The Park in Muskau 135 



timeStook place here. Before the Reformation Muskau 

 had a provost. This region from the time of the battle 

 with the Tartars until the last war of liberty continu- 

 ally experienced the horrors brought on by devasta- 

 tion. 



First the Hussites pillaged it terribly. In the Thirty 

 Years' War Tiefenbach burned all the villages round 

 Muskau. The Croats plundered the town and castle. 

 Wallenstein lay in 1633 several days in this region with 

 the Imperial army. Soon after the forest was set on 

 fire ; it burned for six weeks, and by neglect of the 

 Swedes the new castle was alSo burned down ; it was 

 afterwards rebuilt, improved, and enlarged. The town 

 also was several times on fire, and, especially in the 

 year 1766, was totally laid in ashes, but, thanks to this 

 disaster, has a finer and more tasteful exterior than any 

 other country town of the same size. 



So much for the documentary history of the 

 town, of which one may say, without improba- 

 bility, that on this same spot Vladislaus's beauti- 

 ful daughter lived sweetly fearful days in love 

 and terror. But as the poets often begin their 

 labor at the end of their works and finish the 

 beginning at the last, I have postponed the build- 

 ing of this town until the last. 



In continuation of the chain of hills crowned 

 with forest and at a short distance from the town, 

 the cemetery chapel of the family will be found 

 situated, approached by a bridge with a sharp 

 curve. This chapel or church, the building of 

 which would have been the first duty of our pious 

 forefathers, is therefore probably copied from a 

 like ancient source and, with due regard to its 

 purpose, built in Byzantine, or, better still, in 



