Tour in England, Ireland, and France, in the years 1826, 1827, 1828 and 1829.: with remarks on the manners and customs of the inhabitants, and anecdotes of distiguished public characters. In a series of letters by a German Prince.Pückler-Muskau, Hermann, Fürst von
History
Tour in England, Ireland, and France, in the years 1826, 1827, 1828 and 1829.: with remarks on the manners and customs of the inhabitants, and anecdotes of distiguished public characters. In a series of letters by a German Prince.
Pückler-Muskau, Hermann, Fürst von
Great Britain -- Description and travel; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
In a wild mountain district of Spain, a Moorish castle rises amid rocks
in the distance. It is night, but the moon shines brightly in the blue
heavens, and mingles her pale light with the brilliant illumination of
the windows of the castle and the chapel. A road winding among the
mountains is visible at many points; and at length, supported on arches
of masonry, leads to the foreground.
A band of robbers now glide stealthily forth from the thicket, and
conceal themselves by the road-side.--You discover from their
conversation that they are lying in wait for a rich prize.
Their handsome young leader is distinguished by his commanding air and
his splendid dress, in the style of the Italian banditti. After a short
interval you see the castle-gates in the distance unclose, a drawbridge
is let down, and a state-carriage drawn by six mules rolls along the
road. Sometimes you lose it behind the mountains;--it approaches,
growing larger and larger (an effect admirably produced by figures of
various dimensions,) and at length comes on the stage at a brisk trot. A
few shots are immediately fired by the robbers, the coachman is killed,
and the plunder of the carriage goes forward amid noise and confusion.
In the midst of the tumult the curtain falls.
At the beginning of the second act you see the same scene, but it
excites quite different emotions. The lights in the castle are
extinguished,--the moon is veiled behind a cloud. In the dim light you
imperfectly distinguish the carriage, with the doors rent from the
hinges. On the box lies the murdered driver; the pallid head of one of
the fallen robbers is seen above a stone trench; and the handsome
captain leans dying against the trunk of a tree, while his boy Gilblas
is vainly trying to check the flight of the departing spirit. This
half-dead, half-living picture, is extremely powerful and touching.
My morning calls were useful, for they procured me three tickets for the
next Almack's; and I prevailed upon one of the most rigorous and dreaded
of Patronesses to give me a ticket for a little obscure 'Miss of my
acquaintance,'--an immense 'faveur!' I was, however, obliged to
manoeuvre and entreat a long time to obtain it. The young lady and her
party nearly kissed my hands, and behaved as if they had gained the
great prize in the lottery.
After Almack's, there is no way of approaching an English lady so good
as politics. There has been nothing to be heard lately, whether at
dinner or at the Opera, nay even at balls, but Canning and Wellington
from every pretty mouth; nay, Lord E---- complained that his wife
disturbed him with politics at night. She frightened him by suddenly
calling out in her sleep, "Will the Premier stand or fall?"
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