THEBARONRITZNERVONJUNGwasanobleHungarianfamily，everymemberofwhichatleastasfarbackintoantiquityasanycertainrecordsextendwasmoreorlessremarkablefortalentofsomedescription
themajorityforthatspeciesofgrotesquerieinconceptionofwhichTieck，ascionofthehouse，hasgivenavivid，althoughbynomeansthemostvividexemplifications。MyacquaintancewithRitznercommencedatthemagnificentChateauJung，intowhichatrainofdrolladventures，nottobemadepublic，threwaplaceinhisregard，andhere，withsomewhatmoredifficulty，apartialinsightintohismentalconformation。Inlaterdaysthisinsightgrewmoreclear，astheintimacywhichhadatfirstpermitteditbecamemoreclose；andwhen，afterthreeyearsofthecharacteroftheBaronRitznervonJung。
Irememberthebuzzofcuriositywhichhisadventexcitedwithinthecollegeprecinctsonthenightofthetwenty-fifthofJune。I
rememberstillmoredistinctly，thatwhilehewaspronouncedbyallpartiesatfirstsight“themostremarkablemanintheworld。”nopersonmadeanyattemptataccountingforhisopinion。Thathewasuniqueappearedsoundeniable，thatitwasdeemedimpertinenttoinquirewhereintheuniquityconsisted。But，lettingthismatterpassforthepresent，Iwillmerelyobservethat，fromthefirstmomentofhissettingfootwithinthelimitsoftheuniversity，hebegantoexerciseoverthehabits，manners，persons，purses，andpropensitiesofthewholecommunitywhichsurroundedhim，aninfluencethemostextensiveanddespotic，yetatthesametimethemostindefiniteandaltogetherunaccountable。Thusthebriefperiodofhisresidenceattheuniversityformsanerainitsannals，andischaracterizedbyallclassesofpeopleappertainingtoitoritsdependenciesas“thatveryextraordinaryepochformingthedominationoftheBaronRitznervonJung。”thenofnoparticularage，bywhichImeanthatitwasimpossibletoformaguessrespectinghisagebyanydatapersonallyafforded。Hemighthavebeenfifteenorfifty，andwastwenty-oneyearsandsevenmonths。Hewasbynomeansahandsomemanperhapsthereverse。Thecontourofhisfacewassomewhatangularandharsh。
Hisforeheadwasloftyandveryfair；hisnoseasnub；hiseyeslarge，heavy，glassy，andmeaningless。Aboutthemouththerewasmoretobeobserved。Thelipsweregentlyprotruded，andrestedtheoneupontheother，aftersuchafashionthatitisimpossibletoconceiveany，eventhemostcomplex，combinationofhumanfeatures，conveyingsoentirely，andsosingly，theideaofunmitigatedgravity，solemnityandrepose。