longer contain himself; he threw off his disguise, -and declared himself their Friedl. It needed no more; unbidden they -proffered their allegiance and their vows to defend his rights to -the last drop of their blood. The enthusiasm of the Landeckers soon -spread over the whole country; and when the Emperor Sigismund and -Ernst der Eiserne and Frederick's other foes found his people were as -firm as their own mountains in his defence, they gave up the attempt -at further persecution, and concluded a truce with him. - -In his prosperity he did not forget the peasants who had stood by him -so loyally. While he tamed the power of their oppressors, he did all -he could to lighten their burdens; and to many, who had rendered him -special service, he marked his gratitude by special favours. Thus, to -Ruzo of the Rofnerhof he granted among other privileges the right of -asylum on his demesne, which was put in use down to the year 1783. We -have already seen his conflict with Henry of Rottenburg, [141] and -in the same way he tamed the overgrown power of other nobles. In the -course of our wanderings we shall often find the popular hero's name -stored up in the people's lore. - -In connection with Innsbruck, he is well known to the most superficial -tourist as the builder of the Goldene Dachl-gebäude. - -And what is the goldene Dachl-Gebäude?--It is a most picturesque -addition to, and almost all remaining of, what in his time was the -Fürstenburg, or princely palace, having a roof of shining gilt copper -tiles, sufficiently low to be in sight of the passer-by; but the -account the best English guide-book gives the tourist of its origin -is so wanting in the true appreciation of Friedl's character, that I -am fain to supply the Tirolese version of it. The above account says -that it was built in 1425 'by Frederick, called in ridicule "Empty -Purse," who, in order to show how ill-founded was the nickname, spent -thirty thousand ducats on this piece of extravagance, which probably -rendered the nickname more appropriate than before.' Now, to say that -he was called 'Empty Purse' thus vaguely would imply that it was a name -given by common consent, and generally adopted. To say that he built -the Golden Roof only to show that such a nickname was ill-founded, -is simply to accuse him of arrogance. To treat it as an extravagance -which justified the accusation, is to convict him of folly. - -But the government of Frederick [142]--which is felt even yet in the -present independent spirit of Tirol, which consolidated the country -and made it respected, which set up the dignity of the Freihof and -the Schildhof the foundation of a middle class as a dam against the -encroachments of the nobility on the peasantry, which yet lives on in -the hearts of the people, was an eminently prudent administration, -and the story does not fit it. If, instead of resting satisfied -with this compendious but flippant account, you ask the first true -Tirolese you meet to expound it, he will tell you that Friedl had -grown so familiar with peasant life that he despoiled himself to -better the condition of his poorer subjects, not only by direct means, -but by his expeditions in their defence, and also in forbearing to -exact burdensome taxes. The nickname was not given him by general -consent; nor at all, by the people; it was the cowardly revenge of -those selfish nobles who could not appreciate the abnegation of his -character. Frederick saw in it a reproach, offered not so much to -himself as to his people; it seemed to say that the people who loved -him so well withheld the subsidies which should make him as grand as -other monarchs. To disprove the calumny, and to show that his people -enabled him to command riches too, he made this elegant little piece of -display, which served also to adorn his good town of Innsbruck; but he -did not on that account alter his frugal management of his finances; -so that when he came to die, though he had made none cry out that he -had laid burdens on them, he yet left a replenished treasury. [143] - -This is still one of the notable ornaments of Innsbruck. The house -is let to private families, but the 'gold-roofed' Erker, or oriel, -is kept up as a beloved relic almost in its original condition. There -is a curious old fresco within, the subject of which is disputed; and -on the second floor there is a sculptured bas-relief, representing -Maximilian and his two wives, Mary of Burgundy and Maria Bianca -of Milan, and the seven coats of arms of the seven provinces under -Maximilian's government. - -Sigismund 'the Monied,' Frederick's son and successor (1430-93), -is more chargeable with extravagance, [144] but his extravagance -was all for the advantage of Innsbruck. The reception he gave to -Christian I., King of Denmark, when on his way to Rome, is a striking -illustration of the resources of the country in his time. Sigismund -went out to meet him at some miles' distance from the capital, with -a train of three hundred horses, all richly caparisoned; his consort -(Eleanor of Scotland) followed with her suite in two gilt carriages, -and surrounded by fifty ladies and maidens on their palfreys. The -King of Denmark stayed three days; every day was a festival, and -the magnificent dresses of the court were worthy of being specially -chronicled. There seems to have been no lack of satin and velvet and -ermine, embroidery, and fringes of gold-work. - -Nor was mental culture neglected; for we find mention, at the same -date, of public schools governed by 'a rector,' which would seem to -imply that they had something beyond an elementary character. The -impulse given to commerce by the working of the silver-mines also had -the effect of causing some of the chief roads of the country to be made -and improved. The most lasting traces of Sigismund's reign, however, -are the ruined towers which adorn the mountain landscapes. Wherever -we go in Tirol, we come upon some memory of his expensive fancy -for building isolated castles as a pied à terre for his hunting and -fishing excursions, still distinguished by such names as Sigmundskron, -Sigmundsfried, Sigmundslust, Sigmundsburg, Sigmundsegg, and which we -shall have occasion to notice as we go along. His wars were of no -great benefit to the country, but his command of money enabled him -to include Vorarlberg within his frontier. Sigismund was, however, -entirely wanting in administrative qualities. This deficiency helped -out his extravagance in dissipating the whole benefit which might -have resulted to the public exchequer from the silver-works of his -reign; and at last he yielded to the wholesome counsel of abdicating -in favour of his cousin Maximilian. - -Maximilian (1493-1519) is another of the household heroes of -Tirol. Even after he was raised to the throne of empire he still -loved his Tirolean home, and his residence there further increased the -importance of the town of Innsbruck. He built the new palace in the -Rennplatz, called the Burg, which was completed for his marriage with -Maria Bianca, daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, of Milan. Splendid -was the assemblage gathered in Innsbruck for this ceremonial. Three -years later it was further astonished by the magnificence of the -Turkish Embassy; and the discussion of various treaties of peace -were also frequently the means of adding brilliancy to the court, -and prosperity to the town. His other benefits to the city, and -Innsbruck's unworthy return to him, I have already mentioned in the -beginning of this chapter. - -Many a fantastic Sage is told of Maximilian in the neighbourhood, -which we shall find in their due places. The fine hunting-ground -Tirol affords was one of its greatest attractions for him; it led him, -however, to introduce certain game-laws, and this was one principal -element in bringing about the decline of his popularity in the last -years of his life. At his death this disaffection broke out, and caused -one of the most serious insurrectionary movements which have disturbed -the even tenour of Tirolese loyalty. To this was added the influence of -Lutheran teaching, the effects of which we have seen in the Zillerthal. - -This spirit of discontent had time to gain ground during the first -years of Maximilian's grandson and successor, Charles Quint, whose -immensely extended duties drew his attention off from Tirol. Very -shortly after his accession, however, he made over the German -hereditary dominions, including Tirol, to his brother Ferdinand, -who established his family in this country. His wise administration -and prudent concessions soon conciliated the people; though severe -measures were also needed, and the year 1529 was signalized in -Innsbruck by some terrible executions. These were forgotten when, in -the year 1531, Charles Quint, returning victorious from Pavia, on his -way to Augsburg stayed and held court at Innsbruck; Ferdinand met him -on the Brenner pass, and accompanied him to the capital. When Charles -reached the Burg, Ferdinand's children received him at the entrance; -and the tenderness with which he greeted and kissed them was remarked -by the people, on whom this token of homely affection had a powerful -effect. Electors and princes, spiritual and temporal, came to pay their -homage to the Emperor; and Innsbruck was so filled with the titled -throng, that the Landtag had to remove its session to Hall. Ferdinand's -other dominions, and the question of the threatened war with Turkey, -necessitated frequent absences from Innsbruck. During one of these -(in 1534) the Burg was burnt down, and his children were only rescued -from their beds with difficulty. The great Hall, called the goldene -Saal, and the state bedroom, which was so beautifully ornamented that -it bore the title of das Paradies, were all reduced to ashes. In 1541 -Innsbruck was once more honoured by a visit of the magnificent Emperor; -and again, ten years later, he took up his residence there, that he -might be near the Session of the Council of Trent. It was while he -was living here peacefully in all confidence, and almost unattended, -that Maurice, Elector of Saxony, having suddenly joined the Smalkald -League, treacherously attempted to surprise him, marching with a -considerable armed force through pass Fernstein. Charles, who was laid -up with illness at the time, was enabled by the loyal devotion of the -Tirolese to escape in the night-time and in a storm of wind and rain, -being borne in a litter over the Brenner, and by difficult mountain -paths through Bruneck into Carinthia. Maurice, baffled in his scheme, -exercised his vengeance in plundering the imperial possessions, while -his followers devastated the peasants' homes, the monastery of Stams, -and other religious houses that lay in their way. The sufferings of the -Tirolese on this occasion doubtless tended to confirm them in their -aversion for the Lutheran League. Maurice's end was characteristic, -and the Tirolese, ever on the look-out for the supernatural, were -not slow to see in it a worthy retribution for his treatment of -their Emperor. Albert of Brandenburg refused to join in the famous -Treaty of Passau, subsequently concluded by Maurice and the other -Lutheran leaders with the Emperor. This and other differences led to -a sanguinary struggle between them, in the course of which Maurice -was killed in battle at Sieverhausen. - -Ferdinand the First's reign has many mementos in Innsbruck. He built -the Franciscan church, otherwise called the heiligen Kreuzkirche -and the Hofkirche, which, tradition says, had been projected by his -grandfather, Kaiser Max, though there is no written record of the fact; -and he raised within it a most grandiose and singular monument to him, -which has alone sufficed to attract many travellers to Tirol. The -original object of the foundation of the church seems to have been -the establishment of a college of canons in this centre, to oppose -the advance of Lutheran teaching. It was begun in 1543, the first -design having been rejected by Ferdinand as not grand enough, and -consecrated in 1563. He seems to have been at some pains to find a -colony of religious willing to undertake, and competent to fulfil, -his requirements; and not coming to an agreement with any in Germany -or the Netherlands, ultimately called in a settlement of Franciscans -from Trent and the Venetian provinces, consisting of twenty priests -and thirteen lay-brothers. The chief ornaments of the building -itself are the ten large--but too slender--red marble columns, which -support the plateresque roof. The greater part of the nave is taken -up with Maximilian's monument--cenotaph rather, for he lies buried -at Wiener-Neustadt, the oft-contemplated translation of his remains -never having been carried into effect. It was Innsbruck's fault, -as we have seen, that they were not originally laid to rest there, -and it is her retribution to have been denied the honour of housing -them hitherto. The monument itself is a pile upwards of thirteen feet -long and six high, of various coloured marbles, raised on three red -marble steps; on the top is a colossal figure, representing the Kaiser -dressed in full imperial costume, kneeling, his face being directed -towards the altar--a very fine work, cast in bronze by Luigi del Duca, -a Sicilian, in 1582. The sides and ends are divided by slender columns -into twenty-four fine white marble compartments, [145] setting forth -the story of his achievements in lace-like relief. If the treatment of -the facts is sometimes somewhat legendary, the details and accessories -are most painstakingly and delicately rendered, great attention -having been paid to the faithfulness of the costumes and buildings -introduced, and the most exquisite finish lavished on all. They were -begun in 1561 by the brothers Bernhard and Arnold Abel, of Cologne, -who went in person to Genoa to select the Carrara tablets for their -work; but they both died in 1563, having only completed three. Then -Alexander Collin of Mechlin took up the work, and with the aid of a -large school of artists completed them in all their perfection in three -years more. Around it stands a noble guard of ancestors historical and -mythological, cast in bronze, of colossal proportions, twenty-eight -in number. It is a solemn sight as you enter in the dusk of evening, -to see these stern old heroes keeping eternal watch round the tomb -of him who has been called 'the last of the Knights,' der letzte -Ritter. They have not, perhaps, the surpassing merit of the Carrara -reliefs, but they are nobly conceived nevertheless. For lightness -of poise, combined with excellence of proportion and delicacy of -finish, the figure of our own King Arthur commends itself most to my -admiration; but that of Theodoric is generally reckoned to bear away -the palm from all the rest. They stand in the following order. - -Starting on the right side of the nave on entering, we have: - - - 1. Clovis, the first Christian King of France. - 2. Philip 'the Handsome,' [146] of the Netherlands, Maximilian's - son, reckoned as Philip I. of Spain, though he never reigned - there. - 3. Rudolf of Hapsburg. - 4. Albert II. the Wise, Maximilian's great-grandfather. - 5. Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths. (455-526.) - 6. Ernest der Eiserne, Duke of Austria and Styria. (1377-1424.) - 7. Theodebert, Duke of Burgundy. (640.) - 8. King Arthur of England. - 9. Sigmund der Münzreiche, Count of Tirol. (1427-96.) - 10. Maria Bianca Sforza, Maximilian's second wife. (Died 1510.) - 11. The Archduchess Margaret, Maximilian's daughter. - 12. Cymburgis of Massovica, wife of Ernest der Eiserne. (Died 1433.) - 13. Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, father of Maximilian's - first wife. - 14. Philip the Good, father of Charles the Bold. Founder of the - Order of the Golden Fleece. - - -This completes the file on the right side; on our walk back down the -other side we come to-- - - - 15. Albert II., Duke of Austria, and Emperor of Germany. - (1397-1439.) - 16. Emperor Frederick I., Maximilian's father. (1415-95.) - 17. St. Leopold, Margrave of Austria; since 1506 the patron - saint of Austria. (1073-1136.) - 18. Rudolf, Count of Hapsburg, grandfather or uncle of 'Rudolf - of Hapsburg.' - 19. Leopold III., 'the Pious,' Duke of Austria, Maximilian's - great-grandfather; killed at Sempach, 1439. - 20. Frederick IV. of Austria, Count of Tirol, surnamed 'mit der - leeren Tasche.' - 21. Albert I., D. of Austria, Emperor. (Born 1248; assassinated - by his nephew John of Swabia, 1308.) - 22. Godfrey de Bouillon, King of Jerusalem in 1099. - 23. Elizabeth, wife of the Emperor Albert II., daughter of - Sigismund, King of Hungary and Bohemia. (1396-1442.) - 24. Mary of Burgundy, Maximilian's first wife. (1457-82.) - 25. Eleonora of Portugal, wife of the Emperor Frederick III., - Maximilian's mother. - 26. Cunigunda, Maximilian's sister, wife of Duke Albert IV. of - Bavaria. - 27. Ferdinand 'the Catholic.' - 28. Johanna, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, and wife of - Maximilian's son, Philip I. of Spain. - - -There is a vast difference in the quality both of the design -and execution of these statues; the greater number and the more -artistic were cast by Gregor Löffler, who established a foundry -on purpose at Büchsenhausen; the rest by Stephen and Melchior -Godl, and Hanns Lendenstreich, who worked at Mühlau, a suburb of -Innsbruck. All honour is due to them for the production of some of -the most remarkable works of their age; but it was some unknown mind, -probably that of some humble nameless Franciscan, to whom is due the -conception and arrangement of this piece of symbolism. It originally -included, besides the statues already enumerated, twenty-three -others, of saints, which were to have received a more elevated -station, and it is for this reason that they are much smaller in -size. They are now placed in the so-called 'Silver Chapel,' and are -too frequently overlooked; but it is necessary to take them into -account in order worthily to criticize this great monument. They -are as follows:--1. St. Adelgunda, daughter of Walbert, Count -of Haynault. 2. St. Adelbert, Count of Brabant. 3. St. Doda, -wife of St. Arnulf, Duke of the Moselle. 4. St. Hermelinda, -daughter of Witger, Count of Brabant. 5. St. Guy, Duke of -Lotharingia. 6. St. Simpert, Bishop of Augsburg, son of Charlemagne's -sister Symporiana, who rebuilt the monastery of St. Magnus at -Füssen. 7. St. Jodok, son of a king of Great Britain; he wears a -palmer's dress. 8. St. Landerich, Bishop of Metz, son of St. Vincent, -Count of Haynault, and St. Waltruda. 9. St. Clovis. 10. St. Oda, -wife of Duke Conrad. 11. St. Pharaild, daughter of Witger, Count of -Brabant. 12. St. Reinbert, brother of the last. 13. St. Roland, brother -of St. Simpert. 14. St. Stephen, King of Hungary. 15. St. Venantius, -martyr, son of Theodoric, Duke of Lotharingia. 16. St. Waltruda, -mother of St. Landerich (No. 8). 17. St. Arnulf, husband of -St. Doda (No. 3), afterwards Bishop of Metz. 18. St. Chlodulf, -son of St. Waltruda (No. 16), also Bishop of Metz. 19. St. Gudula, -sister of St. Albert, Count of Brabant. 20. St. Pepin Teuto, Duke of -Brabant. 21. St. Trudo, priest, son of St. Adela. 22. St. Vincent, -monk. 23. Richard Coeur-de-Lion. A series of men and women, all more -or less closely connected with the House of Hapsburg, selected for -the alleged holiness of their lives or deeds under one aspect or -another. It needs no laboured argument to show the appropriateness -of thus representing to the life the solidarity of piety and worth in -the great hero's earthly family, though a few words may not be out of -place to distinguish the characters allied only or chiefly by the ties -of the great family of chivalry. These are--1. King Arthur (No. 8), -representative of the mythology of the Round Table. 2. Roland (No. 13 -in the series of the saints), representing the myths of the Twelve -Peers of France. 3. Theodobert (No. 7), who received a hero's death -in the plain of Chalons at the hand of Attila, to be immortalized in -the Western Nibelungen Myths. 4. Theodoric (No. 5), celebrated as -'Dietrich von Bern' in the Eastern. 5. Godfrey de Bouillon (No. 22), -representing the legendary glory of the Crusades. [147] - -The two other statues, of a later date--St. Francis and St. Clare--are -by Moll, a native of Innsbruck, who became a sculptor of some -note at Vienna. The picture of St. Anthony over the altar of the -Confraternity of St. Anthony, on the Epistle side of this church, has -a great reputation among the people, because it remained uninjured -in a fire which in 1661 burnt down the church of Zirl, where it was -originally placed. [148] Five years later it was brought hither for -greater honour, and was let into a larger painting by Jele of Vienna, -representing a multitude of sick and suffering brought by their friends -to pray for healing before it. There is not much else in this church -that is noteworthy (besides 'the Silver Chapel,' which belongs to -the notice of Ferdinand II.). What there is may be mentioned in a few -lines, namely--the Fürstenchor, or tribune for the royal family, high -up on the right side of the chancel, with the adjoining little chapel -and its paintings, and cedar-wood organ, the gift of Julius II. to -Ferdinand I.; the quaint old clock; and the memory that Queen Christina -of Sweden made her abjuration here 28th October 1655. Her conduct on -the occasion was, according to local tradition, most edifying. She -was dressed plainly in black silk, with no other ornament than a -large cross on her breast, with five sparkling diamonds to recall the -glorious Wounds of the Redeemer. The emphasis with which she repeated -the Latin profession of faith after the Papal nuncio did not pass -unnoticed. The Ambrosian Hymn was sung at the close of the ceremony, -and the church bells and town cannon spoke the congratulations of -the Innsbruckers on this and the subsequent days of her stay among -them. Among other tokens of gladness, several mystery plays (which -are still greatly in vogue in Tirol) were represented. Another public -ceremony of her stay was the translation of Kranach's Madonna, the -favourite picture of Tirol, brought to it by Leopold V. The original -altar-piece of the Hofkirche, by Paul Troger--the Invention of the -Cross--was removed by Maria Theresa to Vienna, because the figure of -the Empress Helena was counted a striking likeness of herself. - -The introduction of the Jesuits into Tirol, and the subsequent -building of the Jesuitenkirche in Innsbruck, and the labours of -B. Peter Canisius among the people, was also the work of Ferdinand -I. The peaceful prosperity which his wise government procured for the -country, while wars and religious divisions were distracting the rest -of Europe, gave opportunity for the development of its literature -and art-culture. [149] - -One melancholy event of his reign was the outbreak in its last year, of -a terrible epidemic, which committed appalling ravages. All who could, -including the royal family, escaped to a distance; and those who had -been stricken with it were removed to the Siechenhaus, and isolated -from the rest of the population. As has frequently happened on similar -occasions, the dread of the malady operated to deprive the sick of the -help of which they stood in need. It was when the plague raged highest, -and the majority were most absorbed with the thought of securing their -own safety, that a poor woman of the people, named Magaretha Hueber, -rising superior to the vulgar terror, took upon herself cheerfully the -management of the desolate Siechenhaus. The example of her courage was -all that was needed to bring out the Christian confidence and charity -of the masses; and to her devotion was owing not only the relief of -the plague-stricken, but the moral effect of her spirit and energy -was also not without its fruit in staying the havoc of the contagion; -and she is still remembered by the name of die fromme Siechen. - -Shortly before his death (which happened in 1564), Ferdinand had his -second son, Ferdinand II., publicly acknowledged in the Landtag of -Innsbruck, Landesfürst of Tirol. His own affection for the country -had prevented him from suffering its interests to be ever neglected -by the pressure of his vast rule; and now when his great age warned -him that he would be able to watch over it no longer, he determined -to give it once more the benefit of an independent government. - -Ferdinand II. seems to have had all the excellent administrative -qualities of his father in the degree necessary for his restricted -sphere of dominion. His disposition for the culture of peaceful arts -was promoted by the happiness of his family life. The story of his -early love, and his marriage in accordance with the dictates of his -heart, in an age when matrimonial alliances were too often dictated by -political considerations alone, have made one of the romances dearest -to the popular mind. The natural retribution of a disturbance of the -regular succession to the throne followed, but with Tirol's usual -good fortune the consequences did not prove disastrous, as we shall -see later on. - -Situated at the distance of a pleasant hour's walk from Innsbruck, -and forming an exceedingly picturesque object in the views from it, -is Schloss Ambras, in ancient times one of the chief bulwarks of the -Innthal. Ferdinand I. bought it of the noble family of Schurfen at -the time when he nominated his son to the government of the country, -and it always remained Ferdinand II.'s favourite residence. Hither he -brought home the beautiful Philippine Welser, whose grace and modesty -had won his heart at first sight, as she leant forward from her turret -window to cast her flowery greeting at the feet of the Emperor Charles -Quint when he came into Augsburg, and the young and handsome prince -rode by his side. Philippine had been betrothed by her father to the -heir of the Fugger family, the richest and most powerful of Augsburg; -but her eyes had met Ferdinand's, and that one glance had revealed to -both that their happiness lay in union with each other. Fortunately -for Philippine she possessed in her mother a devoted confidant and -ally. True, Ferdinand could not rest till he had obtained a stolen -interview with her; but the true German woman had confidence in the -honour and virtue of the reigning House, and the words Philippine, -who was truth itself, reported were those of true love, which knows no -shame. Nevertheless, the Fugger was urgent, and old Welser--a sturdy -upholder of his family tradition for upright dealing--never, they knew, -could be brought to be wanting to his word. The warm love of youth, -however, is ever a match for the steady calculation of age. While the -fathers Welser and Fugger were counting their money-bags, Ferdinand -had devised a plan which easily received the assent of Philippine's -affection for him, the rather that her mother, for whom a daughter's -happiness stood dearer than any other consideration, gave it her -countenance and aid. At an hour agreed, Ferdinand appeared beneath the -turret where their happiness was first revealed to them; at a little -distance his horses were in waiting. Not an instant had he to wait; -Philippine, already fortified by her mother's farewell benediction, -joined him ere a pang of misgiving had time to enter his mind, an -old and trusted family servant accompanying her. Safely the fugitives -reached the chapel, where a friendly priest--Ferdinand's confessor, -Johann Cavallerüs--waited to bless the nuptials of the devoted pair, -the old servant acting as witness. Old Franz Welser was subsequently -induced to give his approval and paternal benediction; and if his -burgher pride was wounded by his daughter marrying into a family which -might look down upon her connexions, he had the consoling reflection -that he was able to give her a dowry which many princes might envy; -and also in the discovery of a friendly antiquary, that even his -lineage, if not royal, was not either to be despised, for it could -be traced up to the same stock which gave Belisarius to the Empire! - -Ferdinand's marriage was, I believe, never known to his father; though -there are stories of his being won over to forgive it by Philippine's -gentle beauty and worth, but these are probably referable to the -succeeding Emperor. However this may be, the devoted pair certainly -lived for some time in blissful retirement at Ambras; and after his -brother, Maximilian II., had acknowledged the legality of Ferdinand's -marriage--on the condition that the offspring of it should never -claim the rank of Archdukes of Austria--Ambras, which had been their -first retreat, was so endeared to them, that they always loved to -live there better than anywhere else. There were born to them two -sons--Karl, who afterwards became a Cardinal and Bishop of Brixen; -and Andreas, Markgrave of Burgau, to whom Ferdinand willed Ambras, -on condition that he should maintain its regal beauties, and preserve -undiminished the rich stores of books and rare manuscripts, coins, -armour, objects of vertù, and curiosities of every sort which it had -been the delight of his and Philippine's leisure hours to collect. This -testamentary disposition the son judged would be best carried out by -selling the place to the Emperor Rudolf II. in 1606; and Ambras has -accordingly ever since been reckoned a pleasure-seat of the imperial -family. The unfortunate love of centralization, more than the fear of -foreign invasion, which was the ostensible pretext, deprived Tirol -of these treasures. They were removed to Vienna in 1806, where they -may be visited in the Belvedere Palace, the promise of restoring them, -often made, not having yet been fulfilled. Among the remnants that are -left, are still some tokens of Ferdinand's taste and genius, and some -touching memorials of thirty years of happiness purer and truer than -had often before been combined with the enjoyment of power. There are -some pieces of embroidery, with which Philippine occupied her lonely -hours while Ferdinand's public duties obliged him to be away from her, -among them a well-executed Crucifixion; and some natural curiosities in -the shape of gnarled and twisted roots, needing little effort of the -imagination to convert into naturally--perhaps supernaturally--formed -crucifixes, and which they had doubtless found pleasure in unearthing -in the woods round Ambras. At the time of my visit the private chapel -was being very well restored, and some frescoes very fairly executed -by Wienhold, a local artist who has studied in Rome. There is still -a small collection of armour, and a suit of clothes worn by a giant -in the suite of Charles Quint, which would appear to have belonged -to a man near eight feet high; also some portraits of the Hapsburg -family and other rulers of Tirol; among them Margareta Maultasch, -which, if it be faithful, disproves the story deriving her name from -the size of her mouth; but of this I shall have occasion to speak -later. Inglis mentions that among the relics is a piece of the tree -on which Judas hanged himself, but it was not shown to me. - -The people, whose own experience fixes the law of suffering in -their minds, will have it that these years of tranquil joy were not -unalloyed; but that Philippine's mother-in-law embittered them by -her jealous bickerings and reproaches, and that these in the end -led her to make a sacrifice of her life to the exigencies of her -husband's glory. The bath is yet pointed out at Ambras where she is -said to have bled herself to death to make way for a consort more -conformable to her husband's birth. All, even local, historians, -however, are agreed in rejecting this tradition. [150] It has served -nevertheless to endear her to the popular mind, for whom she is still -a model of domestic virtues no less than a type of beauty. Scarcely -is there a house in Tirol that is not adorned by her image. Among -other traditions of her personal perfections, it is fabled that her -skin was so delicate that the colour of the red wine could be seen -softly opalized as it passed her slender throat. [151] - - - - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -NORTH TIROL--THE INNTHAL. - -INNSBRUCK (continued). - - - Ora conosce come s'innamora - Lo Ciel del giusto rege, et al sembiante - Del suo fulgore il fa vedere ancora. - - Dante Paradiso, xx. 63. [152] - - -Another local tradition of Ambras attaches to a spot where Wallenstein, -while a page in the household of Ferdinand and Philippine, fell -unharmed from the window of the corridor leading to the dining-hall, -making in the terrible moment a secret vow to the Blessed Virgin -of his conversion if he escaped with life, which hastened the work -begun doubtless by Philippine's devout example and teaching. There -is another, again, more marvellous still, and dated from an earlier -period, and shortly before the purchase of the castle by the reigning -family. It is said that Theophrastus Paracelsus, of whom many weird -stories are told, was at one time sojourning at Innsbruck--where, -another tradition has it, he died--and in the course of his wanderings -in search of plants of strange healing powers, came to this outlying -and then neglected castle. A peasant woman seeing him pass her cottage -weary and footsore, asked him to come in and rest and taste her -freshly-baked cakes, of which the homely odour scented the air. The -man of strange science thanked her for her hospitality, and in return -touched the tongs upon the hearth with his wonder-working book, and -behold the iron was turned into pure gold. The origin of such a legend -as this is easy to trace; the book of the touch of which such virtue -is fabled, plainly represents the learning of the studious savant, -which brought him, as well as fame, pecuniary advantage, enabling him -to astonish the peasants with payment in the precious metal not often -seen by them. But there are many others told of him, the details of -which are more complicated, and wander much further from the outline -of fact. The way in which he became possessed of his wonder-working -power is thus accounted for. [153] One Sunday morning, when he was -after his custom wandering in search of plants in a forest on the -heights not far from Innsbruck, he heard a voice calling him out of a -tree. 'Who are you?' cried Paracelsus. 'I am he whom men call the Evil -One,' answered the voice; 'but how wrong they are you shall judge; -if you but release me out of this tree you shall see I am not evil -at all.' 'How am I to set about it?' asked the clever Doctor. 'Only -look straight up the stem of the pine opposite you, and you will see -a bung with three crosses on it; all you have to do is to pull it -out, and I am free; if you do this I will show you how good I am by -giving you the two things you most desire, an elixir which shall turn -all to gold, and another which shall heal every malady.' Paracelsus, -lured by the tempting promise, pulled out the bung, and straightway -an ugly black spider crawled out of the hole, and quickly transformed -itself into an old man wrapped in a scarlet mantle. The demon kept his -word, and gave the Doctor the promised phials, but immediately began -threatening the frightful vengeance he would wreak on the exorcist -who had confined him in the tree. Paracelsus now blamed himself -for his too ready confidence in the character the demon had given -himself for goodness, and bethought him of a means of playing on the -imp's vanity. 'What a knowing man that same exorcist must be,' said -Paracelsus, 'to turn a tall powerful fellow like you into a spider, -and then drive you into a tree.' 'Not a bit of it,' replied the imp, -piqued, 'he couldn't have done anything of the sort, it was all my -own doing.' 'Your own doing!' exclaimed Paracelsus, with a mocking -laugh. 'Is that likely? I have heard of people being transformed by -some one of greater power than themselves, never by their own.' 'You -shall see, though,' said the provoked imp; and with that he quickly -resumed the form of a spider, and crawled back into the hole. [154] -Paracelsus, it may well be imagined, lost no time in replacing the -bung, on which he cut three fresh crosses to renew the spell; and -never can he again be released, for it was agreed never to cut down -this forest on account of the protection it afforded to the country -against the avalanches. - -But, it may be asked, the wonder-working phials once vouchsafed to -men, would surely be taken good care of. There is a legend to provide -for that too. [155] When the other doctors of Innsbruck found that -Paracelsus so far exceeded them in skill, they determined to poison -him. Paracelsus had knowledge of their plot by his arts, he knew too -that there was only one remedy against the poison they had adopted, -and he shut himself up, telling his servant not to disturb him for -five days. At the end of the fourth day, however, the curious servant -came into his room and broke the spell. Paracelsus had employed a -wonder-working spider to draw out the poison, which it would have done -in the course of five days. Disturbed on the fourth, Paracelsus knew -he must die. Determined that the jealous members of his profession -should not profit by their crime, he sent his servant with the two -phials and bid him stand in the middle of the Inn-bridge and throw -them into the river. Where they fell into the river the water was -streaked with molten gold. - -It remains to call attention to the splendid and truly Tirolean -panoramic view from the pretty terrace of Ambras, with its luxuriant -trellis of passion-flower and 'virgin vine.' Overhanging the village -of Ambras is the so-called Tummelplatz, where in the lifetime of -Ferdinand and Philippine, many a gay tournament was held, but since -used as a burying-place; first for the military hospital, to which -the castle was at one time devoted--and some seven or eight thousand -patriots were interred here between 1796 and 1810--and afterwards -for those who fell successfully resisting the Italian invasion of 1859. - -Whatever was the manner of Philippine's death, it was bitterly lamented -by Ferdinand, who found the usual refuge of human grief in raising a -splendid monument to her memory, in the so-called Silberne Kapelle in -the Hofkirche. The chapel had been built by him to satisfy her devotion -to the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception; and in her lifetime was -so called from the solid silver image of the Blessed Virgin, and the -bas-reliefs of the mysteries of the rosary in the same metal over the -altar, itself a valuable ebony carving. She had loved to pray there, -and it accordingly formed a fitting resting-place for her mortal -remains. Her effigy in marble over her altar-shaped tomb is a figure -of exceeding beauty, and is ascribed to Alexander Collin; it stands -under a marble canopy. The upright slab is of white marble, carved -in three compartments; the centre one bearing a modest inscription, -and the other two, subjects recording her charity to the living and the -dead; the outline of the town of Innsbruck, as it appeared in her day, -forms the background. By his desire Ferdinand was buried near her; -his monument is similarly sunk in the thickness of the wall, which is -adorned with shields carved in relief, bearing the arms of his house -painted with their respective tinctures; and on the tomb are marble -reliefs, setting forth (after the manner of those on Maximilian's -cenotaph) the public acts of his life. This chapel came to be used -afterwards for Italian sermons by the consorts of subsequent rulers -of Tirol, many of whom were Italians. - -In 1572 Innsbruck was visited by a severe shock of earthquake, which -overthrew many buildings, and so filled the people with alarm, that -temporary wooden huts were built in the open field where they took -refuge. Ferdinand and Philippine had recourse to the same means of -safety; and while living thus, their only daughter, Anna Eleonora, -was born. In thanksgiving for this favour, and for the cessation -of the panic, the royal pair vowed a pilgrimage to Seefeld, [156] -which they accomplished on foot, accompanied by their sons; above -two thousand Innsbruckers following them. The general sentiment -of gratitude was further testified by the enactment on the part -of Ferdinand, and the glad acceptance on the part of the people, -of various rules of devotion, which have gone to form the subsequent -habits of the people. Three years of dearth succeeded the earthquake, -and were accepted by the pious ruler and people as a heavenly warning -to lead them to increased faith and devotion. Many Lutheran books -which had escaped earlier measures against them were spontaneously -brought forward and burnt; special devotion to the Blessed Sacrament -was promoted, Ferdinand himself setting the example; for whenever he -met the Viaticum on the way to the sick, whether he was in a carriage -or on horseback, he never failed to alight and kneel upon the ground, -whatever might be its condition. This was indeed a special tradition of -his house; it is told of Rudolf of Hapsburg, that one day as he was out -hunting, a furious storm came on, soon swelling the mountain torrents -and sweeping away paths and bridges. On the brink of a raging stream, -which there was no means of crossing, stood a priest, weather-bound on -his way to carry the last sacrament to a dying parishioner. Rudolf -recognised the sound of the bell, and directed his steps by its -leading to pay his homage to the 'hochwürdigste Gut.' He no sooner -learned the priest's difficulty than he dismounted, and offered him -his own horse. When the priest brought the animal back next day, the -pious prince told him he could not think of himself again crossing a -horse which had been honoured by having borne his Lord and Redeemer, -and begged him to keep it for the future service of religion. - -While Philippine's relations never sought to overstep the limits which -imperial etiquette had set them, Ferdinand seems to have treated them -with kind cordiality. An instance of this was the magnificence with -which he celebrated the marriage of her nephew, Johann von Kolourat, -with her maid-of-honour, Katarina von Boimont, in 1580: the 'Neustadt' -or principal street afforded space for tournaments and races which -lasted many days, and attracted the remaining votaries of chivalry -from all parts of Europe. The festivities were closed by a splendid -pageant, in which Ferdinand took part as 'Olympian Jove.' - -In 1582 Ferdinand married Anna Katharina Gonzaga, daughter of the Duke -of Mantua, who was no less pious than Philippine. The marriage was -celebrated at Innsbruck with great pomp. She was the first to introduce -the Capuchin Order into Germany. Some discussion in the general chapter -of the Order preceded the decision which allowed the monks to accept -the consequences of being exposed to a colder climate than that to -which they had been used. The first stone of their monastery was laid -by Ferdinand and Anna Katharina in August 1593, at the intersection -of the Universitäts-gasse and the Sill-gasse. Ferdinand died the -following year, regretted by all the people, but by none more than by -Anna Katharina, who passed the remainder of her days in a convent she -had founded at Innsbruck. She died in 1621, and desired the following -inscription to be put on her tomb:--'Miserere mei Domine dum veneris -in novissimo die.' - -The warning of the disastrous years 1572-4 was further turned -to practical account by Ferdinand in his desire to relieve the -distress of the peasants. In the first months of threatening famine -he bought with his own means large stores of grain in Hungary and -Italy, and opened depôts in various parts of Tirol, where it was -sold at a reasonable price. To provide a means of earning money for -those who were shut out of their ordinary labour, he laid out or -improved some of the most important high roads; he likewise exerted -himself in every way to promote the commerce of the country. His -reign conferred many other benefits on the people. Many laws were -amended and brought in conformity with the altered circumstances of -the age; the principle of self-taxation was established, and other -measures enacted which it does not belong to my present province to -particularise. He introduced also the use of the Gregorian Calendar, -and gave great encouragement to the cultivation of letters. It was -by his care that the most authentic MSS. of the Nibelungen poems and -other examples of early literature were preserved to us. - -As Ferdinand had no children by Anna Katharina, and those of Philippine -were not allowed to succeed, [157] the rule over Tirol went back at -his death to the Emperor Rudolf II., Maximilian's eldest son. In 1602, -however, he gave over the government to his brother Maximilian, who -is distinguished by the name of the Deutschmeister. Tirol was again -fortunate in her ruler; Maximilian was as pious and prudent a prince -as his predecessors. He promoted the educational establishments -of the town, and was a zealous opponent of religious differences; -he brought in the Order of Servites to oppose the remaining germs -of Lutheran teaching; the church and monastery at the end of the -Neustadt being built for them by Katharina Maria. There are some -pictures in the church by Theophilus Polak, Martin Knoller, Grasmair, -and other native artists; and the frescoes on the roof by Schöpf -are worth attention. A fanatic named Paul Lederer, one of the very -few Tirol has produced, rose in this reign, and carried away about -thirty persons to join a kind of sect which he attempted to form; -in accordance with the laws of the age, he was tried and executed, -after which his followers were no more heard of. - -Maximilian was much attached to the Capuchins, and built himself -a little hermitage within their precincts, which is still shown, -where he spent all the time he could spare in prayer and meditation; -following the rule of the monks, rising with them to their night -Offices, and employing himself at manual labour in the field and -in the workshop like one of them. His cell is paneled with plain -wood, the bed and chair are of the most ordinary make, as are the -ink-stand and other necessary articles, mostly his own handiwork; -it has a window high up in the chancel, whence he could assist at the -Offices in the church. The Empress Maria Theresa visited it in 1765, -and seating herself in the stiff wooden chair, exclaimed, 'What men -our forefathers were!' Another illustrious pilgrim, whose visit is -treasured in the memories of the house, was St. Lorenzo of Brindisi, -when on his way to found a house of the Order in Austria. The monks -begged of him his Hebrew Bible, his walking-stick, and breviary, -which are still treasured as relics. All the churches of Innsbruck and -many throughout Tirol felt the benefit of Maximilian's devotion to the -Church. His spirit was emulated by the townspeople, and when the fatal -epidemic of 1611 ceased its ravages, the burghers of Innsbruck built -the Dreiheiligkeitskirche [158] for the Jesuits, as a thank-offering -that the plague was stayed. - -The temporal affairs of Tirol received no less attention from -Archduke Maximilian than the spiritual. With the foresight of a true -statesman, he discovered the coming troubles of the Thirty Years' War, -and resolved that the defences of his country should be in a state -to keep the danger at a distance from her borders. The fortified -towers, especially those commanding the passes into the country, -were all overlooked, and plans of them carefully prepared, all the -fortifications being put in repair. The Landwehr, the living bulwarks, -the ready defenders of their beloved mountain Vaterland, attracted his -still more special attention, and he furnished them with a regulation -suited to the needs of the times. He settled also several outstanding -disputes with the Venetians, with Count Arco, and with neighbours over -the north and west frontiers; and an internal boundary quarrel between -the Bishops of Brixen and Trent. The death of Rudolf II., in 1612, had -invested him with supreme authority over the country, and simplified -his action in all these matters for the benefit of the commonwealth. - -Another outburst of pestilence occurred in 1611; the old Siechen-haus -was not big enough for all the sick, and had no church attached to -it. Two Jesuits--the professor of theology at their university, and -Kaspar von Köstlan, a native of Brixen--assisted by a lay-brother, -devoted themselves to the service of the sick; their example so -edified the Innsbruckers, that in their admiration they readily -provided the means, at their exhortation, to build a church. Hanns -Zimmermann, Dean of the Burgomasters, bound himself by a vow to see -to the erection of the building, and from that time it was observed -the fury of the pestilence began to diminish. Maximilian bought the -neighbouring house and appointed it for the residence of the chaplain -of the Siechen-haus and the doctors. He gave also the altarpiece by -Stötzl, representing the three Pestschutzheiligen, [159] and another -quaint and curious picture of the plague-genius. - -Maximilian died in 1618, and a religious vow having kept him unmarried, -the government was transferred to Leopold V., Archduke of Styria, -again a most exemplary man. His father was Charles II., son of -the Emperor Ferdinand I.; he had originally been devoted to the -ecclesiastical state, and nominated Bishop of Strasburg and Passau; -but out of regard for the exigencies of the country a dispensation, -of which I think history affords only two or three other examples, -was granted him from Rome. He married the celebrated Claudia de' -Medici, Duchess of Urbino. Though also Governor of the Low Countries, -he by no means neglected the affairs of Tirol. Some fresh attempts of -Lutherans to interfere with its religious unity, as well as to foment -political dissensions, were put down with a resolute hand. Friedrich -von Tiefenbach, sometime notorious as a politico-religious leader in -Moravia, was discovered in a hiding-place he had selected, in the -wild caves at Pfäffers [160] below Chur, and tried and beheaded at -Innsbruck in 1621. The selection of Innsbruck for the marriage of -the Emperor Ferdinand II. with his second wife Eleonora, daughter of -the Duke of Mantua, in 1622, revived the splendours of Maximilian's -reign, for the Emperor stayed there some weeks with all his court; -the Landwehr turned out three thousand strong to form his guard of -honour. It was the depth of winter, but the bride braved the snow; -the Count of Harrach was sent out to meet her on the Brenner Pass with -six gilt sledges, and a vast concourse of people. It is recorded that -the Emperor wore on the occasion an entirely white suit embroidered -with gold and pearls, on his shoulders a short sky-blue cloak lined -with cloth of gold, and a diamond chain round his neck. Eleonora, -more in accordance with the season, wore a tight-fitting dress of -carnation satin embroidered in gold, over it a sable jacket, and a -hat with a plume of eagles' feathers. The banquet was entirely served -by young Tirolean nobles. The Emperor's present to his bride was a -pearl parure, costing thirty thousand ducats; and that of the town of -Innsbruck a purse of eighteen thousand ducats. Leopold was confirmed -by his imperial brother in the government on this occasion. His own -marriage was celebrated with scarcely less state than the Emperor's in -April 1626, an array of handsome tents being pitched in the meadows -of Wilten, where the Landesschützen performed many marksmen's feats -for the diversion of the company assembled for the ceremonial. This -included the Archbishop of Salzburg, who officiated in the Church -function, one hundred and fifty counts and barons, and three hundred -of noble blood. The visit of the Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1628, -and of Ferdinand, King of Hungary and Bohemia, in 1629, were other -notable occasions of rejoicing for Innsbruck. - -Leopold benefited and adorned the town by the enclosure and planting -of the Hofgarten, and the bronze equestrian statue of himself, still -one of its chief ornaments; but his memory has been more deeply -endeared to the people by the present of Kranach's Madonna, which -they have copied in almost every church, household, and highway of -the country. It is a little picture on panel, very like many of its -date, in which the tenderness of devotion beams through and redeems -all the stiffness of mannerism; but which we are apt to pass, I had -almost said by the dozen, in the various galleries of Europe, with no -more than a casual glance. With the Tirolese it was otherwise. Their -faith-inspired eyes saw in it a whole revelation of Divine mercy -and love; they gazed on the outpouring of maternal fondness and -filial confidence in the unutterable communion of the Mother and the -Son there portrayed; and deeming that where so much love reigned no -petition could be rejected, they believed that answers to the frequent -prayers of faith sent up before it were reaped an hundredfold, [161] -and the fame of the benefits so derived was symbolized in the title -universally given to the picture, of Mariähülfsbild. [162] Leopold -being in the early part of his reign on a visit to the Elector of -Saxony, on occasion of one of his journeys between Tirol and the -Low Countries, and being lost in admiration of his collection of -pictures at Dresden, received from him the offer of any painting he -liked to select. There were many choice specimens, but the devotional -conception of this picture carried him away from all the rest, and it -became the object of his selection. He never parted from it afterwards, -and it accompanied him in all his journeyings. When in Innsbruck, it -formed the altar-piece of the Hofkapelle, whither the people crowded -to kindle their devotion at its focus. After the withdrawal of the -allied French, Swedish, and Hessian troops in 1647, the Innsbruckers, -in thanksgiving for the success of their prayers before it, built -the elegant little circular temple [163] on the left bank of the Inn, -still called the Mariähülfskirche, thinking to enshrine it there; but -Ferdinand Karl, who had then succeeded to his father Leopold, could -not bear to part with it, and gave them a copy instead, by Paul Schor, -inserted in a larger picture representing it borne by angels, and the -notabilities of Innsbruck kneeling beneath it, the Mariähülfskirche -being introduced into the background landscape. However, the number of -people who pressed to approach it was so great that he was in a manner -constrained to bestow it on the Pfarrkirche only two or three years -later, where it now remains; it was translated thither during Queen -Christina's visit, as I have mentioned above. It was borne on a car by -six white horses, the crowded streets being strewn with flowers. It -is a small picture, and has been let into a large canvas painted in -Schöpf's best manner, with angels which appear to support it, and -beneath St. James, patron of the church, and St. Alexius. A centenary -festival was observed in memory of the translation by Maria Theresa -in 1750, when all the precious ex votos, the thank-offerings for many -granted prayers, were exposed to view under the light streaming from a -hundred silver candelabra, the air around being perfumed by the flowers -of a hundred silver vases. The procession was a splendid pageant, in -which no expense seems to have been spared, the great Empress herself, -accompanied by her son, afterwards Joseph II., heading it. This was -repeated--in a manner corresponding with the diminished magnificence -of the age--in 1850, the Emperor Ferdinand I., the Empress Anna, and -other members of the Imperial family, taking their part in it. [164] - -The only remaining act of Leopold's reign which calls for mention -in connexion with Innsbruck, was the erection of the monument to -Maximilian the Deutschmeister, in the Pfarrkirche, almost the only one -that was spared when the church was rebuilt after the earthquakes of -1667 and 1689, the others having been ruthlessly used--the headstones -in building up the walls, the bronze ones in the bell-castings. - -Leopold's son, Ferdinand Karl, being under age at the time of -his death, in 1632, he was succeeded by his widow, Claudia de' -Medici, as regent. The troubles of the Thirty Years' War, in which -Leopold like other German princes had had his chequered share, -were yet raging. Claudia was equal to the exigencies of her time and -country. She continued the measures of Maximilian the Deutschmeister -for perfecting the defences of the country, and particularly all its -inlets; and she encouraged the patriotic instincts of the people -by constantly presiding at their shooting-practice. The Swedish -forces, after taking Constance, advanced as far as the Valtelin, -and Tirol was threatened with invasion on both sides at once. By -her skilful measures, at every rumour of an inroad, the mountains -bristled with the unerring marksmen of Tirol, securely stationed -at their posts inaccessible to lowlanders. Nothing was spared to -keep up the vigilance and spirit of the true-hearted peasants. By -this constant watchfulness she saved the country from the horrors of -war, in which almost the whole of the German Empire was at that time -involved. During all this time she was also developing the internal -resources, and consolidating the administration of the country. Two -misfortunes, however, visited Innsbruck during her reign: a terrible -pestilence, and a destructive fire in which the Burg suffered severely, -the beautiful chapel of Ferdinand II. being consumed, and the body of -Leopold, her husband, which was lying there at the time, rescued with -difficulty. After this, Claudia spent some little time at Botzen, and -also visited Florence. It may be questioned whether the introduction of -the numerous Italians about her court was altogether for the benefit -of Tirol. They brought with them certain ways and principles which -were not altogether in accordance with the German character; and we -have seen the effect of the jealousies of race in the tragic fate of -her chancellor Biener. [165] - -Ferdinand Karl having attained his majority in 1646, Claudia withdrew -from public affairs, and died only two years later. In his reign -the introduction of the Italian element at court was apparent in the -greater luxury of its arrangements, and in the greater cultivation of -histrionic and musical diversions. The establishment of the theatre -in Innsbruck is due to him. The marriage of his two sisters, Maria -Leopoldina and Isabella Clara, and the frequent interchange of visits -between him and the princes of Italy, further enlivened Innsbruck. The -visit of Queen Christina, [166] of which I have already said enough -for my limits, also took place in his reign (1655). Nor did Ferdinand -Karl give himself up to amusement to the neglect of business, or of -more manly pleasures. He maintained all his mother's measures for the -encouragement of the Scheibenschiessen, and had the satisfaction of -seeing the departure of the enemy's army from his borders, which was -celebrated by the building of Mariähülfskirche. [167] To his love of -the national sport of chamois-hunting his death has to be ascribed; -for the neglect of an attack of illness while out on a mountain -expedition near Kaltern after the wild game, gave it a hold on his -constitution, which placed him beyond recovery. His death occurred -in 1660, at the early age of thirty-four; he left no heir. - -He was succeeded by his only brother, Sigmund Franz, Bishop of Gurk, -Augsburg, and Trent, who seems to have inherited all his mother's finer -qualities without sharing her Italianizing tendencies. With a perhaps -too sudden sternness, he purged the court and government of all foreign -admixture, and reduced the sumptuous suite of his brother to dimensions -dictated by usefulness alone. However popular this may have made him -with the German population, the ousted Italians were furious; and his -sudden death--which occurred while, after the pattern of his father, -applying for a dispensation to marry, in 1665--was by the Germans -ascribed to secret poisoning; his Tuscan physician Agricola having, -it is alleged, been bribed to perpetrate the misdeed. - -Tirol now once more reverted to the Empire. Though Leopold I. came to -Innsbruck to receive the homage of the people on his accession, and a -gay ceremonial ensued, yet it lost much of its importance by having -no longer a resident court. While there, however, Leopold had seen -the beautiful daughter of Ferdinand Karl's widow, Claudia Felicità, -who made such an impression upon him, that he married her on the death -of his first wife. The ceremony was performed in Innsbruck by proxy -only; but the dowager-archduchess provided great fêtes, in which the -city readily concurred, and gave the bride thirty thousand gulden -for her wedding present. Claudia Felicità, in her state at Vienna, -did not forget the good town of Innsbruck; and by her interest with -her husband, Tirol received a Statthalter in the person of Charles -Duke of Lotharingia, husband of his sister Eleonora Maria, widow of -the King of Poland. Charles took up his residence at Innsbruck; and -though he was often absent with the army, the presence of his family -revived the gaiety of the town; still it was not like the old days of -the court. Charles, however, who had been originally educated for the -ecclesiastical state, was a sovereign of unexceptionable principles -and sound judgment; and he did many things for the benefit of Tirol, -particularly in developing its educational establishments. He raised -the Jesuit gymnasium of Innsbruck to the character of a university; -and the privileges with which he endowed it, added to the salubrity -of the situation, attracted alumni from far and near, who amounted -to near a thousand in number. - -Nothing of note occurred in Tirol till 1703--the Duke of Lotharingia -had died in 1696--which is a memorable year. The war of the Spanish -Succession, at that time, found Maximilian, Elector of Bavaria, and -some of the Italian princes, allied with France against Austria--thus -there were antagonists of Austria on both sides of Tirol; nevertheless, -no attack on it seems to have been apprehended; and thus, when a plan -was concerted for entering Austria by Carinthia (the actual boundaries -against Bavaria being too well defended to invite an entrance that -way), and it was arranged that the Bavarian and Italian allies -should assist the French in overrunning Tirol, everyone was taken by -surprise. Maximilian easily overcame the small frontier garrison. At -Kufstein he met a momentary check, but an accident put the fortress -in his power. Possessed of this base of operations, he was not long -in reducing the forts of Rottenburg Scharnitz, and Ehrenberg, and -possessing himself of Hall and Innsbruck. He now reckoned the country -his, and that it only remained to send news of his success to Vendôme, -who had taken Wälsch-Tirol similarly by surprise and advanced as far -as Trent, in order to carry out their concerted inroad through the -Pusterthal. So sure of his victory was he, that he ordered the Te -Deum to be sung in all the churches of Innsbruck. - -In the meantime the Tirolese had recovered from their surprise, -and had taken measures for disconcerting and routing the invaders; -the storm-bells and the Kreidenfeuer [168] rallied every man capable -of bearing arms, to the defence of his country. The main road over -the Brenner was quickly invested by the native sharp-shooters; there -was no chance of passing that way. Maximilian thought to elude the -vigilance of the people by sending his men round by Oberinnthal -and the Finstermünz. The party trusted with this mission were -commanded by a Bavarian and a French officer. They reached Landeck -in safety, but all around them the sturdy Tirolese were determining -their destruction. Martin Sterzinger, Pfleger or Judge, of Landeck, -summoned the Landsturm of the neighbouring districts, and arranged -the plan of operation. The enemy were suffered to advance on their -way unhindered along the steep path, where the rocky sides of the -Inn close in and form the terrible gorge which is traversed by the -Pontlatzerbrücke; but when they arrived, no bridge was there! The -mountaineers had been out in the night and cut it down. Beyond -this point the steep side afforded no footing on the right bank, -no means remained of crossing over to the left! The remnants of the -bridge betrayed what had befallen, and quickly the command was given -to turn back; in the panic of the moment many lost their footing, -and rolled into the rapid river beneath. For those even who retained -their composure no return was possible; the heights above were peopled -with the ready Tirolese, burning to defend their country. Down came -their shots like hail, each ball piercing its man; those who had -no arms dashed down stones upon the foe. Only a handful escaped, -but at Landeck these were taken prisoners; and there was not one -even to carry the news to Maximilian. This famous success is still -celebrated every year on the 1st of July by a solemn procession. - -Maximilian and Vendôme remained perplexed at hearing nothing from -each other, and without means of communication; in vain they sent -out scouts; money could not buy information from the patriotic -Tirolese. Meantime, danger was thickening round each; the Landsturm -was out, and every height was beset with agile climbers, armed with -their unerring carbines, and with masses of rock to hurl down on -the enemy who ventured along the road beneath them. The Bavarian -and French leaders in the north and in the south only perceived how -critical was their situation just in time to escape from it, and -the waste and havoc they had made during their brief incursion was -recompensed by the numbers lost in their retreat. The Bavarians held -Kufstein for some time longer, but their precipitate withdrawal from -all the rest of the country earned for the campaign, in the mouths -of the Tirolese, the nickname of the Baierische-Rumpel. While brave -arms had been defending the mountain passes, brave hearts of those -whose arms were nerved only for being lifted up in prayer, not for -war, were day by day earnestly interceding in the churches for the -deliverance of their husbands, fathers, and brothers; and when, on the -26th of July, the land was found free of the foe, it was gratefully -remembered that it was S. Anne's Day, and the so-called Annensäule, -which adorns the Neustadt--the principal thoroughfare of Innsbruck--was -erected in commemoration. - -It is composed of the marbles of the country; the lower part red, the -column white, the effigy of the Immaculate Conception, which surmounts -it and the surrounding rays, in gilt bronze. Round the base stand -St. Vigilius and St. Cassian (two apostles of Tirol), and St. Anne -and St. George; about them float angels, in the breezy style of the -period. The monument was solemnly inaugurated on S. Anne's Day, 1706; -and every year on that day a procession winds round it from the parish -church, singing hymns of thanksgiving; and an altar, gaily dressed -with fresh flowers, stands before it for eight days under the open sky. - -Leopold I. died in 1705, and was succeeded by his son, Joseph I., -who reigned only six years. Charles VI., Leopold's younger son, -followed, who appointed Karl Philipp, Palsgrave of Neuburg, Governor -of Tirol. He was another pious ruler, and much beloved by the people; -his memory being the more endeared to them, that he was their last -independent prince. His reign benefited Innsbruck by the erection of -the handsome Landhaus and the Gymnasium, and also by the extensive -restoration of the Pfarrkirche. This occupied the site of the little -chapel, the accorded privilege to which of hearing in it masses of -obligation forms the earliest record of Innsbruck's history. It had -grown with the growth of the town, and had been added to by various -sovereigns, and we have seen it gifted with Kranach's Mariähilf. The -earthquakes of 1667 and 1689 had left it so dilapidated, however, -that Karl Philipp resolved to rebuild it on a much larger plan. He -laid the first stone on May 12, 1717, in presence of his brother, -the Bishop of Augsburg, and it was consecrated in 1724. It has -the costliness and the vices of its date; its overloaded stucco -ornaments are redeemed by the lavish use of the beautiful marbles -of the country; the quarrying and fashioning these marbles occupied -a hundred workmen, without counting labourers and apprentices, for -the whole time during which the church was building. The frescoes -setting forth the wonder-working patronage of St. James, on the roof -and cupola, are by Kosmas Damian Asam, whose pencil, and that of his -two sons, Kosmas and Egid, were entirely devoted to the decoration -of churches and religious houses. There is a tradition, that as the -fervent painter was putting the finishing touches to the figure of the -saint, as he appears, mounted on his spirited charger as the patron -of Compostella, in the cupola, he stepped back to see the effect -of his work. Forgetting in his zeal the narrowness of the platform -on which he stood, he would inevitably have been precipitated on -to the pavement below, but that the strong arm of the saint he had -been painting so lovingly, detached itself from the wall, and saved -his client from the terrible fate! [169] Other works of this reign -were the Strafarbeitshaus, a great improvement on the former prison; -and the church of St. John Nepomuk, in the Innrain, then a new and -fashionable street. The canonization of the great martyr to the seal -of Confession took place in 1730. Though properly a Bohemian saint, -his memory is so beloved all through southern Germany, that all its -divisions seem to lay a patriotic claim to him. His canonization was -celebrated by a solemn function in the Pfarrkirche, lasting eight -days; and the people were so stirred up to fervour by its observance, -that they subscribed for the building of a church in his honour, -the governor taking the lead in promoting it. - -Maria Theresa succeeded her father, Charles VI., in 1742. She seems -to have known how to attend to the affairs of every part of the -Empire alike; and thus, while the whole country felt the benefit -of her wise provisions, all the former splendours of the Tirolean -capital revived. Maria Theresa frequently took up her residence at -Innsbruck; and while benefiting trade by her expenditure, and by that -of the visitors whom her court attracted, she set at the same time an -edifying example of piety and a well-regulated life. Her associations -with Innsbruck were nevertheless overshadowed by sad events more than -once, though this does not appear to have diminished her affection -for the place. - -When Marshal Daun took a whole division of the Prussian army captive -at Maxen in 1758, the officers, nine in number, were sent to Innsbruck -for safe custody. Here they remained till the close of the war, five -years later. This, and the furnishing some of its famous sharpshooters -to the Austrian contingent, was the only contact Tirol had with the -Seven Years' War. Two years after (1765) Maria Theresa arranged that -the marriage of her son (afterwards Leopold II.) with Maria Luisa, -daughter of Charles III. of Spain, should take place there. The -townspeople, sensible of the honour conferred on them, responded to it -by adorning the city with the most festive display; not only with gay -banners and hangings, but by improving the façades of their houses, -and the roads and bridges, and erecting a triumphal arch of unusual -solidity at the end of the Neustadt nearest Wilten, being that by -which the royal pair would pass on their way from Italy; for Leopold -was then Grand Duke of Tuscany. The theatre and public buildings were -likewise put in order. Maria Theresa, with her husband Francis I., and -all the Imperial family, arrived in Innsbruck on July 15, attracting -a larger assemblage of great people than had been seen there even -in its palmiest days. Banquets and gay doings filled up the interval -till August 5, when Leopold and Maria Luisa made their entrance with -unexampled pomp. The marriage was celebrated in the Pfarrkirche by -Prince Clement of Saxony, Bishop of Ratisbon, assisted by seven other -bishops. Balls, operas, banquets, illuminations, and the national -Freischiessen, followed. But during all these fêtes, an unseasonable -gloom, which is popularly supposed to bode evil, overclouded the -August sky, usually so clear and brilliant in Innsbruck. On the 18th, -a grand opera was given to conclude the festivities; on his way back -from it Francis I. was seized with a fit, and died in the course of -the night in the arms of his son, afterwards Joseph II. - -Though Maria Theresa's master mind had caused her to take the lead in -all public matters, she was devotedly attached to her husband, and this -sudden blow was severely felt by her. She could not bear that the room -in which he expired should ever be again used for secular purposes, -and had it converted into a costly chapel; at the same time she made -great improvements and additions to the rest of the Burg. She always -wore mourning to the end of her life, and always, when state affairs -permitted, passed the eighteenth day of every month in prayer and -retirement. A remarkable monument remains of both the affection and -public spirit of this talented princess. Driving out to the Abbey of -Wilten in one of the early days of mourning, while some of the tokens -of the rejoicing, so unexpectedly turned into lamentation, were still -unremoved, the sight of the handsome triumphal arch reminded her of -a resolution suggested by Francis I. to replace it by one of similar -design in more permanent materials. Her first impulse was to reject -the thought as a too painful reminder of the past; but reflection on -the promised benefit to the town prevailed over personal feelings, -and she gave orders for the execution of the work; but to make it a -fitting memorial of the occasion, she ordered that while the side -facing the road from Italy should be a Triumphpforte, and recall -by its bas-reliefs the glad occasion which caused its erection, -the side facing the town should be a Trauerpforte, and set forth the -melancholy conclusion of the same. The whole was executed by Tirolean -artists, and of Tirolean marbles. She founded also a Damenstift, for -the maintenance of twelve poor ladies of noble birth, who, without -taking vows, bound themselves to wear mourning and pray for the soul -of Francis I. and those of his house. Another great work of Maria -Theresa was the development she gave to the University of Innsbruck. - -After her death, which took place in 1780, Joseph II., freed from the -restraints of her influence, gave full scope to his plans for meddling -with ecclesiastical affairs, for which his intercourse with Russia had -perhaps given him a taste. Pius VI. did not spare himself a journey -to Vienna, to exert the effect of his personal influence with the -Emperor, who it would seem did not pay much heed to his advice, and -so disaffected his people by his injudicious innovations, that at the -time of his death the whole empire, which the skill of Maria Theresa -had consolidated, was in a state of complete disorganization. [170] -Though increased by his ill-gotten share of Poland, he lost the Low -Countries, and Hungary was so disaffected, that had he not been removed -by the hand of death (1790), it is not improbable it would have thrown -off its allegiance also. Leopold II., his brother, who only reigned -two years, saved the empire from dissolution by prudent concessions, -by rescinding many of Joseph's hasty measures, and abandoning his -policy of centralization. - -One religious house which Joseph II. did not suppress was the -Damenstift of Innsbruck, of which his sister, the Archduchess Maria -Elizabeth, undertook the government in 1781; and during the remainder -of her life held a sort of court there which was greatly for the -benefit of the city. Pius VI. visited her on his way back from Vienna -on the evening of May 7, 1782. The whole town was illuminated, and -all the religious in the town went out to meet him, followed by the -whole body of the people. Late as was the hour (a quarter to ten, says -a precise chronicle) he had no sooner reached the apartment prepared -for him in the Burg, than he admitted whole crowds to audience, and -the enthusiasm with which the religious Tirolese thronged round him -surpasses words. Many, possessed with a sense of the honour of having -the vicar of Christ in their very midst, remained all night in the -surrounding Rennplatz, as it were on guard round his abode. In the -morning, after hearing mass, he imparted the Apostolic Benediction from -the balcony of the Burg, and proceeded on his way over the Brenner. - -Leopold II. had not been three months on the throne before he came to -Innsbruck to receive the homage of his loyal Tirolese, who took this -opportunity of winning from him the abrogation of many Josephinischen -measures, particularly that reducing their University to a mere -Lyceum. He was succeeded in 1792 by his son, Francis II.; but the -mighty storm of the French Revolution was threatening, and absorbed -all his attention with the preservation of his empire, and the defence -of Tirol seems to have been overlooked. Year by year danger gathered -round the outskirts of her mountain fastnesses. Whole hosts were -engaged all around; yet there were but a handful, five thousand -at most, of Austrian troops stationed within her frontier. The -importance of obtaining the command of such a base of operations, -which would at once have afforded a key to Italy and Austria, did not -escape Bonaparte. Joubert was sent with fifteen thousand men to gain -possession of the country, and advanced as far as Sterzing. Innsbruck -was thrown into a complete panic, and I am sorry to have to record -that the Archduchess Maria Elizabeth took her flight. The Austrian -Generals, Kerpen and Laudon, did not deem it prudent, with their small -contingent, to engage the French army. Nevertheless, the Tirolese, -instead of being disheartened at this pusillanimity, with their wonted -spirit rose as one man; a decisive battle was fought at Spinges, a -hamlet near Sterzing, where a village girl fought so bravely, and urged -the men on to the defence of their country so generously, that though -her name is lost, her courage won her a local reputation as lasting -as that of Joan of Arc or the 'Maid of Zaragoza,' under the title of -Das Mädchen von Spinges. [171] Driven out hence, the French troops -made the best of their way to join the main army in Carinthia. After -this the enemy left Tirol at Peace for some years, with the exception -of one or two border inroads, which were resolutely repulsed. One of -these is so characteristic of the religious customs of Tirol, that, -though not strictly belonging to the history of Innsbruck, I cannot -forbear mentioning it. The French, under Massena, had in 1799 been -twice repulsed from Feldkirch with great loss. Divisions which had -never known a reverse were decimated and routed by the practised guns -of the mountaineers. Thinking their victory assured, the peasants, -after the manner of volunteer troops, had dispersed but too soon, to -return to their flocks and tillage. Warily perceiving his advantage, -Massena led his troops back over the border silently by night, -intending in the morning to take the unsuspecting town by storm--a -plan which did not seem to have a chance of failure. But it happened -to be Holy Saturday. Suddenly, just as he was about to give the order -for the attack, the bells of all the churches far and near, which had -been so still during the preceding days, burst all together upon his -ear with the jubilant Auferstehungsfeier. [172] General and troops, -alike unfamiliar with religious times and seasons, took the sound -for the alarm bells calling out the Landsturm. In the belief that -they were betrayed, a precipitate retreat was ordered. But the night -no longer covered the march; and the peasants, who were gathered in -their villages for the Offices of the Church, were quickly collected -for the pursuit. This abortive expedition cost the French army three -thousand men. - -In the meantime the Archduchess had returned to Innsbruck, and all -went on upon its old footing, as if there were no enemy to fear. So -little was another disturbance expected, that the Archduchess devoted -herself to the promotion of local improvements, including that of the -Gottesacker. This is one of the favourite Sunday afternoon resorts of -the Innsbruckers, and is well worthy of a visit. The site was first -destined for the purpose by the Emperor Maximilian. It was gifted with -all the indulgences accorded to the Campo Santo of Rome by the Pope, -and in token of the same some earth from San Lorenzo fuori le mura -was brought hither at the time of its consecration by the Bishop of -Brixen in 1510. It has, according to the frequent German arrangement, -an upper and a lower chapel; the former, dedicated to S. Anne; the -latter, as usual, to S. Michael, though the people commonly call -it die Veitskapelle, on account of some cures of S. Vitus' dance -wrought here. The arcades which now surround the cemetery were the -result of the introduction of Italian customs later in the sixteenth -century. Some of the oldest and noblest names of Tirol are to be -found upon the monuments here, some of which cannot fail to attract -attention. The bas-reliefs sculptured by Collin for that of the -Hohenhauser family, and those he prepared for his own, may be reckoned -among his masterpieces. Some which are adorned with paintings would be -very interesting if the weather had spared them more. The Archduchess -had prepared her own resting-place here also, but was not destined to -occupy it. The disastrous defeat of Austerlitz filled her with alarm, -and she once more fled from Innsbruck, this time not to return. - -This was the year 1805, and a sad one it was for Tirol. The treaty -of Pressburg had given Tirol to Bavaria, and Bavaria and Tirol had -never in any age been able to understand each other. Willingly would -the Tirolese have opposed their entrance; but the Bavarians, who knew -every pass as well as themselves, were enabled to pour in the allied -troops under Marshal Ney in such force, that they were beyond their -power to resist. The fortresses near the Bavarian frontier were razed, -and Innsbruck occupied. On February 11, 1806, Marshal Ney left, and the -town was formally delivered over to Bavarian rule. The most unpopular -changes of government were adopted, particularly in ecclesiastical -matters and in forcing the peasants into the army; the University -also was once more made into a Lyceum. But the Landsturm was not -idle, and the Archduke Johann, Leopold's brother, came into Tirol to -encourage them. Maturing their plans in secret, the patriots, under -Andreas Hofer, who had been to Vienna in January to declare his plans -and get them confirmed by his government, and Speckbacher, broke into -Innsbruck on April 13, 1809, where the townspeople received them with -loud acclamations; and after a desperate and celebrated conflict at -Berg Isel, succeeded in completely ridding it of the invaders. The -Bavarian arms on the Landhaus were shattered to atoms, and when the -Eagle replaced them, the people climbed the ladders to kiss it. This -was the first great act of the Befreiungskämpfe which have made 'the -year Nine' memorable in the annals of Tirol, and, I may say of Europe, -for it was one of the noblest struggles of determined patriotism those -annals have to boast, and at the same time the most successful effort -of volunteer arms. Hofer accepted the title of Schützenkommandant, and -was lodged in the imperial Burg, while his peasant neighbours took the -office of guards; but he altered nothing of his simple habits, nor his -national costume. His frugal expenses amounted to forty-five kreuzers -a day, and he lost no opportunity of expressing that he did nothing -on his own account, but all in the name of the Emperor. On May 19 the -Bavarians laid siege to the town; but the defenders of the country, -supported by a few regular Austrian troops, obliged them by the end -of a fortnight to decamp. On June 30 they returned with a force of -twenty-four thousand men; but other feats of arms of the patriots in -all parts of Tirol showed that its people were unconquerable, and for -the third time Hofer took possession of Innsbruck. In the meantime, -however, the Peace of Schönbrunn, of October 25, had nullified -their achievements, though the memory of their bravery could never -be blotted out, and always asserted its power. Nor could the brave -people, even when bidden by the Emperor himself to desist, believe -that his orders were otherwise than wrung from him, nor could their -loyalty be quenched. Hofer's stern sense of subordination made him -advise abstention from further strife, but the more ardent patriots -refused to listen, and ended by leading him to join them. A desultory -warfare was now kept up, with no very effectual result, but yet with -a spirit and determination which convinced the Bavarians that they -could never subdue such a people, and predisposed them to consent to -the evacuation of their country in 1814; for they saw that - - - Freedom from every hut - Sent down a separate root, - And when base swords her branches cut, - With tenfold might they shoot. - - -In the meantime a terrible wrong had been committed; the French, -knowing the value of Hofer's influence in encouraging the -country-people against them, set a price on his head sufficient to -tempt a traitor to make know his hiding-place. He was taken, and thrown -into prison at the Porta Molina at Mantua. Tried in a council of war, -several voices were raised in honour of his bravery and patriotism; a -small majority, however, had the cowardice to condemn him to death. He -received the news of the sentence with the firmness which might have -been expected of him, the only favour he condescended to ask being the -spiritual assistance of a priest. Provost Manifesti was sent to him, -and remained with him to the end. An offer was made him of saving his -life by entering the French service, but he indignantly refused to join -the enemies of his country. To Provost Manifesti he committed all he -possessed, to be expended in the relief of his fellow-countrymen who -were prisoners. He spent the early hours of the morning of the day on -which he was to die, after mass, in writing his farewell to his wife, -bidding her not to give way to grief, and to his other relations and -friends, in which latter category was comprehended the population of -the whole Passeyerthal, not to say all Tirol; recommending himself -to their prayers, and begging that his name might be given out, and -the suffrages of the faithful asked for him, in the village church -where he had so often knelt in years of peace. He was forbidden -to address his fellow-prisoners. He bore a crucifix, wreathed in -flowers, in his hand as he walked to the place of execution, which -he was observed repeatedly to kiss. There he took a little silver -crucifix from his neck, a memorial of his first Communion, and gave -it to Provost Manifesti. He refused to kneel, or to have his eyes -bandaged, but stood without flinching to receive the fire of his -executioners. His signal to them was first a brief prayer; then a -fervently uttered 'Hoch lebe Kaiser Franz!' and then the firm command, -'Fire home!' His courage, however, unmanned the soldiers; ashamed -of their task, they durst not take secure aim, and it took thirteen -shots to send the undaunted soul of the peasant hero to its rest. It -was February 20, 1810; he was only forty-five. The traditions of his -courage and endurance, his probity and steadfastness, are manifold; -but in connexion with Innsbruck we have only to speak of his brief -administration there, which was untarnished by a single unworthy deed, -a single act of severity towards prisoners of war, of whom he had -numbers in his power who had dealt cruel havoc on his beloved valleys. - -The Emperor for whom he had fought so nobly returned to Innsbruck, -to receive the homage of the Tirolese, on May 28, 1816, amid the loud -rejoicings of the people, preceded by a solemn service of thanksgiving -in the Pfarrkirche. Illuminations and fêtes followed till June 5, -when the ceremony was wound up by a grand shooting-match, at which -the Emperor presided and many prizes were distributed. The number -who contended was 3,678, and 2,137 of them made the bull's-eye; -among them were old men over eighty and boys of thirteen and fourteen. - -The claims of Hofer on his country's remembrance were not forgotten -when she once more had leisure for works of peace. His precious -remains, which had been carefully interred by the priest who consoled -his last moments at Mantua, were brought to Innsbruck in 1823, -and laid temporarily in the Servitenkloster. On February 21 they -were borne in solemn procession by six of his brothers in arms, -all the clergy and people following. The Abbot of Wilten sang the -requiem office. The Emperor ordered the conspicuous and appropriate -monument to mark the spot where they laid him, which is one of the -chief ornaments of the Hofkirche. The pedestal bears the inscription-- - - - Seinen in den Befreiungskämpfen gefallenen Söhnen - das dankbare Vaterland, - - -and the sarcophagus the words-- - - - Absorbta est mors in victoria. - - -Tirol had no reason to regret the restoration of the dynasty for -which she had suffered so much. Most of her ancient privileges were -restored to her, and in 1826 Innsbruck again received the honour of -a University, and many useful institutions were founded. Francis came -to Innsbruck again this year, and while there, received the visit of -the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia. Another shooting-match -was held before them, at which the precision of the Tirolese received -much praise; and again for a short time in 1835. The Archduke John, -who came in 1835 to live in Tirol, was received with great enthusiasm; -his hardy feats of mountain climbing, and hearty accessible character, -endearing him to all the people. - -The troubles of 1848 gave the Tirolese again an opportunity of showing -that their ancient loyalty was undiminished. The Emperor Ferdinand, -driven out of his capital, found that he had not reckoned wrongly in -counting on a secure refuge in Tirol. It was the evening of May 16 -that the Imperial pair came as fugitives to Innsbruck. Though there -was hardly time to announce their advent before their arrival, the -people went out to meet them, took their horses from the carriage, -and themselves drew it into the town; and all the time they remained -the towns-people and Landes-schützen mounted guard round the Burg. More -than this, the Tirolese Kaiser-Jäger-Regiment volunteered for service -against the insurgents, and fought with such determination that -Marshal Radetsky pronounced that every man of them was a hero. With -equal stout-heartedness the Landes-schützen repelled the attempted -Italian invasion at several points of the south-western frontier, and -kept the enemy at bay till the imperial troops could arrive. These -services were renewed with equal fidelity the next year. A tablet -recording the bravery of those who fell in this campaign--one of the -officers engaged being Hofer's grandson--is let into the wall of the -Hofkirche opposite Hofer's monument. - -It was this Emperor from whom the name of Ferdinandeum was given to -the Museum, but it was rather out of compliment, and while he was -yet Crown-Prince, than in memory of any signal co-operation on his -part. It was projected in 1820 by Count Von Chotek, then Governor of -Tirol. It comprises an association for the promotion of the study of -the arts and sciences. The Museum contains several early illuminated -MSS., in the production of which the Carthusians of Schnals and the -Dominicans of Botzen acquired a singular pre-eminence. At a time when -the nobles of other countries were occupied with far less enlightened -pursuits, the peaceful condition of Tirol enabled its nobles, such as -the Edelherrn of Monlan, Annaberg, Dornsberg, Runglstein, and others, -to keep in their employment secretaries, copyists, and chaplains, -busied in transcribing; and often sent them into other countries to -make copies of famous works to enrich their collections. It has also -some of the first works produced from the printing-press of Schwatz -already mentioned. This press was removed to Innsbruck in 1529; -Trent set one up about the same time. In the lower rooms of the -Ferdinandeum is a collection of paintings by Tirolean artists, and -specimens of the marbles, minerals, and other natural productions -of the country. The great variation in the elevation of the soil -affords a vast range to the vegetable kingdom, so that it can boast -of giving a home to plants like the tobacco, which only germinates -at a temperature of seventy degrees, and the edelweiss, which only -blossoms under the snow. There is also a small collection of Roman -and earlier antiquities, dug up at various times in different parts -of Tirol, and specimens of native industries. Among the most singular -items are some paintings on cobweb, of which one family has possessed -the secret for generations, specimens of their works may be found in -most of the museums of South Germany; these almost self-taught artists -display great dexterity in the management of their strange canvas, -and considerable merit in the delicate manipulation of their pigments; -sometimes they even imitate fine line engravings in pen and ink without -injuring the fragile surface. They delight specially in treating -subjects of traditional interest, as Kaiser Max on the Martinswand, -the beautiful Philippine Welser, the heroic Hofer, and the patron -saints and particular devotions of their village sanctuaries. Kranach's -Mariähilf is thus an object of most affectionate care. The 'web' is -certainly like that of no ordinary spider; but it is reported that -this family has cultivated a particular species for the purpose, -and an artist friend who had been in Mexico mentioned to me having -seen there spiders'-webs almost as solid as these. I was not able, -however, to learn any tradition of the importation of these spiders -from Mexico. In the first room on the second floor are to be seen -the characteristic letter written, as I have said, by Hofer, shortly -before his end, and other relics of him and the other patriots, such -as the hat and breviary of the Franciscan Haspinger. Also an Italian -gun taken by the Akademische Legion--the band of loyal volunteer -students of Innsbruck university, in the campaign of 1848--and I -think some trophies also of the success of Tirolese arms against the -attempted invasion of the later Italian war, in which as usual the -skill of these people as marksmen stood them in good stead. Anyone -who wishes to judge of their practice may have plenty of opportunity -in Innsbruck, for their rifles seem to be constantly firing away at -the Schiess-stand; so constantly as to form an annoyance to those -who are not interested in the subject. - -This Schiess-stand, or rifle-butt, was set up in 1863, in -commemoration of the fifth centenary of Tirol's union with Austria -and its undeviating loyalty. No history presents an instance of a -loyalty more intimately connected with religious principle than the -loyalty of Tirol; the two traditions are so inseparably interwoven -that the one cannot be wounded without necessarily injuring the -other. The present Emperor and Empress of Austria are not wanting to -the devout example of their predecessors, but the modern theory of -government leaves them little influence in the administration of their -dominions. Meantime the anti-Catholic policy of the Central Government -creates great dissatisfaction and uneasiness in Tirol. Other divisions -of the empire had been prepared for such by laxity of manners and -indifferentism to religious belief--the detritus, which the flood of -the French revolution scattered more or less thickly over the whole -face of Europe. But the valleys of Tirol had closed their passes to -the inroads of this flood, and laws not having religion for their -basis are there just as obnoxious in the nineteenth as they would -have been in any former century. - -In concluding my notice of the capital of Tirol, it may be worth while -to mention that the census of January 1870 gives it a population -(exclusive of military) of 16,810, being an increase of 2,570 over -the twelve preceding years. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -NORTH TIROL--OBERINNTHAL. - -INNSBRUCK TO ZIRL AND SCHARNITZ--INNSBRUCK TO THE LISENS-FERNER. - - - I taught the heart of the boy to revel - In tales of old greatness that never tire. - - Aubrey de Vere. - - -Those who wish to visit the legend-homes of Tirol without any -great measure of 'roughing,' will doubtless find Innsbruck the most -convenient base of operations for many excursions of various lengths -to places which the pedestrian would take on his onward routes. Those -on the north and east, which have been already suggested from Hall -and Schwatz, may also be treated thus. It remains to mention those -to be found on the west, north-west, and south. But first there is -Mühlau, also to the east, reached by an avenue of poplars between the -right bank of the Inn and the railway; where the river is crossed by -a suspension-bridge. There are baths here which are much visited by -the Innsbruckers, and many prefer staying there to Innsbruck itself. A -pretty little new Gothic church adorns the height; the altar is bright -with marbles of the country, and has a very creditable altar-piece by a -Tirolean artist. Mühlau was celebrated in the Befreiungskämpfe through -the courage of Baroness Sternbach, its chief resident; everywhere -the patriots gathered she might have been found in their midst, fully -armed and on her bold charger, inspiring all with courage. Arrested -in her château at Mühlau during the Bavarian occupation, no threats or -insult could wring from her any admission prejudicial to the interests -of her country, or compromising to her son. She was sent to Munich, -and kept a close prisoner there, as also were Graf Sarnthein and -Baron Schneeburg, till the Peace of Vienna. - -From either Mühlau or Innsbruck may be made the excursion to Frau -Hütt, a curious natural formation which by a freak of nature presents -somewhat the appearance of a gigantic petrifaction of a woman with -a child in her arms. Of it one of the most celebrated of Tirolean -traditions is told. In the time of Noe, says the legend, there was a -queen of the giants living in these mountains, and her name was Frau -Hütt. Nork makes out a seemingly rather far-fetched derivation for -it out of the wife der Behütete (i.e. the behatted, or covered one), -otherwise Odin, with the sky for his head-covering. However that may -be, the legend says Frau Hütt had a son, a young giant, who wanted -to cut down a pine tree to make a stalking-horse, but as the pine -grew on the borders of a morass, he fell with his burden into the -swamp. Covered over head and ears with mud, he came home crying to -his mother, who ordered the nurse to wipe off the mud with fine crumb -of white bread. This filled up the measure of Frau Hütt's life-long -extravagance. As the servant approached, to put the holy gift of -God to this profane use, a fearful storm came on, and the light -of heaven was veiled by angry clouds; the earth rocked with fear, -then opened a yawning mouth, and swallowed up the splendid marble -palace of Frau Hütt, and the rich gardens surrounding it. When the -sky became again serene, of all the former verdant beauty nothing -remained; all was wild and barren as at present. Frau Hütt, who had -run for refuge with her son in her arms to a neighbouring eminence, was -turned into a rock. In place of our 'Wilful waste makes woeful want,' -children in the neighbourhood are warned from waste by the saying, -'Spart eure Brosamen für die Armen, damit es euch nicht ergehe wie -der Frau Hütt.' [173] Frau Hütt also serves as the popular barometer -of Innsbruck; and when the old giantess appears with her 'night-cap' -on, no one undertakes a journey. This excursion will take four or five -hours. On the way, Büchsenhausen is passed, where, as I have already -mentioned, Gregory Löffler cast the statues of the Hofkirche. I have -also given already the legend of the Bienerweible. As a consequence -of the state execution which occasioned her melancholy aberrations, -the castle was forfeited to the crown. Ferdinand Karl, however, -restored it to the family. It was subsequently sold, and became one -of the most esteemed breweries of the country, the cellars being -hewn in the living rock; and its 'Biergarten' is much frequented by -holiday-makers. Remains of the old castle are still kept up; among -them the chapel, in which are some paintings worth attention. On one -of the walls is a portrait of the Chancellor's son, who died in the -Franciscan Order in Innsbruck, in his ninety-first year. - -If time allows, the Weierburg and the Maria-Brunn may be taken in the -way home, as it makes but a slight digression; or it may be ascended -from Mühlau. The so-called Mühlauer Klamm is a picturesque gorge, -and the torrent running through it forms some cascades. Weierburg -affords a most delightful view of the picturesque capital, and the -surrounding heights and valleys mapped out around. Schloss Weierburg -was once the gay summer residence of the Emperor Maximilian, and some -relics of him are still preserved there. - -Hottingen, which might be either taken on the way when visiting Frau -Hütt or the Weierburg, is a sheltered spot, and one of the few in -the Innthal where the vine flourishes. It is reached by continuing -the road past the little Church of Mariähilf across the Inn; it had -considerable importance in mediæval times, and has consequently some -interesting remains, which, as well as the bathing establishment, make -it a rival to Mühlau. In the church (dedicated to St. Nicholas) is -Gregory Löffler's monument, erected to him by his two sons. The Count -of Trautmannsdorf and other noble families of Tirol have monuments -in the Friedhof. The tower of the church is said to be a remnant -of a Roman temple to Diana. To the right of the church is Schloss -Lichtenthurm, well kept up, and often inhabited by the Schneeburg -family. On the woody heights to the north is a little pilgrimage -chapel difficult of access, and called the Höttingerbilde. It is -built over an image of our Lady found on the spot in 1764, by a -student of Innsbruck who ascribed his rapid advance in the schools -to his devotion to it. On the east side of the Höttinger stream are -some remains of lateral mining shafts, which afford the opportunity -of a curious and difficult, though not dangerous, exploration. There -are some pretty stalactitic formations, but on a restricted scale. - -There is enough of interest in a visit to Zirl to make it the object -of a day's outing; but if time presses it may be reached hence, by -pursuing the main street of this suburb, called, I know not why, zum -grossen Herr-Gott, which continues in a path along an almost direct -line of about seven miles through field and forest, and for the last -four or five following the bank of the Inn. Or the whole route may -be taken in a carriage from Innsbruck, driving past the rifle-butt -under Mariähilf. At a distance of two miles you pass Kranebitten, -or Kranewitten, not far from which, at a little distance on the -right of the road, is a remarkable ravine in the heights, which -approach nearer and nearer the bank of the river. It is well worth -while to turn aside and visit this ravine, which goes by the name of -the Schwefelloch. It is an accessible introduction on a small scale -to the wild and fearful natural solitudes we read of with interest -in more distant regions. The uneven path is closed in by steep and -rugged mountain sides, which spontaneously recall many a poet's -description of a visit to the nether world. At some distance down -the gorge, a flight of eight or nine rough and precarious steps cut -in the rock, and then one or two still more precarious ladders, lead -to the so-called Hundskirche, or Hundskapelle, [174] which is said to -derive its name from having been the last resort of Pagan mysteries -when heathendom was retreating before the advance of Christianity in -Tirol. Further on, the rocks bear the name of the Wagnerwand (Wand -being a wall), and the great and lesser Lehner; and here they seem -almost to meet high above you and throw a strange gloom over your -path, and the torrent of the Sulz roars away below in the distance; -while the oft-repeated answering of the echo you evoke is more weird -than utter silence. The path which has hitherto been going north now -trends round to the west, and displays the back of the Martinswand, and -the fertile so-called Zirlerchristen, soon affording a pleasing view -both ways towards Zirl and Innsbruck. There is rough accommodation -here for the night for those who would ascend the Gross Solstein, -9,393 feet; the Brandjoch, 7,628 feet; or the Klein Solstein, 8,018 -feet--peaks of the range which keep Bavaria out of Tirol. - -As we proceed again on the road to Zirl, the level space between the -mountains and the river continues to grow narrower and narrower, -but what there is, is every inch cultivated; and soon we pass -the Markstein which constitutes the boundary between Ober and -Unter-Innthal. By-and-by the mountain slopes drive the road almost -down to the bank, and straight above you rises the foremost spur of the -Solstein, the Martinswand, so called by reason of its perpendicularity, -celebrated far and wide in Sage and ballad for the hunting exploit -and marvellous preservation of Kaiser Max. - -It was Easter Monday, 1490; Kaiser Max was staying at Weierburg, -and started in the early morning on a hunting expedition on the -Zirlergebirge. So far there is nothing very remarkable, for his -ardent disposition and love of danger often carried him on beyond all -his suite; but then came a marvellous accident, the accounts of the -origin of which are various. There is no one in Innsbruck but has a -version of his own to tell you. As most often reported, the chamois -he was following led him suddenly down the very precipice I have -described. The steepness of the terrible descent did not affright -him; but in his frantic course one by one the iron spikes had been -wrenched from his soles, till at last just as he reached a ledge, -scarcely a span in breadth, he found he had but one left. To proceed -was impossible, but--so also was retreat. There he hung, then, a -speck between earth and sky, or as Collin's splendid popular ballad, -which I cannot forbear quoting, has it:-- - - - Hier half kein Sprung, - Kein Adler-Schwung - Denn unter ihm senkt sich die Martinswand - Der steilste Fels im ganzen Land. - - Er starrt hinab - In 's Wolkengrab - Und starrt hinaus in 's Wolkenmeer - Und schaut zurück, und schaut umher. - - Wo das Donnergebrüll zu Füssen ihm grollt - Wo das Menschengewühl tief unter ihm rollt: - Da steht des Kaisers Majestät - Doch nicht zur Wonne hoch erhöht. - - Ein Jammersohn - Auf luft 'gem Thron - Findet sich Max nun plötzlich allein - Und fühlt sich schaudernd, verlassen und klein. [175] - - -But the singers of the high deeds of Kaiser Max could not bring -themselves to believe that so signal a danger could have befallen -their hero by mere accident. They must discover for it an origin -to connect it with his political importance. Accordingly they have -said that the minions of Sigismund der Münzreiche, dispossessed at -his abdication, had plotted to lead Max, the strong redresser of -wrongs, the last flower of chivalry, the hope of the Hapsburg House, -the mainstay of his century, into destruction; that it was not that -the innocent chamois led the Kaiser astray, but that the conspirators -misled him as to the direction it had taken. - -Certainly, when one thinks of the situation of the empire at that -moment, and of Hungary, the borderland against the Turks, suddenly -deprived of its great King Matthias Corvinus, even while yet at -war with them, only four days before [176]; when we think that the -writers of the ballad had before their eyes the great amount of good -Maximilian really did effect not only for Tirol, but for the empire -and for Europe, and then contemplated the idea of his career being cut -short thus almost at the outset, we can understand that they deemed -it more consonant with the circumstances to believe so great a peril -was incurred as a consequence of his devotion to duty rather than in -the pursuit of pleasure. - -Here, then, he hung; a less fearless hunter might have been overawed -by the prospect or exhausted by the strain. Not so Kaiser Max. He not -only held on steadfastly by the hour, but was able to look round him -so calmly that he at last discerned behind him a cleft in the rock, -or little cave, affording a footing less precarious than that on -which he rested. The ballad may be thought to say that it opened -itself to receive him. The rest of the hunting party, even those -who had nerve to follow him to the edge of the crag, could not see -what had become of him. Below, there was no one to think of looking -up; and if there had been, even an emperor could hardly have been -discerned at a height of something like a thousand feet. The horns -of the huntsmen, and the messengers sent in every direction to ask -counsel of the most experienced climbers, within a few hours crowded -the banks on both sides with the loyal and enthusiastic people; till -at last the wail of his faithful subjects, which could be heard a -mile off, sent comfort into the heart of the Kaiser, who stood silent -and stedfast, relying on God and his people. Meantime, the sun had -reached the meridian; the burning rays poured down on the captive, -and gradually as the hours went by the rocks around him grew glowing -hot like an oven. Exhausted by the long fast, no less than the anxiety -of his position, and the sharp run that had preceded the accident, -he began to feel his strength ebbing away. One desire stirred him--to -know whether any help was possible before the insensibility, which he -felt must supervene, overcame him. Then he bethought him of writing -on a strip of parchment he had about him, to describe his situation, -and to ask if there was any means of rescue. He tied the scroll to a -stone with the cord of his hunting-horn, and threw it down into the -depth. But no sound came in answer. - -In the meantime all were straining to find a way of escape. Even -the old Archduke Sigismund who, though he is never accused of any -knowledge of the alleged plot of his courtiers, yet may well be -supposed to have entertained no very good feeling towards Maximilian, -now forgot all ill-will, and despatched swift messengers to Schwatz to -summon the cleverest Knappen to come with their gear and see if they -could not devise a means for reaching him with a rope; others ran from -village to village, calling on all for aid and counsel. Some rang the -storm-bells, and some lighted alarm fires; while many more poured -into the churches and sanctuaries to pray for help from on High; -and pious brotherhoods, thousands in number, marching with their -holy emblems veiled in mourning, and singing dirges as they came, -gathered round the base of the Martinswand. - -The Kaiser from his giddy height could make out something of what was -going on, but as no answer came, a second and a third time he wrote, -asking the same words. And when still no answer came--I am following -Collin's imaginative ballad--his heart sank down within him and he -said, 'If there were any hope, most surely my people would have sent a -shout up to me. So there is no doubt but that I must die here.' Then -he turned his heart to God, and tried to forget everything of this -earth, and think only of that which is eternal. But now the sun sank -low towards the horizon. While light yet remained, once more he took -his tablet and wrote; he had no cord left to attach it to the stone, -so he bound it with his gold chain--of what use were earthly ornaments -any more to him?--'and threw it down,' as the ballad forcibly says, -'into the living world, out of that grave high placed in air.' - -One in the crowd caught it, and the people wept aloud as he read out -to them what the Kaiser had traced with failing hand. He thanked Tirol -for its loyal interest in his fate; he acknowledged humbly that his -suffering was a penance sent him worthily by heaven for the pride and -haughtiness with which he had pursued the chase, thinking nothing too -difficult for him. Now he was brought low. He offered his blood and -his life in satisfaction. He saw there was no help to be hoped for -his body; he trusted his soul to the mercy of God. But he besought -them to send to Zirl, and beg the priest there to bring the Most Holy -Sacrament and bless his last hour with Its Presence. When It arrived -they were to announce it to him by firing off a gun, and another -while the Benediction was imparted. Then he bid them all pray for -steadfastness for him, while the pangs of hunger gnawed away his life. - -The priest of Zirl hastened to obey the summons, and the Kaiser's -injunctions were punctually obeyed. Meantime, the miners of Schwatz -were busy arranging their plan of operations--no easy matter, for they -stood fifteen hundred feet above the Emperor's ledge. But before they -were ready for the forlorn attempt, another deliverer appeared upon -the scene with a strong arm, supported the almost lifeless form of the -Emperor--for he had now been fifty-two hours in this sad plight--and -bore him triumphantly up the pathless height. There he restored him -to the people, who, frantic with joy, let him pass through their -midst without observing his appearance. Who was this deliverer? The -traditions of the time say he was an angel, sent in answer to the -Kaiser's penitential trust in God and the prayers of the people. Later -narrators say--some, that he was a bold huntsman; others, a reckless -outlaw to whom the track was known, and these tell you there is a -record of a pension being paid annually in reward for the service, if -not to him, at least to some one who claimed to have rendered it. [177] - -The Monstrance, which bore the Blessed Sacrament from Zirl to carry -comfort to the Emperor in his dire need, was laid up among the -treasures of Ambras. - -Maximilian, in thanksgiving for his deliverance, resolved to be less -reckless in his future expeditions, and never failed to remember the -anniversary. He also employed miners from Schwatz to cut a path down -to the hole, afterwards called the Max-Höhle, which had sheltered -him, to spare risk to his faithful subjects, who would make the -perilous descent to return thanks on the spot for his recovery; -and he set up there a crucifix, with figures of the Blessed Virgin -and S. John on either side large enough to be seen from below; and -even to the present day men used to dangerous climbing visit it with -similar sentiments. It is not often the tourist is tempted to make the -attempt, and they must be cool-headed who would venture it. The best -view of it is to be got from the remains of the little hunting-seat -and church which Maximilian afterwards built on the Martinsbühl, -a green height opposite it, and itself no light ascent. It is said -Maximilian sometimes shot the chamois out of the windows of this -villa. The stories are endless of his hardihood and presence of mind -in his alpine expeditions. At one time, threatened by the descent of -a falling rock, he not only was alert enough to spring out of the way -in time, but also seized a huntsman following him, who was not so -fortunate, and saved him from being carried over the precipice. At -another he saw a branch of a tree overhanging a yawning abyss; to -try his presence of mind he swung himself on to it, and hung over -the precipice; but crack! went the branch, and yet he saved himself -by an agile spring on to another tree. Another time, when threatened -by a falling rock, his presence of mind showed itself in remaining -quite still close against the mountain wall, in the very line of its -course, having measured with his eye that there was space enough for -it to clear him. But enough for the present. - -Zirl affords a good inn and a timely resting-place, either before -returning to Innsbruck, or starting afresh to visit the Isarthal and -Scharnitz. The ascent of the Gross Solstein is made from Zirl, as may -also be that of the Martinswand. In itself Zirl has not much to arrest -attention, except its picturesque situation (particularly that of its -'Calvarienberg,' to form which the living rocks are adapted), and its -history, connecting it with the defence of the country against various -attacks from Bavaria. Proceeding northwards along the road to Seefeld, -and a little off it, you come upon Fragenstein, another of Maximilian's -hunting-seats, a strong fortress for some two hundred years before -his time, and now a fine ruin. There are many strange tales of a great -treasure buried here, and a green-clad huntsman, who appears from time -to time, and challenges the peasants to come and help him dig it out, -but something always occurs to prevent the successful issue of the -adventure. Once a party of excavators got so far that they saw the -metal vessel enclosing it; but then suddenly arose such a frightful -storm, that none durst proceed with the work; and after that the clue -to its place of concealment was lost. Continuing the somewhat steep -ascent, Leiten is passed, and then Reit, with nothing to arrest notice; -and then Seefeld, celebrated by the legend my old friend told me on the -Freundsberg. [178] The Archduke Ferdinand built a special chapel to the -left of the parish church, called die Heilige Blutskapelle, in 1575, -to contain the Host which had convicted Oswald Milser, and which is -even now an object of frequent pilgrimage. The altar-piece was restored -last year very faithfully, and with considerable artistic feeling, by -Haselwandter, of Botzen. It is adorned with statues of the favourite -heroes of the Tirolese legendary world, St. Sigismund and St. Oswald, -and compartment bas-reliefs of subjects of Gospel history known as -'the Mysteries of the Rosary.' The tone of the old work has been so -well caught, that it requires some close inspection to distinguish -the original remains from the new additions. The Archduchess Eleonora -provided the crystal reliquary and crown, and the rich curtains -within which it is preserved. At a little distance to south-west of -Seefeld, on a mountain-path leading to Telfs, is a little circular -chapel, built by Leopold V. in 1628, over a crucifix which had long -been honoured there. It is sometimes called the Kreuz-kapelle, but -more often the zur-Seekapelle, though one of the two little lakes, -whence the appellation, and the name of Seefeld too, was derived, -dried out in 1807. There is also a legend of the site having been -originally pointed out by a flight of birds similar to that I have -given concerning S. Georgenberg. - -The road then falls more gently than on the Zirl side, but is rugged -and wild in its surroundings, to Scharnitz, near which you meet the -blue-green gushing waters of the Isar. Scharnitz has borne the brunt -of many a terrible contest in the character of outpost of Tirolean -defences: it is known to have been a fortress in the time of the -Romans. It was one of the points strengthened by Klaudia de' Medici, -who built the 'Porta Klaudia' to command the pass. Good service it -did on more than one occasion; but it succumbed in the inroad of -French and Bavarians combined, in 1805. It was garrisoned at that -time by a small company of regular troops, under an English officer -in the Austrian service named Swinburne, whose gallant resistance -was cordially celebrated by the people. He was overwhelmed, however, -by superior numbers and appliances, and at Marshal Ney's orders the -fort was so completely destroyed, that scarcely a trace of it is now -to be found. [179] - -It is the border town against Bavaria, and is consequently enlivened -by a customs office and a few uniforms, but it is a poor place. I was -surprised to be accosted and asked for alms by a decent-looking woman, -whom I had seen kneeling in the church shortly before as this sort -of thing is not common in Tirol. She told me the place had suffered -sadly by the railway; for before, it was the post-station for all -the traffic between Munich and Innsbruck and Italy. The industries -of the place were not many or lucrative; the surrounding forests -supply some employment to woodmen; and what she called Dirstenöhl, -which seems to be dialectic for Steinöhl or petroleum, is obtained -from the bituminous soil in the neighbourhood; it is obtained by -a kind of distillation--a laborious process. The work lasted from -S. Vitus' Day to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin; that was now -past, and her husband, who was employed in it, had nothing to do; -she had an old father to support, and a sick child. Then she went -on to speak of the devotion she had just been reciting in the church -to obtain help, and evidently looked upon her meeting with me as an -answer to it. It seemed to consist in saying three times, a petition -which I wrote down at her dictation as follows:--'Gott grüsse dich -Maria! ich grüsse dich drei und dreizig Tausend Mal; O Maria ich -grüsse dich wie der Erzengel Gabriel dich gregüsset hat. Es erfreuet -dich in deinen Herzen dass der Erzengel Gabriel den himmlischen Gruss -zu dir gebracht hat. Ave Maria, &c.' She said she had never used that -devotion and failed to obtain her request. I learnt that the origin -she ascribed to it was this:--A poor girl, a cow-herd of Dorf, some -miles over the Bavarian frontier, who was very devout to the Blessed -Virgin, had been in the habit while tending her herds of saying the -rosary three times every day in a little Madonna chapel near her -grazing-ground. But one summer there came a great heat, which burnt -up all the grass, and the cattle wandered hither and thither seeking -their scanty food, so that it was all she could do to run after and -keep watch over them. The good girl was now much distressed in mind; -for the tenour of her life had been so even before, that when she made -her vow to say the three rosaries, it had never occurred to her such -a contingency might happen. But she knew also that neither must she -neglect her supervision of the cattle committed to her charge. While -praying then to Heaven for light to direct her in this difficulty, -the simple girl thought she saw a vision of our Lady, bidding her -be of good heart, and she would teach her a prayer to say instead, -which would not take as long as the rosary, and would please her -as well, and that she should teach it also to others who might be -overwhelmed with work like herself. This was the petition I have -quoted above. But the maid was too humble to speak of having received -so great a favour, and lived and died without saying anything about -it. When she came to die, however, her soul could find no rest, for -her commission was unfulfilled; and whenever anyone passed alone by -the wayside chapel where she had been wont to pray, he was sure to see -her kneeling there. At last a pious neighbour, who knew how good she -had been, summoned courage to ask her how it was that she was dealt -with thus. Then the good girl told him what had befallen her long ago -on that spot, and bid him fulfil the part she had neglected, adding, -'But tell them also not to think the mere saying the words is enough; -they must pray with faith and dependence on God, and also strive to -keep themselves from sin.' - - - -In returning from Zirl to Innsbruck, the left bank may be visited by -taking the Zirl bridge and pursuing the road bordering the river; you -come thus to Unterperfuss, another bourne of frequent excursion from -Innsbruck, the inn there having the reputation of possessing a good -cellar, and the views over the neighbourhood being most romantic, -the Château of Ferklehen giving interest to the natural beauties -around. Hence, instead of pursuing the return journey at once, a -digression may be made through the Selrainthal (Selrain, in the dialect -of the neighbourhood, means the edge of a mountain); and it is indeed -but a narrow strip bordering the stream--the Melach or Malk, so called -from its milk-white waters--which pours itself out by three mouths -into the Inn at the debouchure of the valley. There is many a 'cluster -of houses,' as German expresses [180] a settlement too small to be -dignified with the name of village, perched on the heights around, -but all reached by somewhat rugged paths. The first and prettiest is -Selrain, which is always locally called Rothenbrunn, because the iron -in the waters, which form an attraction to valetudinarian visitors, -has covered the soil over which they flow with a red deposit. Small as -it is, it boasts two churches, that to S. Quirinus being one of the -most ancient in Tirol. The mountain path through the Fatscherthal, -though much sought by Innsbruckers, is too rough travelling for -the ordinary tourist, but affords a fine mountain view, including -the magnificent Fernerwand, or glacier-wall, which closes it in, -and the three shining and beautifully graduated peaks of the Hohe -Villerspitz. At a short distance from Selrain may be found a pretty -cascade, one of the six falls of the Saigesbach. Some four or five -miles further along the valley is one of the numerous villages named -Gries; and about five miles more of mountain footpath leads to the -coquettishly perched sanctuary of St. Sigismund, the highest inhabited -point of the Selrainthal. It is one of the many high-peaked buildings -with which the Archduke Sigismund, who seems to have had a wonderful -eye for the picturesque, loved to set off the heaven-pointing cones of -the Tirolese mountains. Another opening in the mountains, which runs -out from Gries, is the Lisenthal, in the midst of which lie Juvenau -and Neurätz, the latter much visited by parties going to pick up the -pretty crystal spar called 'Andalusiten.' Further along the path stands -by the wayside a striking fountain, set up for the refreshment of the -weary, called the Magdalenenbründl, because adorned with a statue of -the Magdalen, the image of whose penitence was thought appropriate -to this stern solitude by the pious founder. The Melach is shortly -after crossed by a rustic bridge, and a path over wooded hills leads -to the ancient village of Pragmar. Hence the ascent of the Sonnenberg -or Lisens-Ferner is made. The monastery of Wilten has a summer villa -on its lower slope, serving as a dairy for the produce of their -pastures in the neighbourhood; a hospitable place of refreshment for -the traveller and alpine climber, and with its chapel constituting a -grateful object both to the pilgrim and the artist. The less robust -and enterprising will find an easier excursion in the Lengenthal, -a romantically wild valley, which forms a communication between the -Lisenthal and the OEtzthal. - -The Selrainthalers are behind none in maintaining the national -character. When the law of conscription--one of the most obnoxious -results of the brief cession to Bavaria--was propounded, the youths of -the Selrain were the first to show that, though ever ready to devote -their lives to the defence of the fatherland, they would never be -enrolled in an army in whose ranks they might be sent to fight in -they knew not what cause--perhaps against their own brethren. The -generous stand they made against the measure constituted their valley -the rendezvous of all who would escape from it for miles round, and -soon their band numbered some five hundred. During the whole of the -Bavarian occupation they maintained their independence, and were among -the first to raise the standard of the year 1809. A strong force was -sent out on March 14 to reduce them to obedience, when the Selrainers -gave good proof that it was not cowardice which had made them refuse -to join the army. They repulsed the Bavarian regulars with such -signal success, that the men of the neighbourhood were proud to range -themselves under their banner, which as long as the campaign lasted -was always found in the thickest of the fight. No less than eleven -of their number received decorations for personal bravery. In peace, -too, they have shown they know how to value the independence for which -they fought; though their labours in the field are so greatly enhanced -by the steepness of the ground which is their portion, that the men -yoke themselves to the plough, and carry burdens over places where no -oxen could be guided. Their industry and perseverance provide them -so well with enough to make them contented, if not prosperous, that -'in Selrain hat jeder zu arbeiten und zu essen' (in Selrain there -is work and meat enough for all) is a common proverb. The women, -who are unable for the reason above noted to take so much part in -field-labours as in some other parts, have found an industry for -themselves in bleaching linen, and enliven the landscape by the -cheerful zest with which they ply their thrifty toil. - -The path for the return journey from Selrain to Ober-Perfuss--or -foot of the upper height--is as rugged as the other paths we have -been traversing, but is even more picturesque. The church is newly -restored, and contains a monument, with high-sounding Latin epitaph, -to one Peter Anich, of whose labours in overcoming the difficulties -of the survey and mensuration of his country, which has nowhere three -square miles of plain, his co-villagers are justly proud. He was -an entirely self-taught man, but most accurate in his observations, -and he induced other peasants to emulate his studies. Ober-perfuss -also has a mineral spring. A pleasant path over hills and fields -leads in about an hour to Kematen, a very similar village; but the -remains of the ruined hunting-seat of Pirschenheim, now used as an -ordinary lodging-house, adds to its picturesqueness. Near by it may -also be visited the pretty waterfall of the Sendersbach. A shorter -and easier stage is the next, through the fields to Völs or Vels, -which clusters at the foot of the Blasienberg, once the dwelling of a -hermit, and still a place of pilgrimage and the residence of the priest -of the village. The parish church of Vels is dedicated in honour of -S. Jodok, the English saint, whose statue we saw keeping watch over -Maximilian's tomb at Innsbruck. Another hour across the level ground -of the Galwiese, luxuriantly covered with Indian corn, brings us back -to Innsbruck through the Innrain; the Galwiese has its name from the -echo of the hills, which close in the plain as it nears the capital; -wiese being a meadow, and gal the same form of Schall--resonance, -which occurs in Nachtigall, nightingale; and also, strangely enough, -in gellen, to sound loudly (or yell). At the cross-road (to Axams) we -passed some twenty minutes out of Völs, where the way is still wild, -is the so-called Schwarze Kreuz-kapelle. One Blasius Hölzl, ranger -of the neighbouring forest, was once overtaken by a terrible storm; -the Geroldsbach, rushing down from the Götzneralp, had obliterated the -path with its torrents; the reflection of each lightning flash in the -waste of waters around seemed like a sword pointed at the breast of his -horse, who shied and reared, and threatened to plunge his rider in the -ungoverned flood. Hölzl was a bold forester, but he had never known a -night like this; and as the rapidly succeeding flashes almost drove -him to distraction, he vowed to record the deliverance on the spot -by a cross of iron, of equal weight to himself and his mount, if he -reached his fireside in safety. Then suddenly the noisy wind subsided, -the clouds owned themselves spent, and in place of the angry forks of -flame only soft and friendly sheets of light played over the country, -and enabled him to steer his homeward way. Hölzl kept his promise, -and a black metal cross of the full weight promised long marked the -spot, and gave it its present name. [181] The accompanying figures -of our Lady and S. John having subsequently been thrown down, it -was removed to the chapel on Blasienberg. Ferneck, a pleasant though -primitive bath establishment, is prettily situated on the Innsbruck -side of the Galwiese, and the church there was also once a favourite -sanctuary with the people; but when the neighbouring land was taken -from the monks at Wilten, who had had it ever since the days of the -penitent giant Haymon, it ceased to be remembered. - -Starting from Innsbruck again in a southerly direction, a little -beyond Wilten, already described, we reach Berg Isel. Though invaded -in part by the railway, it is still a worthy bourne of pilgrimage, -by reason of the heroic victories of the patriots under Hofer. On -Sunday and holiday afternoons parties of Innsbruckers may always be -found refreshing these memories of their traditional prowess. It is -also precious on less frequented occasions for the splendid view it -affords of the whole Innthal. Two columns in the Scheisstand record -the honours of April 29 and August 30, 1809, with the inscription, -'Donec erunt montes et saxa et pectora nostra Austriacæ domini mænia -semper erunt.' I must confess, however, that the noise of the perpetual -rifle-practice is a great vexation, and prevents one from preserving -an unruffled memory of the patriotism of which it is the exponent; -but this holds good all over Germany. Here, on May 29, fell Graf -Johan v. Stachelburg, the last of his noble family, a martyr to his -country's cause. The peasants among whom he was fighting begged him -not to expose his life so recklessly, but he would not listen. 'I -shall die but once,' he replied to all their warnings; 'and where -could it befall me better than when fighting for the cause of God and -Austria?' He was mortally wounded, and carried in a litter improvised -from the brushwood to Mutters, where he lies buried. A little beyond -the southern incline of Berg Isel a path strikes out to the right, -and ascends the heights to the two villages of Natters and Mutters, -the people of which were only in 1786 released from the obligation -of going to Wilten for their Mass of obligation. Natters has some -remains of one of Archduke Sigismund's high-perched hunting-seats, -named Waidburg; he also instituted in 1446 a foundation for saying -five Masses weekly in its chapel. - -There are further several picturesque mountain walks to be found in -the neighbourhood of Innsbruck, under the grandly towering Nockspitze -and the Patscherkofl. Or again from either Mutters or Natters there is -a path leading down to Götzens, Birgitz, Axams, and Grintzens, across -westwards to the southern end of the Selrainthal. Götzens (from Götze, -an idol), like the Hundskapelle, received its name for having retained -its heathen worship longer than the rest of the district around. The -ruins, which you see on a detached peak as you leave Götzens again, -are the two towers of Liebenberger, and Völlenberger the poor remains -of Schloss Völlenberg, the seat of an ancient Tirolean family of -that name, who were very powerful in the twelfth and thirteenth -centuries. It fell in to the Crown during the reign of Friedrich -mit der leeren Tasche, by the death of its last male heir. Frederick -converted it into a state-prison. The noblest person it ever harboured -was the poet Oswald von Wolkenstein. Himself a knight of noble lineage, -he had been inclined in the early part of Frederick's reign to join -his influence with the rest of the nobility against him, because he -took alarm at his familiarity with the common people. Frederick's -sudden establishment of his power, and the energetic proceedings -he immediately adopted for consolidating it, took many by surprise, -Oswald von Wolkenstein among the rest. He was a bard of too sweet song, -however, to be shut up in a cage, and Friedl was not the man to keep -the minstrel in durance when it was safe to let him be at large. He -had no sooner established himself firmly on the throne than he not only -released the poet, but forgetting all cause of animosity against him, -placed him at his court, and delighted his leisure hours with listening -to his warbling. Oswald's wild and adventurous career had stored his -mind with such subjects as Friedl would love to hear sung. But we shall -have more to say of Oswald when we come to his home in the Grödnerthal. - -The next village is Birgitz; and the next, after crossing the -torrent which rushes down from the Alpe Lizum, is Axams, one of the -most ancient in the neighbourhood, after passing the opening to the -lonesome but richly pastured Sendersthal, the slopes of which meet -those of the Selrainthal. - -The only remaining valley of North Tirol which I have room here to -treat is the Stubay Thal. [182] Of the three or four ways leading -into it from Innsbruck, all rugged, the most remarkable is called by -the people 'beim Papstl' because that traversed by Pius VI. when he -passed through Tirol, as I have already narrated. The first place -of any interest is Waldrast, a pilgrim's chapel, dating from the -year 1465. A poor peasant was directed by a voice he heard in his -sleep to go to the woods (Wald), and lay him down to rest (Rast), -and it would be told him what he should do; hence the name of the -spot. There the Madonna appeared to him, and bid him build a chapel -over an image of her which appeared there, no one knew how, some years -before. [183] A Servite monastery, built in 1624 on the spot, is now -in ruins, but the pilgrimage is still often made. It may be reached -from the railway station of Matrey. The ascent of the Serlesspitz -being generally undertaken from here, it is called in Innsbruck the -Waldrasterspitz. Fulpmes is the largest village of the Stubay Thal. The -inhabitants are all workers in iron and steel implements, and among -other things are reckoned to make the best spikes for the shoes of -the mountain climbers. Their works are carried all over Austria and -Italy, but less now than formerly. In the church are some pictures -by a peasant girl of this place. Few will be inclined to pursue this -valley further; and the only remaining place of any mark is Neustift, -the marshy ground round which provides the Innsbruck market with -frogs. The church of Neustift was built, at considerable cost, in -the tasteless style of the last century. The wood carvings by the -Tirolean artists Keller, Hatter, and Zatter, however, are meritorious. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -WÄLSCH-TIROL. - -THE WÄLSCH-TIROLISCHE ETSCHTHAL AND ITS TRIBUTARY VALLEYS. - - - It is not some Peter or James who has written these stories for a - little circle of flattering contemporaries; it is a whole nation - that has framed them for all times to come, and stamped them - with the impress of its own mighty character.--Aksharounioff, - Use of Fairy Tales. - - -It is time that we turn our attention to the Traditions of South and -Wälsch-Tirol, though it must not be supposed that we have by any -means exhausted those of the North. There are so many indications -that ere long the rule over the province, or Kreis, [184] as it is -called, of Wälsch-Tirol, may some day be transferred to Italy, that, -especially as our present view of it is somewhat retrospective, it -is as well to consider it first, and before its homogeneity with the -rest of the principality is destroyed. - -Wälsch, or Italian-Tirol sometimes, especially of late, denominated -the Trentino, comprises the sunniest, and some at least, of the most -beautiful valleys of Tirol. The Etschthal, or valley of the Adige, -which takes its source from the little lake Reschen, also called -der Grüne, from the colour of its waters, near Nauders, traverses -both South and Wälsch-Tirol. That part of the Etschthal belonging to -the latter Kreis takes a direct north to south direction down its -centre. There branch out from it two main lines of valleys on the -west, and two on the east. The northernmost line on the west side -is formed of the Val di Non and the Val di Sole; on the east, of the -Avisio valley under its various changes of name which will be noted -in their place. The Southern line on the west is called Giudicaria, -and on the east, Val Sugana, or valley of the Euganieren. - -The traveller's first acquaintance with the Wälschtirolische-Etschthal -will probably, as in my own case, be made in the Val Lagarina, -through which the railway of Upper Italy passes insensibly on to -Tirolese soil, for you are allowed to get as far as Ala before the -custom-house visitation reminds you that you have passed inside -another government. It is a wild gorge along which you run, only -less formidable than that which you saw so grimly close round you as -you left Verona. If you could but lift that stony veil on your left, -you would see the beautiful Garda-See sparkling beside you; but how -vexatious soever the denial, the envious mountains interpose their -stern steeps to conceal it. Their recesses conceal too, but to our -less regret, the famous field of Rivoli. - -Borghetto is the first village on Tirolese soil, and Ala, in the -Middle Ages called Sala, the first town. It thrives on the production -of silk, introduced here from Lombardy about 1530. It has a picturesque -situation, and some buildings that claim a place in the sketchbook. The -other places of interest in the neighbourhood are most conveniently -visited from Roveredo, or Rofreit as the Germans call it, a less -important and pleasing town than Trent, but placed in a prettier -neighbourhood. It received its name of Roboretum from the Latins, on -account of the immense forests of oak with which it was surrounded -in their time. The road leading through it, being the highway into -the country, bristles all along its way with ancient strongholds, -as Avio, Predajo, Lizzana, Castelbarco, Beseno, and others, which -have all had their share in the numerous struggles for ascendancy, -waged for so many years between the Emperor, the Republic of Venice, -the Bishops of Trent, and the powerful families inhabiting them. The -last-named preserves a tradition of more peaceful interest. At the -time that Dante was banished from Florence, Lizzana was a seat of the -Scaligers, and they had him for their visitor for some time during his -wanderings. Not far from it is the so-called Slavini di San Marco, -a vast Steinmeer, which seems, as it were, a ruined mountain, such -vast blocks of rock lie scattered on every side. There is little -doubt the poet has immortalized the scene he had the opportunity of -contemplating here in his description of the descent to the Inferno, -opening of Canto XII. It is said that a fine city, called San Marco, -lies buried under these gigantic fragments, concerning which the -country people were very curious, and were continually excavating -to arrive at the treasure it was supposed to contain, till one day a -peasant thus engaged saw written in fiery letters on one vast boulder, -'Beati quelli che mi volteranno' (happy they who turn me round). The -peasant thought his fortune was made. There could be no doubt the -promised happiness must consist in the riches which turning over -the stone should disclose. Plenty of neighbours were ready to lend a -hand to so promising a toil; and after the most unheard-of exertions, -the monster stone was upheaved. But instead of a treasure they found -nothing but another inscription, which said 'Bene mi facesti, perchè -le coscie mi duolevano (you have done me a good turn, for I had a -pain in my thighs). [185] As the peasants felt no great satisfaction -in working with no better pay than this, the buried city of San Marco -ceased from this time to be the object of their search. Nevertheless, -near Mori, on the opposite (west) side of the river, is a deep cave -called 'la Busa del Barbaz,' concerning which the saying runs, that -it was, ages ago, the lurking-place of a cruel white-bearded old man, -who lived on human flesh, and that whoso has the courage to explore -the cave and discover his remains, will, immediately on touching them, -be confronted by his spirit, who will tell the adventurous wight -where an immense treasure lies hid. Some sort of origin for this -fable may be found in an older tradition, which tells that idols, -whose rites demanded human sacrifices, were cast down this cave by -the first Christian converts of the Lenothal. The Slavini are closed -by a rocky gorge, characteristically named Serravalle; and as the -country again opens out another cave on the east bank is pointed out, -which was for long years a resort of robbers, who plundered all who -passed that way. These were routed out by the Prince-bishop of Trent -in 1197, and a hospice for the relief of travellers built on the very -spot which so long had been the terror of the wayfarer. The chapel -was dedicated in honour of S. Margaret, and still retains the name. - -Roveredo itself is crowned by a fort--Schloss Junk, or Castel -nuovo--which has stood many a siege, originally built by the Venetians; -but it is more distinguished by its villas and manufactories. The -silk trade was introduced here in 1580, and has continuously added -to the prosperity of the place. Gaetano Tacchi established relations -with England at the end of the last century, and the four brothers of -the same name, who now represent her house, are the richest family -in Roveredo. They have a very pretty family vault near the Madonna -del Monte, a pilgrimage reached by a road which starts behind the -Pfarrkirche of Sta. Maria. Another pilgrimage church newly established -is the Madonna de Saletto. While the silk factories occupy the -Italian hands, the Germans resident in Roveredo find employment -at a newly-established tobacco factory. Much tobacco is grown in -the Trentino. - -A great deal of activity is seen in Roveredo. The Corso nuovo is -a broad handsome street with fine trees. A new and handsome road, -between the town and railway station, was laid out in the autumn of -1869. Outside the town is the so-called Lenoschlucht, reached by the -Strada nuova, which crosses it by a daring high arched bridge. The -cliff rises sheer on the right hand, and overlooking the dangerous -precipice is the little chapel of S. Columban, seemingly perched -there by enchantment. It is built over the spot where a hermit, -who was held in veneration by the neighbourhood, had his retreat. - -There are seven churches, but not much to remark in any of them. That -of S. Rocchus was built in consequence of a vow made by the townspeople -during the plague of 1630, to invite a settlement of Franciscans if it -was stayed. The altar-piece is ascribed to Giovanni da Udine. There -are several educational establishments, and a club which is devoted -to propagandism of Italian tendencies. - -The time to see Trent to advantage is in the month of June, not only -for the sake of the natural beauties of climate and scenery, but -because then falls the festa of S. Vigilius (26th), the evangelizer -of the country, and the churches are crowded with all the surrounding -mountain population, who, after religious observances have been duly -fulfilled, indulge in all their characteristic games and amusements, -often in representations of sacred dramas, [186] and always wind up -with their favourite and peculiar illumination of their mountain sides -by disposing bonfires in devices over a whole slope. This custom is the -more worth noting that it is thought to be a remnant of fire-worship, -prevailing before the entrance of the Etruscans. [187] - -That their city was the see of S. Vigilius, and the seat of the great -council of the Church, are reckoned by its people their greatest -glories; and they delight to trace a parallel between their city -and 'great Rome.' They reckon that it was founded in the time of -Tarquinius Priscus by a colony of Etruscans, under a leader named -Rhætius, who established there the worship of Neptune, whence the name -of Tridentum or Trent. That they occupied and fortified the country, -and subsequently became a power formidable to the Empire; but some -twenty-five years before the Christian era, Rhætia, as the country -round was called, was conquered by Drusus, son-in-law of Augustus, -and colonized. An ancient inscription preserved in the Schloss Buon -Consiglio shows that Trent was the centre of the local government, -which was exactly modelled on that of Rome. S. Vigilius, who spread -the light of the faith here, was a born Roman, and suffered martyrdom -in a persecution emulating those of Rome in the year 400. The city -endured sieges and over-running from many of the barbarous nations -which over-ran and sacked Rome, and researches into the ancient -foundations show that the accumulation of ruins has raised the soil, -as in Rome, some feet above the original ground plan--Ranzi says -more than four metres. The traces of three distinct lines of walls, -showing just as in Rome the progressive enlargement of the city, -have been found, as also remains of a considerable amphitheatre, and -many of inlaid pavements, &c., showing that it was handsomely built -and provided. To complete the parallel, it was under the régime of -an ecclesiastical ruler that, after years of distress and turmoil, -its peace and prosperity were restored. The Bishop of Trent still -retains his title of Prince, but the deprivation of his territorial -rule was one of the measures of secularization of Joseph II. - -There are sixteen churches in Trent, of which the most considerable is -the Cathedral, dating from the eleventh century--with some remnants -of sculpture, as the Lombard ornaments of the three porches, reckoned -to belong to the seventh or eighth--a Romanesque building of massive -design, built of the reddish-brown marble which abounds in the -neighbourhood, with a Piazza and fountain before it. The interior is -extensively decorated with frescoes. It is dedicated to S. Vigilius, -whose relics are preserved in a silver sarcophagus. Among its -other notabilia are a Madonna, by Perugino, and some good paintings -of less esteemed masters; also a copy of the Madonna di San Luca -of the Pantheon, presented in 1465 to the then Bishop of Trent, -while on a visit to Rome, by the Pope, and ever since an object of -popular veneration. As a curiosity, is shown a waxen image of the -Blessed Virgin, modelled by a Jew. It also contains several curious -brass monuments. The Church of Sta. Maria Maggiore, where the great -Council was held, on this account, surpasses it in interest, though -of small architectural merit. There is a legend that when the final -Te Deum at the close of the Council was sung on December 4, 1563, -[188] a crucifix, still pointed out in one of the side chapels [189] -of the Cathedral, was seen to bow its head as if in token of approval -of the constitutions that had been established. Sta. Maria Maggiore -contains a picture of the Council, with the fathers in full session, -which is not without interest, as all the costumes can still be made -out, though quaint and faded and injured by lightning. It has also a -very fine organ, the tone of which was so much esteemed at the time -it was built, that it is said the Town Council determined to put out -the eyes of the organ-builder, [190] lest he should endow any other -city with as perfect an instrument. The meister, finding he could -not prevail on the councilmen to relent, asked as a last favour to be -allowed to play on his organ, which was willingly conceded; but as soon -as he had obtained access to the instrument, he contrived to damage -the stop imitating the human voice, which he had invented, and which -had been its great merit, and thus punished the pride and cruelty of -the municipality. In the remarkable Gothic Church of St. Peter is a -chapel, built in commemoration of the infant St. Simeon, or Simonin, -whose alleged martyrdom at the hands of the Jews, in 1472, I have -already had reason to mention. Many relics of him are shown in the -chapel, where a festa is still kept in his honour on March 24. The -cutting of his name in the stone is still quite legible. - -My limits forbid my speaking in much detail of the secular buildings -and institutions which are, however, not unworthy of attention. There -are clubs and reading-rooms--in some of which aspirations after -union with Italy are steadily propagated. The spirit of loyalty -to Austria, though still strong in many breasts, has nothing like -the same influence as in 1848-9, or in 1866, when the attacks and -blandishments of the revolutionists of Italy were alike powerless to -shake the allegiance of the Trentiners. No one will overlook the vast -Schloss buon Consiglio in the Piazza d'Armi, said to be an Etruscan -foundation. The public museum is a very creditable institution, -enriched in 1846 by the legacy of Count Giovanelli's collection, -chiefly of coins and medals; and paintings, not to be despised, are to -be seen in the collections of the best families of the place--Palazzi -Wolkenstein and Sizzo, Case Salvetti and Gaudenti. Two great ornaments -of the city are the Palazzi Tabarelli, and Zambelli or Teufelspalast; -and with the legend of the latter I must wind up my notice of Trent. - -Georg Fugger, a scion of the wealthy Anthony Fugger, of Augsburg, the -entertainer of Charles Quint, was deeply enamoured of the spirited -Claudia Porticelli, the acknowledged beauty of Trent. Claudia did -not appear at all averse from the match, but she was too proud to -yield herself all too readily; and besides, was genuinely possessed -with the spirit of patriotism, to which mountain folk are never -wanting. Accordingly, when the reply long pressed for from her lips -came at last, it informed him that never would Claudia Porticelli -of Tirolean Trent give her hand to one whose dwelling was afar from -her native city; she wondered, indeed, that one who did not own so -much as a little house to call a home in Trent, should imagine he -possessed her sympathies. To another this answer would have amounted -to a refusal, for it only wanted a day of the time already fixed, of -long date beforehand, for the announcement of her final choice. But -Georg Fugger, whose vast riches had long nursed him in the belief that -'money maketh man,' and that nothing was denied to him, would not yield -up a hope so dearly cherished as that of making Claudia Porticelli -his wife. To his determined mind there was a way of doing everything -a man was resolved to do. To build a house, however, in one night, -and that a house worthy of being the home of his Claudia, when men -should call her Claudia Fugger, was a serious matter indeed. No human -hands could do the work, that was clear; he must have recourse to help -from which a good Christian should shrink; but the case was desperate; -he had no choice. Nevertheless, Georg Fugger had no mind to endanger -his soul either. The game he had to play was to get the Evil One to -build the house, but also to guard from letting him gain any spiritual -advantage against him; and his indomitable energy devised the means -of securing the one and preventing the other. Without loss of time -the devil was summoned, and the task of building the desired palace -propounded. The tempter willingly accepted the undertaking, on his -usual condition of the surrender of the soul of him in whose favour it -was performed. Georg Fugger cheerfully signed the bond with his blood, -only stipulating first for the insertion of one slight condition on -his side--namely, that the devil should do one little other thing for -him before he claimed his terrible guerdon. 'Whatever you like! it -won't be too hard for me!' boasted the Evil One; and they separated, -each well satisfied with the compact. - -'The Devil's Palace has a splendid design, worthy the genius of -Palladio,' writes a modern traveller, who has only seen it in its -decadence. On the night in which it was built, it was resplendent with -marbles and gilding and tasteful decoration; furnished it was too, -to satisfy the most fastidious taste, and the requirements of the most -luxurious. With pride the devil called Georg Fugger to come and survey -the lordly edifice, and name his 'final condition.' Georg Fugger was -prepared for him; he had taken a bushel of corn, and strewn it over all -the floors of the vast building. 'Look here, Meister,' he said. 'If you -can gather this corn up grain by grain, and deliver me back the whole -number correctly, then indeed my soul will be yours; but if otherwise, -my soul remains my own and the palace too. That is my final condition.' - -The devil accepted the task readily, and with no misgiving of his -success. True, it took all the time that remained before sunrise -to collect all the scattered grain; still he had performed harder -feats before that day. But the hours ran by, and still there were -five grains wanting to complete the count; where could those five -grains be! With a flaring torch, lighted at his fiercest fire, he -searched every corner through and through, but the five grains were -nowhere to be seen, and daylight began to appear! 'Ah! the measure -is well-heaped up, the Fugger won't discover they are missing,' -so the fiend flattered himself. But Georg Fugger was keener than he -seemed. Before his eyes he counted out the corn, and asked for the five -missing grains. 'Stuff! the measure is piled up full enough, I can't -be so particular as all that. The number must be there.' 'But it is -not!' urged Fugger. 'Oh, you've miscounted,' rejoined the Evil One; -'I'm not going to be put off in that way. I've built your house, -and I've collected your measure of corn, and your soul is mine; -you can't prove that there were five more grains.' 'Yes, I can,' -replied Fugger; 'reach out me your paw;' and the Devil, not guessing -how he could convict him by that means, held out his great paw, with -insolent confidence of manner. 'There!' cried Fugger, pointing to it -as he spoke; 'there, under your own claws, lie the five grains! That -corn had been offered before the Holy Rood, and by the power of the -five Sacred Wounds it was kept from fulfilling your fell purpose. You -had not collected the full number of grains into the measure by -the morning light, so our bargain is at an end. Begone!' The Devil, -self-convicted, had no refuge but to strive to alarm his victor by a -show of fury, and with burning claw he began tearing down the wall so -lately raised. But Fugger remained imperturbable, for he had fairly -won the palace, and the Devil himself had no more power over it. He -could only succeed in making a hole big enough for himself to escape -by, which hole was for many and many years pointed out. - -But Fugger had also hereby established his claim to Claudia's hand, -who rejoiced at the gentle violence thus done her; and many happy -days they spent together in the Teufelspalast. In later years it -passed from their family into the hands of Field-Marshal Gallas, -who lived here in peaceful retirement after his renowned exploits -in the Thirty Years' War, whence it was long called Palazzo Gallas -or Golassi; but it has lately again changed hands, and thus acquired -the name of Palazzo Zambelli. - -The suburbs of Trent, among other excursions, offer the pleasing -pilgrimage of the Madonna alle Laste, [191] which is reached through -the Porta dell' Aquila, on the east side of the city, by half an -hour's climbing up a mountain path off the road to Bassano. On a spur -of this declivity had stood from time immemorial a marble Maria-Bild, -honoured by the veneration of the people. Somewhere about the year -1630 a Jew wantonly disfigured and damaged the sacred token, to -the indignation of the whole neighbourhood. Christopher Detscher, a -German artist, devoted himself to restoring it; but it was impossible -altogether to obliterate the traces of the injury. By some means or -other, however--the people said by miraculous intervention--it was -altogether renewed in one night; and this prodigy so enhanced its fame, -that there was no case so desperate but they believed it must obtain -relief when pleaded for at such a shrine. A poor cowherd named Antonia, -who had been deaf all her life, was said to have received the power -of hearing after praying there; and a child, who had died before -there was time to baptise it, a reprieve of existence long enough -to receive that Sacrament. The grateful people now immediately set -themselves to raise a stone chapel over it, and by their ready alms -maintained a hermit on the spot to guard the sacred precincts. Twelve -years later, by the bounty of Field-Marshal Gallas, a community of -Carmelites was established on the spot, which continued to flourish -down to the secularization of Joseph II. The convent buildings, -however, yet serve the beneficent purpose of a Refuge for foundlings -and orphans. The prospect from the precincts of the institution is -very fine; between the distant ranges of mountains and the foreground -slopes covered with peach trees, lies the grand old city of Trent, -shaped, like the country of Tirol itself, in the form of a heart. [192] -Very effective in accentuating the outline are the two old castles -of the Buon' Consiglio and the Palazzo degli Alberi, both formerly -fortress-residences of the Prince-Bishops of Trent, the former -vieing with the castle of the Prince-Bishop of Salzburg in extent and -grandeur. The curious isolated rock of Dos Trento is another centre of -a splendid view. The Romans called it Verruca, a wart. It was strongly -fortified by Augustus, and remains of inscriptions and bas-reliefs -are built into the wall of the ancient church of St. Apollinaria, -occupying the site of a temple of Saturn. The vantage ground it -afforded in repelling the entry of the French in 1703 obtained for it -the name of the Franzosenbühel. It has lately been newly fortified. A -charming but somewhat adventurous excursion may be made on foot, by a -path starting from the fort of the Dos Trento rock, to the cascade of -Sardagna. Somewhere about this path, in the neighbourhood of Cadine, -it is said, St. Ingenuin, [193] one of the early evangelizers of the -country, planted a beautiful garden, which was a living model of the -Garden of Eden; but so divinely beautiful was it, that to no mortal -was it given to find it. Only the holy Albuin obtained by his prayers -permission once to find entrance to 'St. Ingenuin's Garden.' Entranced -with the delights of the place, he determined at least to bring back -some sample of its produce. So he gathered some of its golden fruits, -to show the children of earth. To this day a choice yellow apple, -something like our golden pippin, grown in the neighbourhood, goes -by the name of St. Albuin's apple. - -The only remaining towns of any note in the line of the -Wälschtirolische Etschthal, are Lavis and S. Michel. Lavis is a pretty -little well-built town (situated at the point where the torrents of -the Cembra, Fleims, and Fassa valleys, under the name of the Avisio, -are poured into the Etsch), remarkable for a red stone viaduct, nearly -3,000 feet long, near the railway station, over the Avisio. Lavis -fell into possession of the French in 1796, when the church was burnt -and the houses plundered. In 1841--forty-five years after--a French -soldier sent a sum of one hundred gulden to the church, in reparation -for having carried off a silver sanct-lamp for his share of the booty. - -Lavis has on many another occasions stood the early brunt of the -attacks of Tirol's foes, and its people have testified their full -share of loyalty. There is a tradition that the French, having on -one occasion gained possession of it with a band two hundred strong, -the people posted themselves on the neighbouring heights and harassed -them in flank; but a cobbler of Lavis, indignant at the havoc the -French were making, left this vantage ground, and running down into -the town, shouting 'Follow me, boys!' dispersed the French troops -before one of his fellows had time to come up! [194] - -San Michel, or Wälsch Michel, is the boundary town against the circle -of South Tirol, once the last town on Venetian territory. There -are imposing remains here of a fine Augustinian priory, which -originated in a castle given up to this object by Ulrich Count of -Eppan in 1143; the building has of late years been sadly neglected; -it is now a school of agriculture. A little way before Wälsch Michel, -the railway crosses, for the first time since leaving Verona, to the -left bank of the Adige, by a handsome bridge called by the people -'the sechsmillionen Brücke.' Here we leave the Etschthal for a time, -but we shall renew acquaintance with it in its northern stretch when -we come to visit South Tirol. - -The two northern tributary valleys of the Etschthal on the west are -the Val di Non [195] and Val di Sole; among the Germans, they go by -the names of Nonsberg and Sulzberg, as if they considered the hills in -their case more striking than the valleys. The Val di Non is entered -at Wälschmetz or Mezzo Lombardo by the strangely wild and gloomy -Rochettapass. Wälschmetz is a flourishing Italian-looking town, whence -a stellwagen meets every train stopping at San Michel. Conveyances -for exploring the valleys can be hired either at the 'Corona' or -the 'Rosa.' The Rochetta is guarded by a ruined fort fantastically -perched on an isolated spur of rock called Visiaun or Il Visione, -said to have formed part of a system of telegraphic communication -established by the Romans. - -In the church of Spaur Maggiore, or Spor, so called because the -principal place in the neighbourhood, which at one time all belonged to -the Counts of Spaur, is a Wunderbild of the Blessed Virgin, which has -for centuries attracted pilgrims from the whole country round. The -church of the next place of any importance, Denno, is remarkably -rich in marbles, and handsome for its situation; a new altar-piece -of some pretension, and a new presbytery, were completed here in -August 1869. Flavone or Pflaun, the next village, is particularly -proud of a rich silver-gilt cross, twenty-five pounds in weight, -and set with pearls, a gift of a bishop of Trient. At the time of -the French invasion it was taken to Vicenza, but as soon as peace -and security were re-established the people would not rest till it -was restored to them. The hamlet is adorned with a rather handsome -municipal palazzo, built in the sixteenth century, when the ancient -Schloss, which overhangs the Trisenega torrent, was pronounced unsafe -after several earth-slips. This valley is, if possible, richer in such -remains than any other: every mountain spur bristles with them. One -of the most important and picturesque is the Schloss Belasis, near -Denno, claiming to be the cradle of the family of that name, which -has established itself with honour in several countries of Europe, -including our own. Behind Pflaun are large forests, which constitute -the riches of the higher, as the Seidenbaum [196] is of the lower, -level of the valley. In its midst lies the Wildsee of Tobel, which, -frozen in winter, serves for the transport of the timber growing on -the further side. The safety of its condition for the purpose is -ascertained by observing the time when the trace of the sagacious -fox shows that he has trusted himself across. - -Cles, situated nearly at the northernmost reach of the valley, is a -centre of the silk trade, and the factory-girls are remarkable for -their tastefully adorned hair, though they all go barefooted. The site -of a temple of Saturn, of considerable dimensions, has been found, -coinciding with traditions of his worship having been popular here; and -remains of an ancient civilization are continually dug up. There is a -wild-looking plain outside the town, still called the Schwarzen Felder, -or black fields, because tradition declares it to be the place where -the Roman inhabitants burnt their dead. Here SS. Sisinius, Martyrius, -and Alexander, are believed to have suffered death by fire on May 29, -397, because these zealous supporters and missionaries of St. Vigilius -refused to take part in a heathen festival. St. Vigilius no sooner -heard of their steadfast witnessing to the truth, than he repaired -to the spot, and after zealously collecting and venerating their -remains, preached so powerfully on their holy example, that great -numbers were converted by his word. A church was shortly after built -here, and being the first in the neighbourhood, was called Eccelesia, -whence the name of Cles. The devout spirit of these saintly guides -does not seem wanting to the present inhabitants; when the jubilee -was held on occasion of the Vatican Council, more than two thousand -persons went to Communion. At the not far distant village of Livo, -on the same occasion, it was found necessary to erect a temporary -building to supplement the large parish church, for the numbers who -flocked in from the outlying parishes. The same thing occurred when -the faithful were invited to join in prayers for the Pope after the -Piedmontese invasion of Rome, September 20, 1870. - -On these 'Campi neri' was found, in the spring of 1869, a tablet -since known as the 'Tavola Clesiana.' It is a thickish bronze tablet, -about 18 in. by 13 in., with holes showing where it was attached to -a wall by the corners. It bears an inscription in Roman character, -the graving of which is quite distinct and unworn, as if newly -executed. It is as follows, and has given rise to a great deal of -controversy among archæologists, and between Professors Vallaury and -Mommsen, concerning its bearing on the early history of Annaunia:-- - - - Miunio . sIlano . q . sulpicio . camerino . CoS idibus . martIs . - baIs . in . praetorio . edictum . ti . claudi . caesaris . - augusti . germanici . propositum . fuit . id . quod . infra . - scriptum . est . ti . claudius . caesar . augustus . germanicus . - pont . maxim . trib . potest . VI . imp . XI . P . P . cos . - designatus . IIII . dicit . cum . ex . veteribus . controversIs . - petentibus . aliquamdiu . etiam . temporibus . ti . caesaris . - patrui . meI . ad . quas . ordinandas . pinarium . apollinarem . - miserat . quae . tantum . modo . inter . comenses . essent . - quantum . memoria . refero . et . bergaleos . is que . primum . - apsentia . pertinaci . patrui . meI . deinde . etiam . gaI . - principatu . quod . ab . eo . non . exigebatur . referre . - non . stulte . quidem . neglexerit . et . posteac . detulerit . - camurius . statutus . ad . me . agros . plerosque . et . saltus . - meI . iuris . esse . in . rem . praesentem . mIsi . plantam . - iulium . amicum . et . comitem . meum . qui . cum . adhibitis . - procuratoribus . meis . quisque . in . alia . regione . - quique . in . vicinia . erant . summa . cura . inquisierit . - et . cognoverit . cetera . quidem . ut . michi . demonstrata . - commentario . facto . ab . ipso . sunt . statuat . pronuntietque . - ipsi . permitto . Quod . ad . condicionem . anaunorum . et . - tulliassium . et . sindunorum . pertinet . quorum . partem . - delator . adtributam . tridentinis . partem . neadtributam . - quidem . arguisse . dicitur . tam . et . si . animaduerto . - nonnimium . firmam . id . genus . hominum . habere . civitatis . - romanae . originem . tamen . cum . longa . usurpatione . in . - possessionem . eius . fuisse . dicatur . et . ita . permixtum . - cum . tridentinis . ut . diduci . ab . Is . sine . gravi . - splendi . municipI . iniuria . non . possit . patior . eos . - in . eo . iure in . quo . esse . existimaverunt . permanere . - beneficio . meo . eo . quidem . libentius . quod . plerisque . - ex . eo . genere . hominum . etiam . militare . in . praetorio . - meo . dicuntur . quidam . vero . ordines . quoque . duxisse . - nonnulli . collecti . in . decurias . romae . res . iudicare . - Quod . beneficium . Is . ita . tribuo . ut . quaecumque . tanquam . - cives . romani . gesserunt . egeruntque . aut . inter . se . aut . - cum . tridentinis . alIsve . ratam . esse . iubeat . nominaque . - ea . que . habuerunt . antea . tanquam . cives . romani . ita . - habere . Is . permittam . - - -A fragment of an altar was found at the same time, with the following -words on it:-- - - - SATURNO SACR - L. PAPIRIUS L - OPUS - - -Livo is the first village of the Val di Sole, which runs in a -south-westerly direction, forming nearly a right-angle with the Val -di Non, than which it is wilder, and colder, and less inhabited. At -Magras the Val di Rabbi strikes off to the north. Its baths are -much frequented, and S. Bernardo is hence provided with four or five -capacious hotels. A new church has just been built there, circular -in form, with three altars, one of which is dedicated in honour of -St. Charles Borromeo, who visited the place in 1583, and preached -with so much fervour as effectually to arrest the Zuinglian teaching, -which had lately been imported. - -Male is the chief place of Val di Sole, and contains about 1,500 -inhabitants. At a retreat held here last Christmas by the Dean of Cles, -so many of them as well as of the circumjacent hamlets were attracted, -that not less than 3,000 went to communion. Further along the valley -is Mezzana, the birthplace of Antonio Maturi, who, after serving in -the campaigns of Prince Eugene, entered a Franciscan convent at Trent, -whence he was sent as a missionary to Constantinople, and was made -Bishop of Syra, and afterwards was employed as nuncio by Benedict -XIV. It was almost entirely destroyed by fire a few years ago, -but is being rapidly rebuilt. After this place the country becomes -more smiling, and cheerful cottages are seen by the wayside, with an -occasional edifice, whose solid stone-built walls suggest that it is -the residence of some substantial proprietor. The valley widens out -to a plain at Pellizano, round which lofty mountains rise on every -side. The church here has a most singular fresco on the exterior -wall, which is intended to record the circumstance that Charles Quint -passed through in 1515. Some restoration or addition was made to the -church at his expense, and a quaint inscription hints that he did it -somewhat grudgingly. - -A few miles further the valley divides into two branches, the Val -di Pejo and the Val di Vermiglio. At Cogolo, the chief place of Val -di Pejo, had long been stored a magnificent monstrance, offered -to the church by Count Megaezy, who, though resident in Hungary, -owned it for his Stammort. [197] It had long been the admiration of -the neighbourhood, and the envy of visitors; but it was stolen by -sacrilegious hands in the troubles consequent on the invasion of the -Trentino by 'Italianissimi,' in 1849. Count Guglielmo Megaezy sent the -village a new one of considerable value and handsome design, whose -reception was celebrated amid lights and flowers, ringing of bells -and firing of mortaletti, July 18, 1869. This branch of the valley -is closed in by the Drei Herren Spitz, or Corno de' tre Signori, the -boundary-mark between the Valtellina, Bormio, and Tirol, and so called -when they belonged to three different governments. The Val di Vermiglio -is closed by Monte Tonale, the depression in whose slope forms the -Tonal Pass into Val Camonica and the Bergamese territory. Monte Tonale -was notorious in the sixteenth to early in the eighteenth century for -its traditions of the Witches' Sabbath, and the trials for sorcery -connected with them. [198] Freyenthurn, a ruin-crowned peak at no -great distance, bears in its name a tradition of the worship of Freya. - - - -On the vine-clad height of Ozolo, above Revo, a few miles north of -Cles, is a little village named Tregiovo, most commandingly situated; -hence, on a fine day, may be obtained one of the most enchanting -and remarkable views, sweeping right over the two valleys. Hence -a path runs up the heights, and along due north past Cloz and -Arz to Castelfondo, with its two castles overhanging the roaring -cascade of the Noce. Along this path, where it follows the Novella -torrent, numbers of pilgrims pass every year to one of the most famed -sanctuaries of Tirol--Unsere liebe Frau im Walde, or auf dem Gampen, -as the mountain on which it is perched is called by the Germans; and -this reach of the Nonstal is almost entirely inhabited by Germans. The -Italians call it le Pallade, and more commonly Senale. The chapel -is on the site of an ancient hospice for travellers, which became -disused, however, as early as the fourteenth century. A highly-prized -Madonnabild, of great sweetness of expression, found in a swamp near -the place, stands over the high-altar. A celebration of the seventh -centenary of its being found was kept by a festival of three days -from August 14, 1869, when crowds of pilgrimages, comprising whole -populations of circumjacent villages, both German and Italian, might -have been seen gathering round the shrine. Fondo, though but a few -miles distant, is a thoroughly Italian town; and so great is the -barrier this difference of tongue sets up, that great part of the -population of the one never visits the other. It was nearly burnt -down in 1865, and has hardly yet recovered from the catastrophe; -the church, which occupies a very commanding situation, was saved, -and its fine peal of six bells. Near it is St. Biagio, where was -once the only convent the Nonsthal ever possessed. Near this again -is Sanzeno, which, by a tradition a little different from that given -at Denno, is made out to be the place of martyrdom of SS. Sisinius -(supposed to be another form of the name of St. Zeno), Martyrius, -and Alexander. Their relics, at all events, are venerated here in -a marble urn behind the high-altar of the church, which bears the -title of the Cathedral of the Val de Non; and the Roman remains, -which are continually being discovered, [199] show that there were -Romans here to have done the martyrdom. The legend is, that these -saints were three brothers of noble family, of Cappadocia, who put -themselves under the bidding of S. Vigilius, Bishop of Trent (who was -already engaged in the conversion of the valley), A.D. 390. Their -conversions were numerous during a series of years; but on May 23, -397, the inhabitants of the valley, who adhered to the old teaching, -desirous to make their usual sacrifice to obtain a blessing on their -crops, called upon the Christian converts to contribute a sheep for -the purpose. On the Christians refusing a strife ensued, of which -two of the three missionaries were the immediate victims; but the -next day, the third, Alexander was also arrested; he was burnt alive, -along with the corpses of his companions. A church was subsequently -built on the spot where they were said to have suffered; their acts -may be seen in a bas-relief of the seventeenth century. San Zeno -is also famous for being the birth-place of Christopher Busetti, -whose verses, no less than the details of his life, earned for him -the title of the Tirolean Petrarch. A little east of San Zeno is the -narrow inlet into the Romediusthal, so called from S. Romedius, whom -we heard of at Taur, [200] having chosen it for a hermitage whence to -evangelize the Nonsthal, and in which to end his days. A more secluded -spot could not be found on the whole earth. Perpendicular rocks narrow -it in, leaving scarcely a glimpse of the sky above; the torrent which -files its way through it, called San Romedius-Bach, continually works -a deeper and deeper bed. Two other torrents strive for possession of -the gorge (Romediusschlucht), the Rufreddo and the Verdes, between -them; near their confluence rises a stark isolated crag, from whose -highest point, almost like a fortress, rises the far-famed hermitage, -accessible only from one side. The legend has it that S. Vigilius, -knowing his exalted piety, conceived the idea of consecrating the -cell whence his holy prayers had been poured out, for a chapel, but -was warned in a vision that angels had already fulfilled the sacred -task. When this was known, it may be imagined that the veneration -of the people for it knew no bounds, and the angelic consecration -is still remembered by diligent pilgrimages every first Sunday in -June; the Saint's feast is on January 15. The shrine is overladen -with thank-offerings, which might attract the robber in so lonely -a situation. Due precautions are taken for the preservation of the -treasury; the chapel is surrounded by strong walls, and ingress -is not permitted to strangers after nightfall. There is no record -of any attempt having been made on it but once, some thirty years -ago. On this occasion three men presented themselves at the gate, -and urgently begged to be admitted to confession; their devotion was -so well assumed, and their show of penitence so hearty, that the good -priest could not refrain from letting them in. He had scarcely taken -his seat in the confessional, however, than the three surrounded -him, each presenting a pistol at his breast; all three missed fire, -and the would-be robbers, convicted by the portent, knelt and made -a real confession of their misdeeds, and left as really penitent as -they had feigned to to be on arriving. - -The spot has never ceased to be honoured since the death of the saint, -somewhere about 398. It is strange to stand between the walls of the -living mountain and realize the fact. There are few shrines in all -Europe which can boast of such antiquity, such unbroken tradition, -and such exemption from desecration. The building is as singular -and characteristic as the locality. The chapel, where the saint's -remains rest, and where he himself raised the first sanctuary of the -Nonsthal, is reached by one hundred and twenty-two steps, necessarily -very steep; and on attaining the last, it must be a very steady head -that can turn to survey the rise without giddiness. The interior is -quite in keeping with the surroundings. Its light is dim and subdued, -sufficient only to reveal the countless trophies of answered prayer -which cover the dark red marble columns and enrichments. There are two -other chapels at lower levels, one of the Blessed Sacrament, called -del Santissimo, and one over the hermitage in the rock. Flanking this -curious pile of chapels on chapels are, on one side, the priory or -residence of the chaplain of the place, and on the other the Hospice -for pilgrims and visitors, the whole forming a considerable corps -de bâtiment, and enclosed by a wall which seems to have grown out -of the rock. Another little crag, jutting up as if in emulation of -that so gloriously crowned, was made into a Gottesacker, by a late -prior, and its churchyard cross affords it a striking termination -too; though not many monuments of the dead bristle from its sides -as yet. This singularly interesting excursion may be made direct -from S. Michel by those who have not time for visiting the whole -valley. They will pass several striking old castles, particularly that -of Thun, nearly opposite Castle Bellasi, the Stammschloss of one of -the oldest and noblest German families, founded by one of the dearest -companions and patrons of St. Vigilius. No other has given so many -distinguished scions to the service of the Church; Sigmund von Thun was -the representative of the Emperor at the Council of Trent. There is a -strong attachment between it and the people of the valley, who delight -in celebrating every domestic event by what they call a Nonesade, -or poem in the dialect of the Val di Non. The castle is well kept -up; the interior is characteristically decorated and arranged, and -many curiosities are preserved in the library; its grounds also are -charmingly laid out. It is supplied with water by a noble aqueduct, -raised in 1548, right across the valley from Berg St. Peter; crowned -also by an ancient castle, but in ruins. Few will have a prettier -page in their sketch-book than they can supply it with here. - -Half way between Sanzeno and Fondo, by a path which forms a loop with -that already mentioned, by Cloz and Arz, and just where the opening -into the Romediusthal strikes off, is a village named Dambel or -Dambl, where a very curious relic of antiquity, and an important one -for throwing light on the history of the earlier inhabitants of the -valley, was unearthed a couple of years ago. It is a stout, handsome -bronze key, 14 1/2 in. long, the bow ornamented with scroll-work, -which at first sight suggested the idea that it had formed part -of a comparatively modern casting of the Pontifical arms. Closer -inspection showed that on an octagonal ornament of the upper part of -the stem was an inscription, not merely engraved, but deeply cut (it -is thought with a chisel), and in perfect preservation, in characters -described by a local antiquary as 'parte Runiche, parte Gotiche, -del Greco e Latino del 388 dell' era volgare, descritte da Ufila; -ma molte somigliano a quelle del Latino dell' Ionio 741 B. C.' - -The owner of the ground, Bartolo Pittschneider, the jeweller of the -village, seems to have been digging the foundation for a rustic house, -intending to make use of a remnant of a very ancient wall long thought -to have formed part of a temple of Saturn. At a depth of about 18 or -20 in. he came to a sort of pavement, or tomb or cellar covering, -of roughly-shaped stones resting against and sloping away from the -base of the ancient wall, so as to form a little enclosure. Along with -the key lay some other small objects, which unfortunately have been -dispersed, [201] but among them were two bronze coins of Maximilian -and Constantine the Great, thought to indicate the date of the burial -of the key and not that of its manufacture. - -This key was subsequently sent to Padre Tarquini, [202] and a copy has -been given me of his report upon it. He pronounced the inscription -to be undoubtedly Etruscan, but at the same time he did not think -the work of the key to be of older date than the fourth century of -our era; inasmuch as there are other examples of Etruscan writing -surviving to as late a date in remote districts; that its size and -material (a mixture of silver and copper) denoted it to belong to some -important edifice, and most probably to the very temple of Saturn -amid whose ruins it was found buried. He found in it two new forms -of letters not found in other Etruscan inscriptions, but says that -similar aberrations are too common to excite surprise. He translated -it in the following form:--'Ad introducendum virum (1) addictum igni -in Vulcani (2) Vivus aduratur ob perversitatem--incidendo incide -(3)--Sceleratus est; sectam facit; blasphemavit--In aspectu ejus -ascendentes limen paveant, videntes hominem oblitum Ejus (4) præstare -jubilationem retinenti ad cruciatum, tamquam hostem suum.' [203] - -It would be curious to know how Mr. Isaac Taylor would read the -inscription by his different method, for Padre Tarquini found a -curious coincidence of circumstances to afford an interpretation to -his translation. It would seem that it was only after translating it as -above that his attention was called to the Christian local tradition, -and then he was struck with several points of contact between it and -them. 1. The date which he had already assigned to the key is that -given by the Bollandists to the martyrdom of St. Alexander and his -two brothers. 2. It was found within the very precincts where he was -said to have been burnt, and (his translation of) the inscription -commemorates a human burnt sacrifice (il vivicomburio). 3. The -inscription (by his translation) seems to allude to Christians, -to their suffering expressly for propagating their religion. 4. The -inscription points to the sacrifice having taken place in an elevated -situation, as it uses the verb 'to ascend,' and the contemporary -narrative of St. Vigilius to St. Chrysostom of the event, as it -had happened before his eyes, says 'Itum est post hæc in religiosa -fastigia, hoc est altum Dei templum ... in conspectu Saturni.' He -further goes on to approve a conjecture of the local antiquary that -the key was a votive offering made on occasion of the martyrdom of -St. Alexander with SS. Zeno and Martyrius, in thanksgiving for the -triumph over their teaching, and inscribed with the above lines as -a perpetual warning to their followers. - -The Avisiothal--the northernmost eastern tributary of the -Etschthal--consists of three valleys running into each other; the Val -di Cembra, or Zimmerthal; the Val Fieme, or Fleimserthal; and the Val -di Fassa, or Evasthal. The Val di Cembra is throughout impracticable -for all wheeled traffic. Nature has made various rents and ledges -in its porphyry sides, of which hardy settlers have taken advantage -for planting their villages, and for climbing from one to another; -but even their laborious energy has not sufficed to make roads over -such a surface. This difficulty of access has not been without its -effect in tending to keep up the honesty, hospitality, and piety of -the people; but as few will be able to penetrate their recesses, -their characteristics will be better sacrificed to the exigencies -of space than those of others. I will only mention, therefore, -the Church of Cembra, the Hauptort (about four hours' rugged walk -from Lavis), which is an ancient Gothic structure well kept up, and -adorned with paintings; and a peculiar festival which was celebrated -on the Assumption-day, 1870, at Altrei, namely, the presentation of -new colours to the Schiess-stand, by Karl von Hofer, on behalf of -the Empress of Austria. One bears a Madonna, designed by Jele of -Innsbruck, on a banner of green and white (the national colours); -the other the names of the Empress ('Karolina Augusta') and the word -'All-treu,' the original name of the village, conferred on it by Henry -Duke of Bohemia, when he permitted ten faithful soldiers to make a -settlement here free of all taxes and customs. And yet the Italians, -regardless of derivations, have made of it Anterivo. - -Cavalese (which can be reached in five hours by stellwagen running -twice a day from the railway station at Neumarkt) stands near the -point where the Val di Cembra (which runs nearly parallel to the -railway between Lavis and Neumarkt) passes into the Fleimserthal. It -is a charmingly picturesque, thriving little town, and should not -be overlooked, for the church is a very museum of Tirolese art: -painting, sculpture, and architecture, all being due to native -artists, and highly creditable to national taste, culture, and -devotion. Among these artists were Franz Unterberger, who was chosen -by the Empress Catherine to execute copies from Raffael's Loggie, -Alberti, Riccaboni, and others, whose fame has resounded beyond the -echoes of their native mountains. Many private houses also contain -works of Tirolese art. Cavalese stands on a plateau, overlooking a -magnificent panorama, and shaded by a grove of leafy limes. Under these -is a stone table, with stone seats arranged round it, where a sort of -local parliament was formerly held. Respecting the appropriation of -this plateau for the site of the church, tradition says that in early -times, when the church was about to be built, the commune fixed upon -this plateau, in the outskirts of the town, as the most beautiful, -and therefore most appropriate, situation. But the old lady, part -of whose holding it formed, could be induced on no consideration to -give it up. Some little time after, however, she had a very serious -illness; on her sick bed she vowed, that if restored to health she -would devote as much of her fair meadow to the use of the church -as a man could mow in one day. [204] She had no sooner registered -her vow than health returned. The commune appointed a mower, and -he mowed off the whole of the vast meadow in one day. The old lady -always maintained that there was something uncanny about it, and -anyone can see for themselves that no human mower could have done -it. The Market-place is adorned with a very handsome tower. A new -church is now building, after the design of Staidl, of Innsbruck, -on the site of the little ruined church of St. Sebastian, which shows -that the study of architecture is not neglected in Tirol. The space -being very restricted, the novel expedient has been resorted to of -placing the sacristy under the sanctuary, and with good effect to -the external appearance. The former palace of the Bishops of Trent, -now a prison, is not to be overlooked. Predazzo is the only other spot -in this valley we will stop to look at. The extraordinary geological -formation of the neighbourhood has attracted many men of science to -the place, whose names may be seen in the strangers' book. The people -are singularly thrifty and industrious. A high road connecting it -with Primiero is just completed, which is to be continued to meet -the railway projected between Belluno and Treviso. A new church is -being raised there, of proportions and design quite remarkable for -so remote a place. It was begun simultaneously with the troubles in -Italy, in 1866, and a creditable amount has been since laid out upon -it. The lofty vaulting of the nave is supported by ten monolithic -columns of granite; the floor is paved with hard cement, arranged -in patterns formed in colour; the smaller pillars, doors, steps, -mouldings, are all of granite; much of the tracery is very artistic; -the windows are of creditable painted glass, though not free from -the German vice of over-shading. The architect is Michel Maier, of -Trent; the elegant campanile by Geppert, of Innsbruck. It will be the -largest church in the whole of Wälsch-Tirol, after the Cathedral of -Trent. The interior arrangements and decoration bid fair to be worthy -of the structure. There is some good polychrome in the presbytery, -by Ciochetti, a young artist, native of the village of Moena, in -Fassathal, who in the last five years has had eleven medals from -the Academy of Fine Arts at Venice. It is the custom all through -the valley that each village should have its own gay banner, which -is carried before bridal processions to and from the church. But -at Predazzo they have many other peculiarities; among these is the -following:--The night before the wedding the bridegroom goes to the -house of the bride, accompanied by a party of musicians, knocks at -the door, and demands his bride. The eldest and least well-favoured -member of the household is then brought to him, on which a humorous -altercation takes place and a less ancient dame is brought, and so -on, till all have been passed in review, and then the intended bride -herself is brought at last, who admits the swain to the evening meal -of the family. The friends and neighbours then come in, and bring -their wedding gifts to the loving pair. - -The Fassathal begins just after Moena. One of its wildest legends -is that of the feuriger Verräther. It dates from the time of the -Roman invasion. The mountain-dwellers appear to have been as zealous -defenders of their native fastnesses then as in later times, and it -is said the conquering legions were long wandering round the confines -without finding any who would lead them into the interior of the -country. It was at last an inhabitant of the Fassathal who betrayed -the narrow pass which was the key to their defences, and which -cost the liberty of the nation--all for the sake of the proffered -blood-money. But he was never suffered to enjoy it; for a flash like -lightning, though under a clear sky, struck him to the earth, and -ever since, the traitor has been to be met by night wrapt in flames, -and howling piteously. - -Vigo is the principal town, and serves as the starting-point for -the magnificent mountain excursions of the neighbourhood. The most -difficult of these, and one only to be attempted by the well-seasoned -Alpine climber, [205] is that of the massive snow-clad Marmolata, -10,400 feet high, surnamed the Queen of the Dolomites; but she is -a severe and haughty queen, who knows how to hold her own, and keep -intruders at a distance; and many who have been enchanted with her -stern beauty from afar have rued the attempt at intruding on the cold -solitude of her eternal penance. For the legends tell that in her -youth she was covered with verdant charms, which made her the delight -of the people; but they were not content to use with pious moderation -the precious gifts she had in store, and for some sin of theirs--some -say for selfish disregard of the law of charity to the poor; [206] some -say for disregard of the Church's law forbidding to work on the hohe -Unser-frauentag (the Assumption), [207] some say for unjust striving -for the possession of the soil--the vengeance of Heaven overtook them, -and the once smiling meadows were converted into the hard and barren -glacier. Near Vigo is a little way-side chapel, highly prized, because -near it some French soldiers in the invasion of 1809 lost their way, -and the town was thus saved from their depredations; and the legend -arose that the Madonnabild had stricken them blind. Several of them -died of falls and hunger, and tradition says, that on wild nights notes -of distress from a dying bugler's horn may be heard resounding still. - -The Avisio was once the boundary against Venetian territory; and -St. Ulrich dying on its banks, on his return from Rome, exacted of -his disciples a promise that they would carry his body across, so -that he might find his final rest on German soil. - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -WÄLSCH-TIROL. - -VAL SUGANA.--GIUDICARIA.--FOLKLORE. - - - Legends are echoes of the great child-voices from the primitive - world; so rich and sweet that their sound is gone out into - all lands. - - -Val Sugana is watered by the Brenta through its whole course, -running nearly direct east from Trent. It is reached by the Adler -Thor, and over the handsome bridge of S. Ludovico, through luxuriant -plantations of mulberries and vines, and with many a summer villa on -either hand. The road leads (at a considerable and toilsome distance) -to the low range of hills (in Tirol called a Sonnenberg) of Baselga, -locally named Pinè, whose sides are studded with a number of villages -and groups of houses. In one of these, Verda or Guarda by name, -near the village of Montanaga, is the most celebrated pilgrimage -of the Trentino--the Madonna di Pinè, also known as the Madonna di -Caravaggio. It was the year 1729; a peasant girl, Domenika Targa, -native of Verda, who was noted by all her neighbours for the angelic -holiness of her life, had lost some of her herd upon the mountain one -hot August day; in her distress, she knelt down to ask for help to -bring back her charge faithfully. Suddenly the place was bathed in a -light of glory, and before her stood a lady so benign and glorious, -she could be none other than the Himmelskönigin. 'Go, my child, and -tell them that you have seen me here, and that I have chosen this -spot for my delight; and that their prayers will be heard which they -offer before the picture of the Madonna di Caravaggio.' The light -faded away, and Domenika turned to seek her flock. She found them all -in order, waiting for her to drive them home. There was considerable -discussion after this as to what 'Madonna di Caravaggio' might mean; -and it was at last decided that it could mean nothing but the picture -of the Madonna by Caldara, surnamed Caravaggio from his birthplace, -venerated at Milan. Domenika could not leave her herds to go to Milan, -and she was perplexed how to obey the vision. In her simple faith she -addressed her prayer on high for further direction, and once more the -heavenly sight was vouchsafed to her, and it was explained that the -Madonnabild meant was not that of Milan, but the one in the little -field-chapel of S. Anna, near Montanaga. Domenika did not fail to -go there the next festival on which it was open, the Ascension Day, -which was, that year, May 26. Above the faint light of the tapers -tempered by the incense clouds, and amid the chanted litanies of the -choir, the fair Queen once more appeared to her in garments of gold, -and surrounded by a glittering train of attendants. Some months passed, -and though the people had wondered at the marvel, nothing had been done -to commemorate it; Domenika was kneeling, on September 8, the Nativity -of the Blessed Virgin, in the Chapel of S. Anna. A sound of soft -chanting broke on her ear, which she thought must be the procession of -the parish coming up the hill to pray for rain. But as it grew nearer, -the same heavenly radiance overspread the place, and once more she saw -the Virgin Mother; but this time she looked stern, for the great favour -of her visit had been overlooked, and she reasoned with Domenika on -the ingratitude it betokened. Domenika honestly outspoke her inward -cogitations on the subject--what could a poor cattle-herd do? It was -given her to understand that much might be done even by such a poor -peasant, if she exercised energy and devotion. With new strength and -determination, she girt herself for the task of building a shrine -over the spot so dear to her. At first she met with great ridicule -and scorn, but she pursued her way so steadily and so humbly, that -all were won to share her convictions. Offerings for the work began -to flow in. Those who had no money gave their corn, or their grapes, -their ornaments, and their very clothes. Year by year the new church -rose, according as she could collect the means; and at last, on May -26, 1751, she had the consolation of seeing the complete edifice -consecrated. It is a neat cruciform building, sixty-three feet long -and fifty-three feet wide, with three marble altars, on one of which -is a copy of the Madonna di Caravaggio of Milan painted by Jakob -Moser after he had made three pilgrimages to the original. I was -not able to ascertain what was supposed to have been intended in the -first instance by calling the old picture in S. Anna's field-chapel -the Madonna di Caravaggio. Possibly the little Milanese town, which -has given two painters to fame, had produced some 'mute inglorious' -'Caravaggio,' who painted the earlier picture. The commemoration of -Domenika's vision is celebrated every year in Val Pinè by pilgrimages -on May 26 when the most striking gatherings of Tirolese costume are -to be observed there. - -Pergine is the first large village on returning into the main valley, -about six miles from Trent. It well deserves to be better known: -the neighbourhood is of great beauty, and the form of the surrounding -heights is well likened by the inhabitants to a theatre. The church, -built in 1500-45, is spacious and handsome, adorned in the interior -with red marble columns. In the churchyard are the remains of the -older church, where every Lent German sermons are still preached -for the benefit of the scattered German population, whose name for -the place is Persen. The German and Italian elements within the -village are blended with tolerable amity. From the fourteenth to the -sixteenth centuries, silver, copper, lead, and iron, were got out in -the neighbouring Fersinathal; and though the works are now nearly given -up, the Knappen then formed an important portion of the community. They -cast the bell as an offering to the church when building, and it -is still called the Knappinn--by the Italians canòppa. The chief -industry now is silk-spinning. The greatest ornament of the place -is the Schloss of the Bishop of Trent, which is well kept up, and -from the roof of which an incomparable view is obtained. Among the -peculiar customs of the place those concerning marriages deserve to -be recorded, as they tend to show the character of the people. Two -young men of the bridegroom's friends are selected for the office -of Brumoli so called; they have to carry, the one a barn-door fowl, -the other a spinning-wheel, before the bride as she goes to and from -church, to remind her of her household duties. After the wedding, -as she returns with her husband to his house the door is suddenly -closed as she approaches, and there is then carried on a dialogue, -according to an established form, between her and her husband's -mother--the latter requiring, and the former undertaking, that she -will prove herself God-fearing and domesticated; that she will be -faithful and devoted to her husband, and live in charity with all -his family. The little ceremony complete, the mother-in-law throws -wide the door, and receives her with open arms. - -On the south side of the valley, opposite Pergine, is the clear lake -of Caldonazzo, whose waters reflect the bright green chestnut woods -around it; it is the source of the Brenta, and one of the largest -lakes of Tirol; about three miles long, and half as broad. Count -Welfersheim, an Austrian general, and his adjutant, were drowned in -attempting to walk over the thin ice on it in March 1871. On a rugged -promontory jutting into its midst stands the most ancient sanctuary of -the neighbourhood, San Cristofero; once a temple to Saturn and Diana, -but adopted for a Christian church by the earliest evangelizers of -the valley, for which reason the produce of the soil and waters yet -pays tithe to the presbytery of Pergine. Other villages add to the -surrounding beauties of the lake, particularly Campolongo, with its -church of St. Teresa high above the green waters, and the church and -hermitage of San Valentin; the latter is now used for a roccolo, or -vogeltennen, by which numbers of birds of passage are caught on their -migrations. The land is very poor. To eke out their living, most of the -male inhabitants of the villages around are wont to go out every winter -as pedlars, with various small articles manufactured in the valley, and -with which they are readily trusted by those who stay behind. On their -return, which is always at Easter, they distribute honourably what they -have earned for each, deducting a small commission. So straightforward -and honourable are they, that though they have little idea of keeping -accounts, and the sums are generally made out with a bit of chalk on -the inn table, yet it is said that such a thing as a dispute over the -amounts is utterly unknown. The church of St. Hermes, at Calzeranica, -is reckoned the most ancient of the whole neighbourhood; remains -of an ancient temple, thought to have been to Diana of Antioch, -have been found when repairing it. In the forest behind Bosentino, -a neighbouring village, is a pilgrimage chapel called Nossa Signora -del feles; die h. Jungfrau vom Farrenkraut--St. Mary of the Fern. Some -two hundred years ago, Gianisello, a little dumb boy of Bosentino, who -was minding his father's herd in the forest, was visited by a bright -lady, who pointed to a tuft of fern growing under a chestnut tree, -and bid him go and tell the village people she would have them built -a chapel there. When the people heard the boy tell his story, who for -all the twelve years of his life had never spoken a word before, they -felt no doubt it was the Blessed Virgin he had seen. The chapel was -soon built, and furnished with a painting embodying the little boy's -story. In time of dearth, drought, epidemic, or other local calamity, -many are the processions which may yet be seen wending their prayerful -way to the chapel of St. Mary of the Fern. - -Among the wild and beautiful legends of this part of the valley is -a variant of one familiar in every land. A young swain, the maiden -of whose choice was called to an early grave, went wandering through -the chestnut groves calling for his beloved, till he grew weary with -crying, and laid him down in a cave to rest. A sweet sleep visited him, -and he found himself in it at home as of old in the Valle del Orco, -[208] with his Filomena on his arm; he led her to the village church, -and the silver-haired pastor gave the marriage blessing, while all -the village prayed around. He brought Filomena home to his old house, -alle Settepergole, [209] his dear old father and mother welcomed her, -and she brought sunshine into the cottage; and when they were called -away the old walls were yet not without life and joy, for it resounded -to the voice of the prattling little ones. The little ones grew up -into stalwart lads and lasses, who earned homesteads of their own, and -erewhile brought another tribe of prattling little ones to his knee; -while Filomena smiled a bright sunshine over all, and they were so -happy they prayed it might never end: but one day it seemed that the -sunshine of Filomena's smile was not felt, for she was no longer there; -then all grew pale and cold, and with a sudden chill he woke. It was -grey morning as he rose from the cave; the cattle were lowing as they -were led out to pasture; he looked out towards the chestnut groves, -and watched in their waving foliage the strange effect which had -been the charm of his childhood, looking like rippled ocean pouring -abroad its flood. [210] But when he reached the village the sights -and sounds were no more so familiar: the old church tower was capped -with a steeple, of which he never saw the like; the folk he met by -the way were all strangers, and stared at him as at one who comes -from far. He wandered up and down all the day, and everything was yet -strange. At evening the men came back from the fields, and again they -gazed at him estranged: once he made bold to ask them for 'Zansusa,' -the companion of his boyhood, but they shrugged their shoulders with -a 'Chè Zansusa?' and passed on. He asked again for 'Piero,' almost -as dear a friend, and they pointed to a 'Piero' with not one feature -like his Peter. Once again he asked for 'Franceschi,' and they pointed -to a grave, where his name was written indeed--'Franceschi,' who but -the day before had walked with him in full life and health, to hang -a fresh wreath on Filomena's cross! Ah! there was Filomena's cross, -but how changed was that too! the bright gilding, on which his savings -had been so willingly lavished, was tarnished and weather-worn, and -not a leaf of his garland remained round it. He wandered no further, -nor sought to fathom the mystery more; he knelt on the only spot of -earth that had any charm for him. As his knees touched the hallowed -soil consoling thoughts of her undying affection overflowed him. 'Here -we are united again,' he said; 'in a little while we shall be united -for ever.' 'At last have I found thee! these fifty years I have sought -thee in vain!' The moonbeam kissed his forehead as he looked up, and -the moonbeam bore her who had spoken. A fair form she wore, but still -it was not the form of Filomena. 'Who are you, and wherefore sought -you me?' he asked. 'I am Death,' replied the pale maiden, 'and for -fifty years I have sought thee to lead thee to Filomena.' She beckoned -as she spoke, and willingly he followed her whither the moonbeam led. - -The village of Caldonazzo, with its ancient castle, is another -ornament of the lake. Further south is the village of Lavarone, -or Lafraun, accessible only to the pedestrian. A house close to the -edge of a little lake here is pointed out, which in olden time was -the residence of two brothers, the owners of the meadow over which -the lake is now spread. These two could never agree; their strife -grew from day to day, till at last one night they called each other -out to settle their quarrels once for all by mortal combat. The -noise of the strife within had made them oblivious to the strife -of the elements which was waging without. The gust which entered as -the eldest turned to open the cottage door, and the blinding rain, -drove them back; even their fierce passions seemed mastered by the -fiercer fury without. In silence they returned into the room, and -neither cared to raise his voice amid the angry voices of the storm, -which now made themselves heard solemnly indeed. In sullen silence they -passed the night, and during the silence there was time for reflection; -each would have been glad to have backed out of the promised fight, -but neither had the courage to propose a reconciliation. Sullenly they -rose with the morning light; the pale gold rays rested on the trees, -now calm and tranquil, and both shuddered to carry their vengeance -out on to the fair scene; but neither dared speak, and once more the -eldest opened the door. This time it was not the rain descending from -above which drove him back; it was the flood rising from beneath! The -Centa torrent had overflowed. The disputed meadow had become a lake, -and with their united efforts they scarcely kept the waters banked -out. The community of labour, of danger, and of distress, ended the -strife; and though their worldly possessions were lost to them for -ever, they had found a greater boon, the bond of fraternal charity. - -I must pass over Levico, near which the Brenta has its source, and the -intervening villages; but Borgo di Val Sugan' demands our attention -for its beautiful situation. The view over both may be enjoyed by -mountain climbers from the neighbouring height of Vezzena. Borgo is -commonly called the Italian Meran, for its likeness with that favourite -watering-place. Its buildings extend over both sides of the Brenta, -being united by a massive stone bridge, built in 1498. Those on the -left bank were nearly destroyed by fire in 1862, but the rebuilding -has been carried on with great spirit. Its ecclesiastical buildings do -not date far back; the rebuilding of the parish church in 1727 nearly -obliterated all traces of the earlier edifice; its chief glories are -three paintings it possesses, one by Titian's brother, one by Karl -Loth, and one by Rothmayr. The fine campanile was added in 1760. There -is also a Franciscan convent, but it does not date back further than -1603, there is the following curious tradition of its origin. - -The Sellathal leading to Sette Comuni, is narrowed by two mighty -cliffs--the Rochetta on the south, and the Grolina on the north, -adorned with the ruined Castel San Pietro, [211] seemingly perched -above all human reach. On a green knoll beneath it stand the lordly -remains of Castel Telvana; its frescoes are now nearly faded away, -only a room here and there is habitable; but its enduring walls and -towers show of what strength it was in the days long gone by--days -such as those in which Anna, wife of Siccone di Caldonazzo, defended it -with so much spirit against all the might of Friedrich mit der leeren -Tasche, that she obtained the right to an honourable capitulation. It -was bought by the Counts of Welsburg in 1465, and henceforth it became -an abode of pleasure rather than a mere fortress. Count Sigmund von -Welsburg, who was its master towards the end of the sixteenth century, -was particularly disposed to make his residence in their midst a boon -to the inhabitants of Borgo, and entered heartily into all the pastimes -of the people. It happened thus that the Carneval procession of the -year 1598 was invited to take the Castel Telvana for its bourne; -and that the women might not be fatigued by the ascent, the Count -gallantly provided them all with horses from his own stud. The valley -resounded with merriment as they wended their way up in their varied -and fantastic attire. Arrived at the castle, good cheer was provided, -which none were slow to turn to account, and the return was commenced -in no less boisterous humour. At the most precarious spot of the -giddy declivity, the courage of the foremost rider forsook her; -the Count's high-couraged charger, which she bestrode, perceiving -the slackened pressure on the rein, grew nervous and bewildered too, -and uneasy to find himself for the first time subjected to devious -guidance. The indecision of the first fair cavalier alarmed her -sister, who followed next behind--a shriek was the expression of the -alarm, which communicated itself to the next rider, and in a moment -a panic had possessed the whole cavalcade, or nearly the whole; for -the few who here and there still retained their presence of mind -were powerless to make those before them advance, or to keep back -the threatening tramp of those behind. The Count saw the danger, -and the one remedy. First registering a vow, that if he succeeded -in his daring enterprise he would build a convent to the honour of -God and St. Francis, he set out along the brink of the narrow track, -where there was scarce a foot-breadth between him and the abyss, past -the whole file of the snorting horses and their terrified burdens. He -had this in his favour, that every denizen of his stable recognised -him as he went by, and his presence soothed their chafing. Arrived -at last safely at the head of the leading steed, his hand on its -mane was enough to restore its confidence; securely he led it to -the full end of the dangerous pass, and all the others followed in -docile order behind. The Count did not forget his vow, nor would he -in his gratitude allow any other hand to diminish the outlay he had -undertaken. The convent buildings are now in part turned to secular -uses, though part is also used for a hospital, where all the sick of -the town are freely tended. In the church is an altarpiece of Lazarus -begging at the gate of Dives, by Lorenzo Fiorentini, a native artist. - -The pass I have mentioned between the Rochetta and the Grolina--the -importance of which as a defence was not unknown to the Romans, of -whose remains the town possesses a considerable collection dug up -at different times--was not without its share of work in the French -invasions of 1796 and 1809. In the former, a handful of Tirolese -successfully repulsed five hundred of the enemy in an obstinate -encounter of three hours' duration. In the latter, the place was -attacked by tenfold greater numbers. General Ruska was so infuriated, -not only by their determined and galling fire, but by the derisive -shouts and gestures of the mountaineers, who carried their daring -so far as to fling the dead bodies of the soldiers they had killed -down under the wheels of his carriage, that he ordered the pillage -and destruction of the town. His guns were ready planted to pour out -their murderous fire, when the parish priest, heading a procession -of aged house-fathers, came to implore him to spare their homes. At -the same moment news was brought him that two Austrian battalions were -advancing with dangerous haste. One or other of the considerations thus -urged effected the deliverance of the town, which was only required -to buy itself off at the price of a large supply of provisions. - -Borgo has further advantage of the mineral spring of Zaberle, and a -creditable theatre. Silk-spinning is again the chief industry of the -place; and there are several so-called Filatoriums, employing a great -number of hands. The most remarkable excursions in the neighbourhood -are to the deserted hermitage of San Lorenzo and the stalactite caves -of Costalta, both in the Sellathal, whence there is a path leading -to the curiously primitive and typically upright community of the -Sette Comuni. - -Pursuing the valley further in its easterly course, I must not omit to -mention Castelalto, not only remarkable for its share in the mediæval -history of Tirol, but for being still well kept up. At Strigno, -one of the largest hamlets of the valley, is another ancient castle, -which after its abandonment in the fourteenth century acquired the -name of Castelrotto. The parish church, rebuilt in 1827, contains a -Madonna del Rosario by Domenichino; and a Mater Dolorosa in Carrara -marble, by the Venetian sculptor Melchiori. This is the generally -adopted starting-place for the Cima d'Asta, the highest peak of -the Trentino (8,561 feet), and commanding a panorama of exceptional -magnificence. Under favourable circumstances it is reached within -thirty hours, sleeping in the open at Quarazza. The interest of -the way is heightened by two considerable lakes; the lower, that of -Quarazza, closed in by wall-like cliffs, is fed by a cascade from -the higher lake, which receives several torrents. Near the summit -is a garnet quarry. Just below Strigno is another inhabited castle, -that of Ivano, belonging to the Count of Wolkenstein-Trostburg, who -makes it a summer residence. The church is dedicated to S. Vindemian; -near it was once a hermitage. Further down the valley is Ospedaletto, -famous in border warfare, and once a hospice for travellers, served by -monks, still a mountain-inn with a chapel attached. Grigno has another -once-important castle. S. Udalric, Bishop of Augsburg, had occasion to -pass through the village on his way to Rome in the time of Pope Sergius -III. (A.D. 904-11), and left behind him so profound an impression -of his sanctity, that the devotion of the people to his memory has -never diminished. In the eleventh century a chapel was built in his -honour, with the picturesque instinct of the people of that date, -on the steep way leading to Castel Tesino. It was always kept in good -condition till 1809, when it was desecrated by the French soldiery. It -was restored within ten years, and a rustic piazza in front planted -with lime trees, which have at the present time attained considerable -dimensions. In July 1869, processions consisting of more than four -thousand villagers met at this shrine, to pray for deliverance from -the heavy rains, which were causing the inundation of their homesteads. - -From Grigno there is a path which few persons however will be tempted -to follow, across the so-called Canal San Bovo, to Primiero, a country -which has already been so ably laid open to the tourist that I need -not attempt a fresh description of its beauties. If any one penetrates -its recesses as far as the village of Canal San Bovo, I think they -will not be sorry to have been advised to ask for a certain Virginia -Loss, who has a touching story to tell them of her adventures. On -a stormy day, the last of October 1869, she was making her way, -though only thirteen, with her mother and another woman, along the -dangerous path leading hither from the Fleimserthal, following their -occupation of carriers. They had passed Panchià and Ziano, and were -in the midst of the verdant tract known as the Sadole. The fierce -wind that blew exhausted her poor mother's strength, and she saw no -help but to lay down her burden by the way, and try to reach home -with bare life. Domenica Orsingher, the other woman, however, who had -already got on a good way beyond her, no sooner learned what she had -done than, considering what a loss it must be to her, with a humble -heroism went back to fetch the pack intending to carry it in addition -to her own! The next day some men travelling by the same path found -her body extended by the wayside. She had died of cold and exhaustion. - - - The land is strong with such as these, - Her heroes' destined mothers. - - -Further along they found Elisabetta Loss and her daughter huddled -together. On carrying the bodies to Cauria they succeeded in reviving -only the child. Virginia has a tragic story to tell of; of how her -mother sank to her rest, and her own unavailing and inexperienced -efforts to call her to life; then the horror of the approaching -night, the snow storm in which she expected to be covered up and -lost to sight, yet had not strength to move away; and, worst of all, -the circling flight of crows and ravens which she spent her last -energies in driving with her handkerchief from her mother's face; -and yet the presence of death, solitude and helplessness, made the -approach of even those rapacious and ill-omened companions seem almost -less unwelcome. The insensibility which ensued was probably the most -welcome visitant of all. - -Le Tezze is a smaller village than Grigno, but one that has done good -service to the patriotic cause, having many a time stayed the advance -of invading hosts; and never more successfully than in the latest -Garibaldian attempt on the Trentino, upon the cession of Venice by -Austria after Sadowa. The tombs of the bold mountaineers who fell -while driving back the tenfold numbers opposed to them are to be -seen appropriately ranged along the stony declivity they defended so -well. These graves are yearly visited by their brethren on the 14th -of August. - - - They fell devoted and undying, - The very gale their deeds seems sighing; - The waters murmur forth their name, - The woods are peopled with their fame, - The silent pillar, lone and gray, - Claims kindred with their sacred clay. - - -Le Tezze is the last Tirolean village of the valley, and the seat of -the Austrian custom-house against Italy. On the other side of this -frontier is the interesting Italian town of Primolano, whence there -is an easier way into Primiero-thal than by crossing the Canal San -Bovo. Val Sugana retains more of the German element than any other -district of Wälsch-Tirol. - - - -Judicarien or Giudicaria bifurcates westwards and south-westwards from -the Etschthal opposite Val Sugana. Its first (south-west) division -is called the Sarcathal and reaches to the Lago di Garda. Though no -part of the beautiful Italian lake actually belongs to Tirol the town -of Riva overlooks it; the country round is most productive in wine, -silk, lemons, figs, and other fruits. Its pleasant climate, the warmest -in all Tirol, is due not only to its southern latitude, but also to -its being the lowest land of the principality. Innsbruck is 1,820 -feet above the sea-level, Riva but 220. From the western division of -Giudicaria there branch out northwards Val Rendena, north-westwards -Val Breguzzo and Val Daone, and southwards Val Bona. The Val di Ledro -or Lederthal, forms a parallel return towards the Garda-See. Here an -attempt at invasion headed by Garibaldi was repulsed by the Innsbruck -Student-brigade in 1866 at a pass called Bezzecca. - -Giudicaria is little explored yet it contains some choice scenery and -traditions. Castel Madruzz, which can be visited from Trent, is one -of its most ancient and important castles. From the twelfth to the -seventeenth century, the family which inhabited it and bore its name -takes a foremost place in Tirol's history. In the church are shown the -portraits of seven of the family ascribed to Titian. From 1530 to 1658 -four of its members occupied the See of Trent, and were successively -invested with the Cardinalitial dignity. Cardinal Karl Madruzz became -the last of his house. All his kindred having died without heirs, he -applied to Rome for permission to marry--a dispensation which we have -seen once before accorded in favour of a Tirolese prince. Cardinal -Madruzz preferred his suit successively before Urban VIII., Innocent -X., and Alexander VII., and at last obtained it, coupled with the -proviso that he should only marry in his own station. As this did -not accord with his intentions, the favour so tardily granted was -never acted on. This fine castle had fallen into sad neglect but -it is being restored. From its deserted terraces a glorious view is -obtained, which takes in the two lakes of Toblino to the north, and -Cavedine to the south, both being fed by the same torrents. Round -the Lago di Cavedine lie the flowery slopes which bear the name of -Abraham's Garden. The Lake of Toblino is broken into by a picturesque -promontory, bearing the castellated villa of the Prince-Bishops of -Trent; though on flat ground, the round turrets at the angles with -their pointed caps afford a wonderful relief to the landscape. The -village is called Sta. Massenza, from the mother of S. Vigilius, who -died here in the odour of sanctity, 381. Her relics were translated -to Trent, 1120. At the foot of the height on which stands Schloss -Madruzz is a double chapel, on the model of the Holy House of Loreto, -the legend being inscribed on the walls. - -At the westernmost reach of Giudicaria, the Rendenathal branches -off towards Val di Sole. It was the cradle of the evangelization of -Tirol, for here S. Vigilius suffered martyrdom, 405, and the valley -is rife with traditions of him. He appears to have been stirred -with zeal for the propagation of the faith at a very early age; and -his piety and earnestness were so apparent that he was consecrated -Bishop of Trent at the age of twenty. He made many conversions, -and built a church to SS. Gervasius and Protasius, A.D. 375. But -he was not content with establishing the faith here, and sending -out missionaries hence; he would wander himself on foot through -all the valleys where paganism still lurked, overturning idols and -building Christian sanctuaries--more than thirty trace their origin -to his work. Nowhere did he meet with so much opposition as in the -Rendenathal, which was the last to accept the yoke of Christ. But he -was untiring in his apostolic labours, nor could he rest while one -token of a false religion remained erect. It is not to be supposed -that, though he made many fervent converts, he effected all this -without also exciting the opposition and fury of those whose teaching -he had come to supersede. Yet though many were the snares set for him, -no conspiracy against him succeeded till he had cast down the last -idol. It was at Mortaso, one of the remotest villages of this secluded -dell, he stood announcing the 'glad tidings' of the Gospel from the -pedestal of the image he had overthrown, and the population crowded -round, earnestly garnering in his words. He had left off preaching, -and just raised his hands in benediction, when a body of heathen men -and women, who had long determined to compass his end, rushed upon the -scene from the surrounding grove, and stoned him with the fragments -of the image he had overthrown. His hearers would have defended him, -but he knew that his hour was come, for his work was accomplished; -and forbidding all strife, he knelt down, and folding his arms on his -breast meekly rendered up his spirit, while his constancy won many to -the faith. His disciples reverently gathered his remains and bore them -to Trent; but as soon as his murderers were aware of their intent, -they set out to follow them. The Christian party, delayed by the -weight of their burden, found that their pursuers were fast gaining -ground. In this strait, says the legend, they called upon the rocky -wall before them-- - - - Apritevi, O sassa, - Che S. Vigilio passa, - - -and behold before them suddenly appeared a cleft in the rock, -through which they passed in safety, and which is pointed out to this -day. Another narrow cleft is pointed out near Cadine, which is said -to have been rent asunder at his bidding, when once, at an earlier -stage of his labours, he deemed it right to flee from those who would -have taken his life. The Acqua della Vela now passes through it, -and a dent is shown which is said to mark the place where the saint -impressed his hand on the obedient stone. It was this suggested to -the bearers of the bier to make a similar appeal on behalf of his -relics. It is commonly reported that in Mortaso the bread never rises -properly; and they couple with it this tradition, that when the pieces -of the broken idol sufficed not for all who would attack the saint, -the women brought out loaves from the oven to complete the work. - -The Rendenathal also preserves the memory of S. Julian, called also -Sent Ugiano and San Zulian in local dialect. His legend says he -lived with his parents in an outlying house. On one occasion, at the -time of day when they were usually at work in the fields, he heard -the sound of persons entering the house, and turned and slew them, -and only found afterwards that it was his parents whose lives he -had taken. [212] Struck with horror he devoted himself to a life of -penance, and made a vow to live so far from the habitations of men -that he should no more hear the cheerful crowing of the cock or the -holy chime of the church bells. After his death the people found that -angels had planted roses on his grave which bloomed in winter, and -they observed that no venomous reptile ever rested on it, while earth -taken from it cured their sting. So they built a chapel in his honour -on the border of the little lake which bears his name, at the opening -of Val Génova. Another interesting church in the same locality is that -of Caresolo. Its exterior walls are adorned with frescoes bearing date -1519, and inside is an inscription recording that it was restored by -the munificence of Charles Quint. At Pelugo, near Tione, where the -Rendenathal branches off, he found the castle in possession of a Jew, -and so indignant was he to find a once Christian fortress so occupied, -that he had him immediately ejected and the place exorcised. Here, as -also at Massimeno and Caderzone, all inconsiderable mountain villages, -new churches were consecrated during the Bishop of Trent's visitation -in August 1869, showing that the spirit of S. Vigilius had not died -out. In the Pfarrkirche at Condino is a Muttergottesbild, presented -in 1620 by a parishioner who averred he had seen it shed tears. Of -the church of Campiglio the legend runs, that when it was building, -the people being much distressed by a dearth, and their means hardly -sufficing, the angels used to bring stone, wood, and other materials -in the night; and one pillar is pointed out which was raised before -the eyes of the builders in broad day by invisible hands. The inn -here occupies a hospice built by the Templars, hence its imposing -appearance. Colini, who was locally called the Hofer of Wälsch-Tirol, -for his brave leadership of his countrymen in 'the year nine,' kept -it till his death in 1862. At Pinzolo is a thriving glass-house, -supported by Milanese capital and Venetian art and industry. - -Riva, at the head of the Garda-See, is one of the most charming spots -in Tirol. Its German name of Reif is not a mere corruption of the -Italian name; it is an old German word, having the same signification, -of a shore. The parish church is a really handsome edifice, and a -great ornament to the town and neighbourhood. Outside the town is -a curious octagonal church of the Immaculate Conception, built to -enclose a wonder-working picture of the Blessed Virgin, by Cardinal -Karl von Madruzz, who also founded a House of Friars Minor to attend -to the spiritual necessities of the many pilgrims who came to visit -it. The churches of S. Roch and S. Sebastian were built on occasion -of visitations of the plague in 1522 and 1633. The neighbourhood -supplies the whole of Tirol with twigs of olive to use in the office -of Palm Sunday, and all kinds of southern produce grow on the banks -of the lake. It was long considered the highest latitude at which the -olive-tree would grow, but it has since been successfully cultivated -as far north as Botzen. In order to gain a full enjoyment of the -beautiful scenery around, the Altissimo di Nago should be ascended -by all who have the courage for a six or seven hours' climb. From -San Giacomo, however, where there is a poor Wirthshaus and chapel, -reached in not more than two hours, the scene at sunrise is one of -inconceivable beauty. Behind are ranges beyond ranges and peaks beyond -peaks of lordly alps. Before you lies the blue Lago di Garda, and the -vast Lombard plains studded with fair cities, amid which you will not -fail to distinguish Milan, which some optical illusion brings so near -that it seems it would take but an easy morning's walk to reach it. - -On the way hence to Mori, at about half distance, lies Brentonico, -with a new church perched picturesquely as a mediæval one on a bold -scarped rock. The old parish church has a fine crypt. The Castello -del Dosso Maggiore is a noble ruin. There is a bridge over a deep -defile in the outskirts, called the Ponte delle strege--the Witches' -Bridge--being deemed too daring for human builders. Mori, though -named from its mulberry trees, is more famed for its tobacco, which -is reckoned the best grown in Tirol. - -Wälsch-Tirol has many traditions, customs and sayings, which differ -from those of the rest of the Principality, more resembling those of -Italy, and some of which it cannot be fanciful to trace back to an -Etruscan connection. Some bear the impress of the Roman occupation, -and all are strung together by an overpowering Germanic influence. - -The most prominent group--and their special home, I am assured, -clusters round the Dolomite mountains--are those concerning certain -beings called 'Salvan' and 'Gannes;' and traditions about 'Orco.' A -local collector of such lore, to whom I am chiefly indebted for -the above fact, is inclined to identify the 'Salvan' with 'Orco;' -but I think it can be shown that they are distinct ideas. Both are -only ordinarily, not always malicious, but the 'Salvan' is one of a -number of sprites, Orco has the dignity of being one by himself. The -Salvan in some respects takes the place of the wild man of the North, -and of the satyr whom I also found called in Rome 'salvatico' and -'selvaggio.' [213] 'Orco' clearly takes the place of Orcus in Italy; -and that of the 'Teufel' in German legend. Yet so are the traditions -of neighbouring peoples intermingled, that the Germans, not content -with their own devil, have sprightly imitations of Orco in their 'Nork' -and Lorg, softened in the intermediate Deutsch Tirol into Norg. [214] -In Norway the same appellation is found, hardened into Nök, Neck, Nikr, -[215] which seems to bring us round to our own 'Old Nick;' for in -Iceland he is 'Knikur,' and, perhaps, he gave his name to Orkney. [216] - -It is curious, in tracing the seemingly undoubtable connection between -the Norg and Orco, to observe that though the Norg possesses almost -invincible strength, and often prevails against giants, yet in stature -he is always a dwarf, while Orco himself is considered a giant. But -then it is the one essential characteristic of Orco which forms -the link between all conceptions of him, whether men call him Orco, -Nork, or Nyk, that he is a deceiver ever; a liar from the beginning; -whenever he appears it is continually under some ever-changing, -not-to-be-expected form, and only the wise guess what he is before it -is too late. [217] Thus it happened to two young lads of Mori, who had -been up the mountains to visit their sweet-hearts, and coming back, -they met Orco prowling about after his manner when all good people are -safe in bed asleep--this time in the form of an ass. The Mori lads, -never thinking but that it was a common ass, jumped on its back. They -soon found out their mistake, for Orco quickly resented their want -of discrimination, and cantered off with them past an old building -which had once been a prison, and skilfully chucked them both in at -the window. It was some days before they contrived to crawl out again, -and not till they were nearly starved. - -But we have in English another affinity with 'Orco,' besides 'Old -Nick;' we have seen him take the place of our 'ogre' in deed as well as -in name in the Roman fairy tales, and in Italy he is also the bugbear -of the nursery which we have almost literally in 'Old Bogey.' And now -Mr. I. Taylor has found another affinity for him if he be justified -in identifying our 'ogre' with "the Tatar word, 'ugry,' a thief." [218] - -To return to Orco's place in Tirol, we find his name assumes nearly as -many transliterations as his external appearance assumes changes. In -Vorarlberg they have a Dorgi or Doggi (i being the frequent local -abbreviation for the diminutive lein,--klein), there considered as one -personation of the devil. The Doggi spreads over part of Switzerland, -and overflows into Alsace as the Doggele. [219] In the zone of Tirol -where the Italian and German elements of the population mingle, there -is a class of mischievous irrepressible elfs called Orgen; soft, -and round, and small, like cats without head or feet, who establish -themselves in any part of a house performing all sorts of annoyances, -but who are as afraid of egg-shells as the Norgs in other parts are -said to be. Their chief home is in the Martelthal, south of Schlanders -in the Vintschgau, and their name is devoted to the brightly shining -peak seen from it--the Orgelspitz. In the Passeyer, on the north side -of the Vintschgau, they go by the name of Oerkelen. - -Since we have seen him, too, divested of his 'r' in Doggi from -Vorarlberg to Alsace, and the Germans have already given him an L in -Lorg, he assumes a mysterious likeness to Loki himself, and as a sample -of how elastic is language, and how misleading are mere sounds, though -for no other purpose, it might be said, we had found in this Doggi -a relation of the dog who guards the entrance to the regions of Orcus! - -The Salvan and Gannes, as described by the local observer above -alluded to, seem to partake very much of the character of the good -and evil genii of the Etruscans, though the traditions that remain -of them refer almost exclusively to their action on this side the -grave. 'Their Etruscan appellation,' says Mr. Dennis, 'is not yet -discovered;' [220] when it is, it will be very satisfactory if it has -any analogy with 'Gannes.' [221] The Gannes were gentle, beauteous, -beneficent beings, delighting in being helpful to those they took -under their protection; harmful to none. The Salvans were hideous, -wild, and fierce, delighting in mischief and destruction, with fiery -serpents for their chief companions. They seem to have done all the -mischief they could as long as their sway lasted, but they were scared -by advancing civilization; and I have a ludicrous description of how -they stood gazing down in stupid wonderment from their Dolomite peaks, -when the first ploughs were brought into use in the valleys. - -Schneller, who with all his appreciation of Wälsch-Tirol, looks at -its traditions too much through German spectacles, gives us some -little account of these beings too. [222] - -He has also a 'Salvanel,' who seems a male counterpart of his -Gannes, helpful and soft-natured, with no vice save a tendency to -steal milk. In return he teaches mankind to make butter and cheese, -and other useful arts, and is specially kind to little children; his -name bears some relation with the local word for the 'Jack-'o-lantern' -reflection from glass or water. But he found also the 'Salvan' in his -pernicious character under the names of 'Bedelmon,' 'Bildermon,' and -'Salvadegh.' But the most pernicious spirit that came in his way was -the 'Beatrik,' who is an unmitigated fury, [223] and the natural enemy -and antagonist of a gentle, helpful, beauteous spirit called Angane, -Eguane, and Enguane, but possessed with his German ideas, he saw in the -being so designated nothing but 'a witch, or perhaps a fairy-natured -being.' [224] In another page he pairs them off more fairly with the -'Säligen Fräulein' of Germany. Here is a story of their ways which -was given me, but I do not know if it was founded on his at page 215, -or independently collected:--A young woodman was surprised one day -to meet, in the midst of his lonely toil, a beautiful maiden, who -nodded to him familiarly, and bid him 'good day' with more than common -interest. Nor did her conversation end with 'good day;' she found -enough to prattle about till night fell; and then, though the young -woodman had been sitting by her side instead of attending to his work, -he found he had a bigger faggot to carry home than he had ever made up -with all his day's labour before. 'That was a sweet maiden, indeed,' -he mused on his way home. 'And yet I doubt if she is all right. But -her talk showed she was of the right stuff to make a housewife; but -then Maddalena, what will she say? ha! let her say what she will, she -won't stand comparing with her! I wonder if I shall see her again! And -yet I don't think she's altogether right, either.' So he mused all -through the lonely evening, and all through the sleepless night; -and his first thought in the morning was of whether he should meet -that strange maiden again in the wood. In the wood he did meet her, -and again she wiled away the day with her prattle; and again and again -they met. Maddalena sat at home weeping over her spinning-wheel, and -wondering why he came no more to take her for a walk; but Maddalena -was forgotten, and one day it was her fate to see her former lover -and the strange maiden married in the parish church. The woodman was -not surprised to find his seiren the model of a wife. The house was -swept so clean, the clothes so neatly mended, the butter so quickly -churned, that though all the villagers had been shy of the strange -maiden, none could deny her excellent capacity. The woodman was very -well satisfied with his choice; but as he had always a misgiving -that there was something not quite right with her, he could not help -nervously watching every little peculiarity. It was thus he came -to notice that it was occasionally her custom to lay her long wavy -tresses carefully outside the bedclothes at night; he thought this odd, -and determined to watch her. One night, when she thought him asleep, -and he was only feigning, he observed that she took a little box -of salve from under her pillow, and rubbing it into her hair, said, -Schiva boschi e schiva selva (shun woods and forests), and then was -off and away in a trice. Determined to follow her, he took out the box -of salve, and rubbing it into his hair, tried to repeat her saying, -but he did not recall it precisely, and said instead, Passa boschi -e passa selvi (away through woods and forests), and away he went, -faster than he liked, while his clothes and his skin were torn by -the branches of the trees. He came, however, to the precincts of a -great palace, where was a fresh green meadow, on which were a number -of kine grazing, and some were sleek and well-favoured, while some -were piteously lean; and yet they all fed on the same pasture. The -palace had so many windows that it took him a long while to count -them, and when he had counted them he found there were three hundred -and sixty-five. He climbed up and looked in at one of them--it was -the window of a great hall, where a number of Enguane were dancing, -and his wife in their midst. When he saw her, he called out to her; -but when she heard his voice, instead of coming she took to flight, -nor could he overtake her with all his strength for running. At last, -after pursuing her for three days, he came to the hut of a holy hermit, -who asked him wherefore he ran so fast; and when he had told him, the -hermit bid him give up the chase, for an Enguane was not a proper wife -for a Christian man. Then the woodman asked him to let him become a -hermit too, and pass the remainder of his life under his guidance. To -this the hermit consented; so he built him a house, and they lived -together in holy contemplation. One day the woodman told the hermit of -what he had seen when he went forth to seek his wife; and the hermit -told him that the palace with three hundred and sixty-five windows -represented this temporal world, with its years of three hundred and -sixty-five days; but the fresh green meadow was the Church, in which -the Redeemer gave His Flesh for the food of all alike; but that while -some pastured on it to the gain of their eternal salvation, who were -represented by the well-favoured kine, there were also the perverse -and sinful, who eat to their own condemnation, and were represented -by the lean and distressed kine. [225] - -It is less easy to collect local traditions in Wälsch-Tirol than in -any other part of the principality, but legends and marvellous stories -exist in abundance; and so long as the institution of the Filò (or -out-house room where village gossips meet to spend their evenings in -silk-spinning and recounting tales) last, they will not be allowed to -die out: [226] it is said that there are some old ladies who can go on -retailing stories by the week together! And though by the nature of -the case these gatherings must consist almost exclusively of women, -yet it is thought uncanny not to have any man about the place; in -fact, that in such a case Froberte [227] is sure to play them some -trick. They narrate that once when this happened, one of the women -exclaimed, 'Only see! we have no man at all among us; let's be off, -or something will happen!' All rose to make their escape at the -warning, but before they had time to leave, a donna Berta knocked -and came in. 'Padrona! donna Berta dal nas longh,' [228] said all -the women together, trying to propitiate her by politeness; and the -nearest offered her a chair. 'Wait a little, and you'll see another -with a longer nose than I,' replied Froberte; and as she spoke, a -second donna Berta knocked and entered, to whom the women gave the -same greeting. 'Wait a bit, and you'll see another with a longer nose -than I,' said the second donna Berta; and so it went on till there -were twelve of them. Then the first said, 'What shall we be at?' To -which the second made answer, 'Suppose we do a bit of washing:' and -the others agreeing, they told the women to give them pails to fetch -water with; but the women, knowing that their intention was to have -suffocated them all in the wash-tubs, gave them baskets instead. Not -noticing the trick, they went down to the Etsch with the baskets to -fetch water, and when they found that all their labour was in vain, -they ran back in a great fury; but in the meantime the women had -all escaped to their home, and every one was safe in bed with her -husband. But a Froberte came to the window of each and cried, 'It is -well for you you have taken refuge with your husband!' The next night -the women were determined to pay off the brava Berta for the fright -they had had, so they got one of their husbands to hide himself in -the crib of the oxen; had he sat down with them, the Froberte would -not have come at all. Not seeing him, Froberte knocked and came in, -and they greeted her and gave her a chair, just as on the previous -night; and the whole twelve soon arrived. Before they could begin -their washing operations, however, the man sprang out of the crib, -and put them to flight with many hard blows; so that they did not -return for many a long day. The last day of Carneval was called il -giorno delle Froberte, probably because many wild pranks in which sober -people allow themselves to indulge on that day of licence were laid on -the shoulders of Mistress Bertha. But it is also said, that since the -sitting of the Holy Council of Trent, the power for mischief of these -elves has grown quite insignificant. Here are some few specimens of the -multifarious stories of the Filò. [229] Once there was a man and his -wife who had two daughters: one pretty, but vain and malicious; the -other ugly, but docile and pious. The mother made a favourite of the -pretty daughter, but set the ugly one to do all the work of the house; -and though she worked from morning to night, was never satisfied with -her. One day she sent her down to the stream to do the washing; but -the stream was swollen with the heavy rains, and had become so rapid -that it carried off her sister's shift. Not daring to go home without -it, she ran by the side of the stream, trying to fetch it back. All -her pains were vain; the stream went on tumbling and roaring till it -swelled out into a big river, and she could no longer even distinguish -the shift from the white foam on which it was borne along. At last, -hungry and weary, she descried a house, where she knocked with a -trembling hand, and begged for shelter. The good woman come to the -door, but advised her not to venture in, for the Salvan would soon be -home; but the child knew nothing about the Salvan, but a great deal -about the storm, and as one was brooding, and night coming on, she -crept in. She had not been long inside, when the Salvan came home, -also seeking shelter from the storm. 'What stink is this I smell of -Christian flesh?' he roared; and the child was too truthful to remained -concealed, and so came forward and told all her tale. The Salvan was -won by her artlessness, and not only allowed her a bed and a supper, -but gave her a basketful of as much fine linen as she could carry, -to make up for her loss. When her pretty sister saw what a quantity -of fine linen the Salvan had given her, she determined to go and beg -for some too; but when the Salvan saw her coming, he holloaed out, -'So you're the child who behaves so ill to your sister!' and he gave -her such a rude drubbing, that she went back with very few clothes -on that were not in rags. - - - -In selecting a specimen or two of the fiabe I will take first a group -going by the name of 'Zuam' or 'Gian dall' Orso' (Bear-Johnny), [230] -because the Wolf-boy group is a very curious one, and this is our -nearest approach to it, [231] though it deals with a bear-child and -not a wolf-child; [232] and because we have already found Orso and -Orco confounded in Italian folk-lore at Rome. The following is from -Val di Non:--A labourer and his wife had their little boy out with -them as they worked in the fields. A she-bear came out of the woods -and carried him off. She treated him well, however, and taught him -to be strong and hardy, and when he was twenty years old she sent -him to his parents. He had such an appetite that he eat them out -of house and home, and then he made his mother go and beg all over -the country till she had enough to buy him three hundredweight of -iron to make him a club. Armed with this club, he went forth to seek -fortune. In the woods he met a giant carrying a leaden club called -Barbiscat ('Cat's Beard'), and the two made friends went out together -till they met another giant, who carried a wooden club called Testa -di Molton ('Ram's Head'). They made friends and went out together -till they came to a house in a town where magicians lived. The giant -with Barbiscat knocked first, and at midnight a magician came out -and said, 'Earthworm, wherefore are you come?' then he of Barbiscat -was frightened and ran away. The next night the giant with Testa di -Molton knocked with the same result. But the third night Gian dall' -Orso himself knocked, and he had no fear, but when the magician came -out he knocked him down with many blows of his iron club, and went -to fetch the other two giants. When they returned no magician was -to be seen, only a trail of blood. They followed the trail till they -came to a deep pit, and Zuam dall' Orso made the giants let him down -by a rope. In a cave he found the wounded magician and three others -besides, by slaying whom he delivered a beautiful maiden. The giants -drew her up, but abandoned him. Then he saw a ring lying on the -ground, and when he took it up and rubbed it two Moors appeared and -asked him what he wanted. 'I want an eagle, to bear me up to earth,' -he said. So they brought him a big eagle, 'but,' said they, 'he must -be well fed the while.' So he bid them bring him two shins of beef, -and fed him well the while, and the eagle bore him to the king; who -finding he was the deliverer of his daughter, killed the two giants, -and gave him plenty of gold and silver, with which he went back to -his home and lived happily and in peace,--a very homely termination, -welcome to the mountaineer's mind. In the Lederthal version he was so -strong at two years old that he lifted up the mountain under which the -bear's den was, and ran back to his mother; but at school he killed -all the children, and knocked down the teacher and the priest, and -was sent to prison. Here he lifted the door off its hinges, and went -to the judge, and made him give him a sword, with which he went forth -to seek fortune. With the two companions picked up by the wayside, who -for once do not play him the trick of leaving him below in the cave, he -delivers three princesses, and all are made happy. In another version, -where he is called 'Filomusso the Smith,' and is nurtured by an ass -instead of a bear, the provision of meat for feeding the eagle is -exhausted before he reaches the earth, and he heroically tears a piece -of flesh out of his own leg, and thus the flight can be completed. - -2. The following version of the story of Joseph and his Brethren is -quaint:--A king had three sons. The two elder were grown up, while -Jacob (the Italian is not given) was still quite small, and was his -father's pet. One day, when the king came back from hunting, he was -quite out of sorts because he had lost the feather (la penna dell' -uccello sgrifone) he was wont always to wear. When everyone had sought -for it in vain, little Jacob came to him, and bid him eat and be of -good cheer for he and his brothers would find the feather. The king -promises his kingdom to whichever of the three finds it. Little Jacob -finds the feather, and carries it full of joy to his brothers. The -brothers, jealous that he should have the kingdom, kill him and take -the feather to their father. A year after a shepherd finds little -Jacob's bones, and takes one of them to make a fife, but as soon as -he begins to play upon it the fife tells the whole story of the foul -play. The shepherd takes it to the king, who convicts his two sons, -has them put to death, and dies of grief. - -3. Here is a homely version of Oidipous and the Sphinx:--A poor man -owed a large debt and had nothing to pay it with. The rich man to -whom he owed it came to demand the sum, and found only the poor man's -little boy sitting by the hearth. 'What are you doing?' asked the -rich man. 'I watch them come and go,' replied the boy. 'Do so many -people come to you then?' enquired the rich man. 'No man,' replied -the boy. Not liking to own himself puzzled, the rich man asked again, -'Where is your father?' 'He's gone to plug a hole with another hole,' -replied the boy. Posed again, the rich man proceeded, 'And where's your -mother?' 'She's baking bread that's already eaten,' replied the boy. - -'You are either very clever or a great idiot,' now retorted the rich -man; 'will you please to explain yourself?' 'Yes, if you will reward -me by forgiving father his debt.' The rich man accepted the terms, -and the boy proceeded. - -'I'm boiling beans, and the bubbling water makes them seethe, and I -watch them come and go. My father is gone to borrow a sum of money -to pay you with, so to plug one hole he is making another. All the -bread we have eaten for a fortnight past was borrowed of a neighbour, -now mother is making some to pay it back with, so I may well say what -she is making is already eaten.' - -The rich man expressed himself satisfied, and the poor man was -delivered from the burden of his debt. - -4. A poor country lad once went out into the wide world to seek -fortune. As he went along he met a very old woman carrying a pail -of water, with which she seemed sadly overladen. The poor lad ran -after her, and carried it home for her. But she was an Angana, and to -reward him she gave him a dog and a cat, and a little silver ring, -which she told him to turn round whenever he was in difficulty. The -boy walked on, thinking little about the old woman's ring, and not -at all believing in its efficacy. When he got tired with his walking -he laid down under a tree, but he was too hungry to sleep. As he lay -tossing about he twirled the ring round without knowing what he was -doing, and suddenly an old woman appeared before him, just like the -one he had helped, and asked what he wanted of her. 'Something to eat -and drink,' was the ready and natural answer. He had hardly spoken it -when he found a table spread with good things before him. He made a -good meal, nor did he neglect to feed his dog and cat well; and then -they all had a good sleep. In the morning he reasoned, 'Why should I -journey further when my ring can give one all one wants?' So he turned -the ring round; and when the old woman appeared he asked for a house, -and meadows, and farming-stock, and furniture; and then he paused to -think of what more he could possibly desire; but he remembered the -lessons of moderation his mother had taught him, and he said, 'No, -it is not good for a man to have all he wants in this world.' So he -asked for nothing more, but set to work to cultivate his land. One -day when he was working on his land, a grand damsel came by with a -number of servants riding after her. The damsel had lost her way, -and had to ask him to lead her back to the right path. As they went, -she talked to him about his house and his means, and his way of life; -and before she had got to her journey's end they were so well pleased -with each other that she agreed to go back with him and marry him; -but it was the ring she was in love with rather than with him. They -were no sooner married than she got possession of the ring, and by -its power she ordered the farm-house to be changed into a palace, -and the farm-servants into liveried retainers, and all manner of -luxuries, and chests of coin. Nor was she satisfied with this. One -day, when her husband was asleep in a summer-house, she ordered it -to be carried up to the highest tip of a very high mountain, and the -palace far away into her own country. When he woke he found himself -all alone on the frightful height, with no one but the dog and cat, -who always slept the one at his head and the other at his feet. Though -he was an expert climber it was impossible to get down from so sharp a -peak, so he sat down and gave himself up to despair. The cat and dog, -however, comforted him, and said they would provide the remedy. They -clambered down the rugged declivity, and ran on together till they came -to a stream which puss could not cross, but the dog put her on his -back and swam over with her; and without further adventure they made -their way to the palace where their master's wife lived. With some -cleverness they manoeuvred their way into the interior, but into the -bed-room there seemed no chance of effecting an entrance. They paced -up and down hour by hour, but the door was never opened. At last, -when all was very still, a mouse came running along the corridor. The -cat pounced on the mouse, who pleaded hard for mercy in favour of -her seven small children. 'If I restore you to liberty,' said the -cat, 'you must do something for me in return.' The mouse promised -everything; and the cat instructed her to gnaw a hole in the door, -and fetch the ring out of the princess's mouth, where she made no -doubt she kept it at night for safety. The mouse kept her word, and -obeying her directions punctually, soon returned with the ring; and -off the cat and dog set on their return home, in high glee at their -success. It rankled, however, in the dog's mind, that it was the cat -who had all the glory of recovering the treasure; and by the time -they had got back to the stream he told her that if she would not -give him the satisfaction of carrying the ring the rest of the way, -he would not carry her over it. The cat would not accept his view, -and a fight ensued, in the midst of which the ring escaped them both -and fell into the water, where it was caught by a fish. The cat was in -despair, but the dog plunged in and seized the fish, and by regaining -the ring earned equal right to the merit of its recovery, and they -clambered together in amity. Their master was rejoiced to receive -his ring once more, and by its power he got back his homestead and -farm-stock, and sent for his mother to live with him, and all his life -through took great care of his faithful dog and cat; but the perverse -princess he ordered the ring to transfer in the summer-house to the -peak whither she would have banished him. When all this was set in -order he threw away the ring, because he said it was not well for a -man to have all his wishes satisfied in this world. [233] - -The following legend of St. Kümmerniss is very popular in -Tirol. Churchill, in his 'Titian's Country,' mentions a chapel on the -borders of Cadore and Wälsch-Tirol, where she is represented just as -there described, but he does not appear to have inquired into its -symbolism. There was once a heathen king who had a daughter named -Kümmerniss, who was fair and beautiful beyond compare. A neighbouring -king, also a heathen, sought her in marriage, and her father gave his -consent to the union; but Kümmerniss was distressed beyond measure, -for she had vowed in her own heart to be the bride of heaven. Of -course her father could not understand her motives, and to force her -to marry put her into a hard prison. From the depths of the dungeon -Kümmerniss prayed that she might be so transformed that no man should -wish to marry her; and in conformity with her devoted petition, -when they came to take her out of the prison they found that all -her beauty was gone, and her face overgrown with long hair like a -man's beard. When her father saw the change in her he was indignant, -and asked what had befallen her. She replied that He whom she adored -had changed her so, to save her from marrying the heathen king after -she had vowed herself to be His bride alone. 'Then shall you die, -like Him you adore,' was her father's answer. She meekly replied that -she had no greater desire than to die, that she might be united with -Him. And thus her pure life was taken a sweet sacrifice; and whoso -would like her be altogether devoted to God, and like her obtain their -petition from heaven, let them honour her, and cause her effigy to -be painted in the church. So many believed they found the efficacy of -her intercession, that they set up memorial images of her everywhere, -and in one place they set one up all in pure gold. A poor minstrel once -came by that way with his violin; and because he had earned nothing, -and was near starving, he stood before St. Kümmerniss and played his -prayer on his violin. Plaintive and more plaintive still grew his -beseeching notes, till at last the saint, who never sent any away -empty, shook off one of her golden shoes, and bid him take it for an -alms. The minstrel carried the golden shoe to a goldsmith, and asked -him to buy it of him for money; but the goldsmith, recognizing whence -it came, refused to have anything to do with sacrilegious traffic, -and accused him of stealing it. The minstrel loudly protested his -innocence, and the goldsmith as loudly vociferated his accusation, -till their clamour raised the whole village; and all were full of fury -and indignation at the supposed crime of the minstrel. As their anger -grew, they were near tearing him in pieces, when a grave hermit came -by, and they asked him to judge the case. 'If it be true that the man -obtained one shoe by his minstrelsy, let him play till he obtain the -other in our sight,' was his sentence; and all the people were so -pleased with it, that they dragged the minstrel back to the shrine -of St. Kümmerniss. The minstrel, who had been as much astonished as -anyone else at his first success, scarcely dared hope for a second, -but it was death to shrink from the test; so he rested his instrument -on his shoulder, and drew the bow across it with trembling hand. Sweet -and plaintive were the shuddering voice-like tones he sent forth before -the shrine; but yet the second shoe fell not. The people began to -murmur; horror heightened his distress. Cadence after cadence, moan -upon moan, wail upon wail, faltered through the air, and entranced -every ear and palsied every hand that would have seized him; till -at last, overcome with the intensity of his own passionate appeal, -the minstrel sank unconscious on the ground. When they went to raise -him up, they found that the second golden shoe was no longer on the -saint's foot, but that she had cast it towards him. When they saw that, -each vied with the other to make amends for the unjust suspicions -of the past. The golden shoes were restored to the saint; but the -minstrel never wanted for good entertainment for the rest of his life. - -'Puss in Boots' figures in the Folklore of Wälsch-Tirol as 'Il Conte -Martin della Gatta;' its chief point of variation is that no boots -enter into it at all, otherwise the action of the cat is as usual in -other versions. - -There is another class of stories in which the townspeople indulge at -the expense of the uninstructed peasants in outlying districts, and -which their extreme simplicity and naïveté occasionally justify. I -must not close my notice of the Volklore of Wälsch-Tirol without -giving some specimens of these. It may be generally observed that -stories which have no particular moral point, and are designed only -to amuse without instructing, are as frequent in the Trentino as they -are rare in the German divisions of Tirol. - -Turlulù [234] was such a simple boy that he could not be made to -do anything aright; and what was worst was, he thought himself so -clever that he would always go off without listening to half his -instructions. One day his mother sent him with her last piece of -money to buy a bit of meat for a poor neighbour; 'And mind,' she said, -'that the butcher doesn't give you all bone.' 'Leave that to me!' cried -Turlulù without waiting for an explanation; and off he went to the -town. The butcher offered him a nice piece of leg of beef. 'No, no, -there's bone to that,' cried Turlulù; 'that won't do.' The butcher, -provoked, offered him a lump of lights. Turlulù seeing it look so -soft, and no bone at all to it, went off with it quite pleased, but -of course the poor neighbour had to starve. When his mother found what -he had done, she was in great distress, for she had no money left; so -she sent him with a piece of home-spun linen to try to sell it. 'But -mind you don't waste your time talking to gossiping old women,' she -said. 'Leave that to me, mother,' cried Turlulù; and off he ran. As he -got near the market-place, he began crying, 'Fine linen! who wants to -buy fine linen!' Several countrywomen, who had come up to town to make -purchases, came to look at the quality. 'Go along, you gossiping old -things; don't imagine I'm going to sell it to you!' cried Turlulù, -and he ran away from them. As he ran on he saw a capitello [235] -by the wayside. When he saw the image of the Blessed Virgin, looking -so grave and calm, he said, 'Ah, you are no gossip, you shall have -my linen;' and he threw it at her feet. 'Come, pay me!' he cried -presently; but of course the figure moved not. 'Ah, I see, you've -not got the money to-day; I will come back for it to-morrow.' When he -came back on the morrow the linen had been picked up by a passer-by, -but no money was forthcoming. 'Pay me now,' said Turlulù; but still -the figure was immovable. Again and again he repeated the demand, -till, finding it still unheeded, he took off his belt, and hit hard -and fast upon the image. So great was his violence, that in a very -short time he had knocked it to the ground; and lo and behold, inside -the now uncovered pedestal were a heap of gold pieces, which some -miser had concealed there for greater security. 'My mother herself -will own this is good pay for the linen,' cried Turlulù, as he filled -his pockets, 'and for once she won't find fault.' His way home lay -along the edge of the pond, and as he passed the ducks were crying, -'Quack! quack! quack!' Turlulù thought they were saying Quattro, -meaning that he had four pieces of gold. 'That's all you know about -it,' cried Turlulù; 'I've got many more than four, many more.' But -the ducks continued to cry 'Quack.' 'I tell you there are more than -four,' reiterated Turlulù impetuously, but the ducks did not alter -their strain. 'Then take them, and count them yourselves, and you'll -see what a lot there are!' So saying, he threw the whole treasure -into the mud; and as the ducks, scared by the noise, left off their -'quack,' he satisfied himself that he had convinced them, and went -home to boast to his mother of the feat. - -A showman came through a village with a dancing-bear. The people went -out to see him, and gave him plenty of halfpence. 'Suppose we try our -luck, and go about showing a bear too; it seems a profitable sort of -trade,' said one of the lookers-on to another. 'Ay, but where shall -we find one?' objected the man addressed. 'Oh, there must be bears -to be found; it needs only to go out and look for them.' They went -out to look for a bear, and at last really found one, [236] which ran -before them and plunged into a cave. 'I'll tell you what we'll do,' -said the peasant who had proposed the adventure, 'I'll creep into the -cave and seize the bear, and you take hold of my legs and pull us both -out together.' The other assented; and in went the first. But the bear, -instead of letting him seize it, bit off his head. The other pulled -him out as agreed, but was much astonished to find him headless. 'Well, -to be sure!' he cried, 'I never noticed the poor fellow came out this -morning without his head. I must go home and ask his wife for it.' So -saying, he ran back to the man's house. 'I say, neighbour,' he cried, -'did you happen to notice, when your husband went out this morning, -whether he had his head on?' 'I never thought to look,' replied the -wife, 'but I'll run up and see if he left it in bed; but tell me,' -she added, 'will he catch cold for going out without his head on?' 'I -don't know as to that,' replied the man; 'but if he should want to -whistle he might find it awkward!' - -A woman working in the fields one day saw a snail, which spread out its -horns as she looked at it. In great alarm, she ran to the chief man -of the parish, and told him what she had seen. He, too, was horribly -frightened, but he mastered his fear, as became the dignity of his -office. In order to provide duly for the safety of his village, -he sent two trustworthy men with a large sum of money to Trent, to -buy a sharp sword; and till their return placed all the able-bodied -men on guard. When the man brought the sharp sword back from Trent, -he called the heads of the Commune together, and said to them: 'I will -not exercise my right of sending any of you in peril of his life, but -I ask you which of you is ready to encounter this great danger, and -whoever has the courage shall receive a great reward.' Hereupon two of -the most valiant came forward as volunteers, and were invested with the -sharp sword. In solemn silence they marched boldly to the field where -the snail was, and they saw him sitting on the edge of a rotten leaf; -but at the moment when they had screwed up their courage to smite him -with the edge of the sword, the breeze blew down the leaf and the snail -with it. They, however, thought the snail was preparing to attack them, -and ran away so fast that they tumbled over the edge of an abyss. - -The people of a certain village were envious because the church tower -of the neighbouring village was higher than theirs. So they held -a council to consider what remedy they could apply. No one could -think of anything to propose, till the oldest and wisest of them -at last rose and advised that a great heap of hay should be laid -by the side of their tower, so that it might eat and grow strong, -and increase in height. The counsel was received with applause, -and every one cheerfully brought his quota to the common sacrifice, -till there was a mighty heap of hay laid at the base of the church -tower. All the horses and asses that went by, finding such a fine -provision of provender laid out for them, ate the hay; but the -people seeing the heap diminish, were quite satisfied, and said, -'Our tower must be beginning to grow, you see how fast it eats!' - -In Wälsch-Tirol the graves are not decked with flowers on All Souls' -Day, as in Germany, but on the other hand it is customary for the -parish clergy to gather their flocks round them, and say the Rosary -kneeling amid the graves. Doles of bread, locally called cuzza, and -alms, are given away to the poor on that day, and in some places a -particular soup made of beans. The symbolism was formerly carried so -far, that these alms, devoted to the refreshment of the souls of the -departed, were actually laid on the graves, as if it was supposed that -the holy souls would come out and partake of the material food. And -thus some even placed vessels of cold water as a special means of -solace from their purgatorial pains. [237] In the north of Italy, -the feast of Sta. Lucia (December 13) holds the place of that of -St. Nicholas among children in Germany; in Wälsch-Tirol the children -have the advantage of keeping both. - -In Val Arsa, part of the loaves baked on Christmas Eve are kept, -as Cross-buns used to be among us. In Folgareit they have a curious -game for Christmas-tide. A number of heaps of flour, according to the -number of the household, are arranged on the table by the father of -the family, some little present being covered up in each; when they are -thus prepared the family is admitted, and the choice of places decided -by various modes of contest. In several parts, particularly in the -Rabbithal, the Lombard [238] custom prevails of putting a huge log on -the fire, called the Zocco di Natale and the Zocco di ogni bene, that -it may burn all night and keep the Divine Infant from the cold. The -idea, more or less prevalent all over Christendom, that beasts have -the gift of speech on Christmas Eve, prevails here no less. A story -is told of a peasant who determined to sit up and listen to what his -oxen said. 'Where shall we have to go to-morrow?' he heard one say. 'We -shall have to fetch the boards for our master's coffin,' replied his -companion. The man was so shocked, that he went to bed and died next -day. Animals are blessed on St. Anthony's day (January 18), as in Rome. - -Carnival is celebrated with representations partaking somewhat of -the character of 'Passion Plays,' though always with more or less -humorous treatment of their subject. Till lately there lingered a -curious pastime at this season, in which on Giovedì grasso there was -a contest, according to fixed rules, between the masked and unmasked -inhabitants, for certain cakes (gnocchi) made of Indian corn, whence -the day is still called Giovedì dei gnocchi. It commemorated a fight -between the men of Trent and them of Feltre, who tried to carry off -their provision while they were building the walls of Trent, in the -time of Theodoric King of the Visigoths. S. Urban is considered the -patron of vineyards in Etschland, and on his feast his images are -hung with bunches of grapes. - -Here are a few specimens of their popular sayings and customs. When -it thunders the children say, Domeniddio va in carozza. The chirping -of a cricket, instead of being reckoned a lucky token, forebodes -death. Sponsors are regarded a person's nearest relations, and at -their funeral they go as chief mourners before all others. Marriages -in May are avoided. The reason why the bramble always creeps along, -instead of growing erect, is, because once a thorny bramble branch -caught the hair of the Blessed Virgin; before that it grew erect like -other trees. Cockchafers are blind, because one of them once flew -into the Blessed Virgin's face and startled her; before that they -had sight. Swallows are called uccelli della Madonna, but I have not -ascertained the reason. Scorpions, which are venomous in Italy, are -not so in the Italian Tirol, because one fell once into St. Vigilius' -chalice at Mass. I will conclude with some popular riddles, showing -a traditionary observation of the movements of the heavenly bodies, -but not much humour: - - - Due viandanti, - Due ben stanti, - E un cardinal? [239] - - Gh' è 'n prà - Tutto garofalà: - Quanca se vien el Papa con tutta la sô paperia - En garòfol sol no l'è bon de portar via? [240] - - Piatto sopra piatto, - Uomo ben armato, - Donna ben vestita. - Cavalleria ben fornita? [241] - - -C'è un palazzo, vi son dodici camere, ognuna ne ha trenta travi, -e vi son due che si corrono sempre l'uno dietro all' altro e non si -raggiungono mai? [242] - - - - - - - - O mein Tirol! wie ich mit Schmerzentzücken - Dich nun geschaut vor meinen feuchten Blicken. - So lebt dein rührend Bild im tiefsten Sinn. - Nimm denn, Tirol, des Schmerzbegeistrungstrunk'nen, - Des ganz in dich Verlornen und Versunk'nen - Liebvolles Lebewohl, mit Liebe hin! - - Eduard Silesius. - - - - - - - -NOTES - - -[1] This is what the introduction of manufactories is doing in Italy -at this moment. The director of a large establishment in Tuscany, -which devours, to its own share, the growth of a whole hill-side every -year, smiled at my simplicity when I expressed regret at hearing that -no provision was made for replacing the timber as it is consumed. - -[2] Except the Legends of the Marmolata, which I have given in -'Household Stories from the Land of Hofer; or, Popular Myths of Tirol,' -I hardly remember to have met any concerning its prominent heights. - -[3] I published much of the matter of the following pages in the -first instance in the Monthly Packet, and I have to thank the Editor -for my present use of them. - -[4] See Steub 'Über die Urbewohner Rätiens und ihren Zusammenhang mit -den Etruskern. Münich, 1843,' quoted in Dennis' Cities and Cemeteries -of Etruria, I. Preface, p. xlv. - -[5] See it in use below, p. 28, and comp. Etruscan Res. p. 302, note. - -[6] Somewhat like pleurer. A good many words are like French, as -gutschle, a settle (couche); schesa, a gig; and gespusa, mentioned -above, is like épouse; and au, for water, is common over N. Tirol, -as well as Vorarlberg, e.g. infra, pp. 24, 111. &c. - -[7] Comp. Etrus. Res. 339-41. - -[8] Several places have received their name from having grown round -such a hut; some of these occur outside Vorarlberg, as for instance -Kühthei near St. Sigismund (infra, p. 331) in the Lisenthal, and -Niederthei in the OEtzthal. - -[9] Comp. ma = earth, land, Etrus. Res. pp. 121, 285. - -[10] Comp. subulo, Etrus. Res. 324. Dennis i. 339. - -[11] Infra, p. 411. - -[12] See e.g., infra, p. 202. - -[13] Etrus. Res. p. 330. - -[14] P. 79. - -[15] Professor Max Müller, Chips from a German Workshop. - -[16] Rev. G. W. Cox, Prof. De Gubernatis, Dr. Dasent, &c. - -[17] In the Contemporary Review for March 1874. - -[18] Mr. Cox had pointed it out before him, however, and more fully, -Mythology of the Aryan Nations, ii. 200. - -[19] L'una vegghiava a studio della culla, - E consolando usava l'idioma, - Che pria li padri e le madri trastulla: - L'altra traendo alla rocca la chioma - Favoleggiava con la sua famiglia - De' Troiani, e di Fiesole, e di Roma. - - Dante. Paradiso, xv. 120 5. - -[20] Tullio Dandolo. - -[21] Depping, Romancero, Preface. - -[22] The usual fate of relying on Road-books. Ours, I forget whether -Amthor's or Trautwein's, said there was regular communication between -Oberriet and Feldkirch, and nothing could be further from the fact, -as will be seen a few pages later. - -[23] If Pfäffers is visited by rail (see p. 23), it is convenient to -take it before Feldkirch. - -[24] See further quaint details and historical particulars in Vonbun, -Sagen Vorarlbergs, p. 103-5. - -[25] Vonbun, pp. 113-4. - -[26] Historical particulars in Vonbun, pp. 110-1. - -[27] Vonbun, pp. 86-7. - -[28] It may also be reached by railway as it is but three or four -miles from Ragatz, two stations beyond Buchs (p. 13). - -[29] It has been suggested by an eminent comparative mythologist that -it is natural Luc-ius should be said to have brought 'the Light of -the Gospel' to men of Licht-enstein. - -[30] The traitor was loaded with heavy armour and thrown over the Ill -precipice. See Vonbun's parallel with the tradition of the Tarpeian -rock, p. 99 n. 2. - -[31] Notably at Raggal, Sonntag, Damüls, Luterns, and also in -Lichtenstein.--Vonbun, pp. 107-8. - -[32] Infra, Chapter viii., p. 238. - -[33] Vonbun, pp. 92-3. - -[34] Some analogous cases quoted in Sagas from the Far East, pp. 365, -383-5. - -[35] Father! take me also with you. - -[36] Vonbun, pp. 115-7. - -[37] The story of its curious success against the Bavarians in 1703, -p. 287-8. From Landeck there is a fine road (the description of -which belongs to Snitt-Tirol), over the Finstermünz and Stelvio, -to the baths of Bormio or Worms. - -[38] The chief encounter occurred at a place called Le Tezze, near -Primolano, on the Venetian border, where the Tiroleans repulsed the -Italians, in numbers tenfold greater than their own, and no further -attempt was made. The anniversary is regularly observed by visiting -the graves on August 14; mentioned below at Le Tezze. - -[39] Following are the names of the fourteen, but I have never met -any one who could explain the selection. 1. S. Acatius, bishop in -Asia Minor, saved from death in the persecutions under Decius, 250, -by a miracle he performed in the judgment hall where he was tried, -and in memory of which he carries a tree, or a branch of one, in -pictures of him. 2. S. Ægidius (Giles, in German, Gilgen), Hermit, -of Nimes, nourished in his cell by the milk of a hind, which, being -hunted, led to the discovery of his sanctity, an episode constantly -recurring in the legendary world. Another poetical legend concerning -him is that a monk, having come to him to express a doubt as to the -virginity of Our Lady, S. Giles, for all answer traced her name in -the sand with his staff, and forthwith full-bloom lilies sprang up -out of it. 3. S. Barbara. A maiden whom her heathen father shut up -in a tower, that nothing might distract her attention from the life -of study to which he devoted her; among the learned men who came -to enjoy her elevated conversation came a Christian teacher, and -converted her; in token of her belief in the doctrine of the Trinity -she had three windows made in her tower, and by the token her father -discovered her conversion, delivered her to judgment, and she suffered -an incredible repetition of martyrdoms. She is generally painted with -her three-windowed tower in her hand. 4. S. Blase, Bishop of Sebaste -and Martyr, A.D. 288. He had studied medicine, and when concealed in -the woods during time of persecution, the wild beasts used to bring -the wounded of their number to his feet to be healed. Men hunting -for Christians to drag to justice, found him surrounded by lions, -tigers, and bears; even in prison he continued to exercise his healing -powers, and from restoring to life a boy who had been suffocated by -swallowing a fishbone, he is invoked as patron against sore throat. He -too suffered numerous martyrdoms. 5. S. Christopher. 6. S. Cyriacus, -Martyr, 309, concerning whom many legends are told of his having -delivered two princesses from incurable maladies. 7. S. Dionysius, -the Areopagite, converted by S. Paul, and consecrated by him Bishop -of Athens, afterwards called to Rome by S. Peter, and made Bishop of -Paris. 8. S. Erasmus, a bishop in Syria, after enduring many tortures -there, he was thrown into prison, and delivered by an angel, who -sent him to preach Christianity in Italy, he died at Gaeta 303. At -Naples and other places he is honoured as S. Elmo. 9. S. Eustachius, -originally called Placidus, a Roman officer, converted while hunting -by meeting a stag which carried a refulgent cross between its horns; -his subsequent reverses, his loss of wife and children, the wonderful -meeting with them again, and the agency of animals throughout, make his -one of the most romantic of legends. 10. S. George. 11. S. Catherine -of Alexandria. 12. S. Margaret. 13. S. Pantaleone, another student -of medicine; when, after many tortures, he was finally beheaded, the -legend tells us that, in token of the purity of his life, milk flowed -from his veins instead of blood, A.D. 380. 14. S. Vitus, a Sicilian, -instructed by a slave, who was his nurse, in the Christian faith -in his early years; his father's endeavours to root out his belief -were unavailing, and he suffered A.D. 303, at not more than twelve -years of age. The only link I can discover in this chain of saints is -that they are all but one or two, whose alleged end I do not know, as -S. Christopher, credited with having suffered a plurality of terrible -martyrdoms. To each is of course ascribed the patronage over some -special one of the various phases of human suffering. - -[40] P. 12. - -[41] Among these not the least remarkable were some specimens of the -unbrimmed beaver hat, somewhat resembling the Grenadier's bear-skin, -only shorter, which is worn by the women in various parts of Tirol -and Styria. - -[42] The bell called in other countries the Elevation bell, is in -Germany called the Wandlung, or change-of-the-elements bell. The -idiom was worth preserving here, as it depicts more perfectly the -solemnity of the moment indicated. - -[43] The threefold invocation, supposed to be supremely efficacious. - -[44] In Tirol the roofs are frequently made of narrow overlapping -planks, weighed down by large stones. Hence the origin of the German -proverb, 'If a stone fall from the roof, ten to one but it lights on -a poor widow;'--equivalent to our 'Trouble never comes alone.' - -[45] 'May God reward it.' - -[46] The frontispiece to this volume (very much improved by the artist -who has drawn it on the wood). - -[47] Of the Brixenthal and the Gebiet der grossen Ache we shall have -to speak in a later chapter, in our excursion 'from Wörgl to Vienna.' - -[48] The comparative mythologist can perhaps tell us why this story -crops up everywhere. I have had occasion to report it from Spain in -Patrañas. Curious instances in Stöber Sagen des Elsasses. - -[49] S. Leonard is reckoned the patron of herds. See Pilger durch -Tirol, p. 247. - -[50] Anna Maria Taigi, lately beatified in Rome, was also a -maid-servant. - -[51] I have throughout the story reconciled, as well as I could, -the various versions of every episode in which local tradition -indulges. One favourite account of Ottilia's end, however, is so -different from the one I have selected above, that I cannot forbear -giving it also. It represents Ottilia rushing in despair from her -bed and wallowing in the enclosure of the pigs, whence, with all -Henry's care, she could not be withdrawn alive. All the strength of -his retainers was powerless to restrain the beasts' fury, and she -was devoured, without leaving a trace behind; only that now and then, -on stormy nights, when the pigs are grunting over their evening meal, -some memory of their strange repast seems to possess them, and the -wail of Ottilia is heard resounding hopelessly through the valley. - -[52] Grimm has collected (Deutsche Sagen, Nos. 349 and 350) other -versions of the tradition of oxen deciding the sites of shrines which, -like the story of the steeple, meets us everywhere. A similar one -concerning a camel is given in Stöber's Legends of Alsace. - -[53] It is perhaps to be reckoned among the tokens of Etruscan -residence among the Rhætian Alps, for Mr. Isaac Taylor finds that the -word belongs to their language. (Etruscan Researches, pp. 333, 380.) - -[54] 'Hulda was supposed to delight in the neighbourhood of lakes -and streams; her glittering mansion was under the blue waters, and -at the hour of mid-day she might be seen in the form of a beautiful -woman bathing and then disappearing.'--Wolf, Deutsche Götterlehre. See -also Grimm, Deutsche Mythologie, pp. 164-8. - -[55] One version of the legend says, the Frozen Wall was formed out -of the quantities of butter the people had wasted. - -[56] This excursion was made on occasion of a different journey -from that mentioned in Chapter i. Of course, if taken on the way -from Kufstein to Innsbruck, you would take the Wildschönau before -the Zillerthal. - -[57] Whoever comes into the Zillerthal is sure to visit it a second -time. - -[58] In the Vintschgau (see infra) the leading cow has the title -of Proglerin, from the dialectic word proglen, to carry one's head -high. She wears also the most resounding bell. - -[59] 'Kaspar my name: from the East I came: I came thence with -great speed: five thousand miles in fourteen days: Melchior, step -in.' Zingerle gives a version of the whole set of rimes. - -[60] See Sitten Bräuche u. Meinungen des Tiroler Volks, p. 81. - -[61] Its origin may be traced further back than this, perhaps. The cat -was held to be the sacred animal of Freia (Schrader, Germ. Myth.), and -the word freien, to woo, to court, is derived from her name. (Nork.) - -[62] The merry mocking laugh was a distinguishing characteristic -of Robin Goodfellow. 'Mr. Launcelot Mirehouse, Rector of Pestwood, -Wilts, did aver to me, super verbum sacerdotis, that he did once heare -such a lowd laugh on the other side of a hedge, and was sure that -no human lungs could afford such a laugh.'--John Aubrey, in Thoms' -Anecdotes and Traditions, Camb. Camden Society, 1839. - -[63] O woe! the plough like fire glows, - And no one how to help me knows. - -[64] Released am I now, God be praised, - And the bound-stone again rightly placed. - -[65] The haunting cobbler--a popular name for 'the wandering Jew'; -in Switzerland they call him 'Der Umgehende Jud.' - -[66] (The souls of all unbaptized children.) Börner, Volkssagen, -p. 133. - -[67] A precisely similar superstition is mentioned in Mrs. Whitcomb's -recently published volume as existing in Devonshire. We shall meet -Berchtl again in the neighbouring 'Gebiet der Grossen Ache' on our -excursion from 'Wörgl to Vienna.' - -[68] Procula is the name given her in the Apocryphal Gospels. - -[69] 'It is now known that such tales are not the invention of -individual writers, but that they are the last remnants--the detritus, -if we may say so--of an ancient mythology; that some of the principal -heroes bear the nicknames of old heathen gods; and that in spite of -the powerful dilution produced by the admixture of Christian ideas, -the old leaven of heathendom can still be discovered in many stories -now innocently told by German nurses, of saints, apostles, and the -Virgin Mary.'--Max Müller, Chips from a German Workshop. - -[70] Compare Cox's Mythology of the Aryan Nations, vol. ii. p. 364, -and passim. - -[71] Max Müller. Review of Dasent's Works. - -[72] Max Müller. Comparative Mythology. - -[73] A tradition still held of the Berchtl in many parts of Tirol. - -[74] Nork. Mythologie der Volkssagen. - -[75] Abbé Banier. Mythology Explained from History. Vol. ii. Book 3, -p. 564, note a. - -[76] Nork, Banier, &c. Cox's Mythology of the Aryan Nations, -vol. i. pp. 317-8 and note, gives other connexions of the Legend; -and at vol. ii. p. 306, and note to p. 365. - -[77] M. Müller. Review of Kelley's Indo-European Traditions. - -[78] Weber says the only accusation was grounded on a pasquinade -against Claudia found among his papers, but that he should calumniate -her seems inconsistent with his general character. Though his unsparing -lampoons on his adversaries had excited them more than anything else -against him. - -[79] Compare Gebhart, vol. ii. p. 240. - -[80] Near Innsbruck. - -[81] Staffler, Das Deutsche Tirol, vol. i. p. 751; and Thaler, -Geschichte Tirols v. der Urzeit, p. 279. - -[82] Ball's Central Alps. - -[83] Pasture-ground lying at the base of a mountain. - -[84] Alpine herdsman. - -[85] Respecting the curious idea of the kalte Pein, consult -Alpenburg, Mythen Tirols; Vernalken, Alpensagen; Beckstein, -Thuringer Sagenbuch. See also Dr. Dasent's remarks about Hel in -Popular Tales from the Norse; and Dante (notably Inferno, cantos -vi. xxii. xxiv.) introduces cold among the pains of even the Christian -idea of future punishment. - -[86] Here we have quite the Etruscan idea of providing against -after-death needs with appliances connected with the mortal -state. Dennis (Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria, vol. i. p. 34) -mentions more material traces of Etruscan beliefs at Matrei, on the -north side of the Brenner. Somewhat further south more important -remains still have of late years been unearthed, as we shall have -occasion to note by-and-by. - -The story in the text, in its depiction of self-devotion, has much -analogy with a Chinese legend told to me by Dr. Samuel Birch, of the -British Museum, concerning a man who sacrifices his own life in order -to put himself on fighting terms with a cruel spirit which torments -that of his dead companion. In its details it is like the story I have -pointed out in Folklore of Rome (the 'Tale of the Pilgrim Husband,' -pp. 361-3 and xvii), as the most devious from Christian teaching of -any of the legends I have met with in Rome; and it is particularly -noteworthy in connexion with Mr. Isaac Taylor's summary of the -Etruscan creed (Etruscan Researches, p. 270). 'The Turanian creed was -Animistic. The gods needed no gifts, but the wants of the ancestral -spirits had to be supplied: the spirits of the departed were served -in the ghost-world by the spirits of the utensils and ornaments which -they had used in life.') And in effect we find in every collection -of the contents preserved at the opening of Etruscan tombs, not only -gems and jewellery and household utensils, but remains also of every -kind of food. - -[87] There is something like this in Dean Milman's Annals of St. Paul's -Cathedral:--'"Others," adds Bishop Braybroke, "by the instigation of -the devil, do not scruple to play at ball, and other unseemly games, -within the church (he is speaking of St. Paul's), breaking the costly -painted windows, to the amazement of the spectators."' Speaking of the -post-Reformation period, the Dean adds: 'If, when the cathedral was -more or less occupied by sacred subjects, the invasion of the sanctuary -by worldly sinners resisted all attempts at suppression; now, that the -daily service had shrunk into mere forms of prayer, at best into a mere -'Cathedral Service,' ... it cannot be wondered at that the reverence, -which all the splendour of the old ritual could not maintain, died -away altogether as Puritanism rose in the ascendant.' Mr. Longman, -however (The Three Cathedrals, p. 54-6), quotes the very stringent -regulations which were issued for the repression of such practices: -perhaps the legend constructor would say, these afford the reason why, -though St. Paul's was profaned like the church of Achensee, it did not -'likewise perish.' - -[88] Nork (Mythologie der Volksagen, vol. ix. p. 83) gives other -significations to horse-shoes found in the walls of old churches, -but does not mention this instance. Concerning the origin of the -superstition about vampires, see Cox's Mythology of the Aryan Nations, -vol. i. p. 363; also p. 63 and p. 429. - -[89] Gebhart. - -[90] 'Probably early in the ninth century.'--Scherer. - -[91] Burglechner. Pilger durch Tirol. Panzer. Mülhenhof. - -[92] Lit. a 'cattle-breeding-farm.' - -[93] It follows that (when mountain scenery is not the special object -with the tourist) it is better to visit Viecht when staying at Schwatz -(Chapters vi. and vii.) than from Jenbach, at least it is a much less -toilsome ascent on this side from Viecht to S. Georgenberg, the most -interesting point of the pilgrimage. At S. Georgenberg there is a -good mountain inn. - -[94] In his reign, 1440-90, it was that the silver-mines of Tirol -were discovered; and the abundant influx, to the extent of 500 -cwt. annually, of the precious metal into his treasury, led him to -treat its stores as exhaustless; though the richest monarch of his -time, his easy open-handed disposition continually led him into debt, -and made his subjects finally induce him in his old age to resign in -favour of his cousin, the Emperor Maximilian I. It is a token of the -simplicity of the times, that one of the gravest reproaches against -him was that he indulged in the luxury of silk stockings! He married -Eleanor, daughter of James II. of Scotland. - -[95] See infra in the Stubayerthal. - -[96] In battle impetuous, yet merciful; in time of peace tranquil, -and faithful to his country's laws; whether as a warrior, a subject, -or an individual, worthy of honour as of love. - -[97] Steward of the salt-mines. - -[98] Johanniswürmchen, fire-flies. - -[99] Peasants' war. - -[100] Burglechner. - -[101] Colin de Plancy, Légendes des sept pechés capitaux, Appendice; -and Nork, Mythologie der Volkssagen, point out that the dragon, -sacred to Wodin, was placed on houses, town gates, and belfries, -as a talisman against evil influences. See also some remarks on the -two-fold character of dragons in mythology in Cox's Mythology of the -Aryan Nations, i. 428. - -[102] Compare Leoprechting, Aus dem Lechrain, page 78. Müllenhof -Sagen der Herzogthümer Schleswig Holstein u. Lauenburg, page 237. - -[103] Mother of mercy. - -[104] A touching story has been made out of his history in Alpen -Blumen Tirols. - -[105] This was designed so as to coincide with the time when the -faithful throughout the world were saying the De Profundis. - -[106] A similar fact for the comparative mythologist is recorded -p. 123-4, in the case of the Bienerweible. While these sheets were -preparing for the press, a singular one nearer home was brought -under my notice. A little girl being asked at a national school -examination, 'What David was before he was made king?' answered, -'Jack the Giant-killer.' This is a noteworthy instance of the hold -of myths on the popular mind; it did not proceed from defective -instruction, for the school is one of the very first in its reports, -and the child not at all backward. - -[107] Concerning der feurige Mann, and the mark of his burning hand, -see Stöber Sagen des Elsasses, p. 222-3. - -[108] At page 145. - -[109] 'Feigen-Kaffee,' made of figs roasted and ground to powder, -is sold throughout Austria. - -[110] Aubrey de Vere's Greece and Turkey. - -[111] Burglechner. A.D. 1409. - -[112] Mineral wealth--lit. Mountain-blessing. - -[113] I was told there that it had been reckoned that 500,000 cigars -are smoked per diem in Tirol. - -[114] The date of death on the tombstone of Lukas Hirtzfogel, whom -tradition calls the architect of this church, is 1475. - -[115] Brush for sprinkling holy-water. - -[116] See note to p. 140. - -[117] See p. 95. - -[118] See note to p. 48. - -[119] 'The most precious good,' or 'possession;' a Tirolean expression -for the Blessed Sacrament. - -[120] George of Freundsberg; a man of great strength; a worthy hero; -master of the field in combat and war; in every battle the enemy fell -before him. The honour and power he ascribed to God. - -[121] Maundy Thursday. - -[122] Stöber Sagen des Elsasses records a legend of a similar judgment -befalling a man who, in fury at a long drought, shot off three arrows -against heaven. - -[123] Leichtsinnig. - -[124] God prosper and bless you! - -[125] Supra, pp. 80-2. - -[126] Rout of the Bavarians. - -[127] See pp. 151-2. - -[128] Grimm (Deutsche Sagen, No. 492) gives an interesting legend -of the Hasslacherbrunnlein (half way between Kolsass and Wattens) -and of the resistance offered by the inhabitants of Tirol to the -Roman invasion of their country. - -[129] The suppression of this and several other convents, in 1783, was -a measure sufficiently unpopular to almost neutralize the popularity -Joseph II. enjoyed as son of Maria Theresa. The suppression was not, -however, accompanied by spoliation; the funds were devoted to provide -a moderate stipend to a number of women of reduced circumstances -belonging to noble families. - -[130] Stone of Obedience. - -[131] I have met with another sprout of this banyan at the Monastery -of the Sacro Speco in the Papal State, where a huge fragment of rock, -so nicely balanced that it looks as if a breath might send it over -the cliff, is pointed out as having stood still for centuries at the -word of S. Benedict, who bid it 'non dannegiare i sudditi miei.' - -[132] Wolf, Beiträge zur deutschen Mythologie, -vol. ii. pp. 17-21. Müller, Niedersächsische Sagen, p. 51. Müllenhoff, -Sagen der Herzogthümer Schleswig-Holstein u. Lanenburg, p. 184. - -[133] So strong is the prejudice in Tirol against Jews, that it is -said to be most difficult to find any one who will consent to act -the part of Judas in the Passion plays. - -There is a very strong personal dislike to Judas throughout Tirol, -and I have also heard that the custom of burning him in effigy -occurs in various places. Karl Blind, in the article quoted above, -(p. 3,) accounts for this custom in the following way: 'After the -appearance of fermenting matter it was said' (in what he calls the -germanic mythology) 'that there rose in course of time--even as in -Greek mythology--first a half-human, half-divine race of giants, and -then a race of Gods; the Gods had to wage war against the giants and -finally vanquished them. Evidently the giants represent a torpid barren -state of things in nature, whilst the Gods signify the sap and fulness -of life which struggles into distinct and beautiful form. There was a -custom among the Germanic tribes of celebrating this victory over the -uncouth Titans by a festival, when a gigantic doll was carried round in -Guy Fawkes manner and at last burnt. To this day there are traces of -the heathen practice. In some parts of Europe, so-called Judas-fires, -which have their origin in the burning of the doll which represented -the giants or jötun. In some places, owing to another perversion of -things and words, people run about on that fête-day shouting 'burn -the old Jew!' The jötun was in fact, when Christianity came in, first -converted into Judas and then into a Jew, a transition to which the -similarity of the sound of the words easily lent itself.' No doubt -jötun sounds very like Juden but not all coincidences are consequences, -and it is quite possible that the old heathen custom had quite died -out before that of burning Judas in effigy began, as it certainly had -before Guy Fawkes began to be so treated. The same treatment of Judas' -memory occurs, too, in Spain on the day before Good Friday. - -[134] S. Simeon of Trent is commemorated in the Roman Breviary (on -the 25th March). S. Andreas of Rinn has not received this honour. - -[135] Keller, in his Volkslieder, p. 242, gives an analogous legend -of a poor idiot boy, who lived alone in the forest and was never heard -to say any words but 'Ave Maria.' After his death a lily sprang up on -his grave, on whose petals 'Ave Maria' might be distinctly read. It -is a not unusual form of legend; Bagatta, Admiranda orbis Christiani, -gives fifteen such. - -[136] The ballad concerning the analogous English Legend of Hugh of -Lincoln seems to demand to be remembered here:-- - - - HUGH OF LINCOLN - - (SHOWING THE CRUELTY OF A JEW'S DAUGHTER). - - A' the boys of merry Lincoln, - Were playing at the ba', - And up it stands him, sweet Sir Hugh, - The flower among them a'. - - He kicked the ba' there wi' his feet, - And keppit it wi' his knee, - Till even in at the Jew's window, - He gart the bonny ba' flee. - - 'Cast out the ba' to me, fair maid, - Cast out the ba' to me;' - 'Never a bit,' says the Jew's daughter, - 'Till ye come up to me.' - - 'Come up, sweet Hugh! come up, dear Hugh! - Come up and get the ba';' - 'I winna come, I minna come, - Without my bonny boys a'.' - - She's ta'en her to the Jew's garden, - Where the grass grew long and green; - She's pu'd an apple red and white, - To wyle the bonny boy in. - - When bells were rung and mass was sung, - And every bairn went home; - Then ilka lady had her young son, - But Lady Helen had none. - - She row'd her mantle her about, - And sair, sair, 'gan to weep: - And she ran into the Jew's house - When they were all asleep. - - 'The lead is wondrous heavy, mither, - The well is wondrous deep; - A keen penknife sticks in my heart, - 'Tis hard for me to speak.' - - 'Gae hame, gae hame, my mither dear, - Fetch me my winding-sheet; - And at the back of merry Lincoln, - 'Tis there we twa shall meet.' - - Now Lady Helen she's gane hame, - Made him a winding-sheet; - And at the back o' merry Lincoln, - The dead corpse did her meet. - - And a' the bells o' merry Lincoln - Without men's hands were rung; - And a' the books o' merry Lincoln, - Were read without men's tongue; - Never was such a burial - Since Adam's days begun. - -[137] There is a carriage-road reaching nearly to the top of the -Lanserkopf. - -[138] The best shops are in the Franziskanergruben. - -[139] Grimm, Deutsche Sagen, No. 139. - -[140] Under four pillars. - -[141] See p. 69. - -[142] Of the earlier history of Tirol we shall have to speak when we -come to Schloss Tirol and Greifenstein. - -[143] Consult Zoller, Geschichte der Stadt Innsbruck; and Staffler, -das Deutsche Tirol. - -[144] See p. 146. - -[145] For the convenience of the visitor to Innsbruck, but not to -interrupt the text, I subjoin here a list of the subjects. (1.) The -marriage of Maximilian (then aged eighteen) with Mary of Burgundy -at Ghent. (2.) His victory over the French at Guinegate, when he was -twenty. (3.) The taking of Arras thirteen years later; not only are the -fighting folk and the fortifications in this worthy of special praise, -but there is a bit of by-play, the careful finish of which must not be -overlooked; and the figure of one woman in particular, who is bringing -provisions to the camp, is a masterpiece in itself. (4.) Maximilian is -crowned King of the Romans. The scene is the interior of the Cathedral -of Aix-la-Chapelle: the Prince is seated on a sort of throne before -the altar; the Electors are busied with their hereditary part in the -ceremony; the dresses of the courtiers in the crowd, and the ladies -high above in their tribune, are a perfect record for the costumier, -so minute are they in faithfulness. (5.) The battle of Castel della -Pietra, or Stein am Calliano, the landscape background of which is -excellent; the Tirolese are seen driving the Venetians with great fury -before them over the Etsch (Adige). (6.) Maximilian's entry into Vienna -(1490), in course of the contest for the crown of Hungary after the -death of Matthias Corvinus; the figure of Maximilian on his prancing -horse is drawn with great spirit. (7.) The siege of Stuhlweissenburg, -taken by Maximilian the same year; the horses in this tableau deserve -particular notice. (8.) The eighth represents an episode which it must -have required some courage to record among the acts of so glorious -a reign; it shows Maximilian receiving back his daughter Margaret, -when, in 1493, Charles VIII. preferred Anne of Brittany to her. The -French envoys hand to the Emperor two keys, symbols of the suzerainty -of Burgundy and Artois, the price of the double affront of sending -back his daughter and depriving him of his bride, for Anne had been -betrothed to him. [Margaret, though endowed with the high qualities of -her race, was not destined to be fortunate in her married life: her -hand was next sought by Ferdinand V. of Spain for his son Don Juan, -who died very shortly after the marriage. She was again married, in -1508, to Philibert Duke of Savoy, who died without children three -years later. As Governor of the Netherlands, however, her prudent -administration made her very popular.] (9.) Maximilian's campaign -against the Turks in Croatia. (10.) The League of Maximilian with -Alexander VI., the Doge of Venice, and the Duke of Milan, against -Charles VIII. of France; the four potentates stand in a palatial hall -joining hands, and the French are seen in the background fleeing in -dismay. (11.) The investiture at Worms of Ludovico Sforza with the -Duchy of Milan. The portraits of Maximilian are well preserved on each -occasion that he is introduced, but in none better than in this one: -Maria Bianca is seen seated to the left of the throne, Sforza kneels -before them; on the waving standard, which is the token of investiture, -the ducal arms are plainly discernible. (12.) The marriage at Brussels, -in 1496, of Philip der Schöne, Maximilian's son, with Juana of Spain; -the Archbishop of Cambrai is officiating, Maximilian stands on the -right side of his son: Charles Quint was born of this marriage. (13.) A -victorious campaign in Bohemia in 1504. The 14th represents the -episodes of the siege of Kufstein, recorded in the second chapter of -these Traditions (1504). (15.) The submission of Charles d'Egmont to -Maximilian, 1505. The Kaiser sits his horse majestically; the Duke of -Gueldres stands with head uncovered; the battered battlements of the -city are seen behind them. (16.) The League of Cambrai, 1508. The -scene is a handsome tent in the camp near Cambray; Maximilian, -Julius II., Charles VIII., and Ferdinand V., are supposed to meet, -to unite in league against Venice. (17.) The Siege of Padua, 1509, -the first result of this League; the view of Padua in the distance -must have required the artist to have visited the place. (18.) The -expulsion of the French from Milan, and reinstatement of Ludovico -Sforza, 1512. (19.) The second battle of Guinegate: Maximilian fights -on horseback; Henry VIII. leads the allied infantry, 1515. (20.) The -conjunction of the Imperial and English forces before Terouenne: -Maximilian and Henry are both on foot, 1513. (21.) The battle of -Vicenza, 1513. (22.) The Siege of Marano, on the Venetian coast. The -23rd represents a noble hall at Vienna, such details as the pictures -on the walls not being omitted: Maximilian is treating with Uladisaus, -King of Hungary, for the double marriage of their offspring--Anna and -Ludwig, children of the latter, with Ferdinand and Maria, grandchildren -of the former--an alliance which had its consequence in the subsequent -incorporation of Hungary with the Empire. (24.) The defence of Verona -by the Imperial forces against the French and Venetians. - -[146] Called by the French Philippe 'le Beau,' in distinction from -their own 'Philippe le Bel.' - -[147] This monument earned Ferdinand the title of the Lorenzo de' -Medici of Tirol. - -[148] St. Anthony being the patron invoked against accidents by fire; -also against erisypelas, which in some parts of England even is called -'St. Anthony's fire.' - -[149] Weber, Das Land Tirol, vol. i. p. 218. - -[150] Zoller Geschickte der Stadt Innsbruck, p. 272; and Weiesegger, -vol. vi. p. 61. - -[151] I have met the same hyperbole in a piece of homely Spanish -poetry. - -[152] 'Now he knows how the just monarch is beloved of Heaven; his -beaming countenance yet testifies his joy.' - -[153] Nork, Mythologie der Volkssagen, p. 419. - -[154] Exactly the story of the fisherman and the Genius in the copper -vessel of the Arabian Nights. It is found also in Grimm's story of -the Spirit in the bottle, in the Norse tale of the Master Smith; -in that of the Lad and the Devil (Dasent); and in the Gaelic tale of -the Soldier (Campbell). - -[155] Von Alpenburg, Mythen u. Sagen Tirols. - -[156] See pp. 194, 270, 324-5. - -[157] They accepted their position with the usual Tirolese loyalty, -and never attempted to found any claims to power on the circumstance -of their birth. - -[158] Holy Trinity Church. - -[159] Patron saints against pestilence: viz. SS. Martha (because -according to her legend she built a hospital and ended her life -tending the sick), Sebastian (because a plague was stayed in Rome at -his intercession), and Rocchus (because of the well-known legend of -his self-devotion to the plague-stricken). - -[160] Mentioned in the chapter on Vorarlberg, p. 23. - -[161] Thirteen volumes were filled with the narrations of such -'answers' received between 1662 and 1665. - -[162] Picture of Mary 'Help of Christians'--Auxilium Christianorum. - -[163] Inglis says that Schor was the architect of this church, and -that he had assisted in building the Vatican. - -[164] It is painted on panel, thirty inches by twenty-one; the figure -of our Lady is three quarter-length, but appears to be sitting, as the -foot of the Divine Infant seems to rest upon her knee. The tradition -concerning it is, that it represents an episode of the Flight into -Egypt, when, as the Holy Family rested under a palm-grove, they were -overtaken by a band of robbers, headed by S. Demas, the (subsequently) -penitent thief. The Holy Child is indeed represented clinging to His -Mother--not as in fear, or even as if need were to suggest courage -to her, but simply as if an attack sustained in common impelled a -closer union of affection. - -[165] See pp. 123-4. - -[166] She was on her way to Rome, where she spent the rest of her -life. Alexander VII. commissioned Bernini to rebuild the Porta -del Popolo, and adorned it with its inscription, Felici, faustoque -ingressui, in honour of her entry. - -[167] See p. 280. - -[168] Kreidenfeuer--alarm fires, from Krei, a cry. - -[169] A leading spiritualist, who has also a prominent position in -the literary world, tells the story that one day he had missed his -footing in going downstairs, and was within an ace of making as fatal -a fall as Professor Phillips, when he distinctly felt himself seized, -supported, and saved by an invisible hand. The analogy between the -two convictions is curious. - -[170] Consult Cesare Cantù Storia Universale, § xvii. cap. 21. - -[171] Since writing the above, I have been assured by one who has -frequently conversed with her, that the concealment of her name -arose from her own modesty; it was Katharina Lanz. To avoid public -notice, she went to live at a distance, and up to the time of her -death in 1854, bore an exemplary character, living as housekeeper to -the priest serving the mountain church of S. Vigilius, near Rost, -the highest inhabited point of the Enneberg. When induced to speak -of her exploits, she always made a point of observing that, though -she brandished her hay-fork, she neither actually killed or wounded -anyone. She had heard that the French soldiers were nothing loth to -desecrate sacred places, and she stationed herself in the church porch -determined to prevent their entrance; the churchyard had become the -citadel of the villagers. From her post of observation she saw with -dismay that her people were giving way. It was then she rushed out -and rallied them; in her impetuosity she was very near running her -hay-fork through a French soldier, but she was saved from the deed by -her landlord, who, encouraged by her ardour, struck him down, pushing -her aside. The success of her sally and her subsequent disappearance -cast a halo of mystery round her story, and many were inclined to -believe the whole affair was a heavenly apparition. - -[172] Celebration of the Resurrection. - -[173] Spare your bread for the poor, and escape the fate of Frau -Hütt. See some legends forming a curious link between this, and that -of Ottilia Milser in Stöber Sagen des Elsasses, pp. 257-8. - -[174] The dog's church or chapel. - -[175] His well-known daring, emulating that of the chamois and the -eagle, was of no avail now; for straight under him sinks the Martin's -Wall, the steepest cliff of the whole country-side. - -He gazes down through that grave of clouds. He gazes abroad over that -cloud-ocean. He glances around, and his gaze recoils. - -With only the thunder-roll of the people's voices beneath, there stands -the Kaiser's Majesty. But not raised aloft to receive his people's -homage. A son of sorrow, on a throne of air, the great Maximilian -all at once finds himself isolated, horror-stricken, and small. - -[176] 'With him,' says a Hungarian ballad, 'Righteousness went down -into the grave: and the Sun of Pest-Ofen sank towards its setting.' - -[177] Primisser, who took great pains to collect all the various -traditions of this event, mentions a favourite huntsman of the Emperor, -named Oswald Zips, whom he ennobled as Hallaurer v. Hohenfelsen. This -may have been the actual deliverer, or may have been supposed to -be such, from the circumstance of the title being Hohenfelsen, or -Highcliff; and that a patent of nobility was bestowed on a huntsman -would imply that he had rendered some singular service: the family, -however, soon died out. - -[178] See chapter on Schwatz. - -[179] To the Editor of the 'Monthly Packet.' - -Sir,--I think it possible that R. H. B. (to whom we owe the very -interesting Traditions of Tirol), and perhaps others of your readers, -may care to hear some of the particulars, as they are treasured by his -family, of the defence of Scharnitz by Baron Swinburne. R. H. B. speaks -of it in your number of last month. That defence was so gallant as to -call forth the respect and admiration even of his enemies, and Baron -Swinburne was given permission to name his own terms of surrender. - -He requested for himself, and those under him, that they might be -allowed to retain their swords. This was granted, and the prisoners -were sent to Aix-la-Chapelle, where everyone was asking in astonishment -who were 'les prisonniers avec l'épée a côté.' - -The Eagles of Austria, that had been so nobly defended by the -Englishman and his little band, never fell into the hands of the -French. One of the Tirolese escaped, with the colours wrapped round -his body under his clothes, and though he was hunted among the -mountains for months, he was never taken; and some years after he -came to his commander in Vienna and gave him the colours he had so -bravely defended. They are now in possession of Baron Edward Swinburne, -the son of the defender of Scharnitz, who himself won, before he was -eighteen, the Order of 'the Iron Crown,' by an act that well deserves -to be called 'a golden deed;' and ere he was twenty he had led his -first and last forlorn hope, when he received so severe a wound as -to cost him his leg, which has incapacitated him for further service. - -His father received the highest military decoration of Austria, -that of 'Maria Teresa;' he fought at Austerlitz and Wagram; on the -latter occasion he was severely wounded. Later in life, he was for -many years Governor of Milan. - -Hoping that a short record of true and faithful services performed -by Englishmen for their adopted country, may prove of some interest -to your readers, and with many thanks to R. H. B. for what has been -of so much interest to us, - - -I am, Sir, yours faithfully, - -September, 1870. A. Swinburne. - -[180] Häusergruppe. - -[181] Such offerings are met with in other parts of Tirol; in one -place we shall find a candle offered of equal weight to an infant's -body. They present a striking analogy with the Sanskrit tulâdâna or -weight-gift; the practice of offering to a temple or Buddhist college -a gift of silver or even gold of the weight of the offerer's body -appears not to have been infrequent and tolerably ancient. Lassen -(Indische Alterthumskünde, vol. iii. p. 810) mentions an instance -of the revival of the custom by a king named Shrikandradeva, who -offered the weight of his own body in gold to the temple at Benares -(circa 1025); and (vol. iv. p. 373) another in which Aloungtsethu, -King of Birmah, in 1101, made a similar offering in silver to a temple -which he built at Buddhagayâ. He refers also to earlier instances -'in H. Burney's note 19 in As. Res. vol. xx. p. 177, and one by Fell -in As. Res. vol. xv. p. 474.' - -[182] I have occasion to give one of the most remarkable legends of -the Oetzthal in the chapter on Wälsch-Tirol. - -[183] See a somewhat similar version in Nork's Mythologie der -Volksagen, pp. 895-7. - -[184] Circle. - -[185] The sunnier and less thoughtful tone of mind in which the -Italian particularly differs from the German character, is often to -be traced in their legendary stories. Those of the Germans are nearly -always made to convey some moral lesson; this is as often wanting in -those of the Italians, who seem satisfied with making them means of -amusement, without caring that they should be a medium of instruction. - -[186] The Passion Plays of the Brixenthal, however, are reckoned -the best. The performers gather and rehearse in the spring, and go -round from village to village through the summer months, only, as -amphitheatres are improvised in the open. - -[187] It may be worth mentioning, as an instance of how the contagion -of popular customs is transmitted, that on enquiring into some very -curious grotesque ceremonies performed in Trent at the close of the -carneval, and called its 'burial,' I learnt that it did not appear -to be a Tirolean custom, but had been introduced by the soldiers of -the garrison who, for a long time past, had been taken from the Slave -provinces of the Austrian Empire, and thus a Slave popular custom has -been grafted on to Tirol. Wälsch-Tirol, however, has its own customs -for closing the carneval, too. In some places it is burnt in effigy; -in some, dismissed with the following dancing-song (Schnodahüpfl) -greeting, - - - Evviva carneval! - Chelige manca ancor el sal; - El carneval che vien - Lo salerem più ben! - - -[188] A centenary celebration of the Council was held at Trent in -1863, at which the late lamented Cardinal von Reisach presided as -legate a latere. - -[189] This chapel has lately been restored by Loth of Munich. - -[190] A variant of this tradition takes the more usual form of applying -it to the architect of the edifice, as with the Kremlin. As Stöber -gives it from Strasburg, it was there the maker of the great clock. - -[191] Laste is dialectic for a smooth, steep, almost inaccessible -chalk cliff. - -[192] Hence Kaiser Max was wont to call Tirol 'the heart' and 'the -shield' of his empire. - -[193] St. Ingenuin was Bishop of Säben or Seben, A.D. 585. The See, -founded by St. Cassian, had been long vacant, and great errors and -abuses had taken root among the people, who in some places had relapsed -towards heathen customs. His success in reforming the manners of his -flock was most extraordinary. He built a cathedral at Seben, where he -is honoured on February 5, the anniversary of his death. St. Albuin, -one of his successors, was a scion of one of the noblest families of -Tirol; he removed the See to Brixen, A.D. 1004. - -[194] This is a local application of the widespread myth of the tailor, -who kills 'seven at one blow,' identified by Vonbun (p. 71-2) with -the Sage of Siegfried. Prof. Zarncke has also written a great deal -to show Tirol's place in the Nibelungenlied. - -[195] Anciently Anaunium, and still by local scholars called Annaunia, -a possession of the Nonia family, not unknown to Roman history. - -[196] The white mulberry, whose leaves feed the silkworm, rearing which -forms one great industry of Wälsch-Tirol, is called the Seidenbaum, -the silk tree. - -[197] Stammort, Cradle of his race. - -[198] See Un processo di Stregheria in Val Camonica, by Gabriele Rosa, -pp. 85, 92; and Il vero nelle scienze occulte, by the same author, -p. 43; and Tartarotti Congresso delle Lammie. lib. ii. § iv. It is one -of the only four such spots anywhere existing where Italian is spoken. - -[199] A mithraic sacrifice with several figures, sculptured in -bas-relief, in white Carrara marble, in very perfect preservation, -bearing the inscription: - - ILDA MARIVS - L. P. - -has just been found at this very spot. - -[200] See pp. 164-6. - -[201] Too many such remnants, which the plough and the builder's -pick are continually unearthing, have been thus dispersed. It has -been the favourite work of Monsignor Zanelli, of Trent, to stir up -the local authorities to take account of such things, and so form a -museum with them in Trent. - -[202] Padre Tarquini--one of the rare instances of a Jesuit being -made a Cardinal--died, it may be remembered, in February last, only -about two months after his elevation. He had devoted much time to -the study of Etruscan antiquities; he published The Mysteries of -the Etruscan Language Unveiled in 1857, and later a Grammar of the -language of the Etruscans. - -[203] '(1.) Or it might be 'ad introductionem viri.' (2.) 'Vulcano' -here (precisely as in another Etruscan inscription found a few -years before at Cembra, and translated by Professor Giovanelli) -for 'ignis.' (3.) An allusion to the custom of first piercing -(sforacchiare) the bodies of persons to be burnt in sacrifice, which -appears from the inscription found at S. Manno, near Perugia, and -again from the appearance of the figures of human victims represented -in the Tomba Vulcente. (4.) The deity of the place to which the key -belonged, probably, therefore, Saturn.' - -[204] A Tag-mahd, or 'day's mowing,' is a regular land measure in -North Tirol. - -[205] There is no record of her summit ever having been attained -before the successful ascent of Herr Grohmann, in 1864. Mr. Tucker, -an Englishman, accomplished it the next year. - -[206] I have given some of the most curious of these in a collection -of Household Stories from the Land of Hofer. - -[207] There is no tradition more universally spread over Tirol than -that which tells of judgments falling on non-observers of days of -rest. They are, however, by no means confined to Tirol. Ludovic -Lalanne, Curiosités des Traditions, vol. iv. p. 136, says that the -instances he had collected showed it was treated as a fault most -grievous to heaven. 'Matthieu Paris, à l'année 1200, raconte qu'une -pauvre blanchisseuse ayant osé travailler un jour de fête fut punie d' -une étrange façon; un cochon de lait tout noir s'attacha à sa mamelle -gauche.' He relates one or two other curious instances--one of a -young girl who, having insisted on working on a holiday, somehow got -the knot of her thread twisted into her tongue, and every attempt -to remove it gave intolerable pain. Ultimately she was healed by -praying at the Lady-altar at Noyon, and here the knot of thread was -long shown in the sacristy. - -I well remember the English counterpart in my own nursery. There -were, indeed, two somewhat analogous stories; and I often wondered, -without exactly daring to ask, why there was so much difference -in the tone in which they were told, for the one seemed to me as -good as the other. The first, which used to be treated as an utter -imposture, was that a woman and her son surreptitiously obtained -a consecrated wafer for purposes of incantation (we have had a -Tirolean counterpart of this at Sistrans, supra pp. 221-2), and in -pursuit of their weird operation had pierced it, when there flowed -thereout such a prodigious stream of blood that the whole place was -inundated, and all the people drowned. The second, which was told -with something of seriousness in it, ('and they say, mind you, that -actually happened,') was of a young lady who, having persisted in -working on Sunday in spite of all her nurse's injunctions, pricked -her finger. No one could stop the bleeding that ensued, and she bled -to death for a judgment; and whether it was true or not, there was a -monument to her in Westminster Abbey. Dean Stanley, who seems to have -missed nothing that could possibly be said about the Abbey, finds -place, I see, to notice even this tradition (pp. 219-20 and note), -and identifies it with the monument of Elizabeth Russell (born 1575) -in St. Edmund's Chapel. Madame Parkes-Belloc tells me she has often -seen a wax figure of a lady (in the costume of two centuries later than -Elizabeth Russell) under a glass case in Gosfield Hall, Essex (formerly -a seat of the Buckingham family), of which a similar tradition is told. - -[208] It is significant of a symbolical intention that the story should -thus allude to the Valle del Orco; the more so as I cannot hear of -any such actual locality in Val Sugana, though 'Orco' has lent his -name to more than one spot, as we shall see later. There is, however, -a Val d'Inferno between this valley and Predazzo. - -[209] Settepergole--Seven Pergolas--the name of several farms in -Wälsch-Tirol. Pergola is the name for a vine trellised to form an -arbour, all over Italy. - -[210] This effect has often been noticed here by travellers. - -[211] Two bronze statuettes of Apollo were found here in June 1869. - -[212] Very like and very unlike the legend of S. Giuliano I met in Rome -(Folklore of Rome), where he was supposed to be a native of Albano, -and to have passed his penitential time at Compostella. G. Schott, -Wallächische Märchen, pp. 281 and 375, gives a similar legend applied -to Elias in place of St. Julian. - -[213] Folklore of Rome, p. 320. - -[214] I need not repeat the characteristics of the Tirolean Norg, -which I have given in the translation of the 'Rose-garden' in Household -Stories from the Land of Hofer. - -[215] Thorp's Northern Mythology, vol. ii. pp. 20-2. - -[216] Though of course mere similarity of sound may lead one absurdly -astray; as if any one were to say that the old fables of rubbing a -ring to produce the 'Slave of the ring' was the origin of the modern -substitute of ringing to summon a servant! - -[217] Again, Mr. Cox (Mythology of the Aryan Nations, vol. ii. p. 221 -et seq.) says, 'the Maruts or storm winds who attend on Indra -... became the fearful Ogres in the traditions of Northern Europe -... they are the children of Rudra, worshipped as the destroyer and -reproducer and ... like Hermes, as the robber, the cheat, the deceiver, -the master thief.' - -[218] Etruscan Researches, p. 376 and note. - -[219] Stöber, Sagen des Elsasses, p. 30. - -[220] Cities of Etruria, vol. ii. p. 65-8. - -[221] Selvan, at all events, is a word which, Mr. Isaac Taylor -observes, is of frequent occurrence in Etruscan inscriptions -(Et. Res. pp. 394-5), and its signification has not yet been fixed. And -may not Gannes have some relation with Kan or Khan (p. 322)? - -[222] It is very disappointing that he has translated the great bulk -of his vast collection of fiabe ('fiaba' in North Italian answers -to the 'favola' of Rome) so utterly into German that, though we find -all our old friends among them, all the distinctive expressions are -translated away, and they are rendered valueless for all but mere -childish amusement. Thus it is interesting to find in Wälsch-Tirol -a diabolical counterpart of the Roman story of 'Pret' Olivo,' but it -would have rendered it infinitely more interesting had the collector -told us what was the word which he translates by 'Teufel,' for it is -the rarest thing in the world for an Italian to bring the personified -'Diavolo' or 'Demonio' into any light story. In the same way it is -interesting to find all the other tales with which we are familiar -turn up here, but the real use of printing them at length would have -been to point out their characteristics. What was the Italian used -for the words rendered in the German by 'Witch?' Was it 'Gannes' or -'strega?' or for 'Giant' and 'Wild man:' was it 'l'om salvadegh' or -'salvan' or 'orco?' I cannot think it was 'gigante.' But all is left -to conjecture. Among the few bits of Italian he does give are two -or three 'tags' to stories, among them the one I met so continually -in Rome 'Larga la foglia'--(it was still 'foglia' and not 'voglia') -word for word. - -[223] Dr. Steub, in his Herbsttagen in Tirol, shows that the Beatrick -may be identified with Dietrich von Bern. - -[224] Though nothing would seem simpler than to suppose the word -derived from the Euganean inhabitants who left their name to Val -Sugana. - -[225] It is curious to observe the story pass through all the stages -of the supernatural agency traditional in the locality; first the good -genius of the Etruscans merging next into the Germanic woodsprite, -then assuming the vulgar characteristics of later imaginings about -witchcraft, and then the Christian teaching 'making use of it,' -as Professor de Gubernatis says, 'for its own moral end.' - -[226] A collection of the 'Costumi' of Tuscany I have, without a -title-page, but I think published about 1835, laments the growing -disuse in Lunigiana (i.e. the country round the Gulf of Spezia, -so called from Luna, an Etruscan city, but 'not one of the twelve,' -and including Carrara, Lucca, and Pisa) of the practice of recounting -popular traditions at the Focarelli there. These seem to be autumn -evening gatherings round a fire, but in the open air, often on a -threshing-floor; while the able-bodied population is engaged in the -preparation of flax, and some are spinning, the boys and girls dance, -wrestle, and play games, and the old crones gossip; but now, says the -writer, they begin to occupy themselves only with scandalous and idle -reports, instead of old-world lore. - -[227] My readers will perhaps not recognize at first sight that this -is a corruption of Frau Bertha, the Perchtl whom we met in North -Tirol. In the Italian dialects of the Trentino she is also called la -brava Berta and la donna Berta. - -[228] 'Your servant! Mistress Bertha of the long nose.' Such was -supposed to be the correct form of addressing the sprite. - -[229] Many of these concern the earthly wanderings of Christ and his -apostles. I have given one of the most sprightly and characteristic of -Schneller's, too long to be inserted here, in The Month for September, -1870, entitled 'The Lettuce-leaf Barque.' - -[230] Gathered for the above-named collection by Herr Zacchea of the -Fassathal, in the Val di Non, Lederthal, and Val Arsa. - -[231] I have mentioned the only other wolf-stories that I have met with -in the chapter on Excursions round Meran; and at p. 31 of this volume. - -[232] Cox's Aryan Mythology, vol. i. p. 405. - -[233] I have thought this one of the best specimen tales, as the two -stories of the Three Wishes and the Three Faithful Beasts are leading -ones in every popular mythology. I have named a good many variants in -connexion with their counterparts in the Folklore of Rome, and a more -extensive survey of them, together with a most interesting analysis -of their probable origin, will be found in Cox's Mythology of Aryan -Nations, vol. i. pp. 144 and 375. I had thought that these, being -strung together in the text version, was owing to a freak of memory -of some narrator who, having forgotten the original conclusion of the -former story, takes the latter one into it; but, curiously enough, in -the note to the last-named page of Mr. Cox's work, he happens actually -to establish an intrinsic identity of origin in the two stories. The -Three Wishes story has also a strangely localized home in the Oetzthal, -which, though properly belonging to the division of North Tirol, I -prefer to cite here, for the sake of its analogies. Its particular home -is in the so-called Thal Vent, on the frozen borders of the Gletscher -described by Weber, as appalling to a degree in its loneliness, and in -the roaring of its torrents, and the stern rugged inaccessibility of -its peaks. Here, he says, three Selige Fräulein (Weber, like Schneller, -translates everything inexorably into German; this may have been -an Enguana) have their abode in a sumptuous subterranean palace, -which no mortal might reach. They are also called die drei Feyen, -he says, forming a further identification with the normal legend, -but he does not account for the penetration of the French word into -this unfrequented locality. They were kind and ancillary to the poor -mountain folk, but the dire enemies of the huntsman, for he hunted as -game the creatures who were their domestic animals (here we have the -nucleus of a heap of various tales and legends of the pet creatures -of fairies and hermits becoming the intermediaries of supernatural -communication). The Thal Vent legend proceeds that a young shepherd -once won the regard of the drei Feyen; they fulfilled all his wishes, -and gave him constant access to their palace under the sole condition -that he should never reveal its locality to any huntsman. After -some years the youth one day incautiously let out the secret to -his father, and from thenceforth the drei Feyen were inexorable in -excluding him from their society. He pleaded and pleaded all in vain, -and ultimately made himself a huntsman in desperation. But the first -time he took aim at one of their chamois, the most beautiful of the -three fairies appeared to him in so brilliant a light of glory, that -he lost all consciousness of his actual situation and fell headlong -down the precipice. - -[234] They are called 'Lustige Geschichte,' 'Storielle da rider.' The -Germans have a saying that 'in jeder Sage haftet eine Sache;' the -'Sache' is perhaps more hidden in these than in others. I have pointed -out counterparts of the following at Rome and elsewhere in Folklore -of Rome. - -[235] Capitello, in Wälsch-Tirol, is the same as Bildstöcklein in -the German provinces--a sacred image in a little shrine. - -[236] Bears exist to the present day in Tirol. Seven were killed last -year. A prize of from five-and-twenty to fifty florins is given for -killing one by various communes. - -[237] A distinct remnant of Etruscan custom. It is singular, too, -that Mr. I. Taylor finds 'faba' to have been taken by the Romans -from the Etruscans for a bean, but though the custom of connecting -beans with the celebration of the departed is common all over Italy, -I do not think the Etruscans provided their dead with beans except -along with all other kinds of food (supra p. 130-1 note). - -[238] The little book of Costumi spoken of above, mentions the 'Zocco -del Natale' as in use also in Lunigiana; it is generally of olive-tree, -and household auguries are drawn from the crackling of leaves and -unripe berries. It cites a letter of a certain Giovanni da Molta, -dated 1388, showing that the custom has not undergone much change in -five hundred years. - -[239] Two travellers, two prosperous ones, and a cardinal?--Answer. Sun -and moon; earth and heaven; and the ocean. - -[240] There is a meadow overblown with carnations, yet if the Pope -came with all his court, not one sole carnation would he be able to -carry off?--Answer. The heaven beaming with stars. - -[241] Plate upon plate; a man fully armed; a lady well dressed; a -stud well appointed?--Answer. Heaven and earth; the sun; the moon; -the stars. - -[242] There is a palace with twelve rooms; each room has thirty beams, -and two are ever running after each other through them without ever -catching each other?--Answer. The palace is the year, the rooms the -months, the beams the days, and day and night are always following -each other without overlapping. - -[243] The simplicity of the people of this valley is celebrated in many -'Men of Gotham' stories. - -[244] Dennis, Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria, vol. 1, pp. xxxiv-v, -mentions the Etruscan remains that had been found at Mattrey (of -which he gives a cut) and other places in Tirol up to his time. - -[245] It is noteworthy that so prominent an enquirer into Etruscan -antiquities should bear a patronymic so connected with Etruria as -Tarquini. - -[246] In Abbé Dubois' introduction to his translation of the Pantcha -Tantra, is a story called 'La fille d'un roi changé en garçon,' in -which mention is made of a Brahman hermit who fixed his residence in -a hollow tree. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Valleys of Tirol, by R. H. 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