andtheconductor，afterreflection，decidedtoputthemdownatthepublicgarden，which，asoneofthenewestthingsinthecity，wouldmakethemostfavorableimpressionuponstrangers。Itwasinfactsolikeallothercitygardens，withthefoliageofitstrimlyplantedalleys，thatitshelteredthemeffectuallyfromthepicturesquenessofNuremberg，andtheyhadalong，peacefulhourononeofitsbenches，wheretheyrestedfromtheirjourney，andrepentedtheirhastyattempttoappropriatethecharmofthecity。
Thenextmorningitrained，accordingtoacustomwhichtheelevator-boyflownwiththeinsolentrecollectionofasunnysummerinMilansaidwasinvariableinNuremberg；butaftertheone-o’clocktabled’hotetheytookanobletwo-spannercarriage，anddroveallroundthecity。
Everywheretheancientmoat，thicklyturfedandplantedwithtreesandshrubs，stretchedagirdleofgardenbetweentheircourseandthewallbeautifullyold，withknotsofdeadivyclingingtoitscrevices，orbroadmeshesoftheshiningfoliagemantlingitsblackenedmasonry。A
tile-roofedopengalleryranalongthetop，wheresomanycenturiesofsentrieshadpaced，andarchedthemassivegateswithheavilymouldedpiers，wheresocountlesslythefierceburghertroopshadsalliedforthagainsttheirbesiegers，andsooftentheleaguerhostshaddashedthemselvesinassault。Thebloodshedinforgottenbattleswouldhavefloodedthemoatwherenowthegrassandflowersgrew，orhereandthereapeacefulstretchofwaterstagnated。
ThedriveendedinavisittotheoldBurg，wheretheHapsburgKaisersdweltwhentheyvisitedtheirfaithfulimperialcity。FromitsrampartstheincrediblepicturesquenessofNurembergbestshowsitself，andifonehasanyloveforthedistinctivequalityofTeutonicarchitectureitisherethatmorethananywhereelseonemayfeastit。Theprospectoftowerandspireandgableisofsuchamediaevalrichness，ofsuchanaboundingfulness，thatallincidentsarelostinit。Themultitudinousroofsofred-browntiles，blinkingbrowsilyfromtheirlowdormers，pressupononeanotherinendlesssuccession；theyclustertogetheronariseofgroundandsinkawaywherethestreetfalls，buttheynowheredisperseorscatter，andtheyendabruptlyattheotherrimofthecity，beyondwhichloomsthegreencountry，mergingintheremoterblueofmistyuplands。
Aprettyyounggirlwaitedatthedoorofthetowerforthevisitorstogatherinsufficientnumber，andthenledthemthroughtheterriblemuseum，discantinginthesamegayvoiceandwiththesamesmilingaironallthemurderousenginesandimplementsoftorture。FirstinGermanandtheninEnglishsheexplainedthefearfulusesoftheIronMaiden，shewinninglyillustratedtheactionoftheracksandwheelsonwhichmenhadbeenstretchedandbroken，andshesweetlyvauntedaswordwhichhadbeheadedeighthundredpersons。WhenshetooktheestablishedfeefromMarchshesuggested，withademureglance，“AndwhatmoreyoupleaseforsayingitinEnglish。”
“CanyousayitinRussian？”demandedayoungman，whoseeyeshehadseendwellingonherfromthebeginning。Shelaughedarchly，andrespondedwithsomeSlavicwords，andthendeliveredhertrainofsight-seersovertothecustodianwhowastoshowthemthroughthehallsandchambersoftheBurg。Thesewereundergoingtherepairswhichthemonumentsofthepastareperpetuallysufferinginthepresent，andtherewassomespecialpaintingandvarnishingforthereceptionoftheKaiser，whowascomingtoNurembergforthemilitarymanoeuvresthenathand。Butiftheyhadbeenintheunmolesteddiscomfortoftheirunlivablemagnificence，theirsplendorwassuchasmightwellreconcilethewitnesstothesuperiorcomfortofaprivatestationinoursnuggerday。TheMarchescameoutowningthattheyouthwhichmightoncehavefoundtheromanticgloriesoftheplaceenoughwasgonefromthem。ButsomuchofitwaslefttoherthatshewishedtomakehimstopandlookattheflirtationwhichhadblossomedoutbetweenthatprettyyounggirlandtheRussian，whomtheyhadscarcelymissedfromtheirpartyintheBurg。Hehadapparentlyneverpartedfromthegirl，andnowastheysattogetheronthethresholdofthegloomytower，hemosthavebeenteachinghermoreSlavicwords，fortheywerebothlaughingasiftheyunderstoodeachotherperfectly。
Inhissecurityfromhavingtheaffairinanywiseonhishands，Marchwouldhavewillinglylingered，toseehowhereducationgoton；butitbegantorain，Theraindidnotdisturbthelovers，butitobligedtheelderlyspectatorstotakerefugeintheircarriage；andtheydroveofftofindthefamousLittleGooseMan。ThisiswhateveryonedoesatNuremberg；itwouldbedifficulttosaywhy。WhentheyfoundtheLittleGooseMan，hewasonlyamediaevalfancyinbronze，whostoodonhispedestalinthemarket-placeandcontributedfromthebillofthegooseunderhisarmasmallstreamtotherainfalldrenchingthewetwaresofthewetmarket-womenroundthefountain，andsoakingtheircauliflowersandlettuce，theirgrapesandpears，theircarrotsandturnips，tothewateryflavorofallfruitsandvegetablesinGermany。
Theairwasveryrawandchill；butaftersupperthecloudsclearedaway，andapleasanteveningtemptedthetravellersout。Theportierdissembledanyslightwhichtheireagernessfortheonlyamusementhecouldthinkofinspired，anddirectedthemtoapopulartheatrewhichwasgivingasummerseasonatlowpricestothelowerclasses，andwhichtheysurprised，aftersome，search，tryingtohideitselfinasortofbacksquare。Theygotthebestplacesatapricewhichoughttohavebeenmortifyinglycheap，andfoundthemselves，withathousandotherharmlessbourgeoisfolk，inasortofspacious，agreeablebarn，ofadecorationbynomeansugly，andofacertainartlesscomfort。Eachseatfrontedashelfatthebackoftheseatbeforeit，wherethespectatorcouldputhishat；therewasasmallershelfforhissteinofthebeerpassedconstantlythroughouttheevening；andtherewasabuffetwherehecouldstayhimselfwithcoldhamandotherrobustGermanrefreshments。
Itwas“TheWeddingJourneytoNuremberg“uponwhichtheyhadoddlychanced，andtheyacceptedasanationaltributethecharacterofanAmericangirlinit。ShewasanAmericangirloftheadvancedpattern，andshecameandwentatapicniconthearmofaheadwaiter。SheseemedtohavenoofficeinthedramaexcepttoillustrateaGermanconceptionofAmericangirlhood，buteveninthissimplefunctionsheseemedrathertopuzzletheGermanaudience；perhapsbecauseoftheoccasionalEnglishwordswhichsheused。
Totheastonishmentofhercompatriots，whentheycameoutofthetheatreitwasnotraining；thenightwasasbrilliantlystarlitasanightcouldbeinGermany，andtheysaunteredhomerichlycontentthroughthenarrowstreetsandthroughthebeautifuloldDamenthor，beyondwhichtheirhotellay。Howpretty，theysaid，tocallthatcharmingporttheLadies’Gate！
Theypromisedeachothertofindoutwhy，andtheyneverdidso，butsatisfiedthemselvesbyassigningittotheexclusiveuseoftheslimmaidensandmassivematronsoftheoldNurembergpatriciate，whomtheyimaginedtrailingtheirsilkensplendorsunderitsarchinperpetualprocession。
ThelifeoftheNurembergpatriciate，nowextinctinthecontrolofthecitywhichitbuildedsostrenuouslyandmaintainedsoheroically，isstillinsistentinallitsart。Thisexpressestheirprideatonceandtheirsimplicitywithachildishliterality。AtitsbestitisneversogoodasthegoodItalianart，whoseinfluenceisalwayspresentinitsbest。ThecoloringofthegreatcanvasesisVenetian，butthereisnosuchdemocracyofgreatnessasinthepaintingatVenice；indecorationtheartofNurembergisatbestquaint，andattheworstpuerile。
WhereverithadobeyedanacademicintentionitseemedtoMarchpoorandcoarse，asinthebronzefountainbesidetheChurchofSt。Lawrence。Thewaterspinsfromthepoutedbreastsofthebeautifulfiguresinstreamsthatcrossandinterlaceafterafancytrivialandgross；butinthebaseofthechurchthereisatime-wornGethsemane，exquisitelyaffectinginitssimple-heartedtruth。Thelongageshavemadeitevenmoreaffectingthanthesculptorimaginedit；theyhaveblurredthefacesandfiguresinpassingtilltheirfeaturesarescarcelydistinguishable；andthesleepingapostlesseemtohavedreamedthemselvesbackintothemother-
marble。Itisofthesametraditionandimpulsewiththatsupremegloryofthenativesculpture，theineffabletabernacleofAdamKrafft，whichclimbsacolumnofthechurchwithin，amiracleofrichlycarvenstory；
andnodoubtiftherewereaNurembergsculptordoinggreatthingstoday，hisworkwouldbeofkindredinspiration。
Thedescendantsoftheoldpatricianwhoorderedthetabernacleatratherahardbargainfromtheartiststillworshiponthefloorbelow，andthedescendantsofhisneighborpatricianshavetheirseatsinthepewsabout，andtheirnamescutintheproprietaryplatesonthepew-tops。
ThevergeresswhoshowedtheMarchesthroughthechurchwasdevoutinthepraiseofthesearistocraticfellow-citizensofhers。“Sosimple，andyetsonoble！”shesaid。Shewasaveryromanticvergeress，andshetoldthematunsparinglengththelegendofthetabernacle，howtheartistfellasleepindespairofwinninghispatron’sdaughter，andsawinavisionthemaster-workwiththelily-likedroopattop，whichgainedhimherhand。TheydidnotrealizetilltoolatethatitwasalloutofanovelofGeorgEbers’s，butaddedtotheregularfeeforthechurchagiftworthyofanineditedlegend。
EventhentheyhadapleasureinherenthusiasmrarelyimpartedbytheNurembergmanner。Theymissedtheretheconstant，sweetcivilityofCarlsbad，andfoundthemselvesfallingflatintheirendeavorsforalittlecordiality。TheyindeedinspiredwithsomekindnesstheoldwomanwhoshowedthemthroughthatcemeterywhereAlbertDurerandHansSachsandmanyotherillustriouscitizenslieburiedundermonumentalbrassesofsuchbeauty：
“Thatkingstohavethelike，mightwishtodie。”
Butthismusthavebeenbecausetheyabandonedthemselvessowillinglytothefascinationofthebronzeskullonthetombofafourteenth-centurypatrician，whichhadtheuncommonadvantageofalowerjawhingedtotheupper。Sheproudlyclappeditupanddownfortheirastonishment，andwaited，withatoothlesssmile，toletthemdiscoverthebeadofanailartfullyfiguredintheskull；thenshegaveashrillcackleofjoy，andgleefullyexplainedthatthewifeofthispatricianhadkilledhimbydrivinganailintohistemple，andhadbeenfitlybeheadedforthemurder。
Shecaredsomuchfornothingelseinthecemetery，butsheconsentedtoletthemwonderattherichnessofthesculptureintheleveltombs，withtheirescutcheonsandmemorialtablets，overrunbythelonggrassandthemattedivy；sheevenconsentedtosharetheirindignationatthedestructionofsomeofthebrassesandthetheftofothers。Shesufferedmorereluctantlytheirtendernessfortheold，oldcrucifixionfiguredinsculptureatonecornerofthecemetery，wheretheanguishoftheChristhadlongsincefadedintothestonefromwhichithadbeenevoked，andthethieveswerenolongerdistinguishableintheirpenitenceorimpenitence；butshepartedfriendswiththemwhenshesawhowmuchtheyseemedtakenwiththevotivechapelofthenobleHolzschuhfamily，wherealineofwoodenshoespunsuponthenameinthefrieze，likethelineofdogswhichchaseoneanother，withbonesintheirmouths，aroundtheCanossapalaceatVerona。AsenseofthebeautifulhousebytheAdigewaspartofthepleasingconfusionwhichpossessedtheminNurembergwhenevertheycameupontheexpressionofthegothicspiritcommonbothtotheGermanandnorthernItalianart。TheyknewthatitwasaneffectwhichhadpassedfromGermanyintoItaly，butintheliberalairoftheolderlandithadcometosomuchmorebeautythatnow，whentheyfounditinitshome，itseemedsomethingfetchedfromovertheAlpsandcoarsenedintheattempttonaturalizeittoanalienair。
IntheGermanicMuseumtheyfledtotheItalianpaintersfromtheGermanpicturestheyhadinspired；inthegreathalloftheRathhausthenobleProcessionalofDurerwasthemoreprecious，becausehisTriumphofMaximiliansomehowsuggestedMantegna’sTriumphofCaesar。Therewastobeabanquetinthehall，underthemightyfresco，towelcometheGermanEmperor，comingthenextweek，andtheRathhauswasfullofwork-peoplefurbishingitupagainsthisarrival，andmakingitdifficultforthecustodianwhohaditinchargetoshowitproperlytostrangers。ShewasofthesameenthusiasticsisterhoodasthevergeressofSt。Lawrenceandtheguardianoftheoldcemetery，andbyamightyeffortsheprevailedovertheworkmensofarastoleadherchargesoutthroughthecorridorwheretheliteralconscienceofthebrothersKuhnhaswroughtintherooftoanexactimageofatournamentasitwasinNurembergfourhundredyearsago。Inthisrelief，throngedwithmenandhorses，thegala-lifeofthepastsurvivesinunexampledfulness；andMarchblamedhimselfafterenjoyingitforhavingfeltinitthattoy-figurequalitywhichseemsthefinaleffectoftheGermangothicisminsculpture。