merly
valued at six millions of francs; but in some of its transportations in
troublous times, it has met with spoliations; but it is still radiant
with gold and pearls, and gems of all descriptions. The restoration of
the shrine is going on, and costly offerings are frequently made in aid
of the undertaking. The skulls of these worthies are crowned with gold,
and look ghastly enough, in spite of diamonds and rubies. Their names
are Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. We paid a heavy fee to see the rare
show; but it is well enough to understand the mummery that there is in
the world. We went the entire round of the little chapels, and saw some
fine monuments to the great ones of church and state. I was much pleased
with a bronze statue of Archbishop Conrad, of Hocksteden, who died in
1261, and some exceedingly old paintings. We also saw the library and
sacristy, and the sacred vestments, some of which were splendid enough.
Here we saw a bone of St. Matthew some saint's shrine in silver, and the
state cross of the archbishop, with several of the very finest ivory
carvings that we have fallen in with. A look at the vast workshop where
the stone carvings for restoration are made was quite interesting.

While wandering through the aisles of the Cathedral, we met with a very
pleasant family from New York; and, after introduction, we agreed to
make the passage of the Rhine together; and, as there are young people
in the party, this will be very agreeable to us. We have rather a
limited time to pass here, and so have concluded to neglect the Virgin's
bones, at St. Ursula's Church, of which we have read all the legends.
Men and women trained up to worship these odds and ends are the people
who are flocking by thousands to our country; and there is a great deal
for such folks to learn before they will value and understand our
privileges. We next turned our steps to St. Peter's Church, where Rubens
was baptized; and we saw the brass font, which is still there, and also
his father's tomb. It was to this church that the great painter
presented his famous Crucifixion of Peter, which he thought the best he
ever painted; but artists differ with him in this estimate. The picture
now exposed to view is only a copy, which was made in Paris when the
original was in the Louvre; but the man in charge turns the picture,
which is on a pivot, and you have the original before you. Peter's head
is very fine, and much more striking than the rest of t