as one of the chief
curiosities of the town. It was built in 1232, before even the church of
St. Martin, and its history was exceedingly prominent in the records of
mysticism in Germany.

The conventual establishment was suppressed at the time of the
Revolution, but in the mid-nineteenth century it was rebuilt with a
great deal of thought for the reproduction of the Gothic architecture of
the era of its inception.

[Illustration]

VIII

FREIBURG

The steeple of Freiburg is quite the rival of that of Strasburg; some
even may think it more beautiful.

It has braved with impunity the winds and tempests of many centuries,
and stands to-day as beautiful a work of its kind, when one is away from
Strasburg, Chartres, Antwerp, or Malines, as one can well conceive.

Its appearance is indeed magnificent, with a richness of ornament which
has not been carried to the excess that would make it tawdry, and an
outline which in every proportion is just and true.

Each day brings new admirers to this shrine, and one and all,
antiquarians and cursory travellers alike, go away with an enthusiastic
regard for its charms.

Freiburg itself does not go very far back into antiquity. It owes its
origin to Berthold III., Duke of Zaehringen, who founded it in 1118 and
made it the capital of Breisgau, one of the most fertile districts of
the ancient German duchy.

The cathedral at Freiburg marks the opening of a new era in the
Christian architecture of Germany. It was founded in 1122 by the Duke of
Zaehringen, soon after he took over the guardianship of the city, but it
was only in 1513 that it was entirely completed.

Nothing now remains of the primitive church except the transept and the
base of the lateral portals. The nave dates from the middle of the
thirteenth century, and the choir was mostly rebuilt at the same time.
The dedication did not take place until a century and a half later.

The structure is in the conventional form of a Latin cross, with the
usual nave and aisles and a series of chapels surrounding the apside.

The facade is remarkable for the porch, which is highly ornamented with
sculpture and forms the lowest story of the tower.

The pediment above the entrance is garnished with statuary representing
the crowning of the Holy Virgin, while just below, at the sides, are two
kneeling figures, with crowns on their heads, bent in prayer.

[Illustration: FREIBURG CATHEDRAL]

Besides this gallery of sain