nd important part of every German town, be its dimensions what they
may. From the square again, which has a considerable declination
towards the north, you pass into another street, where all the
principal hotels are congregated, and at the extremity of which is the
chief attraction of the place, Prince Clari's palace, with its noble
and delicious gardens. These latter come as near to perfection in the
peculiar school to which they belong, as any thing of the sort which in
any part of the world I have visited. They are laid out in long
umbrageous walks, in exquisitely kept lawns, in bowers, alcoves, and a
lake at once extensive and well managed; and are, with characteristic
liberality, thrown open to the public at all hours, both of night and
day. Nay, nor is this all. Bands of music play here and there amid its
alcoves; there is a sort of coffee-house or restaurateur within the
gates; and the theatre may almost be said to form part of the
establishment, so close is it planted to the prince's residence. There
is exceeding kindliness of heart shown in all this, of which it is not
easy for us, the creatures of a different education, to estimate aright
the value. We should be bored beyond expression were our parks and
pleasure-grounds thronged from dawn till dusk by kings, princes,
nobles, citizens, and peasants. To the Prince Clari, the consciousness
that it affords the means of innocent recreation to his
fellow-creatures seems to be the chief enjoyment which he derives from
the possession of this lordly residence.

I am not going to describe either the baths themselves, or the customs
which prevail in making use of them. Enough is done when I state that,
in addition to the public establishments, where the humbler classes
take the waters gratuitously, there are somewhere about ninety private
bathing houses in the place, the demand for which, during the height of
the season, is such that you must bespeak your turn at least a day or
two beforehand, and adhere to the appointed minute religiously. For
nobody is allowed to remain in the bathing-room more than
three-quarters of an hour at a time, one quarter out of the four being
claimed as necessary to clean out and prepare the apartment for the
next visiter. The waters, I need scarcely add, belong to the class of
alkalo-saline, and take their rise among the Erzgebirge, or Ore
Mountains, hard by. They are extremely hot, and are regarded as
especially useful in all cases of rhe