CHAPTER XII 

 co LOG M; 



COLOGNE, with a population of 428,722, is situated 

 on one of the banks of the Rhine near the French 

 frontier of Prussia. The city is of remote origin, hav- 

 ing been founded before the Christian era. 



Cologne now belongs to Germany, but in some respects 

 it is more French than German. It is one of the most 

 cosmopolitan of cities, a result partly due to its loca- 

 tion, and partly to the fact that Cologne ranked for 

 centuries as a separate state carrying on a large trade 

 with foreign countries and particularly with England. 



Until recent times Cologne was as famous among 

 travelers for the unpleasant odors of its streets as for 

 the delightful perfumes which were to be carried away 

 in bottles. A clever Englishman once said that the 

 three dirtiest cities in the world could be found under 

 the letter C; they were Calcutta, Constantinople, and 

 Cologne. For many years cramped and badly crowded 

 within a system of powerful fortifications, the con- 

 gested condition of the city undoubtedly merited the 

 unenviable reputation which travelers gave it. Cole- 

 ridge's lines in regard to the sanitary condition of the 

 city are familiar to all: 



"The river Rhine, it is well known, 

 Doth wash your city of Cologne ; 

 But tell me, nymphs, what power divine 

 Shall henceforth wash the river Rhine?" 



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