The Position Of Prague Too
Is Very Romantic And Picturesque, Part Of It Lying On A Mountain And Part
On A Plain; And It Stands On The Confluent Of Two Rivers, The Mulda And The
Braun.
The upper part of the city, called Oberburg, stands on a height
called Ratschin, and on this height stands a most magnificent palace and
other stately buildings.
There is a beautiful panoramic view from this part
of Prague. In this part of the city too is the cathedral of St Wenzel or
Wenceslaus, who was its founder. His tomb and that of St John Nepomucene, a
favorite saint of the Bohemians, is in this church. The Cathedral is of
extreme solidity, but little ornamented, having been plundered by the
Swedes in 1648. The canopy over the shrine of St John Nepomucene has a
profusion of votive offerings appended to it. The lower part of Prague is
divided into two parts by the Mulda. The bridge across the Mulda is one of
the finest in Europe. It has twenty-four arches, its length is 1700 feet
and its breadth 35. Among several statues on this bridge is a very
remarkable one of Jesus Christ, made of bronze gilt, which cost a large sum
of money to its founder, a Jew! There is a Latin inscription on it which
explains the paradox. There stood on the same spot a wooden statue of
Christ in the XVI century. One day an opulent Jew, on passing by, made some
scoffing or contemptuous remark on it. He was overheard by some of the
people, accused of blasphemy and condemned to die; but on expressing great
contrition and offering to pay a fine to any amount, he was pardoned, on
the condition of his promising to erect a bronze statue gilt of Jesus
Christ on the same spot, at his own expense, with an inscription explaining
the reason of its construction; which promise he punctually performed.
Prague abounds in Jews. Two-thirds at least of its population are of that
persuasion. In the lower town the most striking edifices are the palace of
the Wallenstein family, descendants of the famous Wallenstein, so
distinguished in the Thirty Years war. Annexed to this Palace is a spacious
garden, which is open to the public as a promenade. It is well laid out.
There is a large aviary. This Palace covers a vast extent of ground. The
Colloredo family, who are descended from Wenceslaus, have a superb Palace
in this city; and there is a stable belonging to it, partly in marble and
of rich architecture, capable of containing thirty-six horses. No traveller
who comes to Prague should omit visiting these two Palaces of Wallenstein
and Colloredo. On the bridge over the Mulda before mentioned, is the statue
in bronze of St John Nepomucene, on the spot from whence he was thrown into
the river by his brother saint, King Wenceslaus, for refusing to divulge
the gallantries of his (Wenceslaus') wife, to whom he was confessor.
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