The line passes a cutting between the Meuse and the Rhine, terminating a little way short of Buir (Station), from which it proceeds by a high embankment, over the lowlands of the valley of the Erft, crossing that river by three bridges before reaching Horrem (Station), which is near the fine old Castle of Fronz. Passing from the Erft into the Valley of the Rhine, through Königsdorf tunnel, a mile long, carried through a hill of sand 136 feet below the summit, we arrive at Königsdorf; from here we proceed to Müngersdorf, crossing the road from Cologne to Jülich. Here a very fine view can be had of Cologne, with its myriad towers and steeples. COLOGNE (Station)—German, Köln; Dutch, Keulen. Population, 161,260. Hotels: Hotel du Nord.-Excellent hotel, near the Central Station, the Cathedral, the Rhine, &c. Hotel Disch, in Bridge Street; centrally situated, and frequented by English families and single gentlemen, who experience equal attention and civility. Hotel de Hollande, a first-rate establishment, facing the quay. Hotel Ernst, first-class, five minutes' from the the station. Grand Hotel Victoria, situated in the Haymarket, close to the Rhine. Hotel du Dome, first-class hotel on the Dome Square, opposite the Cathedral, two minutes' walk from the Central Station, a good hotel. Hotel Drei Könige, opposite the landing place of the Saloon Steamers. Pfalzerhof, opposite the Dom-good second-class hotel. Wienerhof; Hotel Weber; de l'Europe; Mainzerhof; Kölnischerhof; Union, &c. Cafés, Restaurants: Heuser; Johnen; Berzdorf. EAU DE COLOGNE.-Travellers are frequently importuned by officious persons offering to direct or accompany them to this or that vendor of the celebrated perfume; there are upwards of thirtythree manufacturers of this article, nearly all of them having the legal right to use the name of Johann Maria Farina. dral of Cologne, &c. J. J. Niessen, 4, Domhof, Book and Map Seller. BRADSHAW's Guides and Hand-Books on sale. RESIDENT ENGLISH and AMERICAN CONSULS. ENGLISH CHURCH, 3, Bischofsgartenstrasse. Droschkies, or cabs. From the station to any place in the town; one person, 60 pf., two persons, 75 pf., three persons, 1 mark. Cologne to Deutz, including toll, one or two persons, 1 mark 75 pf. For a half hour's drive, with one or two persons, 1 mark; with three or four, 1 mark 50 pf. From 10-0 p.m. to 7-0 a.m. double fare. Omnibus from Station. Cologne is a fortified town, situated on the left bank of the Rhine, and having the populous suburb of Deutz (Hotel de Belle Vue) on the right bank. A bridge of boats, 400 ft. long, connects the town and suburbs. The new railway bridge across the Rhine is a very fine structure. There is a way for foot passengers. Several new streets and squares of handsome houses have been built, and other improvements made. This remarkable city owes its origin to the camp that Marcus Agrippa pitched on the skirts of the hill that now occupies the central portion of the modern town. That camp was afterwards considerably increased by the removal of the Ubii, about 38 B.C., from the east bank of the Rhine, on which they had previously lived, to the right bank, on the spot where Cologne now stands. About 50 A.D., this original city, called Oppidum Ubiorum, was enlarged by a Roman colony of veterans, sent hither by Agrippina, the wife of Claudius and mother of Nero, who was born here in the camp of her father, Germanicus. It was called after the Emperor and her, Colonia Claudia Augusta Agrippinensis, from which arises its modern appellation. Cologne is interesting in its historical reminiscences, as well as from its chequered destiny traced on many a page of overflowing prosperity. At one time prostrate and at another flourishing, this town passed through epochs different in their character as they were disastrous or beneficial in their consequences. At this distant and remote period, when cycles of centuries have rolled over since F. C. Eyssen, 13, Domhof, Foreign Book, Print, the mail-clad Roman swayed his delegated impeand Map Seller; photographic views of the Cathe-rialism in this city, we can trace monuments of his sovereignty in the fragmental atoms of broken walls dispersed throughout the city buildings, in the antiquities of Roman origin dug up daily from beneath its surface, as well as in the marked outline, classical features, and aquiline noses of the population, whose physiognomy indicates their hereditary descent, and distinctly marks them as of a different race from their German neighbours. The distinctive mark of their Roman origin has not seemed otherwise than as a boast and an honour to the people of this city, who, in the enthusiasm of their pride, designated themselves Patricians. The consular toga adorned their chief magistrates, who, like the Roman consuls and triumvirs, were preceded by lictors, and had inscribed on their banners "S. P. Q. C." The antiquarian disposed to rigidly scan the outline and extent of the ancient city, will trace it through the Burgmauer, by the Zeughaus, by the Römer or Klarenthurm, erected on the Roman walls by the Franks, thence to the Lach, where appears another Roman tower, and to the Marsilstein; and thence again eastward to the church of St. Maria-imCapitol, on the site of the capitol, and thence by the Rathhaus, the site of the Roman Prætorium, to the cathedral; the foundations of the Roman walls, found here and there, having clearly marked out the limits of the Colonia Agrippinensis. It was at Cologne that Vitellius and Sylvanus, the latter of whom was assassinated here in the capitol, had themselves proclaimed emperors; and, at a later period, in 500, Clovis was proclaimed King of the Franks. The Emperor Constantine built a bridge over the Rhine; the ruins of which, after its destruction by the Normans, were used by Archbishop Bruno in the 10th century for building the old Church of St. Pantaleon, of which only the underportion of the tower remains in the later erection. The see was raised to an Archbishopric by Charlemagne, and the Ecclesiastics soon claimed and obtained enormous political power and privileges, which they retained amid continual sanguinary conflicts with the citizens, until 1288, when the battle of Worringen finally established the supremacy of the civil power. The Archbishops removed to Brühl, but they long continued to exercise very tyrannical authority in the city as will be seen in the next paragraphs, In the middle ages, Cologne was a powerful and flourishing city, and one of the most important members of the Hanseatic League, and the emporium of the trade of Eastern Europe, being the central medium from whence were transported the arts and products of the east to the west of Europe, and maintaining an incessant communication with Italy. Nor is it at all improbable that the southern school of painting received many of its perfections and improvements at the hands of northern artists; at all events, it is certain that we can trace an intimate connection between the Rhenish and Italian schools; whilst the southern style of architecture is seen in many of the oldest churches. And to-day, when, after the lapse of so many centuries, we should expect to see all traditional observances of medieval custom departed, we behold, in Cologne, the celebration of the Carnival after the same style, and with as much spirit, as in Rome-an inheritance and a legacy bequeathed by the early connection of the inhabitants with Italy. Very many associations of bygone years, and their events, render Cologne an object of deep interest to English travellers, not the least of which is that it was some time the residence of Caxton, and the place where he learned the art of printing, which he introduced into England a short time afterwards, and thereby laid the foundation of that mighty power which has contributed so much to her greatness and prosperity. In 1259 Cologne obtained for itself the "Stapelrecht" (staple laws), whereby all goods arriving at this port were transferred to Cologne vessels, and made to pay a high rate of duty for further transit. The dignity and importance of this city had by this time become acknowledged over all Europe; and it was called the "heilige Stadt," or holy city. Its merchants were highly privileged in England by Henry VI., who allowed them the sole occupation of the Guild Hall. It numbered within its walls 365 churches, and could send into the field 80,000 fighting men. But the hour of desolation was at hand-the day of its decline was approaching. Commerce departed from its port, and sought a new road across the European Continent, whilst Cologne itself bent in craven subserviency and menial subjection to the blighting despotism and withering tyranny of ecclesiastical bigotry, which on three consecutive occasions trampled out its prosperity, annihilated its commercial and social independence, and finally completed its downfall. The first edict issued by the persecuting churchmen within its sanctuary was against the Jews, who were hunted like wild beasts, and expelled without mercy. The second act of intolerance and persecution was the banishment of the weavers; and the third the exiling of the Protestants in 1608. In the case of the weavers, 1,700 looms were burned, and the owners emigrated to Verviers, Elberfeld, and Aix-la-Chapelle, whither they transferred their industry from an ungrateful city, and where they established the celebrated cloth manufactories, still flourishing and enriching these towns. The expelled Protestants settled at Mülheim, Düsseldorf, Elberfeld, Crefeld, Solingen, and other places, where, as exiles and victims of persecuting bigotry, they raised establishments and promoted the arts of peace and industry-so true is it that persecution fails to effect its purpose, whilst it ever gives new strength and energy to the emancipated victims of its cruelties. In this period the church, or rather ecclesiastical body, reigned paramount, until the French Revolution destroyed its sinister influence, and laughed at its censures; whilst its well-filled coffers were being emptied, its illgotten revenues seized upon, its churches and convents plundered, secularised, and converted into stables and warehouses, and the city itself was even finally incorporated with France, October 17th, 1797. In 1815 it passed under Prussian rule. The closing of the navigation of the Rhine by the Dutch, in the sixteenth century, was a great blow to the prosperity of Cologne. The removal of this impediment, in 1837, greatly tended to give a new stimulus to commercial enterprise and industrial development. Vessels now throng her harbour, along which new quays and bonding warehouses have been erected, a foreign communication by sea is carried on and extending, whilst the daily increasing prosperity of the city is being added to, and strengthened by, the railway communication with Paris, Antwerp, and Berlin, the lines from which converge at this point; and, with the immense Rhenish trade passing through, Cologne bids fair some day to rival the Cologne of the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries, and again have her empty warehouses and stores filled with the results of industry, whilst her population increases in prosperity and happiness. Its objects of attraction are numerous, and lie wide apart, but the tourist will find his visits much facilitated by making them in the following order : The Cathedral (Domkirche) is one of the purest monuments of Gothic architecture in Europe. The edifice was begun 814, but most of it was burnt 1248. The name of the architect who designed the plan is lost. The first builder was Master Gerhard, who was still living about 1252, but of whom nothing further is known. The building was projected by the Archbishop Engelbert Von Berg and commenced by his successor, Conrad Von Hochstaden, in 1248. The edifice is but a fragment of the proportions designed, which, if carried out, would have made it the St. Peter of Gothic architecture. It is cross-shaped, on the plan of that at Amiens, viz., a nave with double aisles of 5 bays; and an apse of 7 bays with 7 chapels, each of 5 apses. It is supported by flying buttresses; these, with the south transept, west door, and clustered spires, deserve especial notice. The whole length of the building is 496 feet. The Nave and aisles are 144 feet wide; the nave is 160 feet high and the aisles are 80 feet high; the arches are supported by four rows of 64 columns, which, together with the half columns and the pillars of the porticoes, amount to 100. The four central ones measure about 30 feet in circumference; each terminates in a capital, ornamented in a peculiar manner. The south transept is 240 feet wide by 130 feet high. Height to the ridge of the roof about 200 feet. The two west Towers or steeples are each 515 feet high; one stands on the north side, and the other, at present used as a belfry, has the large Fire bell, weighing 25,000 lbs., and the Emperor's bell, weighing 56,000 lbs. The central Tower is 350 feet high. The Kaiserglocke (Emperor's bell) was solemnly inaugurated, July, 1887. It was made from 22 guns taken from the French, with the addition of 5,000 kilos. of tin. On one side is a figure of St. Peter, with some verses, on the other the German Arms, with the sestet: Die Kaiserglocke heiss' ich, Ihm Gott bescheer! The majestic Choir, of unusual height, together with the surrounding chapels, constitutes one of the most striking portions of this immense edifice. Beautiful in the extreme are the graceful groups of tall columns, like the trees of an ancient forest, ending at the culminating points in a crown of branches, and terminating in a pointed arch, almost inaccessible to the eye that would trace them. The two last Kings of Prussia expended in the space of eighteen years a large sum on the repair and preservation of the building rendered almost a ruin by long ages of neglect. The restoration was effected in a masterly style, the Drachenfels stone of the exterior being replaced by a species of volcanic origin, brought from Trèves and Andernach. In 1842 the then king laid the foundation-stone of the new transept, and an association was established, with branches all through Europe, for the purpose of collecting subscriptions for the completion of the edifice after the original design; a million dollars were collected from 1842 to 1851. The aisle, nave, and transept were opened in September, 1848, the two latter portions being covered in by a temporary wooden roofing; and in the autumn of 1852, the five windows of stained glass, presented by the late King of Bavaria, were placed in the south aisle of the nave, and the one executed in 1508 in the north aisle. The other windows, mostly done at Munich, were filled in; and the Cathedral being at length finished, at a total cost of two millions sterling, was opened by the German Emperor, William I., on the 14th August, 1880. The new Bell, (the Kaiserglocke, see page 83), 14 feet high, was cast out of French cannon taken in the war. Other bells have been added, with a new Clock by Mannhardt. The Presbytery, in the choir, and the high altar, are works of a modern date, and we think accord but ill with the antique majesty and solemn grandeur of the rest. Among the columns at the entrance there are two very fine marble statues, representing the Virgin and St. Peter, exquisitely sculptured in the Italian style. The two tombs, in the choir, of the brothers Adolphus and Anthony von Schauenberg (both of them Archbishops of Cologne), are fine statues of white marble, adorned with elegantly arranged foliage, and deserving of considerable attention, as rich specimens of high art. The beautifully stained windows have been refreshed and repaired, and the frescoes redecorated by Steinli, an artist of the Düsseldorf school. The colossal coloured and gilt statues of the Twelve Apostles standing against the columns are fine specimens of the antique German statuary of the fourteenth century, of which date also are the superbly carved stalls and seats. In the Chapel of the Three Kings behind the high altar is the monument of the Three Kings, or Magi, who came from the East to worship the Saviour, and present him with gifts. Melchior, who is usually represented as an old man, and descended from Shem, gave gold. Balthazar, a man of middle age, descended from Japheth, gave incense. Caspar, a youth, descended from Ham, gave myrrh. This chapel was built by the Elector Maximilian Henry of Bavaria, and the bodies of the three Oriental Kings, or Wise Men of the East, were presented to it by Frederick the First, also called Barbarossa, who carried them off from St. Eustorgio, after he had taken and plundered Milan, giving them to Rainald, Archbishop of Cologne, who accompanied him, and had them conveyed to that city in 1170. The coffer in which they repose, which originally stood in this chapel, has been removed to the Treasury. It is composed of plate, gold and silver, exquisitely engraved, with an encircling of small arcades supported by pillars; however, the rich treasures and exquisite decorations of this shrine were carried off and much injured during the fury of the French revolution, at which period it was transferred for safety to Amsberg, in Westphalia, and several of the jewels sold, which were replaced by paste or glass counterfeits. The coffer has two partitions, the lower one of which has on either side a half-roofing, while the upper one has a whole one. The lower and broader division contains the bones of the three kings whose heads appear ranged in front, between the half-roofing upon which you see, in rubies, the names Caspar, Melchior, Balthazar; these skulls are adorned with costly crowns of gold, diamonds, and pearls, of six pounds weight each, which present a ghastly contrast to the decayed and mouldering fragments of humanity they encircle. In 1804, when the shrine was brought back from Amsberg, |