A Visit to Iceland and the Scandinavian North | Page 7

squares, and inns alike crowded. {10}
Perhaps there does not exist a town with its houses, and consequently
its streets, so disfigured with announcements, in all sizes and shapes,
covering its walls, and sometimes projecting several feet, as Leipzig.
Among the public buildings, those which pleased me most were the
Augusteum and the Burgerschule. The Bucherhalle (book-hall) I should
suppose indebted for its celebrity rather to its literary contents than to
its architectural beauty or its exterior. The hall itself is indeed large,
and occupies the whole length of the building, while the lower story
consists of several rooms. The hall, the chambers, and the exterior are
all plain, and without particular decoration. The Tuchhalle (cloth-hall)
is simply a large house, with spacious chambers, containing supplies of
cloth. The Theatre stands on a very large square, and does not present a
very splendid appearance, whether viewed from within or from without.
The plan of having stalls in front of the boxes in the second and third
galleries was a novelty to me. The orchestra I could only hear, but
could not discover its whereabouts; most probably it was posted behind
the scenes. On inquiry, I was told that this was only done on
extraordinary occasions, when the seats in the orchestra were converted
into stalls, as was the case on the night of my visit. The play given was
"the original Tartuffe," a popular piece by Gutzkow. It was capitally
performed.
In the Leipzig theatre I had a second opportunity of observing, that as

regards the love of eating our good Saxons are not a whit behind the
much-censured Viennese. In the Dresden theatre I had admired a
couple of ladies who sat next me. They came provided with a neat bag,
containing a very sufficient supply of confectionery, to which they
perseveringly applied themselves between the acts. But at Leipzig I
found a delicate-looking mother and her son, a lad of fifteen or sixteen
years, regaling themselves with more solid provisions--white bread and
small sausages. I could not believe my eyes, and had made up my mind
that the sausages were artificially formed out of some kind of
confectionery--but alas! my nose came forward but too soon, as a
potent witness, to corroborate what I was so unwilling to believe!
Neither did these two episodes take place in the loftiest regions of
Thalia's temple, but in the stalls of the second tier.
Beautiful alleys are planted round Leipzig. I took a walk into the
Rosenthal (Valley of Roses), which also consists of splendid avenues
and lawns. A pretty coffee-house, with a very handsome alcove, built in
a semicircular form, invites the weary traveller to rest and refreshment,
while a band of agreeable music diffuses mirth and good humour
around.
The rest of the scenery around Leipzig presents the appearance of a
vast and monotonous plain.
April 17th.
I had intended to continue my journey to Hamburgh via Berlin, but the
weather was so cold and stormy, and the rain poured down so heavily,
that I preferred the shorter way, and proceeded by rail to Magdeburg.
Flying through the dismal plain past Halle, Kothen, and other towns, of
which I could only discern groups of houses, we hurriedly recognised
the Saale and the Elbe; and towards 10 o'clock in the morning arrived
at Magdeburg, having travelled seventy miles in three hours and a
quarter.
As the steamer for Hamburgh was not to start until 3 o'clock, I had
ample time to look at the town.

Magdeburg is a mixed pattern of houses of ancient, mediaeval, and
modern dates. Particularly remarkable in this respect is the principal
street, the "Broadway," which runs through the whole of the town. Here
we can see houses dating their origin from the most ancient times;
houses that have stood proof against sieges and sackings; houses of all
colours and forms; some sporting peaked gables, on which stone
figures may still be seen; others covered from roof to basement with
arabesques; and in one instance I could even detect the remains of
frescoes. In the very midst of these relics of antiquity would appear a
house built in the newest style. I do not remember ever having seen a
street which produced so remarkable an impression on me. The finest
building is unquestionably the venerable cathedral. In Italy I had
already seen numbers of the most beautiful churches; yet I remained
standing in mute admiration before this masterpiece of Gothic
architecture.
The monument with the twelve Apostles in this church is a worthy
memorial of the celebrated sculptor Vischer. In order to view it, it is
necessary to obtain the special permission of the commandant.
The cathedral square is large, symmetrical, and decorated with two
alleys of trees; it is also used as a drilling-ground for the soldiers'