were the Spanish Hall, the German Hall, and the Wladislaw 

 Hall of such huge dimensions that within it tournaments 

 had once been held. The windows of the Castle looked out 

 upon the spires of the ancient church of St. George, and 

 beyond these over a beautiful, highly cultivated garden on 

 one side, and over the picturesque city of Prague on the other. 

 A covered passage led from the palace to the gardens situated 

 at the bottom of a deep ravine. 



Monarch of this regal residence and living within its 

 bounds from choice was one of the most interesting and 

 eccentric princes of Europe, Rudolph II, German Emperor. 

 Rudolph was born in Vienna, July 18th, 1552, being the 

 oldest son of Emperor Maximilian II ; at the age of eleven 

 his father sent him to the court of his bigoted, gloomy, man- 

 hating uncle, Philip II of Spain, 'who had recently removed 

 his royal residence from Toledo to Madrid. Here the young 

 Prince remained eight years receiving his education at the 

 hands of Spanish Jesuits, and absorbing by contact with his 

 surroundings the morose, intolerant nature of his fanatical 

 uncle, and laying the foundations of the hypochondria and 

 unhappy distrust of mankind that darkened his whole life. 

 At the age of nineteen he returned to Vienna ; some authori- 

 ties say he was attacked with homesickness, which does not 

 seem likely to have seized so young a boy after eight years 

 absence; others assert he was recalled owing to amorous 

 intrigues with the fair and frail ladies of the dissolute Spanish 

 court. One year later he was crowned King of Hungary , 

 three years later he became King of Bohemia, and on the 

 death of his father in 1576 he succeeded to the throne of 

 Germany. Although only twenty-four years of age he despised 

 the gay and brilliant life of the Viennese Capital, and retired 

 to Prague taking up his residence in the austere Hradschiner 

 Castle. Here he soon wearied of the cares of State, and al- 



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