570 Rambles in Germang. [MAY, 



to a relation of his in Moravia, and while sauntering in the park of the 

 chateau with a parcel of ladies, they were suddenly accosted by a gypsy, 

 who offered to predict the fate of every one present. Poniatowski held out 

 his hand to the sybil, who took it, and examining it with a scutinizing 

 glance, she said in a hollow tone of voice, " Prince, an Elster will be thy 

 death." Now Elster in German means a magpie. The prediction there- 

 fore elicited a burst of merriment from the whole party, who little dreamt 

 at the time how truly this gypsy prophecy would be one day realised. 



The country between Leipsig and Dresden possesses but little interest ; 

 but Dresden is a most interesting city. There are no splendid edifices ; 

 but the ensemble of the Saxon capital, with its noble bridge, is so beauti- 

 ful, and the situation so calm, so still, that I left it with regret. But the 

 Curzeit was far advanced, and I was anxious to visit Tb'plitz during the 

 bathing- season. Dresden is the Athens of Germany, and its inhabitants 

 have long been celebrated for their polished manners and refined and clas- 

 sical taste. Our road towards the Bohemian frontier lay through the 

 theatre of the great military operations of 1 8 1 3. We passed the celebrated 

 defile of Holendorf, where three thousand Prussians gallantly held Van- 

 damrne's whole corps d'armee in check, till the Allied forces formed in the 

 rear. When all was lost, the French cavalry rushed like a torrent down 

 the deep descent, and made a gallant attempt to retrieve the fortune of the 

 day, but all in vain, the hour of defeat had sounded, and here sunk 

 the star of Napoleon ; for Maria Culum prepared the disasters of Leipsig, 

 the grave of his fortune. The road descends into the valley, surrounded 

 on three sides by precipitous mountains. Our postilion had been in the 

 action ; he pointed to the eminence defended by the Russian guards. 

 Here the conflict raged the fiercest, and here fought the young guards of 

 Napoleon, confident of success, till the arrival of the Austrians decided 

 the affair, and lost to France an army of 40,000 men ! 



If any place in Germany can make us forget Baden, it is Toplitz j the 

 environs are romantic and beautiful, studded with castles and manors of 

 the Bohemian nobility j the town is extremely elegant, the houses well 

 built, and commodious. The palace of the Prince Clary, the proprietor 

 of the baths, is an imposing edifice, and the grounds are laid out with 

 considerable taste j in short, every thing at Toplitz is on a scale far supe- 

 rior to that of any other German watering place. The place was crowded 

 at the period of our arrival. The l< caste" of the company was aristocratic 

 " on n'y peut plus." Dinner was served daily at five o'clock, in a magficent 

 saloon, to which sat down between two to three hundred guests. The coup 

 d'ceil was magnificent, varied, and full of pleasing contrasts. In juxtaposi- 

 tion with a Russian diplomatist sat a fiery Pole, fiercely scowling at his hated 

 oppressor ; suddenly his fierce expression gives place to one of softness, as 

 he listens to the silvery voice of one of his countrywomen. At another part 

 of the table may be observed a party of martial-looking Hungarians, toast- 

 ing their constitution in defiance of Metternich and his spies, or the well- 

 padded breasts of a coterie of Prussian officers perhaps discussing the re- 

 lative merits of Jomini and their favourite Bulow, or illustrating with their 

 knives and forks some evolution of tactics. The Prussians are the mili- 

 tary pedants of Germany ; their very phraseology is tactical, while their 

 demeanour is vain, conceited, and arrogant to a degree, forming a peculiar 

 contrast with the quiet gravity of manner, and gentlemanly deportment of 

 the Austrian officers. The military of these two nations cordially hate 



