ally adorned the rooms. This rich collection of treasures was begun in the reign of Duke George the Bearded (1539;) but "the Elector Augustus, who reigned between the years 1553 and 1586, was the first who deposited in these vaults a large collection of various rare and valuable productions of art, which he partly inherited, purchased, or received as presents from other princely persons." What these sovereigns began their successors completed; "but it was not till the reign of Augustus the Strong, whose taste for the fine arts was cultivated and refined by travel and study, that this collection was raised to its present state of excellence." The first room is devoted to bronzes, "the larger portion being statues, groups, and models of different sizes, and works of art, for the most part copies of ancient sculptures. The most remarkable of these is a crucifix, by John of Bologna. The expression given to the dying Saviour is very striking. Here is a small statue of Charles II. of England, known by the name of "St. George and the Dragon." It was worked out of a solid piece of iron by a blacksmith of Nuremberg, who lived in the sixteenth century. Next is a group representing "Hercules Crushing the Giant Antæus," supported by his mother, the earth. "A Nymph Bathing" is a pretty thing, and so is "Venus with the Mirror." Scores of other interesting objects elicit our attention as we pass around the room and enter the Cabinet of Ivories, which are very wonderful in construction. The art of carving is here carried to the highest point of ingenuity and excellence. Almost everything is represented from a goblet to a battle scene and allegorical groups of every nature. Here is a model of a Dutch Frigate, by James Zeller (1620.) On the sails

the arms of Saxony and Brandenburg are carved in relief, and on the frigate the names of the Saxon Electors till the time of George I. The cordage is of gold wire. The pedestal represents Neptune seated in a shell, drawn by two sea horses, while behind him sits a Triton blowing a conch. One group of one hundred and forty-one figures in one solid piece of ivory, represents "The Fall of the Angels." It is the work of a Neapolitan Monk of the seventeenth century, and was presented by a Princess of Sicily to the Saxon Court. The third room is called the Chimney Room, from its having a superb enameled fire-place, which was arranged by the Court Jeweler in the reign of Frederiek Augustus the Just (1782.) This fire-place is highly ornamented with relievos of precious stones set in mosaic. Here, also, are tables exquisitely inlaid with jasper, agate, chalcedony, cornelian, lapis lazuli, and other choice stones, made to represent flowers, fruits, leaves, birds, animals, etc. We see, too, an endless variety of paintings in enamel, embracing portraits of distinguished characters, "The Judgment of Solomon," "The Repast of the Olympian Gods," "The Crucifixion," as well as others. There is a collection of ambers of remarkable beauty. One large piece is carved to represent "The Three Graces;" and among the smaller objects are some pitchers of elegant form and workmanship. Cups, vases, and sugar-boxes are formed of ostrich eggs, set in silver gilt, and there is no end of other curious objects. The fourth, or Silver Room, is filled with all kinds of articles of silver and gold, including goblets, plates, jewel-boxes, clocks, rare coins, etc. We made special note of a Danish drinking cup in form of a horn, on which are admirably engraved, in nine rings, small mythological figures and crowns

in gold enamel, adorned with rubies. It is of date 1650. The next room is called the Hall of Precious Things. It contains, among other objects, a large collection of cameos and other gems in rock crystal, and a large number of costly vessels, also cut out of stones of the second class. One is a rock crystal goblet once belonging to Martin Luther. We were particularly pleased with an ebony cabinet in the form of a Turkish palace, adorned with a great number of large and small plates of pure rock crystal. But the most striking object, perhaps, in this room is an immense pearl, as large as a hen's egg, arranged with smaller pearls, to represent the Court Dwarf of the King of Spain. In the sixth room, called the Corner Closet, are numerous other curiosities of almost every description. Here is seen the celebrated golden egg, a most surprising and ingenious work, intended for a scent box. "When opened on the bottom, a reservoir for perfumes is disclosed; when opened on top, at first is seen the yolk of an egg in gold and enamel; under this is a chicken of the same material, and inside this is a seal in the form of a Polish crown, richly adorned with small diamonds, pearls, and cornelian, on which is engraved a French device with the inscription, Constant malgré l' Orage. This crown also opens and discloses a diamond ring, under the largest stone of which is painted a burning heart and the motto, Constance et Fidelité." In the Wood or Armory Room is a large collection of carvings in wood. The eighth is the Jewel Room, containing jewels valued at $15,000,000, including the Crown Jewels. Many of these are described in the catalogue, to which we are mainly indebted for the few descriptions here given. In one case we saw two rings which be

longed to Martin Luther. On one of them is a small compass, on which is painted a skull of a dead body with a Latin inscription; the other is set with a small cornelian stone, on which are engraved a rose and a cross, the emblems adopted by Luther, and intended to signify that "a man's heart is in perfect peace when resting on the cross." It is said to have been worn by John George I. to the day of his death. In the same compartment is a gold ring with a stone bearing an eye; this ring belonged to Melancthon. Two other rings with small watches belonged respectively to Kings Frederick Augustus I. and Anthony. One glass shrine contains several fine canes, adorned with jewels; another, a magnificent collection of swords of state used by the Saxon Electors in the sixteenth century. The hilts of most of the swords are made of gold and enamel, adorned with precious stones. Some of the hilts are of rock crystal. There are many precious arms from the East, such as Turkish, Japanese, and Burmese swords and poignards, adorned in the highest manner; and among them we saw a splendid Polish saber, which belonged to John Sobieski. The mention of one other curiosity may suffice; this is the "Court of the Great Mogul," by Dinglinger. It represents the birthday of the Emperor of India in Delhi. In the center of a large silver slab, on a throne approached by steps, sits the Great Mogul. Around and before him are one hundred and thirty-two small figures done in gold and enamel in every variety of attitude. Here are represented deputations from the different Provinces of his Empire, who approach with their respective trains, doing homage and offering presents of horses, elephants and camels, splendidly decorated palankeens, vases, clocks, and services, all

richly adorned with precious stones and executed in gold and enamel. Around the Emperor are his ministers and guards and three ambassadors in a kneeling posture on the steps. In the foreground is a balance which has reference to the ceremony of weighing the Great Mogul every year on this day and fixing the amount of tribute which each Province had to pay accordingly for the current year. Other designs represent thank and victory offerings. To accomplish this work, it is said to have taken Dinglinger, his brothers and sons, (not enumerated.) and fourteen other workmen, eight years, from 1701 to 1708, laboring incessantly. It was then brought to Augustus the Strong, who bought it for fiftyeight thousand four hundred and eighty-five thalers, (about $44,000.)

Something of the social life of the Germans may be seen at their beer gardens, where they resort for rest and recreation, and where one is always sure to hear fine music. Here all care for the time being seems to be dismissed, and in the presence of such tranquillity, even the nervous and hurrying American is constrained to pause and learn a useful lesson in animal economy. At some of these gatherings at the "Grosser Garten" we saw many German officers, whose fine physique and soldierly bearing excited our admiration. Indeed, whenever we met the military of Germany we were particularly impressed by the splendid appearance of both officers and men, who were generally large, muscular, and looking every inch the trained soldier. Supposing the Belgian, whom we have seen, to be a fair specimen of the French soldier, one need not wonder at the late triumph of Germany over France.

There are in Dresden many magnificent streets