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The National Geographic Magazine 



already-described chasseurs, who massed 

 together were but little less brilliant and 

 interesting than the gorgeously arrayed 

 group that had preceded them. Another 

 detachment of infantry brought the 

 splendid cortege to a close. 



the; story of the raven 



The procession wended its way through 

 the crowded streets to Matthias Church, 

 where but a small portion of the escort 

 and only those of the highest rank were 

 admitted, as the interior is not large. 

 Around the church was an immense con- 

 course of people, who joined in the serv- 

 ice with responses and chanting, as it 

 proceeded inside, priests being stationed 

 at different points to lead them at the 

 proper time. The service lasts some three 

 hours, and while it is going on let us take 

 a look at the outside and into the history 

 of this ancient place of worship. Its 

 foundation stones were laid in the 13th 

 century, and it was started in the Roman- 

 esque period. It was not completed until 

 the 15th century, and the style of archi- 

 tecture having then changed to Gothic, it 

 was finished in this school, making 

 rather a queer combination. There are 

 a number of small spires from the period 

 of the original church, all surmounted 

 Ijy large iron ravens, one of which holds 

 an iron ring in his beak. These add a 

 still more peculiar touch to this already 

 odd-looking building. It is to these 

 ravens, or rather to the one with the 

 ring, that the church owes its existence. 

 A'Vay back in the 13th century the con- 

 sort of King Bela lost a most valuable 

 ring, which she had entrusted to the care 

 of a favorite serving maid. The maid, 

 who could not account for its disap- 

 pearance, was suspected and convicted 

 of stealing, and, as was the custom of 

 the time, immediately executed. Shortly 

 after her death a raven (one of a flock 

 that made their home about the palace) 

 was discovered playing with a bright 



object, which proved to be the missing 

 ring that he had purloined through an 

 open window. So great was the grief 

 of the King and Queen at the cruel death 

 of the innocent servant that they vowed 

 to build this church to her memor}^, sur- 

 mounting it with the effigy of the real 

 culprit, that all might know of her inno- 

 cence. During the Turkish domination 

 of Hungary it was used as a mosque. 

 The Turks entirely destroyed the in- 

 terior, redecorating it to suit their own 

 style of religion; but, strange to say (for 

 it is against the Mohammedan faith to 

 have a representation of a living thing 

 about their places of worship), they did 

 not disturb the famous ravens. 



After the service had finished, the pro- 

 cession was again formed in the same 

 order as before, and the reliquary es- 

 corted back to its resting place in the 

 Royal Chapel, where it mains until the 

 next 20th of August. The crowd in the 

 streets had waited patiently for another 

 glimpse of the sacred relic, and the same 

 scenes of devotion and veneration were 

 enacted on its return. The religious part 

 of the day being over, the afternoon and 

 evening were devoted to pleasure and 

 merry-making. In the squares and streets 

 near the palace and church, booths had 

 been erected for the sale of merchandise, 

 refreshments, and souvenirs. The latter 

 were all of a religious nature — pictures 

 of saints, sacred medals, shrines, etc., in 

 which the efiigy of Saint Stephen always 

 held the place of honor. Later in the day 

 there were music and dancing in differ- 

 ent parts of the city, the principal point 

 of gaity being the Stadtwaldchen, or pub- 

 lic garden, where cafes, sshows, and other 

 forms of amusement kept the citizens and 

 visitors entertained until a late hour. 

 Just how late they kept it up we did not 

 wait to see, for with a day begun at 

 daylight, and one with a continual strain 

 on our powers of observation, we were 

 glad to seek the quiet of our hotel. 



